Boxing styles in history

HERE IS A identifiable stylistic shift

Jack dempsey v Jess willard

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3BTycNuY44[/ame]

 

The sport began its modern evolution in 1920, when the Walker Law was introduced (the end of the ND era, fights limited to 15 3-minute rounds, the original 8 weight classes were established, roughing tactics banned, doctor in attendance, and the NYSAC became the regulatory commission). So from the 20's until the late 30's and into the 40's the sport came into its own under modern rules and regulations, the techniques evolving to suit the changes.

Prior to that there was a lot of holding, wrestling, uneven rounds, No Decisions, etc. Just general unsavoury tactics that made the sport a bunch of nonsense to watch (select fighters aside).

So yeah, if we're not getting into the whole deal with the end of the 15 round era and the sanctioning bodies ruining the competitiveness of the sport over the past 20 years or so (to go along with a lot of other things), it's been basically the same for the past 70 years.

 

Lots of identifiable stylistic shifts.

Mostly the shifts are down to the conditions of the equipment, changes in the rules or copycat tricks picked up from other boxers. Boxing is an art as well as a martial art and just like art some things are more in vogue than others. Often equaly effective techniques are dropped from one generation to be replaced by another.

essentially to the lay man boxing would appear to have always had a fighter v boxer scenario but even the so called clever boxer and brawler would now fall into many sub categories. so many types of boxers and fighters. Box-fighters, pure boxers, defensive spoilers, counter punchers, combination punchers, switch hitters, pressure fighters, southpaws and that’s before you get onto defence and defensive stance like the peek-a-boo, cross arms, half guard and full guard.

Also to the layman, earlier forms and styles of boxing would appear crude or inferior to current trends but that would be a mistake. Earlier forms of styles were effective and evolved to combat contrasting or similar styles suited to the pace, equipment, rules and distance of boxing contests of the day.

likewise modern forms of stylistic variants of boxer/fighters still produce great fighters and the styles of fighting will continue to evolve as the conditions continue to change.

 

Ali spawned the mobile pure boxer. For a time during and after his career, many, many fighters tried to imitate with mixed results.

 

You don't really believe that, do you?

 

MORE EMPHASIS ON DEFENCE IN THE modern era. old time fighters got to the top only after many fights. mostly over 70 fights at least. only the toughest got through. so naturally, many of the fighters were prepared to take one to land one.

nowdays, fighters get a shot at titles that are so many, its not even countable. they may get a shot after 20 fights or even less. they are still untested, have padded records, and have unproven toughness. this leads to more careful fighters and fights. less excitement as fighters are unwilling to slug it out like many old fighters once did.

modern fighters look fancy, but put em in a 20 round contest with the old timers, and they would soon sort the modern fighters out.

 

The guy who did absolutely nothing but move and dance the entire time? Yes, I do.

I should clarify the reason imitators generally failed is you need amazing legs and feet for it to be a viable defense. Ali's ascendance put more complete mobile styles like Pep's in the sports backburner, to its detriment.

 

what about tunney?

 

His heir apparent went 1-1-1 with shot Holyfield and was decapitated by Tua in less than 40 seconds .

 

jajajajajaja.

I like Dempsey because he was the first guy who solely punched his opponents.

 

huh? what? im refering to his style of the mobile pure boxer that ali copied....but replaced foot work and fundamentals with reflexes.

 

I referred 2 his style also .
Prime Ali did not copy Tunney's style , late 1970s Ali possibly did since u mentioned him .
edit : there is some similarity but Ali used more footwork if anything .

 

right, prime ali had much worse foot work.

you can clearly see it in the liston fight. every once and a while ali trips up and liston closes to get some hits in.

if that ali had been fighting dempsey circa 1920 he would have been out in the early rounds.

he took tunneys style and replaced fundamentals and foot work with reflexs.

really though you could probably date the style all the way back to corbett, or even charely mitchel

 

Ali used more footwork that Tunney , Ali "danced" , Tunney was more economical with his footwork . But I really do think Ali did not try 2 imitate him just like u stated here that that style can b traced back even further .
It takes much less than a genius 4 1 2 invent that style by himself .