To try and rate an old boxer when film is not available? Without film, you are left with accounts of the fight... well, just how accurate are these accounts? Did the writer like the fighter, did he hate him? Even if we see writings from ten people that state a fighter was "the greatest" in their day and age, does that really mean anything? Maybe those ten people were already partial toward the fighter in question. Basing anything on a written account doesn't really accomplish much, in my view. Boxing is now, and always has been, way too biased for that. Anyway, it's just an interesting matter to consider for the fans of boxers before film crept in.
It is a lot easier to make judgments on boxers when film/video of them are avibile for viewing. However we can't just pretend that they didn't exest eather. You can usualy find more than one source of information on the boxer in question.
Yep and if all sources are in agreement, does that make them accurate, or does that make them biased? If ten write in support, and ten write against, who are you going to believe? Boxing is one of the most (perhaps the most) biased sports on earth. The thought it was any less more so in the past is based upon nothing. If sources agree about a particular fighter, how can you say they wouldn't have agreed about them regardless of what transpired? Human opinion is a very powerful force.
I always get a kick out of those picking Harry Greb to beat Hagler or Monzon or the other ATG Middleweights when Greb has no fight footage.
I guess boxrec what else really. Then you got guys who saw his shadow boxing video and used that agianst Greb because he was a bit wild and said yeah hed getting ripped apart by so and so :yep Its so dam ignorant to me because everyones pretty uneducated on Grebs style yet wanna pick him to win or lose mythical fights.
I suppose, the post is mainly geared toward those who read a great deal about older boxers. They're hardly "ignorant", but some do tend to "puff up" boxers a bit.
Very futile, but in the end... isn't everything? This content is protected The wounded Angel, Cries tears of desperation. When will the pain end?
John L. Sullivan could kill an elephant with a single punch. Don't bother arguing with me. You can't disprove it.
[yt]mTk4SdcpAwc[/yt] They forgot to mention the chapter in his life when John L. Sullivan survived off a diet of pine tar and rebar.