Explaining why old boxers make basic mistakes

The basics always start with the jab, the right hand , left hook. Chin low, behind the lead hand shoulder, everything else comes after, Philly shell, cross arm, etc if the trainer was smart, they would utilize what that fighter did best.
Just because a certain trainer was associated with a certain way of training doesn't mean they wouldn't or couldn't adopt to what works best for the fighter they are training.
Most of the big name or " legendary " trainers in history did not work with the great fighters they are usually associated with from the very beginning. What they were smart enough to do was see what that fighter did well, and build on that.
Arcel, Futch, Dundee, Blackburn , Stewart in most cases came along when the fighter showed great potential, they built upon that potential. But the basics was already taught to them.

 

well yea It wasnt comfortable but like i keep saying it's all they knew if they knew better i think they wouldnt have let it happen so easy

 

Can you give actual examples of the fighters that you are referring to from the 20s-40s and the flaws you say they had?

 

Necessity is the mother of invention.

As such, one might see getting punched in the mouth (read: ouch, that hurts!) equating to the need (strong desire?) to not get punched in the mouth, thus spawning better techniques to protect oneself.

Not a be all end all satisfactory answer but perhaps in some part, old timers and their performances were subject to the expectations and blood lust of the fans. Fans who expected maybe a punch for punch engagement without over accent if at all on any form of self preservation. Very manly criteria, amounting to a prerequisite to take your due licks.

Suffice to say, sharing acute vanity and big egos, Corbett and later Johnson weren’t exactly well received for their deference to better and evolved defence. Corbett was a pompous Fancy Dan who ran from trouble and Johnson accused of having the so called yellow streak. More refined fighters who weren’t necessarily setting the crowds on fire.

I’ve got Adam Pollack’s books on Jeffries and Johnson. Highly recommended. To the point, it was interesting to read many fighters proclaiming before their bouts that they were prepared to endure copious amounts of punishment in order to prevail, as if it wasn’t equally admirable to employ defensive measures to avoid same.

 

I think the "Brendan Ingle style" is a myth. It was Herol Graham doing his own thing and some of the younger talents in the gym copied him.

 

I dont think I have to give examples look at how they fought back then and compare it's easy to see the whole era had the flaws

 

Im thinking cause of no video they had no way to study any advances back then so maybe they did try some random stuff in training seen it didnt work went back to what so called worked for them

 

So you're basically saying, that most of those who don't see the old-timers in the same favourable light as you do, are either too stupid, or too uninformed, to be able to contribute with anything worthwile on a forum like this?

 

Kid McCoy fought with his chin right down. Why couldn't they learn from him?

 

I didn't say that at all and it's clear that I didn't mean that. It's not the first time you try to put your words in my mouth by the way.

 

You didn't say that at all?

Did you not say, that you think most anti-oldschool posters would not be able to debate a serious topic?

And if they do, they don't have good answers? Is this not exactly what you said?

... and when have I tried to put my words in your mouth?