Fighters Were Better In The Old Days Because.....

there weren't afraid to duke it out to prove who the best man was.

 

because of the passion

 

they had balls and it wasnt all about the money

 

can't take you seriously with that username.

 

1. They fought more often.
2. They fought 15 rounds for the championship
3. They fought a better array of competition.
4 They weighed in the same day.

 

Well you finished it for me, except I do think they were tougher for different reasons, though.

 

... this is the Classic Forum and it is the myth that sustains a sense of superiority and self satisfaction in these parts.

 

Are you going to tell me that Vitali, Hopkins, Cotto, Bute, Diaz, Martinez... don't have balls? Would like to tell them this same fact?

And would you like to point to the era "when it wasn't all about the money"? Humor me here.

 

Yeah, there's always going to be exceptions. He meant that there are considerably less warriors out there today then there were back then.

 

desperate times breed survival mode, and only the fittest do survive!

- multiply that by sheer number of fighters, as there were litterally 100s of 1000s fighting weekly to monthly,
- 8 world champions divided over 5 main boxing nations,
- usually 3-5 years of fighting for much respected national titles,
- many, many more fights... and at the top, against honest true fellow top men
- fights against fellow top contenders were just as desired, exciting and expected by fan and promoters and fighters alike

- and for the champs & contenders that stayed on top for more than a few short years was truely remarkable as compitition was fierce.

boxing was better for these reasons no longer existing today, softer people even in hard places and circumstances.

 

.... they didn't wear gloves that were bigger than their heads.

 

The biggest fights happened, and very good fights happened routinely. Much moreso than today. I think the best fighters of today could do what the old timers did, but unfortunately, we'll never know because the best don't fight the best consistently. The current boxing environment just doesn't allow for it. And if they do, there's no guarantee we'll see a rematch even if the fight's close enough to merit one. You need to fight frequently, even if the opponent is outmatched, to stay sharp and to master the craft, and that just doesn't happen.

There are other issues- a shallower talent pool not just for boxers but especially for trainers makes for fewer good fighters developing, for example. But that's nothing compared to the first issue. Too many times, guys become "champs" by their 18th or 20th fight and then fight once or twice a year. A fighter can't really keep developing and maximizing their potential at that rate.