Are we actually living in the strongest era of all time like every other sport ?

Probably not, because boxing is more skill based and mental than most other sports.

I'd argue that the average skill level of boxers worldwide has gone up. As in if we took a guy ranked 40 in a random division today and put him up against a guy ranked 40 in that same division from the past, the modern guy would probably win more often than not.
But I don't think the top guys are really any better or worse than the guys post the 1930s or so. They might be more athletic and physically strong due to advancements in how fighters live and train (PEDs), but there has always been more to the sport than just athletic ability.

 

"Records are getting broken all the time"

Are they? This is the first I'm hearing of this.

 

No. Boxing is nowhere near as popular as it once was. Top athletes are going to team sports and guaranteed contracts. After decades of watching boxing's stars struggle financially in retirement and just how overall corrupt boxing has always been, why would a top athlete want to do this?

Training and nutrition has improved but at the end of the day, the talent pool and infrastructure is not as strong as it once was. I'm mostly speaking for American boxing.

 

I'm not yet educated enough to give any worthwhile input, but what records are you referring to?

 

Come on now.

We know that you're trolling/baiting.

The Usyk line is beyond ridiculous.


Let's get serious for a moment though.


There is no continuous evolvement within the sport.

Any great fighter from any era, would be able to beat the greats of any other.

If a tournament was held, between older fighters and modern ones, then common sense and logic states that it would have produced mixed results, simply depending on how they'd have matched up on the night stylistically.


Yes, there's fighters of today who could have beaten the greats of the past.

Absolutely.

Likewise, there's many greats of the past who could also have beaten many of today's guys.


Regarding your question, go through each division to gain your answer.


The current CW is weak.

The current SMW division is weak.

The current MW division is awful.

The current LHW and HW divisions are mediocre.


That's just 5 very quick examples.


All of those divisions have been stronger in the past.

There's also other divisions from 40 odd years ago that were stronger, where the fighters clearly had more ability.

You can also compare the best P4P fighters from each year/decade as a reference.


So of course we're not living in the strongest era.

There has been no evolution for decades now.

 

I'd argue not as for example we used to have 15 rounds fighters, you look at the heavy's of the 70s they were carved from granite and could go those 15 rounds at pace, with power and technique... Ali, Fraizer, Norton, Shavers etc

Now you have giants going (only)12 rounds - but look at someone like Zhang, huge power, accurate, no gas tank. or Wilder huge power but technically awful would he hold a belt in the 70s I doubt it. Bar the home run landing.

In the same way that some people are starting to view footballer players as great athletes but not actually great with the football at their feet I think a similar comparison can be made.
Certainly for the heavy's and even at the lower weights - the managing of weight has become a key consideration take someone like Crawford who fought at 147 but was genuinely accepted to have walked around 180 that didn't happen so much in the 70s.

There's been some fundamental changes to the sport, a reduction in playing time if you like and the way weights are controlled. Football hasn't been reduced to 70 minutes games or making the goals twice as big.

 

I am 77 years old and I can’t recall a worse era of boxing.

 

Not exactly. For one thing, motor skills and pure athleticism don't matter quite as much in boxing as they do in other sports; for another, boxing has simply lost popularity. I’d say that, in terms of sporting quality, boxing has been in decline since the 70s and 80s. Of course, boxers today benefit from better doping regimens, training, medical care, and know-how. Professional boxing has also become a more global sport than it used to be, but I don't think the overall level is any higher.

 

Started watching boxing in the late 70's.
This is by far the worst time in boxing. Started really nose diving around 2011 or so. Practically nothing of interest to watch anymore.

 

I have been saying this for years. We are living in the best of times for boxing, and by that I mean roughly the last 30 years. The Iron Curtain was the last great obstacle to talent for sport. I think only Africa being fully opened by further investment would really challenge it for great milestones in the sports improvement... but my feeling is that a lot of those dudes would rather play soccer.

 

So these guys today could beat guys like Leonard, Duran, Hearns, Arguello, Monzon, Hagler and so on?

 

Does it depend on the division?

 

Not China, India or South East Asia?