ESB Essay Writing Competition: Comparing fighters from different eras

[rekcutnevets]

They are warranted, because they are all engaged in a similar activity. Anytime you have a history of people involved in the same, or nearly the same, sport; you will always wonder how the best from different eras will match up. Even if it is impossible to determine an answer.

I keep a guideline in mind whenever I analyze match ups. Techniques change throughout eras, and so do conditioning methods. Instead of thinking of these match ups happening as they would era against era, I pretend both fighters would have the same knowledge available to learn from. I try to pretend they would be from the same time period, rather than saying so and so would be in better shape because he knew the importance of interval training. I try not to hold some of the old timer's sometimes different technique as the deciding factor, because if fighters are from the same period they will have similar technical knowledge to draw from.

I always remember that these match ups are strictly imaginary, and the outcomes never capable of proven.

[Manassa]

Evolution, not revolution.

Thank you.

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Evolution, not revolution.

Thank you.

What for?

[Decebal]

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by Decebal

What for?

Thank you for taking the time to read my fine essay.

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Thank you for taking the time to read my fine essay.

you must be younger than I thought!

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by Sweet Pea

So Floyd is better than SRR because the sport has evolved? I don't get it, is Amsterdam starting to influence you?

Ah, the opposite. Let's evolve our skills; at this time, we are merely revolving.

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by Decebal

you must be younger than I thought!

Eighteen, sir!

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Eighteen, sir!

Thou art forgiven then!

(Friendly advice...read the question carefully before attempting an anwer...will come in handy when you do exams as university...and...contrary to popular beliefs it's a myth that they give an alpha alpha double plus for smart-assed three-word answers...)

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Doc Holliday

As anyone who has Access to youtube can see, boxing peaked during the Tyson-Berbick fight when mike tyson truly became the perfect fighting machine.

Ive made a rough graph that shows the differences between earlier primitive boxers, and later primitive boxers in comparison to mike tyson.






In conclusion, Mike tyson is perfect, all other fighters are inferior.

"rough" is a bit of an understatement...the gradient of the line falling to George Foreman implies a logical impossibility...but otherwise, it's a pretty picture!

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by Decebal

Thou art forgiven then!

(Friendly advice...read the question carefully before attempting an anwer...will come in handy when you do exams as university...and...contrary to popular beliefs it's a myth that they give an alpha alpha double plus for smart-assed three-word answers...)

Should have asked me during the week. At weekends I'm fully booked!

[Bummy Davis]

Originally Posted by ChrisPontius

Boxing, like society, is under influence of constant changes. In the 19th century the transition was made from bareknuckle to gloved boxing and it didn't end there. The number of rounds has been reduced, the glove size changed and a "neutral corner" rule was added to name a few.

In Jack Johnson's days, boxing consisted for a large part of wrestling and in-fighting. Today, boxing consists for a large part of fighting on the outside and putting combinations together.

Can a fight like Joe Jeannette KO49 Sam McVey be compared to Ali vs Frazier I, or Holyfield vs Bowe I ? Certainly not, but all of those are legendary fights in their own way.

Much like that, some fighters in my opinion cannot be compared in a pure head-to-head sense because of the changes in the sport. But a fighter's legacy based on who he beat and how he beat them, can certainly be compared over the years. Marciano's legendary 49-0 is still standing 50 years later as well as Joe Louis' record for number of title defenses.

Clearly, even though the rules of boxing changed, legacies can still be assessed accurately and compared with one and other.


Did i cross the 100?

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Should have asked me during the week. At weekends I'm fully booked!

"The deadline for submissions is the 3rd of August, 12:00 GMT"

[Manassa]

Originally Posted by Decebal

"The deadline for submissions is the 3rd of August, 12:00 GMT"

Oh, I see - how many words does it have to be?

[Decebal]

Originally Posted by Manassa

Oh, I see - how many words does it have to be?

If Muhammad doesn't want to go to the mountain, then I guess the mountain has to come to Muhammad...

I pasted the answer below, so that you don't have to scroll to the first post...

Please comment on the following view in less than 250 words:


"Comparisons between fighters from different eras are unwarranted, and, as such, cannot reasonably be made."

The deadline for submissions is the 3rd of August, 12:00 GMT. With your gracious permission, I, Decebal, will judge the entries and decide a winner.