back in the day did crowds boo and complain about pure boxers

[DoktorSleepless]

Watch any Jack Johnson fight. Lots and lots of holding

[Luilun]

like they do these days with miguel vasquez and rigondeaux ? for being too cautious or boring.or were they revered,respected,and applauded for their talent ? i feel like this is a modern day thing.am i wrong ?

Back in the day Pure Boxers didn't hide from fighters by retiring, or wait for them to age or become damage goods they didn't ask for catch weights to drain a fighter. That is why they weren't boo'd

[gingerbreadman]

They booed Bill Richmond when he fought Tom Cribb in the early 19th century because he actually used footwork.

Imagine that being booed for moving around and not standing in one spot all night.

So fans are a lot more appreciative and patient now.

I think Bill Richmond being black might have had something to do with it as well.

[TBear]

Fans always liked the boxers when they faced the best out there. Been awhile since those days though.

[Joe Grizzley]

Yes, fans did the exact same thing then. Don't be mistaken, boxing fans have always wanted entertainment above all else.

You were born in 87' most likely. What the fuc.k do you know about the old school little man?

OP, no-----they didn't boo. People actually liked talent then instead of smoke and mirrors.

[thuggery]

Yup, now a days people are disrespectful to those who move like a prime Sweet Pea like Vazquez, Molina, Mikey, Canelo and so fourth. They just want action and don't appreciate the technical side of things.

[MisterHardtop]

like they do these days with miguel vasquez and rigondeaux ? for being too cautious or boring.or were they revered,respected,and applauded for their talent ? i feel like this is a modern day thing.am i wrong ?

Fans always want entertainment and there is no reason for what is now known as a "pure boxer" not to be entertaining. Rigondeaux got the booes he did because he failed to step on the gas and stop a completely outclassed opponent or at the very least, try to stop him.

The bigger point you raise is this issue of what is now known as a pure boxer. Someone who jabs, stays on the backfoot and fails to engage his opponent in meaningful exchanges, thus boring the crowds. As I was growing up, a tonne of great fighters were known as great "boxers" and they all had varying styles. Ali was fleet footed and elusive but could engage in a dogfight, the greatest all round fighter I have ever seen, with Leonard a close second. Duran was always considered a great boxer and technician but nowadays the same accolade is not laid upon Pacquiao who I think is the only fighter since Duran to come close to that same level of aggressive supremacy and defensive nuance.

A "pure boxer" is a term that shouldn't really exist, what is a pure boxer? Why is aggressive, entertaining way of fighting not viewed as boxing compared to a defensive fighter? They are both different sides of the same coin.

[mezoomozaa]

Rigondeaux is a pleasure to watch ~ !

[Humean]

to a certain degree but not like today. back in the day more fans understood the sport and appreciated it for what it is. intelligent and skillful fighters were appreciated for their abilities by most people and the ones who didnt like it were at the very least smart enough not to buy a ticket knowing the style of the fighter.

its hilarious to me when people pay for a fight knowing damn well the guy fighting is a technician, then they complain afterwards like they got robbed of their money. might as well go to the store, buy some milk then storm in the place 15min later furious its not a loaf of bread.

This is not true, if anything fans are more tolerant of boring fighters today that they were in the past. Indeed it was difficult to sell tickets and get good fights in the past if you were dull, it is a lot easier now. Also in the past fights would get stopped if there was little action, that rarely if ever happens anymore. One of the Holman Williams-Charley Burley fights was stopped by the referee for inactivity. In the first few decades of the 20th century it was particularly common. In the past just like today most fight fans want to see slugfests.

[J The UnBiased]

Pernell used to catch some hate as well