Heavyweight Title Fights of the 1980s: A Complete History

Bookended by two all-time greats in Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson, the much-maligned 1980s were significant in heavyweight boxing. Holmes dominated the first half of the decade, but the ＂Easton Assassin＂ struggled to escape the shadow of Muhammad Ali. Holmes did establish a legacy of greatness despite stumbling in his attempt to surpass Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten record of 49-0. The second half of the decade saw the meteoric rise of Mike Tyson, who cleaned out and unified a fractured heavyweight division through the HBO unification tournament.

The ’80s was also the decade of fighters collectively known as the ＂lost generation＂ of heavyweights. That included the likes of Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon, and Michael Dokes, who, for various reasons, couldn’t sustain a period at the top of the game. However, they still deserve to be remembered for more than their failings.

This book presents a thorough history of a stunning decade in heavyweight boxing, covering all 46 world title fights in detail.

Steve Hunt works for a charity supporting families impacted by substance misuse. He has written about boxing history for Boxing News and various websites. He lives in Northampton, England.