When did safety-first boxing become acceptable?

you nailed it. Everybody wants to fight like "Floyd." The new people want to hold their hands like him and they get destroyed when they spar with their left hand low. They don't realize that FMJ has been boxing since he was a baby and that he can do ALL of the basics well - and he has been doing it so long that he "anticipates" what his opponent is going to do. We have an MMA guy who comes in and thinks he is duplicating FMJ in the ring because he holds his left hand low, all it gets him is hit by right hands...

Local boxing people still talk about a guy in the late 70s, early 80s that set up boxing programs in the neighborhoods for kids and he carried a ring around with him on a trailer. He had a "numbers" system and everybody laughed at him. Now, since Tyson/D'Amato it is accepted.

Beginners need to learn good basics, good fundamentals, then, after they are comfortable, have sparred and know what works for them, they can develop their "style." Their style should fit them, they shouldn't try to fit the style.

 

There’s still Harold Lederman.

 

Do you have an example of a safety first fight?