Footwork has really regressed in the modern era

Those guys have some of the best footwork ever though, maybe a bit unfair to compare to them

Watch Lomachenko, Usyk, Rigondeaux, Mayweather, Marquez, Garcia (Mikey), Golovkin et cetera though. All have good footwork.

 

Footwork is still around, but people call it running out of bias.

 

Nichols is fantastic, despite it being a bit on slower side. Wlad has good footwork for a man his size

 

People call it running not out of bias, but because generally the footwork seen today is nowhere near as good or as fluid as the footwork seen in boxers from previous generations.

I agree with RafaelGonzal that when I watch old fights from the 60s-80s I generally have the same takeaway, how visually immersive those classic matches are have a lot to do with the footwork on display. The way boxers moved around the ring in the old days was much more organic and more like an art form. Today it’s a lot of plodding and both guys staying in the pocket, where in those days the footwork skill was really impressive.

There are exceptions of course, one example of a guy with skillful foot footwork in more recent times is Erik Morales. I was always impressed with Morales’s footwork, even late in his career, and I thought he was sort of a throwback in that regard. But there aren’t too many guys these days with the type of footwork you are referring to. This is why I believe when we compare boxing today to past generations, it’s more than just nostalgia. The footage speaks for itself. :good

 

Vlad has really good footwork and balance, so does Lomachenko, Golovkin, etc.

 

Foot work is the key to power and there are less knockouts now than ever.

Not only that , but the jab has gone as well.

 

:deal

 

Besides footwork it seems guys also had better stances and head position which made great in fighting

Many fights now have head clashes and bad cuts or swelling that send fights to the cards

I can't really think of classic fights with head clashes or technical decisions it felt like they could fight in phone booths and never clunk heads

 

You are comparing all time greats with modern contenders. Some of our top guys have good footwork too.

 

No, he's right it's regressed. It used to go forward. Now it goes backward.

 

You aren't watching the journeymen and contenders fights from the 60s-80s though.

 

You're looking at the top fighters exclusively from that era compared to a much larger group of fighters from today's era, of course you're going to think that.
Put Lomachenko's footwork next to any fighter in history.

 

Wait a second, there were tons of bad cuts and swelling in the past. Billy Backus defeated Jose Napoles on a cut. Ray Robinson was cut against Gene Fullmer. Basilio was cut against Fullmer. Tunney was cut against Greb. Hagler was cut against Hearns, and was prone to cuts. One or two of those great Marquez/Vazquez fights was stopped on cuts. Gonzalez vs Carbajal had a cut. Paul Banke vs Daniel Zaragoza II Zaragoza was cut on both eyes. Wepner was stopped on cuts against Bugner. Mclarnin was stopped on cuts. Alan Minter was stopped a couple of times on cuts. Klitschko vs Lewis. Walter McGowan lost on cuts to Chionoi. Henry Cooper cut a lot. A fight between Quarry and Ali was stopped on a cut. Gil Turner vs Johnny Saxton.

 

There are exceptions such as Rigo, Loma, Ward, Floyd, GGG, ect but yes, overall the skill/ability level is not as high today as it was in the early 80s.

Canelo and Danny Garcia would never be considered top 10 P4P fighters in 1981.