Chris Byrd is unappreciated, bigtime!

[Neuraxis]

Where are these advantages? What fighter today could fight 5/6/7/8 times a year for 15 rounds and even function two or three years down the line?

You guys make it sound like people are getting less and less athletic. How about weight training, nuitrition, being able to study the opposition on tape, and so on and so on. Not to mention how much bigger the modern day heavyweight is compared to those 50 years ago. Willie Mays was asked who was better baseball players of the past or of the present. And he said that the present day ball players were better because of all of the ADVANTAGES they have.

[oldgringo]

All I'm saying is that they don't seem to help that much. Athletes these days are bigger/stronger/faster...this is true. But what old athletes lack in that department they make up for in toughness and heart. I don't think boxers of today are better conditioned...more athletic and physically gifted yes.

[oldgringo]

Willie Mays may have been the best baseball player to play the game (arguably, but he was a stud on both sides of the ball).

[Neuraxis]

Its a lot easier to be tougher when you are getting pounded by people who weigh 200 lbs as compared to 240 lbs. But you may still be right about heart and toughness, but I'm not sure if that would be enough to beat some who weighs 40 pounds than you.

[ChrististheAnswer]

HEY! This thread isn't about the old time fighters vs. the new ones this about the under appreciation of Chris "Rapid Fire" Byrd.

[Panzergirl]

hey! its cris byrd, not christ byrd.. you got it wrong.

[whdempsey]

Where are these advantages? What fighter today could fight 5/6/7/8 times a year for 15 rounds and even function two or three years down the line?

Exactly. Fighters are so much easier on their bodies today, there's hardly a comparison. I mean, the busiest titlist in the world had five fights this year. That was Pongsaklek Wonjongkam. Oscar Larios has one more fight scheduled for this year, but I can't remember if it's his fifth or his fourth. And neither of these guys are really stars. The busy pound ofr pounder, Erik Morales, will have had three fights by the end of the year. I mean, I'm not saying that these fighters are inactive, not by any means, but I am saying that the vast majority of upper echelon boxers were far less active than this. It's absurd, really. Remember when Lewis didn't defend for the longest time? Thank God Vitali doesn't seem to be going that route.

Anyway, I sort of tangentialized there, but getting back to the point, computerized diets and robotic trainers are not really part of the game. The foundation for almost everyone's training regimen is still the jumprope, the ring, and punching bags. Really, a lot of people overestimate exactly how much training has changed over the past fifty or so years. The fact of the matter is, most of it is the same. Remember Tyson in his younger years? He trained the same way Jack Dempsey did. Again, I've sort of lost my point in all this writing, but bottom line for me is this: the fighters of today do not train harder, do fight less often, and generally rely more on their physical gifts than the fighters of the past.

[whdempsey]

All I'm saying is that they don't seem to help that much. Athletes these days are bigger/stronger/faster...this is true. But what old athletes lack in that department they make up for in toughness and heart. I don't think boxers of today are better conditioned...more athletic and physically gifted yes.

Wait a minute. You're seriously trying to tell me hat the heavyweights of today have an advantage over guys like Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano, and other great old school fighters because they're...bigger? And exactly how are they more physically gifted? Please. I'm willing to bet money that at some point both you and Neuraxis have called this era's heavyweights the least talented group ever. If I had enough time, I bet I could find a quote. Oh, and talking about big heavyweights, I'm pretty sure Joe Louis didn't find it that hard to knock out Buddy Baer in one round despite the fact that he was outweighed by 44 pounds. Sure, in general, heavyweigts today are bigger. I think that's only because of the cruiserweight division, but whatever, my point is, almost every great heavyweight has been about 215 or less. Wanna argue that? Anyone? Cuz I will i you want, but you'll find yourself proven wrong in the end.

ps. Byrd is underappreciated.

[oldgringo]

Wait a minute. You're seriously trying to tell me hat the heavyweights of today have an advantage over guys like Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano, and other great old school fighters because they're...bigger? And exactly how are they more physically gifted? Please. I'm willing to bet money that at some point both you and Neuraxis have called this era's heavyweights the least talented group ever. If I had enough time, I bet I could find a quote. Oh, and talking about big heavyweights, I'm pretty sure Joe Louis didn't find it that hard to knock out Buddy Baer in one round despite the fact that he was outweighed by 44 pounds. Sure, in general, heavyweigts today are bigger. I think that's only because of the cruiserweight division, but whatever, my point is, almost every great heavyweight has been about 215 or less. Wanna argue that? Anyone? Cuz I will i you want, but you'll find yourself proven wrong in the end.

ps. Byrd is underappreciated.

I'm actually arguing in favor of the old HW's but whatever. It's a fact that athletes in general are bigger, stronger and faster however.

I already posted my opinion on Byrd sorry CITA the thread just kinda flowed in a strange direction courtesy of Neuraxis.

[Panzergirl]

just saw byrd and vitali..

christ "bilbo" byrd