Were the great fights of the early 20th century really as good as the later 20th century?

It stands to reason that a great fight is a great fight regardless of when it happened or whether footage still exists of it. But differences in rules (such as fighters not returning to a neutral corner after a knockdown, more hitting and holding than would be allowed today) and the different styles of fighters who fought back then all play a part when comparing fights from the early 1900s to the latter part of the 20th century.

Bearing this in mind, were the great fights of boxing's early years actually as good?