"But superheavyweights back then were BAD!"

70sFan865 · Nov 8, 2021

Saintpat said: ↑

The number of 3-pointers taken by 7-footers has gone up 231% in 10 years. The are no more post players in the traditional sense.
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It's true, shooting became a huge factor in recent years. How does it prove your point though? 50 years ago three point shooting from bigman would be useless, because there was no three point line.

NoNeck · Nov 9, 2021

cross_trainer said: ↑

Debates about whether modern superheavyweights are a different and improved breed will sooner or later loop back to Carnera and Willard.

Some say that Carnera and Willard are examples of how big men are nothing new to boxing. Others, however, argue that Willard and Carnera are nothing like modern superheavyweights because their technique was so bad. So you can't compare them.

I think there's a minor problem with the people of the "Carnera and Willard sucked, so you can't compare them to modern superheavyweights" camp.

Usually, the people who criticize Carnera's and Willard's technical flaws will ALSO point out equally bad flaws in the smaller fighters of the 1910s to 1930s eras. The problem is that if this is true -- if the small fighters and big fighters both had bad technique -- then they were on a level playing field technically. And yet the smaller guys beat them back then.

Now, it's true that there are ways around this. You could say that technique in the 20s was bad for both, but that the technical awfulness hurt the biggest men more. Or something like that. But the situation is a little complex.
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It's a numbers game. Big heavyweights to small was a much lower ratio in 1920 compared to now. The average big heavyweight probably still sucks, but there are enough of them for skilled ones to emerge.

White Bomber · Nov 9, 2021

cross_trainer said: ↑

It seems a little odd that this would be the case, though.

Half of the population has always fallen above median size. Why would people learn to fight small much earlier than learning to beat bigger guys?
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I don't understand your post. I said the bigger guys did not know how to use their size to their advantage as well as modern boxers do.
What were you trying to say in your post ?!

cross_trainer · Nov 9, 2021

White Bomber said: ↑

I don't understand your post. I said the bigger guys did not know how to use their size to their advantage as well as modern boxers do.
What were you trying to say in your post ?!
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I'm pointing out that there have always been some guys who are bigger than others. So it would seem odd (to me) that an entire generation never learned the art of fighting smaller opponents.

White Bomber · Nov 9, 2021

cross_trainer said: ↑

I'm pointing out that there have always been some guys who are bigger than others. So it would seem odd (to me) that an entire generation never learned the art of fighting smaller opponents.
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Ok, got it then. Who knows why, they just didn't. There weren't that many big boxers then.

cross_trainer · Nov 9, 2021

White Bomber said: ↑

Ok, got it then. Who knows why, they just didn't. There weren't that many big boxers then.
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Well, there are always some boxers who are bigger than others.

I mean, even if most of the population are little 5'2", 110 pound guys, there are still going to be some 5'9", 170 pound "giants" who have to learn to fight the little guys.

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"But superheavyweights back then were BAD!"

70sFan865 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member

White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member

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"But superheavyweights back then were BAD!"

70sFan865 Boxing Junkie Full Member

NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member

White Bomber Boxing Addict Full Member

cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member