How Much More Weight Did The Old-Timers Put On?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Quick Cash, May 6, 2013.


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  1. Quick Cash

    Quick Cash Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Do we know, or possibly guess at, the weights fighters from yesteryear re-hydrated to? Obviously, they did not reach the absurd levels we hear of today. Gene Fullmer, for instance, went up a mere 3 pounds against Carmen Basilio; lean for the modern middleweight scene. However, as in anything, there appear to be outliers even then. I suspect Ike Williams and Carlos Ortiz to be two such offenders. Jake LaMotta is likely another. The norm, though, might be somewhere between 3-4 extra pounds. Your thoughts?
     
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
    #1
  2. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Depends when they weighed in.
    Fighters who weighed in ring side 5 minutes before the fight put on nothing.
    Guys who weighed in hours before might have put on 7 or 8 pounds.
     
    Unforgiven, May 6, 2013
    Unforgiven, May 6, 2013
    #2
  3. AlFrancis

    AlFrancis Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I'd say probably about 3 or 4 pounds on same day weigh ins. When me dad fought Rose, Lionel just scraped the 8 stone 6, second attempt after taking his underpants off. After the fight me dad was asked if Rose was the best bantam he'd fought. He replied "I don't know about best bantam but he was definitely the best featherweight I've ever fought".
     
    AlFrancis, May 6, 2013
    AlFrancis, May 6, 2013
    #3
  4. Quick Cash

    Quick Cash Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Great stuff. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks!
     
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
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  5. Quick Cash

    Quick Cash Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I'm referring to golden age boxing, of course.

    That high, huh? What makes you say?
     
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
    Quick Cash, May 6, 2013
    #5
  6. Quick Cash

    Quick Cash Well-Known Member Full Member

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    It must also be said that there has been a shift in sensibilities in boxing when it comes to re-hydration. Mosley, for one, is massive when put next to, say, Carmen Basilio, but they both hit the 160-region roughly at the same age. Carmen also peaked earlier in his career, thus was lighter, and closer to 147 come fight night.

    Transporting one into the other's era, might have both sporting the same general bulk. Judge them separately, prime-for-prime, and Mosley looks bigger.
     
    Quick Cash, May 9, 2013
    Quick Cash, May 9, 2013
    #6
  7. thistle1

    thistle1 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    you have opened a can of dirty worms here, and though most of us here know it, some people here can't stand this truth.

    this IS todays boxing across the divisions... Todays MW are yesterdays L-HWs, todays WW, yesterdays L-Ws and so on, some even two divisions heavier.

    and for this reason should be compared as such, I.E BHop to Conn and Co. This is Honest & Accurate cross Era comparisons and your Dad IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!!!

    who is your Dad, Al?
     
    thistle1, May 9, 2013
    thistle1, May 9, 2013
    #7
  8. Flea Man

    Flea Man มวยสากล Full Member

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    Um...clearly that was a reference to a fight that happened forty years ago. Which shows in some cases, especially in Rose's as he was notoriously tight at the weight, it happened back then.

    Yes it's the norm now but that's not relevant to the thread which is asking was it the norm then.

    AlFrancis is the son of Alan Rudkin, arguably Britain's greatest never to win a title. Top 3 or 4 either way.
     
    Flea Man, May 9, 2013
    Flea Man, May 9, 2013
    #8
  9. Quick Cash

    Quick Cash Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Let's use the eye test:

    Does Morales, unofficially weighing 130 pounds for Barrera on their first go, look bigger than Saddler against Pep? Both were around the same age.

    Is Marquez at 136 comparable to Duran, or even Jimmy Carter?

    I say no.
     
    Quick Cash, May 9, 2013
    Quick Cash, May 9, 2013
    #9
  10. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Yeah, I mean it depends what time of day they weighed in. Sometimes they weighed in hours before the fight, sometimes they weighed in just a few minutes before.


    Because that's about how much a dehydrated boxer who strained to make weight can possibly put on in 6-8 hours. In the heavier divisions (middle, light-heavy) certainly.
    A guy like LaMotta for example.
     
    Unforgiven, May 9, 2013
    Unforgiven, May 9, 2013
    #10
  11. AlFrancis

    AlFrancis Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Alan Rudkin! By the way I agree with you about the fighters being bigger today. Obviously me dad thought at the time of Rose putting on 7 or 8 pounds as a lot of weight. With the day before weigh ins some of these fellas today are putting on like 15 pounds or even more in some cases.
     
    AlFrancis, May 9, 2013
    AlFrancis, May 9, 2013
    #11
  12. The Spider

    The Spider Guest

    Good info.

    It was the 2nd anniversary of Lionel's death yesterday by the way.
     
    The Spider, May 9, 2013
    The Spider, May 9, 2013
    #12
  13. AlFrancis

    AlFrancis Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Flown over that! I was gutted when I heard the news. Me dad and Lionel shared a special bond after that fight and they stayed in touch all them years afterwards. Me and are kid went to Melbourne last year and spent a couple of days with Jenny and Michael Rose. We had a great time reminiscing. All made possible by our good friend Flamengo, Tony Hood.
     
    AlFrancis, May 10, 2013
    AlFrancis, May 10, 2013
    #13
  14. Flea Man

    Flea Man มวยสากล Full Member

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    What are you saying?
     
    Flea Man, May 10, 2013
    Flea Man, May 10, 2013
    #14
  15. AlFrancis

    AlFrancis Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I've got to say, I don't think all fighters these days pile the pounds on after the weigh in.
     
    AlFrancis, May 10, 2013
    AlFrancis, May 10, 2013
    #15
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