Gunboat Smith: "There's something radically wrong in todays boxing."

[SCtrojansbaby]

It baffles me that anyone may not agree with this in an overall sense. There will be exceptions in every era, but overall fighters have declined in toughness and ability.

lol and you know this because you read some quotes in a newspaper from 1933

[BattlingNelson]

lol and you know this because you read some quotes in a newspaper from 1933

Given the rules, the lenght of the fights, the gloves and the general state of society I'd say there's every reason to believe Jabs assumption holds.

[SCtrojansbaby]

Given the rules, the lenght of the fights, the gloves and the general state of society I'd say there's every reason to believe Jabs assumption holds.

longer fights, smaller gloves, and less rules = more toughness and ability?

[jabsRstiff]

The early 20th century guys certainly did not have the same skills as the more modern guys.

Train a guy to fight the way they did back then and put him in with a guy learning today's methods...you'll have an embarrassing match going on.

Boxing is a simple sport in many ways, but you cannot deny it has evolved form its early form...and it's evolved for a reason.

[BattlingNelson]

longer fights, smaller gloves, and less rules = more toughness and ability?

Yes.



.

[BattlingNelson]

The early 20th century guys certainly did not have the same skills as the more modern guys.

Train a guy to fight the way they did back then and put him in with a guy learning today's methods...you'll have an embarrassing match going on.

Boxing is a simple sport in many ways, but you cannot deny it has evolved form its early form...and it's evolved for a reason.

I'm not sure I agree. Plenty of skillfull technicians BITD (for example Joe Gans) and a lot of tough cookies with a will to win that surpasses todays ahletes.

[jabsRstiff]

I'm not sure I agree. Plenty of skillfull technicians BITD (for example Joe Gans) and a lot of tough cookies with a will to win that surpasses todays ahletes.

The clips I've seen of Gans...as many clinches as punches, head in the air, hands down.

I do not deny he was great for his time, but the WAY he fought just doesn't cut it for me.

[BattlingNelson]

The clips I've seen of Gans...as many clinches as punches, head in the air, hands down.

I do not deny he was great for his time, but the WAY he fought just doesn't cut it for me.

Those blurred old vids can be decieving. TheGreatA (where the heck is he BTW), once made a vid where he filtered a new fight so it looked old and compared it with an old film. Stunning I must say.

I might see if I can find it on youtube.

As far as punches goes well the Wolgast-Nelson fight averaged between 70 and 80 punches per round. For 40 rounds!

[BattlingNelson]

TGA taking a swing at the klits:

[JAB5239]

The early 20th century guys certainly did not have the same skills as the more modern guys.

Train a guy to fight the way they did back then and put him in with a guy learning today's methods...you'll have an embarrassing match going on.

Boxing is a simple sport in many ways, but you cannot deny it has evolved form its early form...and it's evolved for a reason.

I don't know. Joe Gans and Benny Leonard fought just like todays fighters. Being as successful as they were I can't believe other fighters wouldn't be copying those styles.

The biggest difference I see is today the punches are tighter, not as wide. But there is also less stamina, feinting and blocking punches, and guys don't work the body as much because it isn't needed with fights going shorter distances in comparison to trying to drain your opponent over the long haul.

There are still very good fighters today, some great ones even, but overall I think fighters today ignore a lot of the things that make you better such as what I mentioned.