Just watched Aaron Pryuor and Arguello on ESPN Classic...

Actually I think the sort of AMOUNT of weightdraining was different...but nonetheless the same. Boxers back then drained themselves to make weight as they do now, but certainly not as dramatic due to the time restraints to rehydrate themselves in the short same day weigh-in time...

I also think the technique has WIDELY improved since then which would include more movement from every department from the body. Making people's conditioning seem shittier. I also feel more boxers back then concentrated more on endurance and physique than technique, whereas boxers now focus on technique and slight physique...I mean just look at the size of boxers back then...their ****in' backs were wide! They looked beefy and huge...but not as cut as today. Lack of versatile workout is the problem in hindsight...but I still felt since they kept it simplistic they were able to get more out of it. As well as being a blue collar worker on top of being a boxer...many boxers back then still had day jobs so they were pretty healthy people.

It's really hard to say or pinpoint why they seem better conditioned...I think if there were still 15 rounds you'd see a new calibur of boxers today training much harder. That's most likely it IMO...since it's only 12 you have to train like it's 15...whereas back then it was 15 and they had to train like it's 20.

 

Remember, when you're talking about Pryor and Arguello you're talking about two atgs.. Not every fighter from yesteryear had that degree of conditioning. What the great fighters from the past had was extensive ring experience (usually amateur and pro). Look at Hopkins: he's a throw-back (or the last great example, depending on how you look at it) of an former era when the fighters lived boxing. They knew all the tricks, strategies (legal or otherwise) and brought all that experience into the ring. The best ones knew they were in for 15 rounds and trained accordingly.

 

They were better condition back then because they could drink mix drink between round.

 

Pryor was a beast.

 

this is funny
and we all kno that was
gatorade :roll:

 

I agree, but one thing I have to mention - Pryor was higher then the Himalayas during that fight! You could have hit him with a baseball bat and he would have kept swinging. Both were great fighters but Alexis got royaly screwed and I feel he would have KO'd Pryor with in 9 in that fight of Pryor wasnt juiced.

 

arguello was not beaten in that match because pryor was juiced up or anything...he was however fighting far above his most comfortable limit

 

not to take anything away from pryor, love his style and he was great as well, atg though, you gotta go with el flaco explosivo

 

When fighters weight drain, it's usually because they have to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time. Todays nutritional methods are better, the food is better, and the variety of healthy foods to eat is better today than yesteryear. Guys back then stayed close to their fighting weight. You had a few guys balloon up in weight in the past, but not as many as today's fighters...this is jmo. Arguello-Pryor was classic because as good as Arguello fought, Pryor was even better. Arguello tried for that fourth weight class, and failed, but he showed why he was so great. He fought a stronger, harder puncher and tried his best and came up short. People forget that Arguello was trying for his fourth title in his fourth different weight class.

 

What was he juiced on? The bottle Panama mixed or coke? What happened in the rematch?