Modern Era Appreciation

I've not hit 30 yet and so certainly wasn't watching Ali and the like in their primes. But I've got to be honest here, I think this mentality of athletes being universally better now they they were in the past doesn't necessarily apply to boxing in the same way that it does other sports. Heavyweight is much more understandable as the heavies of today are so much bigger than those from past eras and they don't have to be under a certain weight, but say for example someone is trying to compare a champ today against a champ from decades ago....let's say at middleweight. Yes if the old time champ is dropped into 2021 to fight he might struggle as the modern day guy will likely weigh above middle when they are in the ring, and most certainly will have more acientific training methods behind his training as well as personal nutritionists.

But surely what separates boxing from, say, basketball, is that the modern day guy would also really struggle if he was suddenly dropped into the division in the 70s....he wouldnt be able to come into the ring having rehydrated and with a big weight advantage over the old time champ (which let's face it, alot of the current p4p fighters do), and would also be forced into a 15 round fight against a guy who most likely will have had double the experience of fighting due to the higher number of fights he has had.

Also add in the fact that fighters as whole back in the day were alot less worried about losing that 0 and so would seek out fighters in their prime more often than happens today, and I dont think the old school fighter vs modern is as one sided (in either direction for that matter) as some like to believe.

 

I think then Tyson was too much under King and King was cancer.
King also didn't gave a f*** when Tyson changed coaches and doesn't looks he was cool for Tyson's career.
Ofc he made Tyson popular cos bought out of retirement over the hill Holmes to fight vs Tyson. Holmes was well known through his fight vs Ali in 1980 when this cancer managed ill over the hill Ali fight vs prime Holmes.