Are knockouts more common today than in days of old?

[Eddy Current]

I just got into boxing about 5-6 years ago, so besides the all-time classic fights have only really watched contemporary boxers. Just today I watched a Roberto Duran fight from the 70s where he scored a 15th round KO and got to wondering if knockouts are more common today than way back when.

It would make sense with pro athletes getting bigger and stronger in general, and PEDs (both legal and illegal) being way more effective and attainable nowadays.

Is there any data on KO frequency through the years, or do any longtime boxing fans here have any input on that question?

[Rockin']

They used to wear smaller gloves back when. That changed in '81, I believe, after Duk Koo Kim died fighting Mancini for the title.

[OctoberRed]

I think today more fights are mismatched to beef up records, literally guys right off the streets in some cases.

[Bundana]

I think today more fights are mismatched to beef up records, literally guys right off the streets in some cases.

Do you have any statistics to back this up?

[StarshipTrooper]

I don't think there are more actual knockouts, but I DO think there or more ref stoppages as there's a lot more concern for safety. Refs stop fights now that would never have been stopped 40 years ago.

[The Old LefHook]

If everything else had stayed the same since "then," we could maybe give an answer. But myriad factors have changed through the decades. Refs and society are more nanny-fied these days, so fights get stopped sooner; gloves are bigger. Around here we are not sure exactly how much difference that makes to punching power and KO ratios. Championship fights were fifteen rounds until a few decades ago. That meant nine additional minutes to try for a KO.

There was far less medical scrutiny in the old days. Pugs were allowed to fight sooner after a KO loss. Some died from not being completely healed and then suffering an additional beating a few weeks later--second concussion syndrome with a time delay.

If you were able to compile accurate statistics documenting differences in KO percentages between "then," and "now," you still would not know what the differences meant or exactly why and how they got there. That is weird but the truth.

You might get an answer but then realize the playing fields were not equal between "then," and "now." For instance, would more KO's now mean fighters were less fit then? Exactly what would it mean? They punch harder now? They are juiced now?

So, you see, even if I could tell you, you would have no idea what to make of the answer, son. Welcome to the twilight zone.

[Anthony342]

Speaking of Twilight Zone, do they show a New Year's marathon of that show in your neck of the woods as well? That, Alfred Hith**** Presents and The Fugitive (1963) are my favorite old time TV shows. Thriller wasn't too bad either, as well as Danger Man/Secret Agent.

As to the topic, what about the fact that they fought more often in the earlier days of boxing? Doesn't more fights for everyone's career mean more knockouts, potentially at least? I mean, a lot of the time, a guy with 200-300 career fights would usually have more knockouts than someone with 40-60 fights, right?

[classicbuzzbox]

I think today more fights are mismatched to beef up records, literally guys right off the streets in some cases.

Do you reckon SRR beat up some street sweepers in his day on the way to a 173/19/6 record?The old boys had plenty of nobodies on their resumes. Joe Louis has the bum of the month club title for all eternity. I'm not dissing these guys, but while they faced most, if not all threats, they also faced tomato cans from hell.

The only good thing from that era in my opinion is one champ per division. This is sorely needed right now, whether boxing gets a breakout promotion with all good fighters signed to it like UFC or something else. This guaranteed that the good fights had to happen.

As someone has sigged, boxing today is not a sport but a sport entertainment soap opera. The rankings are bullsheet and the best avoid each other as they and their promoters are afraid an L will mean the end of their marketability and big paydays and unfortunately the governing bodies are assisting this debacle.

[Anthony342]

Yep. Even MMA haters can agree that the best fight each other in the UFC. And if they don't, they usually get stripped of their titles.

[them_apples]

They used to wear smaller gloves back when. That changed in '81, I believe, after Duk Koo Kim died fighting Mancini for the title.

didn't they just change 15 rounders to a max of 12 rounds?

The glove size changed in the 40's. although the HW division got 10 oz at some point in the 80's.

Half way through Joe Louis Career they switched from 6 oz to 8 oz and kept 8's all the way through the 70's.