I would really like to get away from all this Better Living Through Chemistry science that ends invaded the sport, especially since the elimination of same-day weigh-ins. That is why I really believe in making hydration a required measurement prior to a fight.
And where are the 185 pound power punchers who have dominated the division in the past 40 years? Please name.
His career ain't over. My feeling is that Golovkin wants to unify the MW titles, and then move up for good. As opposed to moving up, down, and then back up again. He just needs this last title fight, and then the Canelo fight. But man in modern boxing time, two fights is an eternity.
Where is the last 185lb puncher like Marciano in the last 40 years? Please name. This isn't a "any hard puncher will do," sorta deal. Plus, do they even allow 185lb boxers to fight at HW any more? Unless you're talking about fighters that moved up from 185? Holyfield, even though he wasn't a power puncher, started at 179lb, and then moved up to have a very successful HW career.
Yes, I don't understand why this is so hard to understand? In the days prior to the alphabet collection of titles and belts it seems like this was understood. This bizarre practice to chase around and fight out of your weight class before everything is settled in the one in which you currently inhabit does nothing for anyone except give license for those who wish to dodge the legitimate contenders in their weight class the ability to create meaningless catchweight fights. There should be less excuse for this than ever with the proliferation of new weight classes.
pretending old fighters didn't fight outside their weight class is some of the worst revisionism i have ever seen in any aspect of history.
Rocky would be a smallish cruiserweight by today's standards. Even the harder punching cruiserweights at the upper end of the scale have found a diminution of their power moving up to heavy, and most of those guys were roided out of their gills. It's unrealistic not to expect the same to happen to the Rock. Yes, Rocky lacked explosiveness. He was a heavy handed guy who swung for the fences out of a low crouch; that's how he generated power. He wasn't a hugely coiled ball of energy like a Tyson or Tua type guy. Some stylistic similarities perhaps, but physically quite different. I actually think Wlad would be his toughest challenge stylistically. There is literally not one scenario I can see where Rocky wins.
Older generation fighters fought more than once or twice a year and thus exhausted opportunities for matchups which don't happen in today's environment
So what? Jack Dempsey, another "unicorn" puncher, was 187, and crushed a 245 champion. Pounds are pounds, time doesn't change that. Which cruisers that you're alluding to, would you compare to Rocky Marciano as a boxer? Rocky is one of the most explosive fighters of all time. Bobbing and weaving, and fast punch combinations, are not the only expressions of explosive ability. His punches themselves were explosive. And the way he put his entire body and shoulder snap into them. In the third link below, you'll see one of the most beautiful uppercuts a person can throw. And then look how he strings the leaping left hook after that. Are you kidding me? That's dynamite. https://streamable.com/906n https://streamable.com/d98u https://streamable.com/6xyx https://streamable.com/39o1
Rocky's title reign was 7 fights against 5 in 3 years. And Lastarza was a rematch. Rocky wasn't very active as a champ. Mayweather his first 7 title fights were done in 2 years. And Floyd was the underdog against Hernandez in case you mention cherrypicking.
You kidding?? Look at the power of the first two hooks he throws. After throwing the first one, he pivots to close in on the angle while generating power for the second huge leaping left hook. Look how far the follow through is, and how the force of the punch pulls his body. Look how active he is. Two huge hooks while stalking in. Couple punches on the inside, then pushes the opponent away, feints, and quickly launches a huge leaping haymaker that allows him access to the inside. He doesn't allow his opponents to breath! Constant dynamite. RJJ and Max Kellerman would go crazy commentating action like this.
so the fact they did it matters but the reasons modern fighters don't don't? in the context of todays environment rocky is a lhw/cw champ who gets beat moving up 50lbs to hw and ggg is a guy who dominates 160 but hasn't tested himself at 8lbs over his ideal weight. there is no reason to say ggg does well at 175, let alone heavy, by the time you're saying gg>foster based on nothing it's just stupid.
Listed at 6 2 1/2, 77 1/2 inch reach, Holyfield was substantially larger than the lilliputian Marciano. And I don't care where Holy started. Carpentier started at welterweight, didn't he? So we should consider him a blown-up welterweight, right? And please to inform me who was a more skilled fighter, Holyfield or Marciano? Who was quicker of foot and hand? Who was stronger?
