Why has boxing regressed when every other sport in the world has advanced?

Other sports, for example the high jump, have progressed with the development of the human race. Humans, over hundreds of years of development, have gotten taller and faster by way of nature. This allows people to jump higher, and run faster.

But does this development allow someone to throw a jab the correct way? Nope. While boxers may be quicker now, it doesn't necessarily make them more akin to weave a punch at the correct time, as that is more mental. Boxing is a sport of science, ie thinking of what an opponent will do next. Human development in regard to people getting taller doesnt make boxers better today than they were 50 years ago

 

obviously the advances in sport science and general health cannot be denied

but very few sports can be compared to boxing in this context.

team sports evolve tactics that improve over time.
any sport directly involving technology is obviously out.
sports against the clock do not involve some very important parts of boxing

so that leaves 1 on 1 sports not directly using technology.
chess games have evolved massively but there is no physical component to the game.
so you are basically left with fighting sports

The numbers of people boxing(especially in america i believe) has decreased from its heights in the middle of the century. this gives a smaller pool for potential talent.

boxing was the first sport to offer considerable financial gain and most sports have only been like this relatively recently. this draws the top athletic talent.

 

Lack of boxers? Competition from Football, Basketball ,MMA, how many fight clubs /arenas are there left?

 

Boxing in it's technical form peaked around the 40s before then skills are visably not as good and the talent pool pre TV and pre Dempsey was not as great. As soon as the big money came into boxing far more men took it as a competitive sport.

In other ways, such as strength and to some degree stamina, it continued to progress after the 1940s.

Boxing is very much a skill sport and over the past 15-20 years there are less quality trainers and less boxing clubs and less of a talent pool. Hence it has dropped off skills wise

Boxing as a whole peaked from the 40s-90s, but in recent years the average of the skillsets has fallen off

Who has good technique today, let's debate, for instance Pacquaio's despite his speed has defensive technique that is very poor, Froch has the skill level of pre 20s boxers, Vitali skill wise is very average. All of those men are very fit and strong for their size though

Boxing trainers are generally much worse today, for instance Roach isn't a very good trainer, yet is considered 'great'. Top boxers from days gone by who retire are generally rich so don't train fighters, with rare exceptions, ie Roger Mayweather. The 70s and 80s were jam packed with quality ex-pro boxers who trained boxers

 

From a skillset point of view Football (soccer if you are american) regressed in the modern era as well.....Advanced in other areas though IMO.....

 

Quality post.

Also, would Usain Bolt run as fast wearing Jesse Owens' shoes and running on his track?

Football was also more brutal back in the day. Is Messi really more skilled than George Best? Considering Best was far more liable to having lumps kicked out of him (Pele would be a better comparison here actually)

 

Obviously the OP is a big Floyd fan.

Would he look as flawless fighting every quality fighter and up to ten times a year? With smaller gloves?

 

Problem is that in Boxing today fighters aren´t really fitter, they really don´t show to us that they are better physically....like footballers do on the other hand...it´s proven that football players today run more, but is not the same in Boxing......

 

He'd run allot faster than Owens and yes Messi is allot better than Best and Pele but Maradona is better than the lot of them

 

He is better at what ??

Pelé was more skilled in almost everything Messi does....and he is more complete, many things Messi can´t do Pelé simply mastered, like shoot wonderfully with both legs....And Pelé is more successful......Messi can be the GOAT one day, perhaps, but we don´t know yet.....

 

Fighting IS a State of Mind.

Fitness IS Key and Skill is; to the finish line, a photo finish, second!

thats right Skill is second to fitness, only just!
simply without proper fitness your skill will only take you so far - PROPER Fitness, fighting fit and in shape, always!

Now add, above all else the first ingredient, State of Mind. this in and of itself, IS Evolutionary - Harder Times breed Harder People, simple!!!

so put it all together...

- State of Mind/Harder Times - you just have too do it.
- Proper Fitness, NOT just the ability to get fit and last 12 rounds, 2 or 3 times a year (if we're lucky). but the ability to fight Top Men Every 3-6 weeks and for years on end.

- Skill, Seasoned, Nurtured & EARNED - Experience.
sure Skill is present in any era, But more so when the TIMES, SCHEDUALS & the Sport Demand it.

Last don't grade Past Fighters on the available Film, MOST Filming was **** & so where many of the film operators.

People still Walked & Ran and **** and worked and drank and screwd and scrambbled out of bed and died as they ever did, from the dawn of time till the present, but the Film Technology improved tremendously as have the HARDTIMES - they DON't exsist for most of us anymore.

People ARE Softer & just won't put up with certain aspects of a demanding physical (mental strength) life.

That's How & Where Boxing differs, and life overall!