Why people romanticize past fighters over present fighters

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by InMemoryofJakeLamotta, Oct 17, 2025 at 3:04 PM.


  1. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    I've seen people say ridiculous things like if AJ or Wlad were around in the 70s or 60s, they would be fringe contenders. That's going too far.
     
  2. Ioakeim Tzortzakis

    Ioakeim Tzortzakis Irresistibly tempting Full Member

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    For the same reason you romanticize your ex compared to the girl you've settled with.
     
  3. Dynamicpuncher

    Dynamicpuncher Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I've also seen a comment recently where someone said Frazier, Norton, wouldn't even be top 30 Heavyweights in today's era.

    So that works both ways.

    I've seen alot of ridiculous comments in regards to modern fighters just as much as people apparently romanticizing over old fighters.
     
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  4. OddR

    OddR Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I feel like modern fighters get a lot more credit nowdays.

    Still not as much as past fighters overall but when they retire who knows.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2025 at 3:33 PM
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  5. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Because they're cool. And sexy. Have you seen Primo?
     
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  6. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Very few celebrities — athletes, actors, writers, directors, etc — are truly appreciated in their times … at least not as much in hindsight.

    And when they are, it’s not by definition romanticism. We’d say they ‘stan’ them.

    We cannot look at the present from 30,000 feet, basically. With hindsight we appreciate things more.
     
    KO KIDD likes this.
  7. scartissue

    scartissue Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Since I was a kid I always loved doing the comparison between eras and fighters on an individual basis. I think we all have. But we eventually came up against a wall where you could not compare them any longer with the inception of PEDs in boxing and sport in general. Today I just make the assumption that contemporary fighters are all juiced. How can you compete against that?
     
  8. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 Mauling Mormon’s Full Member

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    Also… modern fighters are usually pretty cringe guys, there is an air of mystery on Burley or Charles etc like how would we look at Robinson if he had a Fortnite stream on the side or if Fighting Harada had a ****coin scam attached to him? - even if at one time they were all dumb 20 year olds the past buries a lot.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM
  9. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    I have seen people in the general forum claiming Joyce would beat peak Tyson or that Wilder is better than Foreman :lol:

    Its not people romanticizing past fighters. Its the other way around.
     
  10. RulesMakeItInteresting

    RulesMakeItInteresting Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I don't see a lot of the you'll-have-kill-me approach that guys like Ali, Holmes, Holyfield, Foreman, Frazier, and Norton had. AJ certainly doesn't have it, and I'm confident saying neither does any other heavyweight besides probably Wilder and Fury.

    To be fair, Usyk might have that. I just haven't see the fight where he used that approach yet. At this point he seems simply like a stunningly mature and strikingly effective heavy.

    Usyk needs a Frazier, Norton, or Bowe to bring him to his limits and beyond.
     
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  11. Mandela2039

    Mandela2039 Philippians 2:10-11 Full Member

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    Harry Greb's brand new line of sneakers :risas3:
     
  12. InMemoryofJakeLamotta

    InMemoryofJakeLamotta I have defeated the great Seamus Full Member

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    Usyk had Fury, AJ and Dubois
     
  13. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Your man Samart could be cringe af mate. I remember listening to that cheesy chart song he made in Thailand :lol: Can't find it though. But here's this ft. Mr Galaxy himself:

    This content is protected
     
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  14. Steve Fero

    Steve Fero Member Full Member

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    Like Carly Simon said these are the good old days. Everyone’s youth is special. But if you want truth you have to break that. Happened to me in analysis over a period of time but when I read Rocky Mariano’s biography I realized. This guy tough SOB but was really small fighting small or old guys past their primes. Was hard to swallow but if you want to be a student of the game you need to pull aside nostalgic feelings.
     
    Last edited: Oct 17, 2025 at 7:09 PM
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  15. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 Mauling Mormon’s Full Member

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    Oh **** this is rough, really rough. I’d basically wife all of those women doe…
     
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