"Back in my day, boxers were better."

The Banana Man predates Boston Tom I believe...

Billy Miske deserved a title shot | Page 2 | Boxing News 24 Forum (boxingforum24.com)

 

Ha ha, love this and i'm now dying to use it in conversation. But as I live a Jeremiah Johnson type existence in the Rocky Mountains and my only communication with the natives is 'Covfefe" (said in different tones), I may be waiting a long time.

 

"Sockdologizing old man trap" Sounds like something Frank Zappa would have dreamed up.

Nostalgia does have a strong influence. My dad would claim that the likes of Louis and Marciano would thrash Ali while his uncle would forever be informing him that Jack Dempsey would murder that "upstart" Joe Louis.

 

I had to look that up, now I love it even more. But yeah, you can imagine it being a lyric from Freak Out! or Lumpy Gravy.

Aye...i think if we all went down that route, we'd have to agree Nat was right and all there hasn't been a really great heavyweight champ since Butch & Sundance were gunned down.

 

This forum.

Most wax lyrical about Greb. But from what we have seen he looks like a rookie. And there wasn't the talk of him being the man back then like he is now.

 

Well, I will try some quotes which might be of interest on this subject:

This is Gene Tunney on Jim Jeffries, quoted in World Heavyweight Boxing Championship by John D McCallum:

"I know there are first-rate judges of boxing who pick the big fellow as the greatest of all. I am not one of them. The ring strategy of Jeffries was entirely the thinking of Tommy Ryan. Tommy taught him the famous crouch, body hunched over and left hand stuck out. Had him just plodding ahead like that, pushing the left out straight. Jeffries' decisive quality was his tremendous physical toughness and endurance, the brawny giant who could hardly be hurt. The Ryan system was for Jeffries to take all the beating the other fellow could give him, just plodding in a crouch and absorb all the punches that came his way, until his opponents wore themselves out hitting him. It has been said that Jeffries often displayed little love for battle, and sometimes wanted to quit. Well, you could hardly blame him with that Tommy Ryan strategy of having Jeffries take all the beating the other fellow could hand out."

Turnaround is fair play, so here is Jeffries on Gene Tunney, quoted in the LA Times on 3-5-1953, two days after Jeff's death:

"Tunney wouldn't have lasted three rounds with Fitzsimmons."

Here is Sailor Tom Sharkey quoted in the SF Chronicle on 5-4-1953:

"Jeffries would have licked Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis in the same night."

And Jeff again, from the SF Chronicle 5-4-1953

"It's a big joke--men like Ezzard Charles and Joe Walcott fighting for the championship. They'd be lucky to get semi-windups in the days of the real fighters."

And Jack Johnson weighs in during an interview in the July, 1946 issue of The Ring:

Nat Fleischer--"Jack, what do you think of the present day heavies compared to those of your day?"

Jack Johnson--"They are a dime a dozen. Not that I want to throw cold water on the boxers of today, but because history proves that the men of my fighting era were giants in comparison to the best of today's fighters. There is only one man who stands out today, Joe Louis, and in my humble opinion, not only could I have whipped Joe when I was at my best, but I'll name Sam Langford, Jeffries, Corbett, Choynski, Tom Sharkey, Fitz and Tommy Ryan among some of the old timers who would have taken Joe."

I love a "humble" opinion from a guy who doesn't want to throw cold water.

 

I might as well weigh in with my opinion.

It has been all downhill for the last 2000 years. Consider those boxing matches in the Colosseum. A guy quitting on his stool? A referee stopping the match to save the loser from taking too much punishment? A loser around to whine about a rematch? Give me a break. Men were men back then. Everything has since gone to the dogs. Folks have gotten soft. It is nothing like it used to be.

 

I rate Tommy Ryan very highly p4p, but the idea of a 5ft 7ins 150lbs fighter beating Joe Louis, is a good example as any I can think of, as to how objectivity can go out of the window when comparing current fighters with those of "my day".

 

This reminds us, once again, that old-timers proclaiming that boxing was so much better "back in the day", should be taken with a pinch of salt.

 

yes of course those statements are bias and inaccurate, but most people since the 30s aren't making the same kinds of statement's, as we have Documented Film showing the evolution of Athletic Stylists and Recorded Consensus of "Greater Overall Era's", i.e the 1940s...

so some Era's/Fighters 'truly are' better than others and many of them better than today, especially among the Giants.

 

Honestly not really, Corbett went around telling people he invented the left hook- he was full of it and blew wind at the drop of a hat.

 

My liege may we have your top ten?

 

Great quotes that I have read before and imo Tunney provided an astute assessment of Jeffries.

 

Back in my day, Jack Dempsey could knock out Harry Kid Matthews, Ezzard Charles, Joe Walcott, and Rocky Marciano on the same day and he only needs 4 rounds to do it one right after the other.