How has boxing evolved from the early years.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Samtotheg, May 6, 2021.



  1. Samtotheg

    Samtotheg Active Member Full Member

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    Combination punches were thrown pre 40s I dont know where you got that idea ,that they did not throw punches .It didnt look like 5 punch flurries because opponents did stand their with a high guard shelling up the whole time allowing you to get those combos off. You had to land your shots going in . Or you got combinations off when they were hurt . It was harder to combination punch for a reason.
     
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  2. Samtotheg

    Samtotheg Active Member Full Member

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    FItz is more skilled though.
     
  3. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I wasn't talking about you. We had a very respectful conversation that I had no problem with. We simply disagreed. The other poster was different. It is undeniable that the sport was different in Fitz's era and I have no problem if you enjoy watching that era. I find the history interesting but I don't get much from watching the competition from those days. To each his own.
     
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  4. 70sFan865

    70sFan865 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    It depends on what you call "skills".
     
  5. Samtotheg

    Samtotheg Active Member Full Member

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    The biggest criticism of early year fighters is the whole hands down stuff .So hands down is bad to most people I am assuming because it looks like the boxer is vulnerable and not practicing defense. But once again the pre 50s boxing is superior because it combined OFFENSE with DEFENSE. The hands up guard is the biggest fallacy to safe defensive boxing in the history of boxing . Here are several points 1. You do not stop the guy from approaching you fearlessly , Your lead hand is your sword and your right hand is your shield in a sword fight you do not glue your sword to your head you point it at your opponent . Boxers of yesteryear had their lead hand down but in a position to fire at you if you jab at them and they parried your jab.See the thing is boxers back then knew how to defend with one hand and attack with the other . This allowed you to take back the initiative(your turn) when a boxer high guards they sit there and let the opponent bomb on them until they stop . That would get you killed in the pre 50s . You had to get your turn back through either intercepting the attack or clinching.

    Also another key element was your stance . Boxers back then stood with their head over the rear foot . This extending the range it took for their opponent to hit them and kept their head off the centerline and further back they also did not stand directly in front of their opponent . It made landing the right hand very difficult and risky to do. Since they were in an angle to keep away from the right it allowed to mostly concentrate on blocking the opponents lead hand attacks while firing their own. Not to say they did not land right hands but you had to work really hard for it. Also Boxers of pre 50s were able to keep themselves safe after they punched and still didnt need hands up after punching ,they either clinch to smother return fire or pivoted off to a superior angle to keep themselves safe and continue their turn (initiative)
     
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  6. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I didn't say that combinations were not thrown pre 1940's. Please do not misquote me. I have no interest in going down this rabbit hole yet again on this forum. It's the same argument over and over. People see what they want to see and read what they want to read.
     
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  7. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    The hook following the cross is intended as a counter to an anticipated counter punch from the opposing right hand, or if the opposing fighter tries to counter with his own hook, as they typically drop their right hand when throwing a hook.
    It's a 'canned' combo with the hook set up to be a counter usually.
     
  8. Samtotheg

    Samtotheg Active Member Full Member

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    Another thing boxers did better back then was feint . They feinted with both arms even . They never let you know when that punch was coming this helped them win control of the initiative when an opponent fell for one of their feints. Boxers also always recovered when they punched and ended up facing the wrong way they always was able to face their opponent and stop their opponent from getting a good angle. You did not see that much post 50s . Either getting good angles or preventin good angles. Boxers also were much better at inside fighting its annoying watch post 50s boxers stand fore head to forehead and or brawl up close(Joe frazier) Boxers fought out of the tie ups but were able to generate offense and keep tthemselves extremely safe on the inside . If you look at yesteryears boxing more closely you would find even more gems.
     
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  9. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Fighters in the lower weights have been doing this for decades.
    Also consider that if we're going that far back, usually only the top fighters were filmed and even now, there just isn't that much footage out there.
    I can imagine there were more than a few ham & eggers that had very primitive skills.
     
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  10. Samtotheg

    Samtotheg Active Member Full Member

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    I am going to try to make a video on what I am talking about !
     
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  11. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    The MMA example is a bit flawed I'd say. Anytime a 'new' sport develops there is a rapid uptake of techniques and skills in the first few years, then it slows down considerably over the next few decades.
    I doubt that MMA will advance much in the next 30 years.
    Agree with the rest of what you said though.
     
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  12. fists of fury

    fists of fury Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    That would be best.
     
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  13. AwardedSteak863

    AwardedSteak863 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Fair enough. I'm moving on from this thread. I can already tell that it is going to be pages and pages of look at me, I know more than you type stuff that doesn't interest me at my age. Everything that I post comes from my experience as an active participant in the sport for over 35 years. I should have know better than to post in this one.
     
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  14. White Bomber

    White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Given that today they have access to better training and nutrition like you said, one can also deduct that they develop better durability.
     
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  15. White Bomber

    White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Great post.