Why did notable boxers of the past have several early-career losses?

The lack of deep amateur careers definitely played a part, but activity played just as much of a role. Fighters would fight 10+ times a year back then, if not more so a lot of the time. I remember a Harry Greb quote that was like ''If I'm not fighting 3 times a week, then it's a vacation for me" or something along those lines.

You simply can't be the best all the time if you're fighting once a week, even if it is against tune ups. Sugar Ray Robinson had his second draw a mere 5 days after a previous victory, for example. The no decision era was even worse, it was full of predetermined draws, fixed fights, and reports that disagreed with one another, so many fighters' records make them look worse than they actually were. Try explaining to someone who doesn't know much about the sport that Sam Langford, who had around 50 draws in his career, is arguably the GOAT. They wouldn't buy it for a second.

 

Not a rant at all and excellent platform for discussion.

There are myriad reasons for less then ideal prep and performances for fighters of the past.

Those guys weren’t getting the luxury of fighting just, say, twice a year, nor were they availed of having long training camps with the best support teams possible.

Also, given how much fighters protect themselves and their “zeros” these days, there are gross misreads on past records that have some losses/KOs here and there.

Take Cleve Williams - unjustly viewed as having a very questionable chin.

From the start of his career through to being shot - he was KO’d just 3 times - by way of just two separate opponents who were reputable punchers.

Also, the Satterfield KO loss came early in Cleve’s career. Otherwise, the bulk of his KO losses came AFTER the gun shot wound and when Cleve was past prime and old (for a fighter) at any rate.

All that and not to mention, it appears that Williams’ manager was a real POS. Compare that to the incredible team Ali had on his way up - very much part of Muhammad’s successful rise.

Jack Johnson was also KO’d early in his career by veteran Joe Choynski - but Johnson’s weights in and around that time suggest he was likely only 170 lb or so himself at the time.

Early in the piece, despite being destined for Greatness, Jack was clearly under-nourished, living hand to mouth and taking whatever fights he could whenever they were on offer.

After taking the title, with more $$$, Johnson appeared that much more healthy, with increased bulk.

By the time of the Ketchel defence, Johnson was a rock solid 205 lb, sans fat. About only 10 months prior, vs Burns, Johnson was only 194 lb - so, it was really only after he became Champ when Johnson could avail himself of the necessary prep and nourishment that many other fighters enjoy today.

I guess also todays fighters have greater resources (film etc.) to study and prepare for their upcoming opposition.

Back in the day, a fighters first meaningful exposure to an opponent was often ONLY when he actually stepped into the ring to fight him.

In a more modern example, look at the bell Sanchez caught with Nelson - knowing virtually nothing about Azumah before stepping into the ring to fight him.

 

Ok two boxers way to the top & how they differed .......
1...Floyd Joy Sinclair Mayweather jr.... Started in PeeWee, Through Silver Gloves, to Golden Gloves then to the Olympics. He was protected & cossetted all along the way Turned pro was protected the total Journey. He had the Vegas judges bailing him out with winning decisions he did not deserve & even the State Commission refusing to investigate IV gate& suspect test results
2... Manny Pacquaio...... He was fighting experienced pro fighters at the tender age of 15 yrs out of necessity to feed his family. Quite different from the amateurs huh ??Floyd was in silver gloves then. Manny never had the "help" Floyd did . Of course he had a few losses along the way. What he got he EARNED!!!!!! Manny never ever failed any tests Although the Mayweather did accuse him of using Ped's for which Pac sued & the Mayweathers were forced to apologize & cover all costs
Of these two boxers I honestly have more respect for Manny because he did it his way. The Hard Way.
Floyd liked the label The Vegas Cash Cow & readily accepted the protection he got & cherry picked his opponents while ducking the dangerous ones So my choice for Fighter of his era was...........................
!!!!!!!!!! Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquaio!!!!!!!!!! Known affectionaly as Pac Man.

 

Great and good fighters back in the day were expected to fight the very best fighters in their divisions. Fighters on the way up who wanted to be regarded as serious contenders were expected and ABSOLUTELY HAD to fight competent adversaries who were threats to derail their careers. If a fighter wanted to advance he had to defeat fighters who were thought to have a real chance to beat him. Under such circumstances, most fighters, even the great ones, would be defeated along the way. No fighter or manager with a fighter on the way up could cherry pick opponents the way they do today. For the most part, each division had only one fighter who was recognized as champion. There was only one path in each division to a championship. Today a fighter or his manager has the opportunity to avoid the best fighters in his division by going after one of the many alphabet belts with weaker contenders. Back then the best fighters HAD to seek out each other. All this, not to mention the rating abuses, scandal, and pay-off to the sanctioning bodies that didn't happen to the extent that they do today.

 

AGE was also a factor for many, starting at 15 - 17 years old, many had No Amateur experience and had to learn on the Job, plus with 3-6 week Fight schedules, many a young fighter was fighting tough & notable Fighters 2 - 3 years in...

also there were a few cases where some of these 'kids' were 12, 13 and 14 year old Pros. Different Times, Fortitude among people in general and Needs Must willingness. Harder people period in most areas of Living.

 

There was a different attitude towards the learning process. The cossetted fighters today are expected to have learned most of what they needed to do, and also have learned from their mistakes, in the amateurs. The perfect record as a pro is a huge selling point to the paying public these days, and promotional strategies revolve around marketing the unbeaten superstar. In earlier times, boxers learned on the job as a pro, and that invariably involved losses. A loss was not such a detriment then as it can be now. The spectators then wanted to know how a man fought and who he had shared a ring with.

 

Another facet to the early losses was due to the fan himself. Back then, with no TV to cover costs/purses, monies were gained from the live gate and one had to perform. Like today there were boxers and sluggers, but even the boxers had to fight. If you're getting booed with an unattractive style, the promoter is not going to ask you back. You had to fight! A fighter fighting with the styles of Bernard Hopkins, Pernell Whitaker and Floyd Mayweather would be box-office poison. They would have to change their styles in order to make a living back then and would probably incur a number of early career losses or possibly not even be a successful fighter duking it out outside of their element. Ralph Dupas was once considered a 'Fancy Dan', so he learned how to fight in the pocket in order to be more attractive to the fan. I always remember something Georgie Benton told me once when I asked about he, Joey Giardello and Holly Mims being known as 'cuties.' To which he replied, "Yes, we were known as that, but even if you're a cutie, you still have to fight."