Is there another sport where a consensus of experts thinks the players 50 years ago..

In terms of American sports its also important to remember that boxing was one of the first racially integrated sports . I think and i may be wrong that babe ruth would have been playing in a whites only league then . The most gifted African American atheletes had few options in mainstream professional sports other than boxing .

 

No. Only some old school boxing fans can think that a guy like Dempsey could beat a modern HW.

 

Yeah cause Valuev is something else

Run along now, musta got separated from the Flock

 

I would say that the eras of the past generally had more depth than today. As in the fighters ranked 6-10 were of a higher caliber, due to a higher talent pool.

The best fighters of today though DO have some serious advantages over the old timers, however. Moreso in heavyweight where physicality is worth more.
Fighters are just bigger. For example Cleveland Williams and Nino Valdes are seen as hulking behemoths. Where in reality they were lighter than the 5 inch shorter Mike Tyson and had about the same dimensions as Evander Holyfield, and both of those men are regarded as small because of the era they fought in.

And not everyone is "fat" or has "artificial muscle" (whatever that is, I hear it used all the time to degrade fighters who have a good physique). Who pre 1985 had both the size and athleticism of Riddick Bowe, Buster Douglas, Wladimir Klitschko, or even Vitali and Lennox Lewis? The answer is none.

Now, size is only one part of the equation of course but it IS a part and shouldn't be ignored. (For the record, I rank Joe Louis my number two all time heavyweight and Marciano is in my top 5. So don't go off on me for stating nothing other than a simple and obvious truth )

 

You would probably be hard put to find fans of modern fighters who would pick sombody like Chris Areola over Jack Dempsey.

The bottom line is that nearly everybody buys into the "boxing exception" on some level.

 

I don't think so. Football 50 years ago was played at such a slow pace a modern team would cut the best teams of the 60s to ribbons. Using individual players as examples doesn't mean a lot either since its a team game

 

One obvious counter question.

Is there anybody who is actualy consistent in not aplying an exception to the rule for boxing?

I have never encountered such a person yet.

 

I would say that almost all people (if not all people) buy into it. Muhammed Ali started fighting 50 years ago, and he is top 2 on 99% of lists. There is not another measurable sport of athletic ability which has not progressed massively since the 50s. Not running (any distance), swimming (any distance), weightlifting, etc. Well, there is billiards, but apparently Walter Lindrum doesnt count in these discussions.

So why is it that people who talk of evolution, always have an old time fighter like Muhammed Ali at the top of the list?

And let us not forget the 70s fighters Foreman and Holmes, who were both so successful in the 90s that people call their era some type of untouchable golden years and some even think that the big fat, old out Foreman was actually better like this, than he was in his primeatsch.

 

In Gaelic hurling Christy Ring, 1950's vintage, is still considered thr ATG of the sport.

 

In the 1970's, 1980's, 1990's........

Boxing was full of great athlete's..

People always moan and say, todays heavyweights are lazy. But the truth is, they are not lazy.........they are just **** athlete's. Thats why most of them are fat **** and slow. They are just average men, who have spent sometime in a gym trying to make a living. And its not just heavyweights its becoming more a trend in other weights aswell....

Look at some **** prospects like Tony Bellew. Just a average man, if he did'nt work out...he would be a fat ****. Even still, he's abit fat now.

Thats why guys like David Haye blessed with abit of athletic ability, and size stands out like a rose in a patch of weeds.

Boxing is losing all of its gifted athlete's to sports like NFL and basketball.

In the 1970's this was not the case.

 

Jorge Paez sort of played at boxing...

 

In 20 odd years of watching football I honestly think football is getting worse . Footballers are bigger, stronger, fitter and faster than footballers of the past its at the espense of flair and style. Its very rare you see football thats genuinely beautiful . The last world cup being a case in point .

 

Does anybody think that the England team that got knocked out by Germany would have beaten all of its predecesors?

 

I really really hope not,

 

Yet, is Chris Areola, a well-schooled and very technically proficient boxer, is a far better heavyweight in many regards than the oaf Firpo was.