Why have modern fighters not evolved to be better than SRR

[The Old LefHook]

Maybe it's the water.

The difference in glove dimensions is shocking when you watch old films. Modern gloves shield a wider target area. Offensively, the bigger glove cannot thread through the same openings. This is a principal reason for the decline of in fighting where the openings are always smaller because the gloves are in tighter.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Why with modern sports science, nutrition and modern training equipment etc. have modern/today's fighters not evolved to be greater fighters/boxer than Sugar Ray Robinson. It is 65-70yrs since Sugar Ray Robinson ruled the boxing world, yet we have not seen a fighter come close to matching his greatness or his incredible ability. But before Sugar Ray Robinson, we had great fighters like Willie Pep, Henry Armstrong, Harry Grebb who some historians even claimed could have been on a par with Robinson.

Well, modern boxing sucks in so many ways that it would be very difficult for a fighter with the potential to even do it.

I recall an interview where Bernard Hopkins came back at Jim Gray, stating that it took him like eight months to get a fight with a guy who wasn't even that good. The politics of boxing these days keep fighters out of the ring all the time. At having two fights a year, how are they expected to match Robinson who often fought like ten times a year in the days of yore when fighters mainly just, fought?

All the training and sparring and filming 24/7 episodes pales in comparison to making regular appearances in the ring. These guys have to be busier to equal the amount of action Robinson and most of the old guys saw. That's just one factor.

Another factor is how the gyms and sport itself has died in this country in so many ways. America is supposed to be the place for boxing but the sport has grown more global and less American in so many ways. Robinson had all the talent, the right opponents and the right timing. Overcoming his legacy is a huge mountain to climb in an era where there are 70 world champions who never fight longer than 12 rounds. It's not even feasible nowadays.

But I think a fighter did eclipse his greatness and his name is Roberto Duran.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Maybe it's the water.

The difference in glove dimensions is shocking when you watch old films. Modern gloves shield a wider target area. Offensively, the bigger glove cannot thread through the same openings. This is a principal reason for the decline of in fighting where the openings are always smaller because the gloves are in tighter.

Such a great point!

They should go back, because I sure do miss the infighting.

[MDPopescu]

[QUOTE=sonnyboyx2;15561202]Why have modern fighters not evolved to be better than SRR

Why with modern sports science, nutrition and modern training equipment etc. have modern/today's fighters not evolved to be greater fighters/boxer than Sugar Ray Robinson. It is 65-70yrs since Sugar Ray Robinson ruled the boxing world, yet we have not seen a fighter come close to matching his greatness or his incredible ability.../QUOTE]

... because the guy was the greatest!...

[SplitSecond]

The sport peaked with the fab 4 I think. Haven't seen that level of skill and athletic gifts from so many guys at once.

Pacquiao at his peak was a throwback with the skills, athleticims, power and chin. Shame about his lack of focus and being exposed to a massive juicer in Roidquez.

[The Old LefHook]

First rate education. Robinson was in the best universities. He got a bachelor's, a master's and a doctor's degree, then did post doctoral work by the time he was 25. These days, boxers get those degrees, if at all, near the end of their primes. Even if they do get the degree, which university still does matter.

[ShoulderRoll]

First rate education. Robinson was in the best universities. He got a bachelor's, a master's and a doctor's degree, then did post doctoral work by the time he was 25. These days, boxers get those degrees, if at all, near the end of their primes. Even if they do get the degree, which university still does matter.

Great point.

The only way for modern boxing to continue to improve is for the old veterans to become trainers and pass their knowledge on to the young children coming up. The kids are the ones in the best position to fully absorb that knowledge and then hopefully improve on it.

In turn they would ideally pass on what they know to the next generation and so on.

[McGoorty]

The catagory p4p was thought of watching Robinson, get it!
He was a once in a life time talent!
He is superior to any other fighter and thats the opinion of other great fighters!
What more do you need to know?
Other than actually study on how to teach and learn the sport!
If you knew how to teach a 4 punch combo you would have a better understanding WHY Robinson is the p4p King!

When you have all the talent then ad all the skills and then add power in each hand with size AND speed you have Robinson. Oh yeah ring generalship and accuracy helps abit too!

Well actually I have seen articles well prior to Robinson's career where they talked about a pound for pound best fighter... Barbados Joe Walcott is one of those.

[doublejabbing]

Similar to how people class jordan, tiger woods gretzky, SRR is part of that class

[Ray Corso]

Trainers and training techniques along with developing a methodology!
I talk about these two very important factors but fans just can't understand the importance of them
Not every fighter can be an effective mover and boxer but they need to be taught the techniques to be able to defend against it! You just can't be an offensive minded fighter and use the old saying that a "good offense is a good defense"!

The trainers that taught how to transfer weight for more power and how to work under and come up with punches have come close to disappearing now!
What were left with is an amateur style and an amateur methodology. When contact is made the fighter still backs out and restarts! Why? He doesn't know how to pursue because most trainers are nervous about "punching with their opponents"! Very few boxers today use the pivot move to gain angles because trainers today are from the amateur ranks 25 years ago and that's a move along with "inside" fighting that wasn't used or appreciated in the amateurs!
The older veteran trainers today were all very young fighters when I first saw them. Little Freddy fought in Region 1 along with his older brother and I had kids who fought Floyd Sr. in the amateurs. They both know how to work inside but the fighters that come to them are already schooled to stay outside and its next to impossible to retrain a young man whose 25 years old and been boxing for 12 years!
If you look at who Freddy & Floyd Sr. train they've developed no one (other than Floyd Jr)
I can name a dozen trainers who no one here has ever heard of who have passed away in the past 12 years who knew how to train inside work and outside work, they're gone! Yes you must have a kid who is capable but again even if he isn't fighting in that style he must be taught it to fully understand how it works and then techniques to defend it!

To me it's sounds ridiculous to think a Koval with 30 bouts of experience can be on the level of an Archie Moore who had 129 KO wins! Yet theirs folks who wonder who would win? Lets give Koval another 25 bouts but he won't get there in fear he might loose one or two and that's a no no! hahahaha!
Do you have any idea how much you learn in defeat if you have the mind to deal with it? What can you possibly learn defeating guys who are inferior to you, nothing!

Trainers shape the fighters, its always been like that and still is!
Fans can't see it because techniques & methodologies are just words unless you actually train with a knowledgeable trainer. Like me ....hahahaha.....

ok nite kids, fishing at 5AM and going after big groupers! Fresh Fish Fry......
Ray

Anyone else find it interesting that Shane Mosley wants to bring in to camp Roberto Duran? Obviously a little late for Shane to utilize in the ring BUT he can learn alot for future generations if he decides to become a trainer. Duran is the last bridge to the great Ray Arcel who was a great trainer long before he trained Duran!