Are modern fighters better?

Some fighters do. Look at Golovkin though. I've got no doubts that he is the best middleweight about but the jury is still out on him with some people. If he could get the chance to get Quillin and Cotto in the ring and beat them he'd gain more kudos and be remembered for it.

 

Better in terms of skills. YES and NO.

Fought more ranked opponents? No

Hit harder? I'd lean toward Yes.

The rounds allowed, gloves, corner work to repair cuts / swelling, and referee style has changed over time.

I was talking about the divisions as a group.

Heavy -Wlad
Light Heavy - Kovalev
Middle - GGG

Tremendous power among the #1 guys

Want to talk lower weights? Roman Gonzalez. What a skilled and hard puncher at fly.

Put Wlad or Tyson in there with 190-205 pound men, and watch what happens.

 

Modern training methods are better.

 

The whole landscape has changed.

I'd advocate the return of same day weigh-ins, as long as it was as safe as possible.

The only reason that the WW's are bigger today, is because they're almost all JMW's on fight night.

The LWW's today are WW's on fight night.

That's basically it, and that applies to almost every division.

Back in the day, most fighters only gained the odd pound after the weigh in.

So that's the only reason the WW's are bigger today. Simply because the rules have changed.

 

Despite some potentially exciting fights with some great characters, today's top 20 HW's are a little depressing.

In my opinion, being bigger is only an advantage if pretty much everything else is equal. Otherwise it's not really a factor. Ability can overcome a disparity in size.

 

I'd put Julian Jackson above Golovkin as the more powerful puncher.

Little Red? Hearns? Tyson?

 

I honestly think the sport hasn't been the same in terms of overall talent and ability since the 60s. Heavyweights actually got better after this point but the rest of the sport is not the same.

There was just more money and fame given to fighters across all weight classes, more topnotch athletes willing to try the sport.

I often think the rise of Castro was the first domino to fall.

 

So you blame Jorge Castro? (g)

I know he was outclassed by Terry Norris and RJJ before his rise to the title, but I don't think he's responsible for the downfall of boxing.

 

When we think of 'modern fighters' vs 'old timers', the timeframe needs to be considered. I will treat this premise as though it's boxers of this generation vs boxers of 1940 and below

Let's deal with the weight issue first. When we think of Gennady Golovkin, we have to see him as a 170lber rather than a 160lber. It'll be unfair to the old timers who didn't cut weight, otherwise.

What are the rules of the fight? Old timers wore tougher gloves, they fought many rounds etc.

Now let's think of the way the way old timers fight:
1. Excessive clinching
This is not allowed today. Old timers trained incorporating this, new timers...not so much, More on point 5.
2. wrestling on the inside
I'm sorry but they're probably not going to outmuscle the new timers who have been conditioned to go 12 rounds.

3. Pretty basic footwork
4. Less defensively responsible
5. Not particularly established fighting on the back foot
6. They fight to win, more than they pointscore to win like todays boxers, a backdrop of the influence and clout of amateur boxing in todays age, and in the moulding of the fighters style.
- the question would be...how will we score the fight? How would we define 'ring generalship' for example?
7. An awful tendency towards telegraphing punches.
8. Look at the way boxers are built now. They're built and conditioned to go 12 rounds, thus more action and explosiveness in a smaller amount of time. Boxers of old were conditioned more towards the long haul. These marathon boxers of old are going to be weaker.


Also, if we're talking a 2 fight a year Mayweather vs an ATG old timer who fights 20 times a year, I am picking Mayweather (a guy who I think is just below Whitaker in ability, and just above Benitez).

New timers have access to video which allows them to sit down and ****yse their opponent.

I haven't even brought up nutrition, sports science (small example, focussed on utilising recovery times), established strength training etc.

 

A very important point, and something easily overlooked when people are admiring Joe Louis's power for example.

 

Artur Beterbiev is the very example of a new timer. He walks around at 188lbs, is the physically strongest 188lb boxer of all time, and likely the hardest hitter too.
You'll never see a boxer from the old timers who is a phenom like Artur. Artur's physical advantages can only be a product of new time.

 

Put Wlad or Tyson into the 1920's or 1930's against Dempsey or Louis in the 1990's and watch what happens.

 

shame then that he barely fought anyone that puts him in line for a shot at them

 

What are you saying there, that he hasn't earned the right to challenge those two for a title shot?