The first fighter with a modern style?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023.


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  1. Blofeld

    Blofeld Active Member Full Member

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    After watching a bunch of old footage I was interested to find out who you think was the first fighter with what we would consider a modern style? So you could pick them up and plonk them in the ring in 2023 and they would not look anachronistic?
     
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
    #1
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  2. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Who do you think?

    It's definitely an interesting question and it's one that's a little bit wrecked by film (only certain fighters were filmed), but an intersting thing I've noticed is that people think that technicaly orphaned styles an "anachronistic". So I feel that Tunney-Dempsey looks pretty modern but people tend to disagree because they wear their hands low. But Roy Jones wore his hands low. "But that's different." And they are actually right because Tunney and Dempsey were boxing in what would be described as a technically sound manner in thier time. Tiny gloves, horrible bodyshots, much more parrying....so yeah, despite the fact that Tunney, especially, moves in a very modern way but he's technically anachronistic. Jones boxes in a technically ineffecient manner, but is not anachronistic.

    This is why Jimmy Wilde and Tony Canzoneri are so interesting. They box nothing like modern fighters, but they box nothing like ye olde fighters either! They explored dead-end alleys in technical evolution (in line with the rules) that were too savage for most mortals to approach. In a sense then - Wilde is your answer.

    He looks nothing like a modern fighter but he's not anachronistic in the sense that the way he boxed was not a style that was of its time - it just wasn't of any time, not in this subset of the universe, anyway :lol: probably outside the limitations of our universal event horizon there is a boxer replicating it somewhere....

    100% not the answer but i'm sticking with it :lol: He started boxing around 1908.
     
    McGrain, Jan 5, 2023
    McGrain, Jan 5, 2023
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  3. Bukkake

    Bukkake Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Tunney was the first that came to (my) mind, when I saw the title.
     
    Bukkake, Jan 5, 2023
    Bukkake, Jan 5, 2023
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  4. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I suspect that swarmer is probably the style that has changed the least over the years.
     
    janitor, Jan 5, 2023
    janitor, Jan 5, 2023
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  5. Mike Cannon

    Mike Cannon Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Interesting and debatable question, not the 1st time it has been raised but worth a rerun, from all that I have read, and also from the vast locker of YT, the fighter that has sort of risen to the top, or near the top for me ,would be Benny Leonard , all the great fighters before him that I have seen on YT ie: Ketchell, Johnson, Gans, Jeffries, et al, not one of them exhibited any form of combination punching, will concede that Tunney came close, and looked the most like a " modern " boxer, and Leonard preceded him, so yea, I would have Leonard a forerunner as to the most old time boxer that fought in a up to date style, if that makes sense.
    stay safe buddy.
     
    Mike Cannon, Jan 5, 2023
    Mike Cannon, Jan 5, 2023
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  6. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Hard to really say. I think fighters like Gene Tunney, Barney Ross, Benny Leonard, Tony Canzoneri, Kid Chocolate may have helped paved way for the more highly technical approach of boxing.
     
    Flo_Raiden, Jan 5, 2023
    Flo_Raiden, Jan 5, 2023
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  7. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Maybe not the first of his kind but he definitely was ahead of his time with his style, doing things that was probably not seen before at that time.
    This content is protected
     
    Flo_Raiden, Jan 5, 2023
    Flo_Raiden, Jan 5, 2023
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  8. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Thanks for posting.

    What a nightmare Midget Wolgast must have been to fight. Whilst more functional and less flashy, he looks (admittedly based on that very limited footage) close to as elusive and awkward as Nicolino Locche, with a far more effective and varied offense.

    If the thread title had been "who is the most underrated or underappreciated boxer of all time?", Wolgast would have been a credible response, too.
     
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
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  9. Chuck Norris

    Chuck Norris Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    James Figg.
     
    Chuck Norris, Jan 5, 2023
    Chuck Norris, Jan 5, 2023
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  10. Blofeld

    Blofeld Active Member Full Member

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    Fascinating reply thanks! I think I would go with Benny Leonard as other have pointed out. There is that precision and hit without getting hit approach rather than winging hooks from the hip. He is perfectly balanced and some aspects of SSR to his stance. Jim Driscoll is very upright but seems very fast and uses his jab and combinations in a modern way. Some footage of Joe Gans on Youtube, still has his hands low but as you said has that Roy Jones swagger and shots from all different angles.

    I am not sure who invented the cross armed defence (like Archie Moore and old Foreman used) or the Peek-A-Boo stance (used by Patterson and Winky Wright) but these would seem crucial innovations to the modern style.

    I actually feel it is more in defence than offence where the modern style differs. Either using the arms or slipping punches rather than leading with your face! A lot of old timers seem to have a modern offence with fast jabs and combinations, however they keep their hands low and don't seem to back down and counter as much, just furiously punch!
     
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
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  11. Barrf

    Barrf Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Didn't Locche once have an opponent give up, not because he was hurt, but because he was too exhausted from trying to land a punch?
     
    Barrf, Jan 5, 2023
    Barrf, Jan 5, 2023
    #11
  12. Blofeld

    Blofeld Active Member Full Member

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    This guy is fantastic, never heard of him before!
     
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
    Blofeld, Jan 5, 2023
    #12
  13. Bokaj

    Bokaj Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Joe Louis is the name that comes immediately to mind for me, right or wrong. Having his head off-center like he did isn't typical today, although it happens, but otherwise he would fit right in.
     
    Bokaj, Jan 5, 2023
    Bokaj, Jan 5, 2023
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  14. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I'm not sure. You may be referring to when Fuji, defending LWW champ, quit against him. He certainly missed plenty of punches and exhaustion could have contributed to his quitting, but his face was a mess from punches Locche had landed too.
     
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
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  15. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He's my #4 all time at Fly. Incredible boxer.
     
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
    Greg Price99, Jan 5, 2023
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