What People Would Say to Criticize Past Fighters if the Internet Were Around Then

I'd say that Leonard would get plenty respect. Even those who thought Hagler won would say that it was close. Nobody really expected Leonard to last the distance let alone make it a fight for more than a couple rounds. Of course on NSB praise will never be unanimous but I believe most posters would recognize his performance as at least very good. I think Leonard would recieve the most Mayweather like criticism. Especially the stunt where he retired and anounced a fight between Hagler and himself would never happen? When that clip was fresh news it would have been the end of him on here.

I'd say that Leonard would get plenty respect. Even those who thought Hagler won would say that it was close. Nobody really expected Leonard to last the distance let alone make it a fight for more than a couple rounds. Of course on NSB praise will never be unanimous but I believe most posters would recognize his performance as at least very good. People would respect Leonard leading into the fight no doubt, but after the fight I just think that people would downplay it and talk about how Leonard "ran" (this is not what I would think, this is how I think people here would view it on mass). It would be like everything else here though some people would hate on it, some would be overly praiseful (although Leonard beating Hagler deserves a lot of praise) and some would get it just right. I though Leonard won and my brother thought Hagler won, we have agrued about it many times, so to me it would be a very heated debate as to who people actually thought won around here which I think would lead to a hardening of stances (very few fights get argued about as long as Leonard-Hagler so what would take place here would be crazy).

Floyd did not start at 147 unlike Leonard (Ray Leonard was a big welter at that). Asking someone that started at 130 to go up to fight the top dog at 160 is ludacris~. 147 for Floyd is like 160 for Leonard, although there were no Haglers at 147 (a bunch of good fighter, but no Haglers). Seriously you think the way that Leonard fought Hagler would garner a ton of respect around here? People back then thought that Ray Leonard did not really fight Hagler, this thought process to me is crazy but it fits the way people think around here for the most part~. I'd say that Leonard would get plenty respect. Even those who thought Hagler won would say that it was close. Nobody really expected Leonard to last the distance let alone make it a fight for more than a couple rounds. Of course on NSB praise will never be unanimous but I believe most posters would recognize his performance as at least very good.

they'd say shit like: "Ali is a trash talking coard, he wont even fight for his country." "carlos monzon is boring as ****" (kinda like wat we say about Wlad lol) "durans a cheating bastured."

Leaonard got a lot of heat from the Lalonde fight. Picking the weakest champion and forcing him down in weight. Damn Leonard would have caught hell on NSB although one would think he'd have a lot of credit from the Hagler fight. If Floyd had the balls of Ray Leonard he'd fight Pavlik just like Leonard fought Hagler even though Hagler was a much more frightening character than this days MW champ. Floyd did not start at 147 unlike Leonard (Ray Leonard was a big welter at that). Asking someone that started at 130 to go up to fight the top dog at 160 is ludacris~. 147 for Floyd is like 160 for Leonard, although there were no Haglers at 147 (a bunch of good fighter, but no Haglers). Seriously you think the way that Leonard fought Hagler would garner a ton of respect around here? People back then thought that Ray Leonard did not really fight Hagler, this thought process to me is crazy but it fits the way people think around here for the most part~.

Seeing as how much people are discussing catchweight fights now, Leonard would've gotten a lot of sh!t for the Lalonde bout and Hearns rematch. Leonard did catch some flack in the boxing magazines for the Lalonde bout. Some were calling it a farce that never should've taken place. Leaonard got a lot of heat from the Lalonde fight. Picking the weakest champion and forcing him down in weight. Damn Leonard would have caught hell on NSB although one would think he'd have a lot of credit from the Hagler fight. If Floyd had the balls of Ray Leonard he'd fight Pavlik just like Leonard fought Hagler even though Hagler was a much more frightening character than this days MW champ.

Marvin Hagler would be picking on small guys....

Sonny Liston would be kind of interesting also, and what would people say about Ali-Liston 2 (LOL).

I still want to see how St. Sugar Ray Robinson would be treated by the internet age.

Good thread, didnt really think about the internet but its so true.... Its the main reason people end up hyping/underrating fighters...jst saying they are ducking this person or that person...

Seeing as how much people are discussing catchweight fights now, Leonard would've gotten a lot of sh!t for the Lalonde bout and Hearns rematch. Leonard did catch some flack in the boxing magazines for the Lalonde bout. Some were calling it a farce that never should've taken place.

no fighters are immune to criticism nowadays, athletes as a whole are more nitpicked on the internet. Of course, it also gives people better insight as just to how disturbed some fans are by getting so emotionally attached to athletes and seemingly trying to live vicariously through them, but that's another story. Here's what people in the past would've likely said about pre-internet era fighters. Larry holmes: Unify damn it! Give a guy a rematch after he gives you a tough fight! Salvador sanchez: Stop ducking eusebio pedroza! Eusebio pedroza: An uppercut to the testicles is not a scoring punch! Sugar ray robinson: Quit asking for too much money, and pulling out of all these fights at the last minute! Aaron pryor: You should've taken the $500,000 offer from ray leonard. Sugar ray leonard: You should've offered more than $500,000 to pryor. You low-balled him. Marvin hagler: Stop ignoring the public challenges of the light-heavyweights and fight one of them. Jack johnson: (besides the racist comments). Fight a black contender! Wilfred benitez: Train! marvin making a name off of beating smaller fighters. He is overrated and as built his resume up with small guys, fight someone your size. Srl fight hagler already, srl is waiting for hagler to get old so he can then fight him. Duran is srl daddy. Tommy hearns is the real #1 fighter out there. He will fight anybody anytime, he fights for legacy! Lol

Thanks for this. Always great to see those very old clips. Referee Siler after the fight: ""Gans put up the weakest article of fight ever witnessed in Chicago. His every effort was weak and he acted as If he were not trying. His blocking, however was all right but his hitting, of which so much has been said, was not In evidence. I do not like to accuse a fighter of faking, but will say that Gans' work had all the earmarks of a fake. Terry fought as usual. He sailed Into Gans at the tap of the gong, slashing away with both hands at head and body. His body blows were the most effective even though Gans went to the canvas repeatedly from head blows. The knockout was a short right jolt under the chin, and may have been hard enough to put Gans down for the count, but it did not strike me so."

I'm no expert on Gans, but did he fight McGovern at all? Edit: According to boxrec he did. I'll have to check the old papers to give you an answer as I am no expert on Gans.

Do you think Gans threw the McGovern fight? I'm no expert on Gans, but did he fight McGovern at all? Edit: According to boxrec he did. I'll have to check the old papers to give you an answer as I am no expert on Gans.

It's up to the ref to enforce the rules. Nelson did what it takes to win. Besides Wolgast was even dirtier and Gans faked a low blow. That shot was legit. :) :) Do you think Gans threw the McGovern fight?

Battling Nelson: fouling, cheating scumbag. :) It's up to the ref to enforce the rules. Nelson did what it takes to win. Besides Wolgast was even dirtier and Gans faked a low blow. That shot was legit. :) :)

Ali: Give foreman a rematch goddammit! This is a blatant duck! Patterson: About time he fought Liston. I told you this guy was overrated. Marciano: Rocky>>>Clay. I told you all. A computer is never wrong. Battling Nelson: fouling, cheating scumbag. :)

This thread is classic. Props. There would have been quite a few pictures of jockstraps attached to posts/ in sigs after what Larry Holmes said about Marciano. People would have said that Ali quit against Holmes. Wait a second, didn't some posters actually say that recently? (And knowing how some people are addicted to attention whoring and are complete assholes, they would have gotten on here and said, "Holmes pwned Ali" with a f*cking smiley face. Classless.)

Ali: Give foreman a rematch goddammit! This is a blatant duck! Patterson: About time he fought Liston. I told you this guy was overrated. Marciano: Rocky>>>Clay. I told you all. A computer is never wrong.