Introduction to 1970s Heavyweights

The best way we can enjoy sports these days is to remember sports for the way it once was. With this in mind, I grew up in the 1970s and for the years from 1970-1979, professional boxing may have experienced its best era ever. Boxing was thriving and extremely popular, often showcased on ABC’s Wide World of Sports or CBS and its equivalent show, "CBS Sports Spectacular."

Focusing on the heavyweight division, during that decade some of the best heavyweights in history took to the squared circle to engage in some of the greatest fights ever. While Muhammad Ali (passed away on June 3, 2016, at the age of 74) ruled the sport’s top division in that era, “The Greatest” also took on all comers and most of his opponents from 1970-1979 were the division’s best. I give you now a rundown of the best heavyweights of the 1970s and a brief background on each. Muhammad Ali fought all of these fighters during this decade except for Larry Holmes and Sonny Liston who Ali had matches with in the 1980s and 60s respectively. Of the 17 fighters he did mix it up with from 1970-1979 he beat them all except for Joe Frazier (but Ali won two of three with “Smokin Joe”), Ken Norton (also fought three times winning twice), and Leon Spinks but he defeated Spinks in a rematch.