How has boxing changed since the forties?

The talent pool has decreased a bit (boxing was bigger back then), glove blocking has become a bit more important as glove size has increased, strength and power have become more important because of the number of rounds going down from 15 to 12 and strength building exercises have become more incooperated into boxing training. Well, not that they didn't do strength-building exercises back then, but obviously, nutrition has improved as well. Heavyweights are a lot bigger nowadays and not as uncoordinated as most big guys were.

 

Heavyweights are heavier, but that's well known enough.

Things like creatine and different kinds of steroids can let you put on a lot of lean muscle, making boxers heavier on the whole.

Plus, you can lose fat and build muscle at the same time, so the cardio grind isn't as prominent.

 

There are fighters with a greater use of the conventional defence - hands tucked up nice and high to the cheek bones, but less comfortable in punching space - this is probably the biggest swap:

Fighters with an inclination to dart in with their hands by their waist vs. the high-handed, wide birthed jabber. That's why the saying a "throw back" fighter became part of boxing literature - oh look, there's a guy who goes wading in, like they use to.

Take Robinson for instance, sweet as sugar he was, he knew all about that "sweet science" and yet it was second nature to him to go in hammer n' tong - hook, hook, hook, uppercut - really hectic fighting. He could box, but was a brutal fighter.

The implications of glove size, increasingly strict referee's and round reduction has asked for a cuter version of fighter, who can nail their percentages in enough of those 12 rounds.

Now more than ever, the boxer is having his mastery over the brawler due to the modern ring and its traps. Watch how Bernard Hopkins manipulates his man and then gets away with minimal damage thanks to the ref and a "hey! he's butting me!". These days you make a case with the ref.

Only in the last ten years or so have referee's really started to get ridiculous. With the scare of head clashes causing cuts, and the havoc that can wreak on score cards/stopping the fight, has made inside fighting minimal.

It's all about percentages. Look at Floyd Mayweather, he is the perfect modern fighter. He gets a fight by the scruff of the neck and maps out rests in rounds while he makes sure he pops you enough.

How has boxing changed? It's changing rules have demanded a cleaner fight and produced many a percentage playing boxer. The brawlers seem to be minimizing as they are unable to apply their strength without the modern rules putting a hold on that in some way.

Fencing was one of the fine old arts that boxing lent itself to and that's who we're looking at today at the top - calculated fencers. Boxing is more about clean punches (like the amatuers) these day because stricter rules make it far harder to grind your man down when he clinches, rests and darts about for a fast-paced 12.

 

I know that this does not relate directly to your question , but I would like to bring up something which I think has had a major effect on our favorite sport . The fact that boxers these days dont fight as often these days as what they did in the past has had a massive negative effect in terms of ; seeing the fights we want when we do , development of a fighters skills and ring knowledge , and also - boxers' legacies .

I feel that this is the reason that there may never be another fighter that will be regarded as better p4p than Sugar Ray Robinson . The mere statistics of Robinson's career are utterly amazing - this is because of the time he fought in and how often fighters fought at that time . Fighters in that era are forgiven by fans and historians for losses on their records , because of how often they fought . But Robinson lost just once in his prime ,to a bigger man that he beat 4 times before ascending in weight and doing it again . Just one look at the names on the record gives even more insight to how trully amazing his achievements are , the caliber of the oponents he was beating so often is astounding . Combine this with how good he actully was in the ring , and what he did at MW (after his prime ) and I see it more or less impossible for any fighter to be a ble to surpass him in a ATG P4P list (which should be compiled considering how good the fighter is/was , and achievements , 2 areas which Robinson has been arguably the best in) .

I know that I might be being selfish , but the old days were better for the purist boxing fan .

Also , if Ricky Hatton was around in the 40's , maybe he might have been a bit more used to Mayweather's style when he fought him - if he would have had 70 fights behind him and was fighting 2 and 3 times monthly , he would have fought boxers with similar to Mayweather styles . I dont think he would ever beat Mayweather , but just a point

 

Well, the mob doesn't have more power than the commisions anymore, and aren't ultimately controlling the out comes of fights.

 

The main difference, is that boxing doesn't suck as bad as it did back then.

 

I dont understand what you mean

 

12 rounders, I belive with the refs getting into the action MORE, than they did back than, it doenst give the Henry Armstrongs, Gene Fullmers a chance to do there in fighting as the ref will part them, tied up or not.

 

atsch

 

Relax Bill, I was just joking.

 

Thanks.

I agree stricter rule-enforcement has changed the game; you have to plot victory within a more squeamish framework, yet one I believe is good for a fighter's well-being, save the extinction of the 15-round distance. This to me is a rotten shame, for 15 rounds separates the men from the boys.

I am also fascinated by the era builders; I see Sugar Ray Robinson as the marvelous prototype for other greats who, by adopting some of his attributes, such as the jab, footwork and ring movement, over time began to reshape the general idea of what the best techniques are and what a great fighter is supposed to look like in the ring.

Thus, Ali emulated Sugar Ray, and Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis borrowed from Ali. Larry himself has said that working with Ali taught him what the jab could do. Now the jab has long since been considered a most primary tool for the successful fighter, something not as well-established before the advent of the Sugar man.

On the other hand, Mike Tyson adopted much of Jack Dempsey's mid-range attacking style and, as in the case of Ali, I believe there has since been a host of good and not-so-good imitators of his two-handed assault style.

The idea of old was to learn in the gym, start from the bottom, fight often, work your grinding way up to a possible title shot, no shortcuts or get-rich-quick gimmickery. Now we have the advantage of being able to study film of the all-time greats, but on the other hand, too much is marketing. Protect that "0" in the loss column and look for that title shot after some 20 straight victories. Image weighs more than staying busy. Boxing is no longer seen as a full-time occupation for the youth but as a poor option among less demanding, more lucrative sporting choices. Thus, it is sadly dying out. We await, candles lit, hands raised to the heavens, the advent of the next era builder.