A key point that proves oldschool fighters were tougher and better chinned

[them_apples]

We can all think of contemporary fighters with good chins, so we certainly know a good chin is an attribute that differs among fighters as individuals just like height does.

in the oldschool days you were expected to fight, and this lasted all the way up until at least the 90s, although Ali popularized the “winning with style, rather than beating” which eventually turned boxing into what we have today, boxers quitting or losing without a mark on their faces.

So this brings me to my point, to he a high level boxer in the oldschool days, you HAD to have a good chin. The sport was physical you weren’t gonna run your way to a “decision”. The petronelli brothers said once they found out a fighter, no matter how talented - had a glass jaw, they would tell him to hang it up.

so its pretty safe to say anyone at the top had already proven an iron beard or they wouldn’t have been there. Likewise everyone LOOKED iron chinned as well, even tall lanky guys like Charles or Foster still had sturdy heads, not even in line with their builds.
as far as the tapes go it seems as though they are better chinned as well. Add to this all the fights are very physical so they are much more used to getting hit.

so when making predictions its safe to say most of them are coming in with iron chins, even the ones with “lesser chins” of the day.

edit: so the key point I am clarifying here is, iron chinned people were involved in boxing. Glass jaws got out fast. The sport at the top was filled with iron beards. Having an iron chin was generally a good thing to have when you fought twice a month.

[Bundana]

We can all think of contemporary fighters with good chins, so we certainly know a good chin is an attribute that differs among fighters as individuals just like height does.

in the oldschool days you were expected to fight, and this lasted all the way up until at least the 90s, although Ali popularized the "winning with style, rather than beating" which eventually turned boxing into what we have today, boxers quitting or losing without a mark on their faces.

So this brings me to my point, to he a high level boxer in the oldschool days, you HAD to have a good chin. The sport was physical you weren't gonna run your way to a "decision". The petronelli brothers said once they found out a fighter, no matter how talented - had a glass jaw, they would tell him to hang it up.

so its pretty safe to say anyone at the top had already proven an iron beard or they wouldn't have been there. Likewise everyone LOOKED iron chinned as well, even tall lanky guys like Charles or Foster still had sturdy heads, not even in line with their builds.
as far as the tapes go it seems as though they are better chinned as well. Add to this all the fights are very physical so they are much more used to getting hit.

so when making predictions its safe to say most of them are coming in with iron chins, even the ones with "lesser chins" of the day.

I think it's obvious, that the most important asset in boxing is a strong chin! Without it, you'll never make it to the top. That goes for now, as well as 100 years ago. Judging by the film, you feel the oldtimers had better chins than today... a strange thing to say, as there of course is no way we can determine that.

And now the sport is supposedly known for men with little heart, who we see quitting without giving their best? How do we know, that this is more common now than in the old days? I'd like to see the evidence you have, for this actually being the case!

[The Old LefHook]

I think it's obvious, that the most important asset in boxing is a strong chin! Without it, you'll never make it to the top. That goes for now, as well as 100 years ago. Judging by the film, you feel the oldtimers had better chins than today... a strange thing to say, as there of course is no way we can determine that.

And now the sport is supposedly known for men with little heart, who we see quitting without giving their best? How do we know, that this is more common now than in the old days? I'd like to see the evidence you have, for this actually being the case!

I have said the same thing (in red) many times.

I cannot think what the evidence would be that old timers were more well chint than contemporaries. Are we talking about the 400 fighters chosen at random, or the 84 top fighters in the game? Obviously, the top 84 fighters will be equipped with superior chins to the random group. The random group averaged only 34 fights for a career. It would have been lower, but a few really good fighters slipped in randomly and upped the average a few fights.

Scrubs are scrubs, and I do not think heartless scrubs of any era had better chins than heartless scrubs of another era. Great fighters, that is a different case that could be argued.

[QueensburyRules]

Ali popularized the “winning with style, rather than beating” which eventually turned boxing into what we have today, boxers quitting or losing without a mark on their faces..

- - Zero link between Ali and boxers quitting.

???

[Willie Pep 229]

Wait . . . What about that other thread that had the 1930 group with a 27% KO rate versus the 2000 group with the 54% KO rate ? . . . Before we only spoke about the numbers from the puncher's side (decade v decade) . . . Do those number say anything about chins from different decades?

[Bundana]

Wait . . . What about that other thread that had the 1930 group with a 27% KO rate versus the 2000 group with the 54% KO rate ? . . . Before we only spoke about the numbers from the puncher's side (decade v decade) . . . Do those number say anything about chins from different decades?

There are several ways to interpret these numbers.

One is to believe that oldtimer had stronger chins than today... or that boxers back in the day were more featherfisted... or that today's fighters are bigger punchers. Or maybe a combination of all this!

My objection to this would be, that I see no reason to think, that things like chin-strength and hitting-power is something that changes from one era to another. These are most likely innate qualities that are part of a boxer's makeup - unrelated to era, growing up during hard times, or whatever.

I think a much more realistic way to look at it... is that when you go way back to the ND era, there probably wasn't that much incentive to go all out for the knockout. I suspect that lots and lots of fights were more like exhibitions, where the boxers tried to make it to the final bell, without taking (or dishing out!) too much punishment. This may have been instrumental in the very low KO percentages of the time.

[Ivich]

There are several ways to interpret these numbers.

One is to believe that oldtimer had stronger chins than today... or that boxers back in the day were more featherfisted... or that today's fighters are bigger punchers. Or maybe a combination of all this!

My objection to this would be, that I see no reason to think, that things like chin-strength and hitting-power is something that changes from one era to another. These are most likely innate qualities that are part of a boxer's makeup - unrelated to era, growing up during hard times, or whatever.

I think a much more realistic way to look at it... is that when you go way back to the ND era, there probably wasn't that much incentive to go all out for the knockout. I suspect that lots and lots of fights were more like exhibitions, where the boxers tried to make it to the final bell, without taking (or dishing out!) too much punishment. This may have been instrumental in the very low KO percentages of the time.

Maybe that and the ability to slip punches?

[just the facts]

I think the biggest thing that makes yesterday’s fighters tougher is that same day weigh in. That would probably do away with many of the weight bully stuff happening today.

[YoungKingJulian]

I don't think chins have gotten weaker, I figure the refs are just quicker to step in and award the stoppage these days. I don't see top fighters throwing in the towel, so I don't know where this glass chin speculation comes from.

[QueensburyRules]

I think the biggest thing that makes yesterday’s fighters tougher is that same day weigh in. That would probably do away with many of the weight bully stuff happening today.

- - Sorry to hear U being weight bullied.

U being bullied in yesteryears' same day weigh ins makes you a tougher sissyboy than today.