I think some of the people who rank the old timers so highly do so based purely off reputation. You can say this and that about I dunno Gentleman Jim Corbett and who he beat and how this guy was so tough because he beat this other guy that some newspaperman from 1880 said was the toughest guy ever etc but it is all based on reputation and not on what you have actually seen ON TAPE with YOUR OWN eyes. If you want to judge solely by reputation then do so but really it's like comparing apples and oranges.
In a debate like this there should really be two divisions based on era.
The video/tv era ... which we can judge and have opinions based on what we see
and the pre-video era
which we can only judge by what was written about it. E.G according to boxrec so and so beat such and such, and such and such did well against whats his name, and whats his name was tkoed in six by some famous dude, hence so and so would clearly beat James Toney etc etc. etc
No solid opinions comparing a pre-video great, say John L Sullivan to a post video great e.g. Larry Holmes can be based on stuff like that. And its nonsensical to do so and most certainly nonsensical to be so sure that your opinions about a guy who you've never (or barely) seen in action would do today are right.
In a debate like this there should really be two divisions based on era.
The video/tv era ... which we can judge and have opinions based on what we see
and the pre-video era
which we can only judge by what was written about it. E.G according to boxrec so and so beat such and such, and such and such did well against whats his name, and whats his name was tkoed in six by some famous dude, hence so and so would clearly beat James Toney etc etc. etc
No solid opinions comparing a pre-video great, say John L Sullivan to a post video great e.g. Larry Holmes can be based on stuff like that. And its nonsensical to do so and most certainly nonsensical to be so sure that your opinions about a guy who you've never (or barely) seen in action would do today are right.
Comment