Marciano (and his predecessors) would probably get KTFO today

Yeah, those old timers sure couldn't hang with their modern counterparts, just too lacking physically. Guys like Marciano and Armstrong were only fighting the full 3 minutes of every round for 15 rounds straight, while modern elites with the advantage of modern technology like De La Hoya can't go 9 rounds without gassing. No doubt about it, modern fighters are just on another level as far as fitness.:roll:

 

I think of it like this; more heavyweights fighting today, plus they are much bigger and stronger than their counterparts from days-gone-by and we can't judge how yesterday's heavyweights would take a punch from a 6'-5" monster who can actually punch like hell instead of a behemoth who was huge do to a glandular disorder. I think the current heavyweights would expose more oldtimers than I care to mention. In fact, I'd say Haye would dominate many bygone eras whereas he's kind of on the iffy side today. BTW, I think the smaller weight fighters of old times probably would have a better chance of being better than their modern counterparts than the heavyweights.

 

If Kotjinx is saying that a modern-day heavyweight/cruiserweight might defeat Marciano strictly by virtue of his size, then it's instructive to note that Louis was 6'2", and with a 76 inch reach, and superlative punching technique, would likely have been as much of a factor as Evander Holyfield at heavyweight.

It's also instructive to note that all of Louis's losses came at the hands of smaller opponents, and that he did rather well against the fighters who matched the dimensions of the Klitchsko's (Buddy Baer and Abe Simon).

 

Old timers technique was horrible, but you will find 1000 guys coming out of the woodwork to argue that Jack Johnson would destroy Tyson in two rounds. It's a joke, but you'll never convince them otherwise.

 

Max Schmeling doesn't knock out ANY modern-era HW champ. EVAR.

 

Foreman's punching technique was as aesthetically displeasing as it gets, and he was still in contention until well into the late 90's.

 

Oh...I think Schmeling would have had as much of a field day with Leon Spinks as Gerrie Coetzee did.

 

These dudes easily ko klitchkos...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RINFZ_8BhIw

 

How can modern fighters be considered more talented, when the talent pool that they are drawn from is so much smaller?!?!

Back in the day, there were boxing gyms around every corner. Boxing was a HUGE sport and so many atheletes got into boxing in an attempt to make a living and escape the streets.

Nowadays, boxing gyms are few and far between, and most good atheletes are heading into other sports. I think the best possible modern HW is actually a power-forward in the NBA, or a line-backer in the NFL - but he probably never even stepped foot in a boxing gym, let alone put gloves on or thought of training and pursuing it.

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The numbers of boxers back in the day were much greater, and those who rose to the top were enormously talented - much more so than the 30 punch a round fat-asses that are winning championships today. Big guys like Shannon Briggs that can't throw 10 punches without collapsing, or Ruiz who doesn't punch at all, or a fat, out of shape middle-weight like Toney are examples of those who can rise to the top in the modern era. NO WAY they could rise to the top 30 or more years ago!

 

I think they calibrated for that but if you other articles you will see that old timers before Ryan were measured from much further distances than today but actually with more accurate equipment. Plus, quite a few posters claim the calibrations today are rigged more but who knows.

There is also evidence that we are degenerating in various ways.
http://www.onelife.com/evolve/degen.html

[FONT=&quot]1950's writers were better writers but then languages always seem to devolve.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3643/is_199501/ai_n8711702/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1[/FONT] [FONT=&quot]
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Fossil man was 12 to 25 % lager than modern man and their brains were much bigger to.

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That only applies for HW's. And there's a lot more to boxing than size, I figure anyone with the faintest knowledge and understanding of the sport would know that.

Oscar's been that way since he was in his prime, since the days of his fights with Quartey and Trinidad. There are exceptions to the rule in every era, but the fact that old timers went 15 rounds on a daily basis, a lot of them fighting with more of an energy consuming style, surely should give you some perspective.

That would be a very inept comparison, considering I just explained the De La Hoya situation and Robinson was far older and further past his best than De La Hoya has been the past few years anyway.

 

Good post and I might add that it is also possible that today's and yesterday's baddest dudes never played any professional sports at all