Do Modern Boxing Fans Write Off Old Heavyweight Too Easily?

How do you fancy Bivol's chances against Dubois or Usyk? Because Bivol is the size of a lot of the guys from earlier eras (and is bigger than Marciano).

If your answer is "that's absurd to have Bivol get in there with Dubois", well, there's your answer on some of these guys.

 

it's rather the opposite

 

Depends on which eras we are comparing here. I personally think that a lot of the 1990s guys would have a field day with today’s heavyweights, but I certainly wouldn’t be saying the same of John L Sullivan’s era for example haha.

 

Yes.

The problem is because MWs and LHWs don't fight HWs anymore this has been misinterpreted as the small guys of the past having no chance at HW today and todays HWs being the pinnacle of "evolution". No today boxing as a sport is built around winning all your fights which is hard to do when you are so much smaller. Today if a fighter loses its eulogy time. So fighters are going to go to the weight class they can dominate in because thats what they need to do to make it. Fighters will often cut to the smallest weight class they can make.

Back in the day guys would cut down to LHW and MW to get belts and fight HW on the side. Today that can't happen. Bivol being in the ring with Usyk or Kabayel seems absurd not because its actually absurd because you haven't seen a guy like Bivol fight a guy like Usyk or Kabayel in many decades.

HWs are worse today because rather then cut the best HWs bulk up to survive the fights with larger guys. And the best point fighters are slower and less effective.

The 19th century guys are a different story because gloved boxing was just getting started. There was no one to teach the fighters many of whom started fighting Queensbury as adults. They were the guinea pigs who'd teach the 2nd generation. And around 1905-1915 boxing "evolved" more then it ever did as you saw the first generation who learned boxing when they were young and then the first generation who learned from those guys.

 

Guys from the 1890s?

 

Probably because of all the numerous weight classes and absurd weight cuts. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Archie Moore or Ezzard Charles step out a time machine and box rings around many modern sized heavies.

 

lol no, many guys from the 1990s would be looking great in today’s heavyweight division.

 

Well the best heavyweight is a former cruiserweight more in line sizewise with heavyweights from the 70’s-90’s. Usyk is a great talent (maybe even generational) but there were some damn great talents in that period that would kick arse today as well. The big thing Usyk has over today’s giants aside from skill is his endurance. He comes on late when the big guys have shot their bolt completely. The 210-30lb fighters of the past had much better fuel tanks than today’s guys. The extra bulk helps with strength and power but it hinders endurance clearly.

 

I’d love to see Bivol fight either and wouldnt discount his chances with Dubois at all.

 

Dubois would hammer him through the canvas. There’s just too much size and power.

Usyk, eh, Bivol would actually be able to put up a good fight there. I doubt Usyk actually hits any harder than Beterbiev, and Bivol completely removes Usyk’s usual advantages if speed, agility, and stamina.

 

I think it's the opposite on here and to the casual boxing fan. Boxing is like the only sport where a decade like the 70s would beat today's boxers. I think it's up to 3 different skills / attributes. 1) Speed. We think that modern day athletes would be faster, but then we think about Ali and we don't think there will be a HW faster than him. 2) Size. We think that modern athletes would be bigger and stronger, but then we think about how that size would stack up against Ali and people have seen time over time where you can't beat what you can't hit. 3) Toughness. Older fighters used to fight longer and some people think they are tougher because of this against modern day fighters. I personally think that there are other attributes that have improved over time that are overlooked that would favor modern day boxers such as: timing, endurance, improved fundamentals, etc.

 

It’s a definite possibility that Dubois does just that but Dubois has some ordinary stamina and is easily discouraged and Bivols’s movement and ring generalship is top notch. If Bivol came in around 210lb without losing too much speed and agility then it could be an interesting matador/bull match up.

I agree re Usyk. That would be a really interesting fight.

 

In a fair fight, on the level, Marciano would make Dubois quit.
I think everyone know this honestly.

 

If size was the most important factor, Dubois would have won against Usyk, and lost against Miller.