Demise of Middleweights

I agree with you. Some of the guys you mention from the 1950s were far superior to any middleweight today,with the possible exception of Martinez.
I won't even mention the 1940s of Robinson, Cerdan, LaMotta, Zale,
Georgie Abrams, Dauthille,Randy Turpin, Bobo Olson, etc. Boxing is in a severe decline in all divisions today. The best athletes are going into football, MMA, and TV has from the 1950s on taken away local boxing arena's

 

That allowed young fighters to learn their craft,fighting monthly or more.
In New York City area alone there was a boxing card every night of the week,except Sunday. To get a main event in MSG you had to have 50 or more bouts for the most part. So yes ,the current crop of middleweights
would be cannon fodder for the middleweights of the 1940-1960s...

 

Used to be about the 2nd most prestigious title in the sport: Middleweight Champion. World, Undisputed, or such variation.

 

Just think about pitting today;s crop of middles vs the field from the 60's...it wouldn't be fair really. Emile Griffith would have beaten every single middleweight around today..including martinez.

 

Weighing in at the welter limit on the day of the fight mind you :good

 

Middleweight KINGS, Big & Strong enough to fight bigger men, Lean & Fast enough to possess and have the skill of smaller men!

the Best Division in boxing, bar none and especially from richer tougher, more demanding and skillful periods, mid 30s - mid 50s and including teens and 20s and 60s.

Literally hundreds of Great and Top fighters and from ALL of boxings leading nations too!

 

There's more divisions, most of the talent is at 168 today. In the old days you'd have the following at MW: Alvarez, Martinez, Williams, Cotto, Margarito, Lara, Pirog, Krikland, Bundrage, Andy Lee, Sturm, Corey Spinks, Chavez Jr. That wouldn't be too bad a division if they all fought each other, I'd like to see Martinez-Lara after both beat Williams

 

Doesn't really matter does it?

All that matters is the best of the time fight each other. Today's great mw is martinez, supposedly he's fighting macklin next. Chavez fighting barker. Hopeful geale, pirog and lee will get a fight between them.

Providing the winners fight each other and we get some of the claims unified I see no reason to complain.

Especially not based on a hunch that these would lose to a bunch of guys 60 years ago.

As a foot note, I see carter as more of a lmw. If the belt had any prestige back then I think he could have been a fine lmw champion.

Certainly he'd engage in some great wars with cotto, alvarez, kirkland and angulo.

 

Probably..he'd still be stronger physically than these guys today.

 

Griffith W15 Martinez BTW,..a routine, 'nuther day at the office for Griff.

 

Martinez seems like someone who needs space. It'll be interesting seeing how he deals with macklin who'll be in his face all night.

 

wow, a lot of moaning here,

 

I think Alvarez could be something special.