The old school boxers seemed like party animals but had unreal stamina

Good point. Not to mention Monzon, Locche, Harada, Ortiz, Olivares, Pastrano, Pep and many others. Locche smoked in between rounds for ****'s sake, and Monzon cut down to 60 a day during training.

It's why the 'modern training' and 'advanced dietary nutrition' arguments don't convince me when I see Haye, Cotto, Dawson, De La Hoya or Tszyu unable to fight at a pace for 12 full rounds, never mind 15.

 

Maybe cos they were fighting for their life and had unreal determination i dont know

 

****in' A, right. It really speaks to the quality of the individual fighter. I guess they really don't make 'em like they used to.

 

There are a good number of fighters in very recent years who would've been able to compete in the 15 round era. Hopkins, Calzaghe, Mayweather, Whitaker et al all had the conditioning to compete or even excel on that level. Hatton was average, but could set a monstrous pace in his early days before booze and pies caught up with him.

Athletes in nearly every sport seem more fragile to me these days, more susceptible to injury, be it boxing, football (soccer), tennis, athletics or anything else. I'm not knocking modern nutrition; it just winds me up people claiming that today's fighters would have a clear advantage because of it.

And I'm only young.

 

Cigarettes (Locche, Monzon and Walker) and cigars (Lionel Rose and Tony Galento), are good for boxers. It helps them keep their weight under control, and improves their wind by preventing the formation of internal abdominal fat which can constrict the breathing by squashing the viscera. Being perpetually drunk conditions them to function effectively in competition when a punch knocks them dizzy.

 

Cigs also cover the bronchioli in a tar-like substance if I'm not mistaken, and thus hinder the ability of the lungs to function fully. And I can't believe that constant alcohol consumption can be construed as more of a positive than negative. But I'm no doctor, so I'm happy to be proven wrong.

 

Many of these fighters were born into horrific and far below average financial circumstances, so if they came into the world healthy enough to just deal with the harsh rigors of everyday life it meant they were already survivors of a brutal selection process that pre-toughened them for boxing.

If they managed to get enough food, and many did not, they seldom had enough of anything else such as medical care, safe drinking water, sanitation, clothing, adequately heated housing, healthy workplaces and reasonanble working hours with paid vacations and sick days.

According to some of the Jack Johnson biographies he broke his leg when he was young and without much money but somehow he managed to heal without a limp even though it was never treated by a doctor.

 

Booze, broads, and fat cuban cigars put hairs on your chest and fire in your belly. That's why so many of the great fighters indulged with success. I'd say that fighting once a month instead of once a year might also have something to do with it. Guys like Pep sometimes fought twice in a week!

 

Monzon cut back to a pack a day when training...and NO ONE was a better 15 round fighter...obviously I think that the 15 round guys were the best.

 

All I can say is..."Monzon, Locche, Rose, Walker, etc.,..." there's always exceptions to the rule.

 

Exactly! It's acclimatisation :good

 

Fighting as often as most of most of the mentioned fighters did will do that for you. Alongside that stamina that can't be gained any other way comes from the relaxation in the ring that can't be taught.

Locche, Robinson, Monzon, Johnson? You just named four of the most relaxed men to ever step into the ring,

 

When I first glanced at this I thought it read "booze, cigars, and fat Cuban broads . . ."