Consider the following scenario: Instead of a set round limit of 15 rounds, fights end at a randomly selected round. The fight might be done at the end of round 1. It might finish at the end of round 77. Nobody knows how long it will go. At the end of each round, the ref will look at a boxing version of the Magic 8 Ball to decide whether it will continue or stop. Who is the GOAT under these circumstances?
Prime Roy Jones Jr and prime Michael Nunn did not lose many rounds at all. Of the two, RJJ would be the GOAT.
Basically if boxing was crossfit. Let's add that the fighters are only told the exact rules, including how the rounds work, what gloves are being used (if any), when they enter the ring.
If we are going that ridiculous, I guess I'll just pick a KO artist. Prime Tyson will end a lot of fights real quickly, so I guess I'll pick him here.
My thought too. Either a guy that wins nearly all his rounds or a guy that ends fights very fast. Butterbean is starting to look good for the 4 round fights
Featherweight Henry Armstrong. If this was the case, the vast majority of tactics would change. You'd need to grab rounds early on because you might not be coming out for the next round. This naturally favours fast starters and pressure fighters. Then you need to remember that you could be in there for the next two hours. So you need someone who isn't gonna run out of gas. Naturally, this leads to a fast starting, hard punching pressure fighter who won't ever let up even 15+ rounds in. Who better to do that than Henry Armstrong? The guy was extremely difficult to out-box over extended periods, and impossible to outfight over any period. Over short periods, maybe the elite of the elite would be able to fend him off for long enough to win a close decision. Pernell Whitaker is an enormous favourite over 6, but has no chance over 26.
The Klitschko’s hardly lost a round during their reigns of dominance so it would have to be them two.
There is an ultramarathon called the piece of string ultra. You literally don't find out how long it is until it ends. One year it was 111 miles, to give you an idea what to expect.