1960-70s top 5 heavyweights compared today

[automaton89]

They always say that the current generation learns from the previous. But how much has actually changed? Are there any tactics a modern top heavyweight like Parker, Zhang, Sanchez knows, that would stun a fighter of the 60s and 70s?

[Willow The Wisp]

From 1960 to today is a very short, 64 year span for an art to develop that has had 3,374 previous years as a formal sport during which to perfect itself. For Heavyweights, the only significant development is the slow, incremental increase in height and weight among the global population that is sourced.
But as the occasional Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, Chris Byrd and Oleksandr Usyk reminds us, even that isn't exactly a game changer.

Those active in 2024 are in Bold, and since 1960, the best of the best list reads similarly to this:


Muhammad Ali
Larry Holmes
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Sonny Liston
Mike Tyson
Joe Frazier
Oleksandr Usyk
Wladimir Klitschko
Tyson Fury
Ken Norton
Evander Holyfield
Anthony Joshua
Rid**** Bowe
Deontay Wilder
Cleveland Williams
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle
Vitali Klitschko
Zora Folley
Gerry Cooney
Earnie Shavers
Jimmy Ellis
Floyd Patterson
Jimmy Young
Eddie Machen
Ike Ibeabuchi
Tim Witherspoon
Gerrie Coetzee
Andrew Golota
Michael Dokes
Joseph Parker
David Tua
Alexander Povetkin
George Chuvalo
Mike Weaver
Frank Bruno
Tommy Morrison
Andy Ruiz Jr.
Zeili Zhang
Joe Bugner
Donovan Razor Ruddock
Trevor Berbick
Luis Ortiz
Tony Tucker
Chris Byrd
Ray Mercer
Pinklon Thomas
Oliver McCall
Michael Spinks
Henry Cooper
Shannon Briggs
James Buster Douglas
Hassim Rahman
Michael Moorer
Tony Tubbs
James Bonecusher Smith
Filip Hrgovic
Carl The Truth Williams
Dillian Whyte
Ernie Terrell
Joe Joyce
Oscar Bonavena
David Haye
Agit Kabayel
Bob Cleroux
Leotis Martin
Mac Foster

[automaton89]

From 1960 to today is a very short, 64 year span for an art to develop that has had 3,374 previous years as a formal sport during which to perfect itself. For Heavyweights, the only significant development is the slow, incremental increase in height and weight among the global population that is sourced.
But as the occasional Mike Tyson, Roy Jones, Chris Byrd and Oleksandr Usyk reminds us, even that isn't exactly a game changer.

Those active in 2024 are in Bold, and since 1960, the best of the best list reads similarly to this:


Muhammad Ali
Larry Holmes
George Foreman
Lennox Lewis
Sonny Liston
Mike Tyson
Joe Frazier
Oleksandr Usyk
Wladimir Klitschko
Tyson Fury
Ken Norton
Evander Holyfield
Anthony Joshua
Rid**** Bowe
Deontay Wilder
Cleveland Williams
Jerry Quarry
Ron Lyle
Vitali Klitschko
Zora Folley
Gerry Cooney
Earnie Shavers
Jimmy Ellis
Floyd Patterson
Jimmy Young
Eddie Machen
Ike Ibeabuchi
Tim Witherspoon
Gerrie Coetzee
Andrew Golota
Michael Dokes
Joseph Parker
David Tua
Alexander Povetkin
George Chuvalo
Mike Weaver
Frank Bruno
Tommy Morrison
Andy Ruiz Jr.
Zeili Zhang
Joe Bugner
Donovan Razor Ruddock
Trevor Berbick
Luis Ortiz
Tony Tucker
Chris Byrd
Ray Mercer
Pinklon Thomas
Oliver McCall
Michael Spinks
Henry Cooper
Shannon Briggs
James Buster Douglas
Hassim Rahman
Michael Moorer
Tony Tubbs
James Bonecusher Smith
Filip Hrgovic
Carl The Truth Williams
Dillian Whyte
Ernie Terrell
Joe Joyce
Oscar Bonavena
David Haye
Agit Kabayel
Bob Cleroux
Leotis Martin
Mac Foster

I think there's a higher frequency of straight rights/lefts

[them_apples]

The main changes in modern boxing:

1: it’s safer

2: amateur boxing changed to a sport specifically revolving around point scoring. Short rounds, foam gloves, headgear and scoring. This is why the styles changes. 300 ammy bouts like this and you won’t fight like an old pro, likely ever.

3: more weight classes. I am not sure if people have really grown, light heavies are no bigger today than yesterday, cruisers are no bigger today than yesterday- heavyweighrs are all heavier but this is because all the smaller fitter large men are fighting at lhw and cruiser.

4: lots of weight lifting and ped’s, making boxers carry more weight and have the appearance of larger muscles.

5: you can’t fight as frequently now, which has slowed the sport down considerably. Back in the day you could gain experience but also make a living by fighting a lot. This kicks people out of boxing.

6: life styles on average have gotten easier. Smart phones and less hard labour jobs that have been long replaced by machinery / technology. For example laying railroad track required a man to hammer road spikes 10-12 hours a day. Earnie Shavers attributes his strength to this job.

it’s hard to compare whats “better”. If we are talking about h2h then for me personally I think even some C class fighters from the past could contend or even beat A class fighters today.

[Bundana]

The main changes in modern boxing:

1: it�s safer

2: amateur boxing changed to a sport specifically revolving around point scoring. Short rounds, foam gloves, headgear and scoring. This is why the styles changes. 300 ammy bouts like this and you won�t fight like an old pro, likely ever.

3: more weight classes. I am not sure if people have really grown, light heavies are no bigger today than yesterday, cruisers are no bigger today than yesterday- heavyweighrs are all heavier but this is because all the smaller fitter large men are fighting at lhw and cruiser.

4: lots of weight lifting and ped�s, making boxers carry more weight and have the appearance of larger muscles.

5: you can�t fight as frequently now, which has slowed the sport down considerably. Back in the day you could gain experience but also make a living by fighting a lot. This kicks people out of boxing.

6: life styles on average have gotten easier. Smart phones and less hard labour jobs that have been long replaced by machinery / technology. For example laying railroad track required a man to hammer road spikes 10-12 hours a day. Earnie Shavers attributes his strength to this job.

it�s hard to compare whats �better�. If we are talking about h2h then for me personally I think even some C class fighters from the past could contend or even beat A class fighters today.

Ok, I'll bite!

Can we agree, that a C class fighter from the past would never have made it into The Ring's Top-10 rankings?

If we can, then tell us about some of those non-ranked boxers from back in the day, who would beat the likes of Fury, Usyk, Parker, Joshua, Hrgovic - just to name a few of today's top HWs

[Nash out]

I think, not in terms of actual boxing, but in terms of losses, the perception is different. They could lose a ton of fights and still be elite, whereas now, everyone outside of the number 1 is labelled a bum.

One thing I hated from, well, mostly Ali fights, and I don't know the rules around it then or now, but he used to catch the other boxers punch inside both his gloves and it's grating to watch and just seems ridiculous.

I don't know how to fully explain this, but I'm sure someone knows what I mean. Like his hands come together like he is catching a baseball, but it's the other boxers glove.

I think another thing with past fights, their worst performances are never mentioned, and are glorified by their best nights, whereas today, it's the opposite. Nash out

[automaton89]

I've never understood why coaches stress that power comes from the legs, yet they don't train them. Look how skinny heavyweight legs are

[Willow The Wisp]

Ok, I'll bite!

Can we agree, that a C class fighter from the past would never have made it into The Ring's Top-10 rankings?

If we can, then tell us about some of those non-ranked boxers from back in the day, who would beat the likes of Fury, Usyk, Parker, Joshua, Hrgovic - just to name a few of today's top HWs

Teofilo Stevenson

[Willow The Wisp]

I've never understood why coaches stress that power comes from the legs, yet they don't train them. Look how skinny heavyweight legs are

...or long distance runners!

[them_apples]

I've never understood why coaches stress that power comes from the legs, yet they don't train them. Look how skinny heavyweight legs are

Cause it comes from the lower legs. And boxers skip and run a lot.

but that being said, it’s more so leverage and technique. Power does come from the legs, but if the fighter never quite get’s the kinetic chain down and weight shift it won’t matter.