Which Statistical Data Could Shed The Most Light

[Bundana]

Just for thought sake . . .

Would we have use ratios not sums as it would seem, on any given night there will be more fight cards in 1930 then 2000.

Yes? NO?

I guess one could actually put those reasonable numbers together - what would it tell us?

Were there more fights in 1930 than 2000, World wide? In the USA?

By the 1930 and 2000 groups... I mean the world ranked men, 86 and 80 for the two years respectively, that we have been talking about in several threads recently.

We could work out the ratio/percentage of scheduled rounds (from 4 to 15) for both groups - and it would tell us if the top oldtimers, on average, fought longer (scheduled) fights than today's ( in 2000, actually) world ranked boxers.


As for your other questions, in 1930 there were (according to BoxRec) 49,612 fights, world wide - in 2000 only 15,283.

BoxRec doesn't reveal number of fights by country - but in 1930 there were 7,621 promotions in the US, against just 800 in 2000!

[Willie Pep 229]

By the 1930 and 2000 groups... I mean the world ranked men, 86 and 80 for the two years respectively, that we have been talking about in several threads recently.

We could work out the ratio/percentage of scheduled rounds (from 4 to 15) for both groups - and it would tell us if the top oldtimers, on average, fought longer (scheduled) fights than today's ( in 2000, actually) world ranked boxers.


As for your other questions, in 1930 there were (according to BoxRec) 49,612 fights, world wide - in 2000 only 15,283.

BoxRec doesn't reveal number of fights by country - but in 1930 there were 7,621 promotions in the US, against just 800 in 2000!

Yea I realized you were already think ratio with your random choice. I was just wondering.

Thanks for the answer - the game has surely declined both in the USA and world wide.

[Bundana]

Yea I realized you were already think ratio with your random choice. I was just wondering.

Thanks for the answer - the game has surely declined both in the USA and world wide.

Yes, today's numbers pale in comparison with the "depression years" numbers!

It's worth noting, however, that world wide boxing has made a strong comeback over the last couple of decades. In 2019 (last full year before Covid) the number of fights had doubled since 2000 - to 30,900!

[them_apples]

From time to time you hear the argument, that the oldtimers had to be better conditioned - since they fought 10 and 15 rounders (and sometimes even 20 rounds) all the time!

Wouldn't it be interesting to test this theory? We could count all the fights the 1930 and 2000 groups took part in - and see how many fights scheduled for 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20 rounds, can be found for each group.

However, this would be extremely time-consuming... as it involves more than 15.000 fights, that need to be counted and categorized. So probably not something anyone would be eager to take on?

A guess is its not entirely due to conditioning but knowing how to waste less energy, rest in clinches and stay relaxed at all times. This is a skill lost in the amateurs

[Willie Pep 229]

A guess is its not entirely due to conditioning but knowing how to waste less energy, rest in clinches and stay relaxed at all times. This is a skill lost in the amateurs

Foreman II could have taught Foreman I that intangible.

It is kind of amazing that both Foremans' took it, (the inability and the ability,) to extreme.

P.S. I got to see Duran live once, he had an amazing ability to relax into a fight.

[Bundana]

A guess is its not entirely due to conditioning but knowing how to waste less energy, rest in clinches and stay relaxed at all times. This is a skill lost in the amateurs

So today boxers have lost this ability to save energy by staying relaxed, and resting when the opportunity is there... is that what you're saying?

[markusmod]

So today boxers have lost this ability to save energy by staying relaxed, and resting when the opportunity is there... is that what you're saying?

I actually believe that's the case. Some guys are gassing by the ninth.

[Bundana]

I actually believe that's the case. Some guys are gassing by the ninth.

But how can we possibly know, that the oldtimers had this ability to conserve energy - and that this is something, that has been lost over time?

[markusmod]

But how can we possibly know, that the oldtimers had this ability to conserve energy - and that this is something, that has been lost over time?

Different training methods these days, no?

[The Old LefHook]

But how can we possibly know, that the oldtimers had this ability to conserve energy - and that this is something, that has been lost over time?

For complete old time fights, a relevant technique might be to simply count punches. We do not have to know whether the punch lands or not, since we can always see the attempt to land a punch. So the technique should even work over black and white films of poor quality, which is a plus. One could combine this information with other counted actions like steps taken, etc., for a fuller picture. It might be interesting to see how the old timers stack up against the youngsters in the energy expense category. It would only provide a very rough estimate, but might lend insight.