Old School Boxing Historian on Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley

[Ravishing]

He sounds like someone obsessed with historical fighters.

I think today's fighters would fair okay against the old-timers. And I include the HWs. Lennox could have done alright in the 70s I think.

Lewis would get bodied by the 70s Heavies...

Man...Ken Norton? George Foreman? Muhammed Ali? Joe Frazier? Larry Holmes?

No F'n way...

[GOAT86]

blablabla..

Best post EVER!!one

[TheGreatA]

Keep in mind though, that in today's top 10, outside of Mayweather and Pacquiao, we have

3. Juan Manuel Marquez
4. Nonito Donaire
5. Shane Mosley
6. Chad Dawson
7. Paul Williams
8. Sergio Martinez
9. Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
10. Celestino Caballero

Mosley, Marquez & Wonjongkam are getting up there in age. Donaire, Dawson, Williams and Martinez are good but have a lot to prove still.

Compare today's class to the early 80's for example:

Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Salvador Sanchez, Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfred Benitez

A lot of greats to choose from.

I would pick most of the early 80's fighters over today's fighters in their respective weight divisions. That's no insult to today's fighters, the early 80's were a great group of fighters, but it proves that today's era certainly isn't the strongest.

[Junito-Rulez]

I disagree with him, especially about Mayweather's defense. He has most certainly mastered the defensive art of boxing. Reflexes are always a part of it, no one's defense will be as good at 40 years of age as in their physical prime (with the possible exception of Hopkins), but Mayweather has all the necessary techniques to last until his late 30's.

Poor comparison to Roy Jones I thought. Roy dodged punches with his hands down, with no fundamental technique whatsoever. It worked for him but it's not comparable to Mayweather's defensive techniques, which were passed down to him by his father and uncle. An "old school" historian like him should know that Mayweather's defense is very much old school.



To some extent I agree that the likes of Mosley, Margarito wouldn't have been as highly rated in past era's of boxing. Ray Leonard probably wouldn't be as highly regarded had he beaten a 38 year old Thomas Hearns instead of a 22 year old Hearns. Margarito to me is no better than a Gaspar Ortega, a solid contender in the 1950's and 60's.

Best post of the week so far.

[Living Legend]

You guys are ******ed, you haven't even seen most of the fighters this man is talking about. Someone made a track reference, comparing jesse owens to afasa powell, or usian bolt, I can't remember, but why hasn't any of the new school women come close to Florence Griffith Joyner, even with marion Jones using steroids. All new school cats aren't better than old school cats, just because they are old school. I remember watchign and old school fight, where the dude was knocked out, pounded, the other fighter looked to the ref to stop it, who didn't and kept pounding dude, until they stopped the fight, the fighter was "ASLEEP ON HIS FEET AND NEVER WENT DOWN" Who does that" Name 5 fighters today, you think are capapble of fighting 25+ round fights, with 8 oz gloves... My favorite fighter are Muhammad Ali, and Floyd mayweather, and I will say, I highly doubt Floyd could beat every fighter he faces in every generation from the 1900's up until know, that's bull****... Sugar Ray Robinson, Hurrican Carter, and many others would have served Mayweather up something decent...

[Owlzfan84]

Boxing is one of the few sports where the boxers of the past could actually compete with the boxers of today...however the writer is clearly bias towards past fighters. Saying Mayweather's defense is like Roy Jones and entirely based on athleticism is beyond ******. Mayweather has mastered the fundamentals, and along with his athleticism makes him arguably the greatest defensive specialist of all time.

Besides the greatest defensive boxers of all time used their superior athleticism as a main asset to their craft. From Willie Pep, nicolino Locche, Archie Moore, Sugar Ray Robinson, to prime Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Wilfred Benitez, to Bernard Hopkins, Prime Roy Jones, and Floyd Mayweather, all of those guys used their athleticism. Athleticism is a big component to being a great defensive boxer.

God i hate when sports writers talk out their ass. He did make some good points, but he really is not giving the modern day fighters enough credit, especially Floyd Mayweather.

[OptimusWolf]

Lewis would get bodied by the 70s Heavies...

Man...Ken Norton? George Foreman? Muhammed Ali? Joe Frazier? Larry Holmes?

No F'n way...

There is an interview with Foreman where he talks about Lewis being able to compete in the great HW era. The 90s were also a very good HW era in any case.

In general I think that boxing skills/technique haven't particularly improved over the years, but nutrition and sports science mean that the fighters today are much bigger and stronger at their weights. The fights aren't as entertaining as the old days though by and large.

[The Tase]

I disagree with him, especially about Mayweather's defense. He has most certainly mastered the defensive art of boxing. Reflexes are always a part of it, no one's defense will be as good at 40 years of age as in their physical prime (with the possible exception of Hopkins), but Mayweather has all the necessary techniques to last until his late 30's.

Poor comparison to Roy Jones I thought. Roy dodged punches with his hands down, with no fundamental technique whatsoever. It worked for him but it's not comparable to Mayweather's defensive techniques, which were passed down to him by his father and uncle. An "old school" historian like him should know that Mayweather's defense is very much old school.



To some extent I agree that the likes of Mosley, Margarito wouldn't have been as highly rated in past era's of boxing. Ray Leonard probably wouldn't be as highly regarded had he beaten a 38 year old Thomas Hearns instead of a 22 year old Hearns. Margarito to me is no better than a Gaspar Ortega, a solid contender in the 1950's and 60's.

man that ko is highly su****ious. looks like another mob enforced thrown fight.

a daily staple in the "golden age" of boxing along with regular fight robberies against black fighters & black fighters not getting title shots.

golden age my ass.


there's a reason why the number of white champions drastically dropped as time has gone on & equal civil liberties were granted to black fighters/people.

[TheGreatA]

man that ko is highly su****ious. looks like another mob enforced thrown fight.

a daily staple in the "golden age" of boxing along with regular fight robberies against black fighters & black fighters not getting title shots.

golden age my ass.


there's a reason why the number of white champions drastically dropped as time has gone on & equal civil liberties were granted to black fighters/people.

I'd say it was more so a case of a chinny journeyman fighting a seasoned professional. You see "opponents" falling over from glancing blows even today and staying down.

Also I wouldn't say that black fighters were discriminated against in the 1960's. Skilled fighters without good management were though, as Benton had to experience. He wouldn't have gotten past the champion **** Tiger however.