Who looked the most modern out of guys from those days in how they fought? Some of my picks would be Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Ezzard Charles, Jersey Joe Walcott, Willie Pep, Billy Conn and Gene Tunney that I can name. Who are some of yours? Use the already mentioned if that’s your opinion also.
Burns, Gans, Langford, etc. I do think that you'd have to go a bit further back to really see "primitive" fighters at the top level, as by the time of the late 20's, we'd already gone through a couple of eras of guys finally getting a grasp on basic boxing maneuvers. By the start of the following decade, we had guys who still look good on film today.
It is interesting for me to remember that many of the guys thought of today as primitive were, in many cases, the same guys who taught fighters, who came later, and are thought of today as being more modern looking. It makes me wonder just how primitive the earlier fighters really were. How could they teach something they did not understand?
Any top fighter after the enactment of the Walker law. The change in style is due to adaption to changing rulesets and equipment, not due to supposed 'evolution' of boxing. Actual Boxing technique has been scientifically taught and solidified since the time of Mendoza. If boxing today suddenly switched to LPR, you would have fighters radically changing their style within a year and looking like old timers. As for your question in the op, I highly recommend watching Jim Driscoll. Probably the earliest 'modern slick' fighter I can think of, off the top of my head.
Willie Ritchie could be transplanted into any era w/o missing a beat. This fight was from 1913 but his technique might as well be from 2023. What a beautiful combination puncher, especially w/ those uppercuts. This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
