How did 190lb Jack Dempsey DESTROY super-heavyweight 240lb Jess Willard?

I cannot agree that smaller gloves (if we assume that smaller gloves hurt more, which i kinow is debateable), is more favourable to the bigger fighter, because they hit harder.

If we assume it takes 100lbs to knock out a fighter and 75 lbs to make a good impression on someone, this is all you can really do. A bigger stronger fighter will be able to land that punch most of the time at say 80 percent of his capacity. The smaller may land his best punch and it will only do 70lbs worth of damage and have little or no effect each time, as opposed to the bigger fighter who lands at 80 percent and does damage each time. This would make it difficult for the smaller fighter.

But with the fighter wearing the smaller gloves, he can now land at 80lbs with most punches and all of sudden his power is respected and it changes the whole course of the fight. All of a sudden with the small guy able to earn respect, the fight switches to an advantage witht the guy who has more skill rather than the guy with more power. Any power advantage is negated, as you can only hit so hard.

The question really is more whether or not the gloves have the same effect, power wise, or not. The question really is more a question of give than anything else. The most important thing is timing. I would suggest that timing needs to be much more precise to achieve the same result, with bigger gloves. In theory it should be harder for the smaller fighter to land the well timed blows. Much harder than it is to hit stationery targets (i am not sure if modern testing measures this or if they just hit Fitzsimmons/Jeffries style machines which are easier to time). IN theory, this would mean that raw strength becomes much more important because damage can be done even if the blow isnt landed as clean as possible. This again favours the bigger fighter.

Finally, and i dont think this advantage is debatable, the Larger gloves act as a shield, because they are physically bigger. This again makes it easier for the less skilled bigger fighter because he will be harder to hit by a fighter who is going to be relying on hitting more often to negate his power disadvantage. Obviously if he is hit less often he will be much harder to hit cleanly . conversely, the stronger guy may hit less clean also, but each punch is doing more damage and a higher percentage of shots will have stayed above the 75lb line.

 

This is an excellent post. :good

 

If two guys go at it in sparring they will damage one another with big gloves but they can be much more precise with smaller gloves.
Personally I felt more of a jolt from the competition gloves. Obviously the weight is the same but first time around with the small gloves is a shock. Could be a combination of going for it for real and the fact that the punch is more concentrated but you get used to both kinds. Let's just say I remember finding or requiring an extra alertness towards getting hit with small gloves. The first good shot on the jaw with small gloves was different than the first real shot with big gloves, I'm talking from 18oz to 10oz. I'm talking it goes black for a moment. The recoil anticipation on impact is something new to adjust to. Christ knows what 18oz to 6oz from a boxer must be like. But I know you can adjust. Once you get used to it you forget about that initial surprise within that adjustment. If you know no different perhaps there's nothing adjust to. All I know is given the choice I would prefer my opponent wore bigger gloves and I use smaller.

 

It would depend on anticipation more than anything else. If you could guarantee a direct clean impact on the target and chance full force bone on bone yes that kind of concentrated impact will do the job but how much you value your hands must cone into the equation.

I never did bare knuckle but unless old timers really prepared their hands to a level I dont understand you would have to consider the consequence of damaging your hand each and every time. Travelers really dont use hooks that much. They must know what they are doing. you really don't want to catch an elbow, but they do knock one another out.

 

I don't care if you think I am a fantasist I boxed competitively and like everyone else who has I have experience of hitting and being hit. You will try to trip me up but I know what I have done, who knows it, who needs to know it, who I met, who understands, what I understand and what I have experienced. It is not in no way unique or world class in any description but it is real. I can't tell you anything millions of people could tell you, the difference is you asked me, I'm telling you not to prove anything, I'm just answering you because you asked me. Either you understand or you don't. Makes no difference to me.

Taking a punch from a smaller glove takes adjusting to compared to a bigger glove. Offers a different level if effectiveness on impact. First time I fekt that it hurts more. Like getting hit with something square or more solid. I'm sure others can identify with it too.

Whatever initial trials say I don't know. Force is the same, impact feels different. Power must be the same, concentration is different.

 

The proof is that smaller gloves are considered more dangerous universally in competition. You think because some test or something says the damage is the same that must mean both big and small there is no difference and the only reason sparring gloves are bigger is because they protect the hands. It's not. Tape protects the hands. Yes you can hurt your hands taped up in big and small gloves but the real clue is most would prefer to wear smaller gloves so long as the other guy only hits you back with bigger gloves. I cannot be anymore clear. Ask anyone else the same thing. They will want smaller if the other guy is in bigger gloves.

 

I don't understand what is confusing you. Smaller gloves are too effective to be used in sparring. This is the way it is AND this is the way I (and everyone else) experienced it. That's the proof I was talking about. Is that's enough proof for you?

 

I'm very sorry, as far as I am concerned the universal decision that smaller gloves are too effective to be used in sparring is the proof I was talking about. It is also mine and everybody else's actual experience. That is nothing special. Just obvious. If all this time you have been expecting me to produce some white coated clinical experimentation with graphs and spread sheets I dont have it or need it because the rest really explains it.