What Advantages Did The Old Time Fighters Have, Over Todays Guys?

Well, back in the day, there were obviously a small group of very busy boxers, who in some years had 20 (or more) fights - and then we had a huge group of boxers, with less than a handfull of fights per year. Thus bringing the average number down considerably!

I believe, some people make the mistage of thinking, that the overall group of active boxers in the old days, on average, had an awfull busy schedule, with a ton of fights per year. That was probably not the case at all! In fact, I can't think of a single year in the '20s or '30s, where the active boxers fought more than 4 times - on average!

 

They were wearing smaller gloves. Apparently Joe Louis, Marciano, Ali….they did all wear 8oz fight gloves. That made them hit harder. Ofcourse it also provided less protection.

Tyson or Wilder with 8oz gloves. Yeah….

I noticed about SRR that he seemed to really focus on hitting his opponents with his two big knuckles. That’s really important when hitting bare knuckle or with less padding.

 

Stamina, durability are the main two.

 

Dempsey never settled the lineage either.

 

10,000 in 1950 is the same as 126k today.

 

Winning the rematch against Pascal while in the second half of his forties.

 

Guys these days are having asthma attacks going 10 rounds. The old guys were going 15 rounds every 3 weeks. And don't get me started on knockdowns..............I have nothing but respect for those old timers

 

How can anyone possibly know, if the old-timers had stronger chins than today's boxers?

 

2 ounce/5 ounce gloves + minimum padding + no knockdown rule + no neutral corner for opponent + getting up to win after being clearly concussed + going 15 and more rounds etc....................

Look at Archie against Yvon Durrell and tell me someone modern day would've survived that

They showed in actual real time that they were sturdier

 

All this tells us nothing about chin-strength.

You don't think, a modern boxer like Briggs stood up under pretty much as long and sustained a beating as we have on film, against Vitali?

 

They fought harder in some cases because they were either making peanuts desperate for a chance at a high hearing payday or they were barely scraping by while also working odd jobs/manual labor with families to feed. Nowadays a boxer can live relatively luxuriously even as an amateur if they're skilled enough or if they're a hot prospect with sponsors and a good promoter (this isn't the norm, but it's still glaring to see the contrast with rookies of the past). It's a bit similar to how in the NBA and NFL guys are scouted as early as highschool with tons of coverage and recruiters preparing offers.

Dempsey, Hagler, and several others commented on this. They admitted they were far more ferocious and determined when they weren't certain about their future and hungrier. This in turn leads to more entertaining fights even if the fighters themselves aren't making a lot. In a roundabout way, some old timers have an advantage of virtual immortality due to the amazing fights they took part in that people never forget.

The thing is, it's entirely possible for such monumentous bouts to take place today but politics and back and forth arguing between sanctioning bodies, promoters, and Twitter beefs drags things out. So we're left with fighters who make lots of money but nobody will remember some of them outside of the hardcore crowd because they won't fight each other. Thankfully this is starting to change with some good fights being made, but I worry we'll just get right back to the same old song.

 

Boxing was the biggest sport back then and you could find small clubs everywhere, and it was worldwide! boxers had way more experience and the HW title was the cusp of all sports, being the champ was as important as being the president of the United states no joke

 

Dirty tactics. Bill Poole of the 18th century was renowned for his dirty tactics.


William Poole was a large man for the time. He weighed over two hundred pounds and was about six feet tall. He was known for his brutal boxing style:

"He was well known as being a notoriously dirty fighter, not averse to biting off noses, gouging out eyeballs, or beating a man to jelly." He fought in many fights that were considered illegal due to the brutality of bare-knuckle boxing