Older generation vs newer generation

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009.


Page 1 of 2
  1. PugilisticPower

    PugilisticPower The Blonde Batman Full Member

    7,846
    35
    May 4, 2008
    Is it just me or when you watch footage of old fighters like Kid Gavilan, Rocky Marciano, Foreman, Ali, Liston, Frazier - you feel like you're watching a lesser art performed?

    I mean, Gavilan was a beautiful fighter to watch, those crazy footwork moves and the Bolo punch were fantastic fun to watch - but put him in against fighters of this era and he'd get sparked in 5 rounds.

    Why? Because sportsmen get better at doing what they do.

    Every single other individual sport, this is true - records are constantly broken, performances constantly bettered.

    Team sport? The only reason people aren't bettering Ty Cobb's average is due to the sport being so much better, fielders being better, the pitching staff being of a much higher quality.

    People are blind if they think boxing doesn't come under this - take a look at MMA and how rapidly the old styles are being bettered by new fighters, new training regimes and new ways of winning, a prime version of Royce Gracie has just about as much chance of beating Anderson Silva as Rocky Marciano would have against Wladimir Klitschko.

    Every other sport where results are quantified by times and percentages understand this, boxing seems to have some romantic link to the past.
     
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    #1
  2. Imperial1

    Imperial1 VIP Member Full Member

    54,515
    121
    Jan 3, 2007
    I would put all my money on fighters of yester year based on conditioning alone !!
     
    Imperial1, Jun 20, 2009
    Imperial1, Jun 20, 2009
    #2
  3. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

    42,502
    405
    Jun 14, 2006
    Muhammad Ali still has a better highlight reel than any other Heavyweight in history. He would dominate today with ease.
     
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    #3
  4. UFgators

    UFgators Active Member Full Member

    1,202
    2
    Sep 13, 2008
    All of the ATG heavyweights and a bunch of others would dominate the division today.
     
    UFgators, Jun 20, 2009
    UFgators, Jun 20, 2009
    #4
  5. PugilisticPower

    PugilisticPower The Blonde Batman Full Member

    7,846
    35
    May 4, 2008
    Conditioning? You mean the great 15 round fighters who seemingly had an infinite supply of energy? The guys that threw half as many shots, had half as many power in their shots and weren't killing themselves to make a weight they shouldn't be at?

    I'd take Calzaghe's conditioning over Bob Fosters anyday.

    Bull**** - he was used to being the tallest fighter and one of the few with decent skills. The rest were lumbering oafish unco-ordinated idiots like Foreman, Chuvalo and Liston - to a lesser degree Frazier.

    The best highlights of Muhammad Ali's career? When he was running his mouth about being the greatest. His in-ring performance paled in comparison.
     
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    #5
  6. JMP

    JMP Champion Full Member

    18,768
    21
    Dec 5, 2007
    Yup...when I watch Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali, I think to myself, "these guys wouldn't do well against super-beasts like Ruslan Chagaev or Alexander Povetkin."
     
    JMP, Jun 20, 2009
    JMP, Jun 20, 2009
    #6
  7. PugilisticPower

    PugilisticPower The Blonde Batman Full Member

    7,846
    35
    May 4, 2008
    As usual, the old folk brigade chime in with "All the ATG heavyweights would win"

    Yeah - doesn't happen in any other sport except boxing right? Cause boxing nutrition, fight science, training, analysis and preparation hasn't improved in the time period that all others have - they were masters of the craft 50-60 years ago.
     
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    #7
  8. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

    42,502
    405
    Jun 14, 2006

    I'm done with you. Take up golf.
     
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    #8
  9. PugilisticPower

    PugilisticPower The Blonde Batman Full Member

    7,846
    35
    May 4, 2008
    I play off of a 2.

    I also boxed for 6 years, what did you do? Fingerbang your cat?
     
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    PugilisticPower, Jun 20, 2009
    #9
  10. Kaki

    Kaki Guest

    you must be a comedian

    i know plenty of people who are ignorant of the intricacies of the very sports they play

    seems like to me you're one of those.
     
    Kaki, Jun 20, 2009
    Kaki, Jun 20, 2009
    #10
  11. Addie

    Addie Myung Woo Yuh! Full Member

    42,502
    405
    Jun 14, 2006
    You think because you box means you have more credibility when discussing the different generations in the sport?

    Ali fought many fighters who were bigger than he was, Terrel and Foreman too name two. Incidentally, he mangled and embarrassed the former, and knocked out the latter.
     
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    Addie, Jun 20, 2009
    #11
  12. WhataRock

    WhataRock Loyal Member Full Member

    36,615
    21,404
    Jul 29, 2004
    You killed your creditability when you said Kid Gavlian would have been sparked in 5 rounds by modern fighters.
     
    WhataRock, Jun 20, 2009
    WhataRock, Jun 20, 2009
    #12
  13. Punisher33

    Punisher33 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    17,407
    8
    Oct 8, 2007
    I hear what your saying PugilisticPower, I watch alot of old fights myself. I got a ton of sports stations that throw old boxing fights on all the time, MSG is a great sports channel to watch late at night.

    I do feel the skills, power, and speed has improved over the years. Though the toughness and the conditioning of fighters of yester year are far better than the fighters we have today for the most part. You must remember, alot of top fighters had a day job to help make ends meet during tough times. Now top fighters of today can afford to fight twice a year and buy almost anything they want. Guys of yester year had that mentality of "Kill or be killed", something so few fighters had. Thats part of the reason why guys like Tyson and Hopkins will never be forgotten because their a throwback to the way fighters used to be.

    By the way, this excludes how I feel about todays Heavyweights. Who are just bigger and stronger, everything else fighters of past decades are better at overall
     
    Punisher33, Jun 20, 2009
    Punisher33, Jun 20, 2009
    #13
  14. zarman

    zarman Guest

    don't let burt sugar hear you, he'll have a heart attack! there is no way to prove how this generations would compare to others as unlike sprinting there is no way t prove it.
     
    zarman, Jun 20, 2009
    zarman, Jun 20, 2009
    #14
  15. the cobra

    the cobra Awesomeizationism! Full Member

    12,028
    119
    Jun 30, 2008
    My God you suck.
     
    the cobra, Jun 20, 2009
    the cobra, Jun 20, 2009
    #15
Page 1 of 2