Are Today’s Fighters Better Than The Great Fighters Of The Past?

[Canelo Phresh]

You're right ruben

Thats really big of you man. Kudos, and green k.

[BennyST]

Today's welterweight division has way more strength in depth

Apart from that though, no.

Yikes....

the current top 10.........

pac, floyd , bradley, marquez, brook, maidana, khan, alexander, thurman, porter

you compare it to lets say the 70s:


1970:

Billy Backus, Champion
Jose Napoles
Percy Pugh
Donato Paduano
Hedgemon Lewis
Ernie Lopez
Dario Hidalgo
Robert Gallois
Ralph Charles
Roger Menetrey
Jean Josselin

That's one year, not an era. If you want an era comparison for that time, I guess the worst you could find, you have crossovers including:
Jose Napoles
Emille Griffith
Luis Rodriguez
Billy Backus
Curtis Cokes
Carlos Palomino
Ernie Lopez
Hedgemon Lewis
etc

So far greater than the top ten you wrote up there its not funny. Whatever the case may be, this era is not among the strongest by a very long shot. Also, you know all the fighters today.

In another 50 years, guys won't remember Brook, Porter, Maidana, Alexander, Thurman etc at all just like you don't remember Ernie Lopez and Hedgemon Lewis now. They were very well known fighters though. They'll remember three names from this era of that list above: Floyd, Pac and Marquez. The rest will be just like the Hedgemon Lewis', and Ernie Lopez' at best.

[Joe Beamish]

How would a longer (scheduled for more than 12 rounds) fight benefit Fitzsimmons?

It means somebody is going to get their ass beat sooner or later. So you can't just play defense for 12 rounds and win on points. Basically.

[PhilPhilly]

Very very good read, thank you OP
I agree more or less, with all the technological advancements and knowledge, boxers can barely fight 3 rounds ( David Price ) let alone 12.
Also agree with the huge decline in skill overall, people forget that boxing is mostly a skill sport

[Thread Stealer]

Boxing really had more of an evolution around the 1940s and 1950s. Maybe going back to the 1930s as well.

Sports in general may evolve, but I don't see how anyone can look at boxing AS A WHOLE today and watch fighters in the 1980s and 1990s, and say boxing has EVOLVED for the better in terms of skills.

[IMDAZED]

[IronDanHamza]

the current top 10.........

pac, floyd , bradley, marquez, brook, maidana, khan, alexander, thurman, porter

you compare it to lets say the 70s:


1970:

Billy Backus, Champion
Jose Napoles
Percy Pugh
Donato Paduano
Hedgemon Lewis
Ernie Lopez
Dario Hidalgo
Robert Gallois
Ralph Charles
Roger Menetrey
Jean Josselin

The guy really listed the top 10 from 1970 and labelled it "The 70's" era

[New England]

how far back do you want to go?

if you go back far enough, the answer is yes. pioneering technique at the turn of the 20th century is today taught to a 12 year old in a gym.


now, would the top 100 of today beat the top 100 from the 40's? f#ck no. they'd get their asses kicked. boxing used to have a robust middle class, and the guys who made it to contention generally had to fight their way through it.

[New England]

The guy really listed the top 10 from 1970 and labelled it "The 70's" era

i don't knwo a ton about billy backus, but i'm led to believe by people i respect that he was the real deal. i'm not sure i've even seen him fight.

prime napoles [and i don't go far back enough to rattle off his prime years off the top of my head,] would walk right through everybody on that list not named mayweather or pacquiao.


here's a highlight for the newcomers. the man could box, fight, punch, adjust. he was shades of ray freaking robinson.

[New England]

this discussion should probably include how few people box professionally today, and how robust professional boxing once was at the local level.

fewer fighters = less talent.