Why is Boxing the only Sport where the fans think Past >> Present

[jtcs1981]

It is all about perspective. Do you think is possible for guys like Cy Young to pitch in so many games today? Or Babe Ruth being king when physically compare to today athletes he would be consider fat? Pitching techniques have change, scouting reports are more accurate, and training and nutrition have improved considerably.

In basketball, will George Mikan be able to compete against Shaq or DHoward? Can Wade, Lebron, Kobe and all the divas from today can compete against tough teams and badass like the Pistons of the late 80's early 90's? Guys played tougher and fouls werent call like today. Basketball have changed from a finesse game, to a tough physical game to a more marketable game. Where stars whine and cry and they are rewarded when they ***** about something too much.

I believe some athletes can compete in any given era due to their natural abilities. Most acknowledge MJ and Magic as GOAT, but Lebron is more gifted physically but a whining lil girl.

When comparing athletes from different eras we are only making fools of our self. There is no if, would, could in sports. There is no fantasy matchups. We cant predict what will happen to someone if they are pushed to their limits.

We need only to enjoy.

[Check]

It has a lot to do with the level of skill and athletic ability fighters had back in the day. No offense but a lot of fighters get **** on because many feel that the best athletes don't participate in boxing any longer. Back in the day, it was viewed that some of the elite athletes took part in this sport. It's true but there has been some very good athletes to make it into the sport over the last 20 years.

[turbotime]

Because boxing wasn't as business-oriented back then. Now it is ridiculously calculated by business decidions with elite boxers being paid far too much, on PPV far too much, and fighters fighting far too less. This is just a recent event, even in the 80s fighters fought a LOT.

[Dubblechin]

It has a lot to do with the level of skill and athletic ability fighters had back in the day. No offense but a lot of fighters get **** on because many feel that the best athletes don't participate in boxing any longer. Back in the day, it was viewed that some of the elite athletes took part in this sport. It's true but there has been some very good athletes to make it into the sport over the last 20 years.

I've never bought into the "the elite athletes don't compete in boxing anymore" argument.

What other sport is a 5'7" 130-pounder going to compete in? The NBA or the NFL or the NHL?

C'mon.

You can go down the line throughout boxing history and basically none of the top fighters were good at other sports. Marciano tried out for a MLB team as a catcher, I believe, but wasn't good enough. Roy Jones played on some minor league basketball team with a bunch of other not-good-enough-to-play-in-the-NBA types. Other than them, I can't think of one.

Ever see Mike Tyson try to shoot a basketball? Ever see Muhammad Ali shoot hoops or throw a football or try to hit a baseball? Ever see Joe Frazier try to swim?

The best fighters have always gravitated toward fighting for a living. Some may get into the other fighting arts, but I don't believe any of "great" athlete in another sport would've been a top boxing champion if he'd chosen this sport over another. Just because a guy is athletic doesn't mean he has a fighting heart or can take and deliver a punch.

[Daddy T]

The change from 15-rounders to 12-rounders, which was done as a safety precaution to prevent dehydration and fighters taking punches when they were too tired to defend themselves, caused a huge impact on the sport.

There were so many fights in the past that, had they ended after 12 rounds, someone else would've been the victor and all of boxing history would have changed. (Walcott was leading Marciano. Conn was leading Louis. Hearns was leading Leonard. Duran was leading Hagler. Tate was leading Weaver. And on and on.)

How many fights have we seen recently where one guy was exhausted at the end of 12? How might the Froch-Ward fight have been different if it was scheduled for 15, and Froch continued to press and Ward got more and more tired in the 13th, 14th and 15th?

Two good posts from you in quick succession there. The sport has gotten easier, and there are less guys doing it. I'm sure pac and floyd etc could hold there own with any of the greats but pic say the guys ranked from 20 to 100 in each respective weight division today and compare them to the guys ranked 20 to 100 in the equivalent weight divisions from the 60s or 70s and the modern guys would get smashed.

[MotorCityJaguar]

Because in every other sport, athletes in the past were in general smaller and they competed less often. Today, athletes in all sports are in general much bigger and they compete in more games. The NBA season is nearly nine months long. Same with hockey. They play nearly 200 game-seasons in baseball. NFL seasons are getting longer and there are many more teams than there used to be.

In boxing, because of the weight divisions, fighters tend to be the same size as their predecessors from days gone by but they compete less frequently, the fights are shorter, and the sport is safer today.

Well said. This is the main reason.

[AlwaysOnTop]

Because in every other sport, athletes in the past were in general smaller and they competed less often. Today, athletes in all sports are in general much bigger and they compete in more games. The NBA season is nearly nine months long. Same with hockey. They play nearly 200 game-seasons in baseball. NFL seasons are getting longer and there are many more teams than there used to be.

In boxing, because of the weight divisions, fighters tend to be the same size as their predecessors from days gone by but they compete less frequently, the fights are shorter, and the sport is safer today.

The top welters used to fight three, four, five times a year or more and compete in 15 or 20 rounders. The gloves had thumbs, and many all-time greats (like Sandy Saddler) were masters at using the thumb in clinches. If a guy lost his mouthpiece, he had to be careful not to suffer terrible mouth or lip cuts. You tended to have to pummel a guy mercilessly for the ref to stop it. Quitting on the stool was seen as a cowardly act.

Now, guys like Pacquaio fight once or twice a year. Mayweather fights once every few years. They only go 12 rounds at the most. The gloves are thumbless. If a mouthpiece gets knocked out, the stop everything to put it back in. If an opponent quits on the stool between rounds (and "lives to fight another day"), that's not taboo anymore.

If boxing matches were cut down to eight rounds in the future (which has been discussed), and all the top guys only fought once a year, and they wore headgear (which has also been discussed), guys who were fans today would complain about the "good old days" when fighters fought TWICE a year and fought 12-rounders and weren't protected from headbutts because of the oversized headgear.

Boxers today just don't lay it on the line as often, the fights aren't as long, and the sport's not as dangerous. So the old timers are viewed as better or tougher.

Boxing was a lot more popular back in the day...there were more fighters...more and better trainers....and a closer link to the past.

[AlwaysOnTop]

In any other Sport, fans realise that Athletes are better conditioned, more skilled and generally more athletic

Yet when it comes to Boxing no active fighter gets a fair shake against the "Legends" of the past when it comes to "ATG Ranking" or "Fantasy Fights"

Fighters today can't even fight on the inside...

Ya'll call Manny #1 p4p and he doesn't even move his head after he punches...

That's part of the reason right there.

There are FEWER styles today than ever before...What happened to the BOB N' WEAVE style...???

It's GONE......one of the most effective styles......GONE.....

[bojangles1987]

In any other Sport, fans realise that Athletes are better conditioned, more skilled and generally more athletic

Yet when it comes to Boxing no active fighter gets a fair shake against the "Legends" of the past when it comes to "ATG Ranking" or "Fantasy Fights"

The MASSIVE point you are missing is that boxing is the one sport where athletes are no bigger, outside of heavyweights. Maybe they are more athletic, because of the differences in technology and training equipment, but on the other hand they have far less stamina and their technique is lacking.

And when it comes to ATG rankings, no one will approach the guys at the top because they have so many wins against so many other greats, because they had to fight each other. Fantasy fights it's often because fans ask about fantasy fights that are unfair to one fighter, such as Tommy Hearns vs. Manny Pacquiao, or middleweight Ray Robinson vs. Floyd Mayweather.

[gauze]

I've never bought into the "the elite athletes don't compete in boxing anymore" argument.

What other sport is a 5'7" 130-pounder going to compete in? The NBA or the NFL or the NHL?

C'mon.

You can go down the line throughout boxing history and basically none of the top fighters were good at other sports. Marciano tried out for a MLB team as a catcher, I believe, but wasn't good enough. Roy Jones played on some minor league basketball team with a bunch of other not-good-enough-to-play-in-the-NBA types. Other than them, I can't think of one.

Ever see Mike Tyson try to shoot a basketball? Ever see Muhammad Ali shoot hoops or throw a football or try to hit a baseball? Ever see Joe Frazier try to swim?

The best fighters have always gravitated toward fighting for a living. Some may get into the other fighting arts, but I don't believe any of "great" athlete in another sport would've been a top boxing champion if he'd chosen this sport over another. Just because a guy is athletic doesn't mean he has a fighting heart or can take and deliver a punch.

why, yes...i have! lolol