are current boxers of today better than boxers of yesteryear?

Well for starters, the fighters of yesteryears fought all the top fighters in their weight class. And there were less weightclasses, which meant less places to go hide to avoid certain fighters. I'm not going to say the old school fighters were better, I just feel they were more proven.

 

I completely agree. I think Joe Lewis would be considered average if he fought today.

 

With the exception of a VERY FEW, fighters of yesteryear would wipe the floor with these primadona boxers of today.

" I dont wanna fight him because he doesnt deserve it"
" Everyone know's i'll beat him, therefore I dont have to fight him"
" I want 70 gazillion dollars or else I wont fight him"
" He lost against so and so, therefore I shouldnt have to face him"
" He lost 9yrs ago"
" I dont need to make $50million dollars. I'm taking a vacation instead!"
"etc....


These fighters of today are flat out *****'s compared to the old school fighters! FACT!!!

 

Yes they're bitches, but in the ring they are more skilled and athletic.

 

It's all subjective. Without someone to emulate, boxers wouldn't be as advanced as they are.

Today's boxers are standing on the shoulders of giants.

 

Fighters from the old days fought the very best opposition and they did it much more frequently. They also fought in 15 round fights. If they fought longer, against better opposition and they did it more often, how can guys from today automatically be labelled better?

Athletes have gotten quicker and stronger - no question, but boxing is kind of an anomily to other sports. If boxing was like the others, todays fighters would be the ones able to fight more often and at a higher pace. That just isn't the case though.

Even if you're naturally more athletic, I'd be inclined to back they guy who had 100 more fights against the toughest competition available.

 

With all the physical advancements that have came about, there has been a dire lack of emphasis on good old-fashioned boxing skills. That's why no heavyweight around can come close to the skills of a Jersey Joe Walcott, and why a guy like Shane Mosley is perceived to be a skilled and versatile boxer now.

The boxers of yesteryear were better, without a doubt. Watch the videos, see the skills and technique.

 

No. They're inferior.
they don't fight as often. Don't train as much and so their conditioning is miles behind, ditto for technique.
Don't listen to anybody who says anything about "modern training techniques" or any other such bollocks. There's nothing modern about punching bags and pads, roadwork and basic situps and pullups, pushups etc. The only thing a modern fighter has access to that jack johnson didn't is steroids. "Modern nutrition" is another load of crap you'll hear spouted about. Modern intensive farming has destroyed the nutritional content of food across the board.
The most laughable thing you'll hear in this thread is talk of evolution. That's right evolution, the process which takes hundreds of millions of years has effected human beings and particular participants of the sport of boxing to the point where our father's or grandfather's generations are primordial slime compared to us. :--(

The short answer is look at the films, they could fight for fifteen rounds nonstop, everybody had to fight everybody, they fought at least twice as often. They were better. Today's fighters have it easy, they get nowhere near as much practice in, they have pillows strapped to their hands, they get to pick and choose easy opponents.
It's like asking is the man who carries 1000 sacks of grain a day as fit as his advanced modern counterpart who presses a button on a lift.

 

Lewis? Really?

How did you find this forum?

 

YEs, fighting less often and against lesser developed comp makes em better.

 

No. Many of todays higher profile boxers are nowhere near as tough, brave or willing to fight the real threats.

You can save the 'better training methods/conditioning' for a fighter willing to make full use of it and fight for the fans who pay HIM to fight.

 

Louis buddy

 

atsch

 

In the past fighters used to be more dedicated to the sport. The heavyweight division of today proves it. fighters in shape can be count on 4 fingers: Klitschkos, Adamek, Haye.

But if you compare fighters H2H from older eras, to todays, its clear that todays fighters would win. The boxing training is a science and its still developing.