Why does this forum think old time heavies sucked?

Because you can only be the best in your own era and most sports progress over time. Every measurable sport progressed. In boxing whether it's techniques, standards or muscle building.

Some skills weren't even around in this era to my knowledge. The first example of the shoulder roll I can see is George Benton in the 60s for example.

 

By old time I should have said pre 60s heavies. Outside of a select few, people generally think they suck.

 

But the boxing is very different than lot of sports, for example the swimming .

 

It's not that they sucked.

It's that today they probably wouldn't be heavyweights.

 

Jersey Joe Walcott and Charley Burley used it.

If there was enough footage of Joe Gans or George Dixon you'd probably see them using it as well.

 

For those who do.... Who cares

 

They didn't really, Burley and Walcott used elements of it but not the full style. Both I'd put both in a subset of innovative boxers who progressed the sport. Gans definitely didn't employ any of these techniques and from a skillset wasn't as good as Burley/Walcott. He was an old time user of distance for the most part but was uncomfortable in close quarters.

 

Look into these boxers in more detail, you'll actually enjoy what you find out.

 

Archie Moore did it as early as the mid 40s.

 

Exactly, these guys were taught these techniques by trainers who had seen boxers use them.

Protecting your body with your elbows, your chin with your gloves and moving your upper body to roll away from the puncher isn't a modern technique, it's just a hard technique.

If you're quick enough it's easier to dance and stay out of range. If you aren't quick enough, it's easier to spoil.

 

It's not even a hard technique, it's just one that lent itself to bigger gloves. That's why it popped up so much more after the Walker Law was decreed.

 

Let me guess; basketball and football.

 

Then how come old Foreman was able to come back after 20 years to win the HW championship?

How come a weight drained flyweight from the 90s is able to be the number 1 WW in the world today?

 

I don't see this. Seems like the complete opposite to me.

 

Yeah but you are talking about special fighters. Foreman, Pac, Archie Moore, Duran and BHOP are all time greats that were able to compete at high level later in life because they were special. Same with Tom Brady, Nolan Ryan, etc.

There are always exceptions but for the most part, athletes today are better conditioned but NOT necessarily better fighters.