Question for True Boxing Historians?

[Floyd R]

According to what I have read, in the late 1800's to early 1900's fighters such as Jack Johnson, Tommy Burns, Jim Jefferies and others fought fights that were scheduled for 45 rounds. I recently read online in Jack Johnson's fight against Jesse Willard he was knocked out in the 26 round in his fight scheduled for 45 rounds.These fights took place outdoors often during hot weather and to make matters worse fighters wore smaller gloves. How is it possible for a boxer to sustain enough energy to fight for over an hour in hot weather? I am trying to seperate fact from fiction. We hardly knew anything about exercise science or proper nutrition for athletes in those times. Based on your research what have you discovered to be the truth? Thanks.

[Underboss]

it's really wierd, that's the question i ask myself everytime i read about past boxers boxing for 23 or 40 rounds. how on earth do they last so long

i read today that peter jackson fought in a fight that lasted from 9:23pm to 1:50 am. that's 4 hours of boxing.

[THEBADBOY BG]

In rome wayyy back then fights would go up to 150rounds.

[THEBADBOY BG]

According to what I have read, in the late 1800's to early 1900's fighters such as Jack Johnson, Tommy Burns, Jim Jefferies and others fought fights that were scheduled for 45 rounds. I recently read online in Jack Johnson's fight against Jesse Willard he was knocked out in the 26 round in his fight scheduled for 45 rounds.These fights took place outdoors often during hot weather and to make matters worse fighters wore smaller gloves. How is it possible for a boxer to sustain enough energy to fight for over an hour in hot weather? I am trying to seperate fact from fiction. We hardly knew anything about exercise science or proper nutrition for athletes in those times. Based on your research what have you discovered to be the truth? Thanks.

You muck acknowledge that back then people would live longer also.

[BodyHead Banger]

You muck acknowledge that back then people would live longer also.

I thought that 'back then' people did not live longer.

[ELPacman]

You muck acknowledge that back then people would live longer also.

Uhhh, that was a joke right?

[ELPacman]

I thought that 'back then' people did not live longer.

They didn't. A simple cold could kill them back then where as nowadays we got our meds. **** back then, I think you were lucky if you got to 50.

[Underboss]

Uhhh, that was a joke right?

back then people where dying younger.. look at joe gans..he died of tuberculosis at the age of 35

look at fitzsimmons he died at the age of 53, of pneumonia...let me put it this way. back then in the 1900's and late 1890's the disease that was killing alot of people was leukemia,tuberculosis and pneumonia. those were the top 3 diseases.

[Floyd R]

I guess this means no one has any answers.

[potatoes]

According to what I have read, in the late 1800's to early 1900's fighters such as Jack Johnson, Tommy Burns, Jim Jefferies and others fought fights that were scheduled for 45 rounds. I recently read online in Jack Johnson's fight against Jesse Willard he was knocked out in the 26 round in his fight scheduled for 45 rounds.These fights took place outdoors often during hot weather and to make matters worse fighters wore smaller gloves. How is it possible for a boxer to sustain enough energy to fight for over an hour in hot weather? I am trying to seperate fact from fiction. We hardly knew anything about exercise science or proper nutrition for athletes in those times. Based on your research what have you discovered to be the truth? Thanks.

The fact of the matter is modern "exercise science" is grossly overrated, at least as far a boxing is concerned. Getting is shape is nothing new, people have known how to do it for thousands of years. The reason you see boxers huffing and puffing by the 5th round these days is because they have not achieved the level of fitness that boxers had in the past. In today's world of boxing rippling muscles are more important than fighting 12 hard rounds, so that set of values governs the decsions made about training. It took Jess Willard 26 rounds to finish off Jack Johnson, but that is what they trained for back in those days.