Boxing is in such a **** poor state, (and has been for several years), that they now have to deperately hype anything that resembles a great fight or resembles a great fighter. Boxing "expert" Kevin Iole's article is insanity. Did he soil his underwear writing that? Him and others acting like Crawford just knocked out Sugar Ray Robinson in the first round... Crawford is a talented fighter but these comparisons against the greats are out of line, let's not get carried away. I remember when big fights were between undefeated fighters in their 20s, not mid 30s. Another example of how bad the sport has become.
Hyperbole gets clicks, gets likes. I doubt many of the people raving about Crawford genuinely believe what they say, they just want to get people to engage. If we look at it more generously writers are just amped up after the fight but will have some perspective once they calm down
It used to be just the opposite — it was almost always after their careers before fighters got recognition for greatness. Go read contemporary accounts of Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, Ray Robinson, even more moderns like Larry Holmes or Alexis Arguello. They got respect, but they didn’t get praised as ATGs so much in their own time. Maybe by the end of long careers you begin to see it but only after a long time on the proving ground.
Well said. The Ring during Fleisher's long tenure spent all its time telling its readers how everyone in the past was better.
