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How does the current crop of world champions rank when compared with the champs of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 years ago? Fans of every generation have heard it from the elder statesmen of boxing, "Back in my day we had real fighters! These kids today wouldn't last three rounds with the old-timers. Our champions came up the hard way."

Well, it's time to put the words of old-time fight fans to an analytical test, and evaluate the champions of 1954, '64, '74, '84, '94 and 2004.

I picked The Ring Magazine's (since they have been doing this since 1925) highest-rated boxer in August of the fourth year of each decade as the starting point. Remember, this is not a career comparison of each decade's champion, but simply an analysis of where they stood at that point of their career.

For instance, Vitali Klitschko is starting the first year of his reign as world heavyweight champion, while Rocky Marciano was a year away from his last fight as champion. Is it better to be a boxing fan at the beginning of a great reign or at the end of an era? Those are just two of the many questions we will look at.

1994 -- The strawweight Mount Rushmore only has one face, and that is of Ricardo "Finito" Lopez. Ricardo Lopez was making the 10th defense of his title in 1994, and had 12 more defenses in him before moving up in weight and winning another world title. I am not even sure if Niida has 10 more fights in him, much less 12 title defenses. You name the ring skill, and Ricardo had it perfected.

2004 -- How can poor Niida, or any other strawweight for that matter, be compared to the incomparable Ricardo Lopez? Niida is a serviceable 16-1-3, and coming off a 12-round win over Noel Arambulet. Who coincidentally is the man who handed Niida his first loss, a year ago, in a controversial decision. At 25, Niida needs to step up the pace, as he only fights two or three times a year.

Verdict: No contest. If Ricardo Lopez represents the decade of the 1990s, let me live in 1994 forever.

1994 -- Chiquita had just won a 12-round decision over Michael Carbajal (the first of two after being knocked out by Carbajal in their first epic encounter) to return to the top of the division's food chain, but would be flattened a year later by Saman Sorjataroung in a big upset. Little did we know Sorjataroung was better than advertised, and Gonzalez thought it wiser to retire than find out if he was really a spent force.

2004 -- I fear Rosendo is heading in the same direction as Chiquita. At 34, his run should be coming to an end, with Jorge Acre and Beibis Mendoza nipping at his heels. This is about as close a historical similarity as we are likely to get in this feature.

Verdict: All things considered I would favor Rosendo slightly in a head-to-head clash, but when it comes to fun title reigns, Chiquita has him beat. A tough and close comparison, as both fighters only had one quality year, a maximum two, of boxing ahead of them. I would rate Chiquita's era better for depth, and Gonzalez has Alvarez beat when it comes to delivering exciting fights. Give me the 1990s ... with reservations.

1954 -- In July of 1954, Yoshi Shirai had just held the legendary Pascual Perez to a 10-round draw, in Perez's home country of Argentina, which sounds good, but Shirai was at the end of his reign in 1954. He only beat Alberto Barenghi before Perez came to Japan and beat him in November of 1954 over 15 rounds. In 1955, Perez bettered that win by knocking Shirai out in five.

1964 -- Pone Kingpetch is a legend in Thailand, and deservingly so. But, like Shirai, he was at the end of his reign in the mid-'60s, and weight issues added to the 29-year-old's problems. Pone won a controversial decision over Hiroyuki Ebihara in his only fight of 1964, and lost his two subsequent fights in '65 and '66. This Thai stylist had clearly seen better days.

1974 -- Here we have a champion inching his way past the prime years of his career, even though he would have a renaissance four years later. Betulio Gonzalez had just beaten serviceable European champion Franco Udella, but was about to lose to Shoji Oguma and Miguel Canto ... no shame there. Gonzalez can be compared in style to Rocky Marciano. He was never the best boxer nor the fastest of men, but his willpower and work ethic more than made up for those deficiencies.

1984 -- Gabriel Bernal had just beaten Koji Kobayashi in May of '84 to become the world's best flyweight ... it remains the Mexican's career highlight. Bernal made one defense of the WBC title, before Sot Chitalada took his title in October of '84. Bernal challenged twice more for the world title, and twice for the Mexican title, without success.

1994 -- One of the great fights that never materialized in the 1990s is Yuri Arbachakov vs. Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson. A shame, since Yuri had the talent to compete with a prime Johnson. At this stage of Yuri's career, one of the first from the new wave of Russian boxers entering the pro ranks, nagging injuries started to set in. It limited him to five fights over the next two years. Chartchai Sasakul (a close loser to Yuri in their first bout) would take the title from Arbachakov in three years time.

2004 -- Pongsaklek Wonjongkam has not lost in eight years, and has 10 defenses of the WBC belt to his credit. The challengers that Wonjongkam has repelled are a cut above average, and at 27 years of age this southpaw has more in him.

Verdict: Finally, a complete class from 2004 to 1954. It is a good time to be a flyweight fan. Wonjongkam is in his prime while the other champs were in decline or near the end of their careers. Pongsaklek also has a good mix of challengers to defend against, so it should be a fun couple years. Give me 2004 over 1994 by a slight margin.

1994 -- I was a big Borboa fan in '94, and loved the way he came out of nowhere to win the title from Robert Quiroga in 1993. Too bad that on Aug. 29, 1994, his reign would end at the hands of the forgettable Harold Grey. Grey had the slugging Borboa's number, and beat Borboa via split decision in a 1995 return match. Still only 26 when he lost to Grey, Borboa never fought again. I have heard reports that alcohol is to blame.

2004 -- Japan's Katsuhige is rated No. 1 after TKO'ing countryman Masamori Tokuyama two months ago. I can only go off his record, but my assumption is that Katsuhige (26-3) will not have a long reign at the top. He clearly has a better future than Borboa had, but that is not saying much.

Verdict: Fourteen days of a Borboa reign vs. the unknown of a faceless Asian pug who struggles when pitted against a capable challenger. Call it a draw.

1954 -- Robert Cohen was the European champion and a month shy of winning the world title from Chamroen Songkitrat. It was the highlight for a man that worked hard to get the title. He was held to a draw against Willie Toweel in his next big fight, and was then knocked out in the next two fights when he faced good competition in 1955. Clearly, 1954 was Cohen's prime, but it was short.

1964 -- Eder Jofre might be the most underrated boxer of all time, but 1964 was the most inactive year for the Brazilian dynamo. Jofre was having problems with weight and management that limited him to one kayo defense of his title in 1964 before losing to Fighting Harada in May of 1965. His time at bantamweight was nearly over, but consider that nine years later Jofre would be the world featherweight champ.

1974 -- South Africa's Arnold Taylor would lose twice in 1974, and his stay at the top was ended by Soo-Hwan Hong. Taylor then slipped into bantamweight obscurity, although he had a respectable win over Romeo Anaya in '75.

1984 - Richard Sandoval was known as the little brother of Alberto "Superfly" Sandoval, but established his legacy by defeating bantamweight legend Jeff Chandler in April of '84. Two title defenses in '85, and three fights in '86 made people believe Sandoval had the potential to reign for years. Then, Gaby Canizales brutally knocked Sandoval out in '87, and brain injuries prevented him from ever fighting again. Still, 1984 was his prime.

1994 -- Orlando Canizales was a fine boxer, limited by his poor opposition. At this point, Canizales was on his 15th defense of the IBF title, but I dare anyone to tell me a boxer of note that he beat ... without looking it up. In a year's time, Wilfredo Vazquez won a close 12-round decision to take his title. A bit past his prime, but still capable of beating anyone.

2004 -- Rafael Marquez is as exciting as they come, and on a serious hot streak, having bested Tim Austin, Mauricio Pastrana, and Mark Johnson twice. A huge puncher with underrated skills, and at age 29 he has not shown any signs of age slowing him down.

Verdict: Give me 2004 over Richard Sandoval, since Sandoval was going into a kayo drought while Marquez seems to be getting stronger. Canizales has the style to beat both in his prime, but he was slightly past his sell by date in 1994.

1984 -- Jaime Garza could punch ... damn, could he punch! In August of 84, he was 40-0 with 38 kayos.Then, Juan Meza happened to him in November of '84. Garza had Meza down in the first, and was on his way to another quick kayo win when he ran into a tremendous punch that put the lights out on his career. Amazingly, Garza never challenged for another title, and went 5-8 the rest of his career.

1994 -- On Aug. 20, 1994, Kennedy McKinney was thought to be in the prime of his career, having made five title defenses in spite of rumors about drug use. Then Vuyani Bungu upset him, and despite some good wins, McKinney would be best known, post August 1994, for his loss to Marco Antonio Barrera in 1996.

2004 -- Oscar Larios is an anonymous champ despite having not lost since 1998 (forget the 12-round gift Willie Jorrin got over him in 2001), and at 27 is a veteran of 56 fights. Larios also has a knack for defeating Japanese challengers, which should prove lucrative in the future.

Verdict: So what do you prefer, longevity or workmanlike execution? I will take Larios, whose career cannot take as fast a decline as McKinney's, or certainly Garza's.

1954 -- Sandy Saddler was 8-1 in 1954, but clearly past his best, and two years later pulled the proverbial 'one last great fight out of his body' by defeating Flash Elorde. By now, Saddler was relying more on his power, and only trained really hard when his title was on the line. Still, an excellent fighter.

1964 -- Sugar Ramos was one month away from losing to Vicente Salvidar, and lost every time he subsequently stepped up in competition. The Cuban was eight years from retirement, but only months away from his fall from world title grace. Ramos was able to get two more title shots, but lost both via kayo.

1974 -- They didn't know it at the time, but Ernesto Marcel was done with boxing. Marcel won a 15-round decision over Alexis Arguello in February of 1974, and never fought again. Marcel was still only 26, and a hero in Panama. A two-fisted puncher who could wear down a strong opponent with precise blows or overpower weaker foes within three rounds. We hear about Rocky all the time, but Marcel walked away on top as well.

1984 -- It was 1984 and Eusebio Pedroza was perfecting the art of dirty tricks, which he needed to rely on more as his age advanced. Pedroza was past his prime now, and a year away from losing to Barry McGuigan, but was still a formidable challenge for anyone at 124. It is a shame he and Salvador Sanchez never met in the ring!

1994 - Kevin Kelley's fighting prime was relatively short, but August of '94 was about where it peaked. Jose Ramos was about to be dispatched in two rounds, and the boxing world still remembered Kelley's stirring victory over Goyo Vargas on HBO nine months ago. In January of 1995, Alejandro Gonzalez stopped Kelley, which gave time for Kevin to talk and talk and talk and talk. Kelley continued to win for eight more years, but lost whenever he stepped up in competition.

2004 -- Manny Pacquiao has to be the most dangerous fighter in the first two rounds of a fight since Mike Tyson. I still think Pacman is a bit small for featherweight, but cannot deny his results at the weight. There are a ton of good fighters at feather, which makes it hard to judge how Pacquiao will fare in the future. At 25, time is on his side!

Verdict: 2004 by a landslide! The other champs were in decline while the sudden retirement of Marcel left too many questions behind to rate him above the promising future of Pacquiao. But imagine if Pacman would have retired after beating Barrera? Makes you wonder about Marcel.

1964 -- Flash Elorde, as his name suggests, was a speed demon, and was the man that legitimized the junior lightweight division. In 1964, Elrode met his match when trying to gain the lightweight title from Carlos Ortiz, but no one could match Flash at 126. Elorde continued to lose to the best lightweights, but it would be three years before he lost at junior light.

1974 -- Ben Villaflor was another Filipino that relied on speed of foot and hand over power. Head to head he was no match for Elorde, but in '74 he was much closer to his prime. Lack of prime competition also hurts Villaflor when comparing him against others.

1984 -- What an apt name Lockridge had, because Rocky was one tough SOB. In '84, he had just knocked out Roger Mayweather in one round and was destined for a long title reign ... if it were not for two legends named Julio Cesar Chavez and Wilfredo Gomez. As Villaflor's rating is hindered by his opponents, poor Lockridge suffered at the fists of an extraordinarily deep division.

1994 -- Azumah Nelson was past his brilliant best in 1994, but still had good wins over James Leija and Gabriel Ruelas ahead of him. He would lose his only fight in '94 to James Leija, and only fought once a year until he retired in 1998. Clearly, not the stuff that elevates a weight class' status.

2004 -- Erik Morales is a beast of a fighter that I initially underrated. There is no telling what this 27-year-old will do next to elevate his hall of fame career. There is plenty of competition around him. He can move up to fight Diego Corrales, or have Pacquiao or Barrera move up to fight him. Like his boxing, the options are seemingly endless.

Verdict: I like 2004 over Elorde because Elorde could not handle the big boys at 135, something Morales might prove he can do very shortly. The junior lightweight division is also much more established now, and Morales does not have to chase down quality opponents as Elorde and Villaflor did.

1954 -- When you think of great lightweight champions, Paddy De Marco does not immediately come to mind, and for good reason, with De Marco going 6-6 before he won the title from Jimmy Carter in March of '54, before losing it back to Carter in November. Title reigns do not come more briefly.

1964 -- Carlos Ortiz is a name that comes to mind when great lightweight champions are talked about. In 1964, he was near his furious best, one hiccup loss to Ismael Laguna (twice avenged) in 1965 blemishes a stellar prime that spanned 1962 to 1967. It was not good to be a lightweight in the mid 60's if your name was not Ortiz.

1974 -- The name Duran is synonymous with greatness at lightweight, and in 1974 Duran was near his prime. Duran was two years removed from a lesson-learning loss to Esteban De Jesus, and six years before a career-defining win over Sugar Ray Leonard. Describing a prime Duran is an impossibility on paper; you have to watch the tapes to appreciate the pugilistic carnage a prime Duran carried into the ring with him.

1984 -- The up-and-down career of Edwin Rosario was up in August of '84, having just won a decision over Howard Davis. Three months later, he was knocked out by Jose Luis Ramirez, after he had Ramirez down in the first and second rounds, in the fight of the year. Rosario rebounded from that first loss, but you never knew if the seemingly great or average Rosario would show up.

1994 -- Miguel Angel Gonzalez was supposed to be the next Julio Cesar Chavez, and in 1994 it looked like there was a possibility he could be. He was 33-0, and just knocked out fellow undefeated fighter Levander Johnson for the sixth defense of his WBC title. Mago had four more title defenses in him, before moving up in weight and losing to Oscar De La Hoya's jab three years later. Miguel was not great, but a solidly fundamental boxer that broke opponents down with skill. In other words, a B-level Chavez.

2004 -- Jose Luis Castillo is a lot more Miguel Gonzalez than Roberto Duran. Castillo has come closer than anyone to beating Floyd Mayweather Jr., which says a lot for him. You have to be tough to make it as Julio Cesar Chavez's chief sparring partner, and apparently Castillo has learned from that tour of duty. He has fought a who's who of the division since the mid 1990s, and seems to be peaking now at age 30.

Verdict: A prime Duran will never come in at second place, so second place Carlos Ortiz is a damn sight better than anything we have now. I would even go as far as to rate the '94 Miguel Gonzalez over the 2004 Castillo, and pick Rosario over Castillo as well ... depending on which Rosario showed up. History has shown the lightweight class to be talent rich, which is illustrated by Castillo's ranking.

NEXT: Junior Welterweight to Heavyweight