Old school fighters were in much better condition than the fighters of today .Too many short cuts but I know that's evolution ..
So you are telling me Archie and Robinson would have been able to achieve the same feats they did and win almost 200 fights if they began their careers in the 80's and after? Just picturing Robinson going against Hagler, Leornard, Benitez, Pryor, Hearns, Whitaker, Tito, DLH, Mosley, Chavez, Camacho, Hopkins, Toney, RJJ, and many more and moving up in weight like he did, I highly doubt he would have been able to have those same achievements and success he had in his time if he fought in the 80's and up.
Flashy speed and power have taken over from the finer points of the game - ring craft is sacrificed by feeding a prospect 20 stiffs to build a high percentage ko rate and keep a kid undefeated all better for the promotion , when was the last time you saw a guy draw a lead with a head feint ? or how about timing a left jab to come over with a counter ? James Toney had some of these smarts in his youth @ 160 and didnt just rely on speed and athletiscm - look at the ring craft that Leonard confused Duran with in the no mas fight - constantly keeping him off balance by presenting him with different angles of attack - such skils are dying out - its all about the " 0 " , no body wants to learn anymore - you have guys picking up titles who 40 years ago would have been average preliminary fighters only - its a damn joke .
So true. People who weren't around in those days don't know how much better the fighters of yesteryear were.
Previous eras were better in talent than today's but there are great fighters in all eras of boxing. Some of that article was bull**** though. No good left hooks since Frazier and Ward? Ray Leonard and Felix Trinidad didn't have nice left hooks? Floyd Mayweather? David Tua? Mike Tyson? Roy Jones? Julio Cesar Chavez?
in every other sport, the older school gets their butt kicked. Wilt Chamberlain couldnt hold Dwight Howard's jockstrap. but only in boxing is it even a debate....just goes to show you how far the sport has sunk
Good Article. Boxing overall has been on the decline since the Big Four I'm not saying there havn't been great boxers since. But overall the competition in general has become weaker and "soft" taking 1-2 fights a year bull****. Boxers used to want to fight whoever they could whether it meant a win or loss! I ****ing hate watching so many fights nowadays. :dead
And then we have to deal with the nonsene of so called big fights ..In the early days what we consider a big fight now would be a tune up then ..
Nah it's not dying. It's just less entertaining. :verysad Also I can't believe some of you are saying boxing is better than it used to be. You guys enjoy these overhyped bull**** fights? You guys enjoy this **** with Pac-Mayweather? If this was 30-40 years ago we'd be seeing Pac-Mayweather III and Mayweather would be coming off of a loss.
Boxing is the only sport where I do not see the evolution. I see it the other way around. Just throw in early 90s vids of GMan, Nigel Benn, Julian Jackson and others and tell me those guys wouldn't rip most guys heads off now from 160 and 168. Mechanics, power and speed so that evolution **** is bull****. Boxing is just commercialized now and that is all. Fighters are certainly not better as a whole.