Would the average boxer today win a round v the best boxer 50 years ago?

Did he? How did he prove it

 

You can see it...he was faster with much more compact punches and carried the power in either hand and from almost any angle. Frazier’s hook was legendary though, so was his mental toughness.

I’ve always thought Foreman would be a nightmare opponent for Tyson. But you never know, the Frazier fights have always stuck in my mind when assessing that...

 

Can you please elaborate on this.

I've read it a few times, but I think I keep misreading it.

Thanks.

 

The sport has evolved from his roots.

It does not keep evolving.

It just ebbs and flows.

Other posters have already listed some of the guys who fought 50 years ago. Those guys wouldn't be journeymen today. So are you talking about in general, or literally any fighter from 50 years ago?

Please elaborate.

There's fighters from over 50 years ago who could beat today's guys.

No new techniques have been invented in the last 50 years.

 

Which fighters are you referring to?

Or again, is this just a generalisation of the era?

Low intensity fights?

Jab and grab?

There's been some great fighters of the past. Fighters with great footwork and timing, with perfect balance etc.

Boxing was terrible in Ray Robinson's time?

There were great fighters who fought in and around his era.

I've never met anyone who has ever been impressed by a grab and jab technique.

Where have your opinions come from?

Yes, there are techniques from the past that aren't as common today. Techniques such as: in-fighting, uppercuts and body shots etc. They still happen, but not as often. That's not evolution. Seeing as though no new techniques have been invented for many years, those techniques would always benefit any fighter, if the opportunity to use them presented itself.

You seem very ignorant.

 

Fewer weightclasses in 1970. Boxers are spread out more today.

 

I'm with you now.

Thanks.

Yes, I agree, obviously. But his point still stands doesn't it.

Some of the guys from 50 years ago could beat some of today's guys, especially just average guys from today. There's no doubt about that.

I'll never understand why people put so much emphasis on a fighters D.O.B. or the evolution of completely different sports.

Great fighters are great fighters.

The only thing that needs analysing when looking at fantasy fights, is how you think they'd match up stylistically.

 

It's complicated. Someone like Tony Harrison has access to world class training and can become a millionaire. 50 years ago, he might be taking fights on one week's notice and working construction full time. I assume he would be better today than if he had to box in the past.

Then there's the total am pool and pro pool, which I think is bigger today (I forget how to look it up on boxrec). I think what's happening is that there's more of a spread of talent throughout boxing, whereas the champions of the past and top contenders were on more of a pedestal. Andy Ruiz and J Rock are recent examples. Ruiz was top 15 and J Rock was barely top 10, but they each outclassed the supposed best in their division.

 

What year in Mikes career do you have to get to before it’s a 50/50 fight with Frazier?? For me, I’d say 1999.

 

Pre-prison, I would favor Tyson...Post prison, I would probably favor Frazier. I’m not sure at what point it would actually be 50-50, some time between ‘92 and ‘95…

 

It can be complicated, especially if you're trying to guess how a fighter would fare under different circumstances. But we can just take them as we see them, in what I call time machine fights.

If you know what you're looking at, we can use the eye test to see that some fighters of the past could find success today.

 

Bob Foster would probably KO most current 175 pounders.

 

Foster might fight at 168. He put up terrible results when fighting above 175 and it was same day weigh ins back then (today's light heavies are closer in size to the heavyweights back then).

 

Fighting under the same circumstances he KO's everyone in the top 10 at light heavy, and probably everyone at 168 under current weigh in stipulations.

 

Who exactly did he ko that would lead you to believe that?