Is Boxing the only Sport that has not Improved over the Years?

[nivek535]

and then you ask
"does sugar ray robinson beat everyone and anyone in his weightclass from any era?"
and people answer you
"sugar ray robinson #1 p4p atg goat swag"

[SlySlickSmooth]

I feel the issue isn't with the fighters. Its that many of the ex-fighters were trained by men who have probably seen boxing's evolution.

Those trainers saw or at least heard of Dempsey or Louis and took the sweet science seriously. They were able to study those scientists in the ring and teach it to guys like Roberto Duran.

Hell, Robert Garcia is content with his corner advice consisting of
"Mas fuerte."
"More punches."
"Don't stop."

The lack of truly intelligent and elite trainers is diminishing, even then right now there only a handful of elite fighters that people can truly study the sweet science from. Whereas back in the 40s etc. the skill was so abundant there was so much to learn and so much to innovate off.

We're in an era where men like Broner can make millions fighting sub-par opposition. We're not in the Great Depression. There is no color barrier. You can make much more money at a lower level of skill as opposed to back in the day.

[saintpat]

Boxing is the only sport where everyone except heavyweights are the same size as always. And we have video proof of greats being in better shape, having better stamina, and having more skill than 99% of the sport today.

Greats are always better than others ... others from their day, others from today.

That's what makes them great.

[D4thincarnation]

Greats are always better than others ... others from their day, others from today.

That's what makes them great.

Yes greats can be in any era.

But could Babe Ruth be a force in today's baseball, or Pele out score Ronaldo or Messi today, Would Connors beat a Nadal of Federer. Would Lewis beat Bolt.


I think we accept that we have advanced in most other sports, but not boxing.

[Joe Beamish]

The 19th century, and the first part of the 20th century were loaded with bajillions of boxers in street contests.

Boxing was HUGE. And the passing down of knowledge in the community. Boxing gyms everywhere.

The heavyweight champion of the world was an infinitely bigger deal than any baseball, basketball or football star.

You had a large pool of top athletes going at it in hardball situations and honing their skills in bloodletting competition where people basically got their brains beat out.

[D4thincarnation]

The 19th century, and the first part of the 20th century were loaded with bajillions of boxers in street contests.

Boxing was HUGE. And the passing down of knowledge in the community. Boxing gyms everywhere.

The heavyweight champion of the world was an infinitely bigger deal than any baseball, basketball or football star.

You had a large pool of top athletes going at it in hardball situations and honing their skills in bloodletting competition where people basically got their brains beat out.

Since then the population of the world has quadrupled in size and the whole world is in to boxing now. Plus no world wars, malnutrition and boxing is not just the sport of the poverty stricken now.

[slick23]

I feel the issue isn't with the fighters. Its that many of the ex-fighters were trained by men who have probably seen boxing's evolution.

Those trainers saw or at least heard of Dempsey or Louis and took the sweet science seriously. They were able to study those scientists in the ring and teach it to guys like Roberto Duran.

Hell, Robert Garcia is content with his corner advice consisting of
"Mas fuerte."
"More punches."
"Don't stop."

The lack of truly intelligent and elite trainers is diminishing, even then right now there only a handful of elite fighters that people can truly study the sweet science from. Whereas back in the 40s etc. the skill was so abundant there was so much to learn and so much to innovate off.

We're in an era where men like Broner can make millions fighting sub-par opposition. We're not in the Great Depression. There is no color barrier. You can make much more money at a lower level of skill as opposed to back in the day.

I think your point about the lack of solid trainers is legit. It's a point that is routinely overlooked. Do I think that the science involved in the training has improved? Sure, but I think it's the fundamentals that is lacking with some of the most talented guys. It's precisely the reason why a guy like Hopkins has been able to fight relevant fights at the age of 50. His knowledge of the game is light years ahead of the younger supposed more talented fighters in the game. Same with a guy like Floyd. It's not just his raw talent, it's his boxing IQ. He comes from a solid boxing family. You can't put a price on having that kind experience in your corner. Hell his uncle and dad can both legitimately claim that they have been in the ring with better fighters than little Floyd has.

[Elroy1]

Good post.

They are still some football fans that think George Best was better than Messi because he played with a heavy ball

But these nostalgic delusionist seem to run rife through boxing.

For me it is a terribly troubling issue.

Old Time Nutbaggery is a disease, a cancerous disease of boxing that erodes it from the inside out which needs to be eradicated.

I know nutbaggery affects other sports as well but for the most part if you went into a club and proposed a sportsman who competed many decades ago was better than a modern sportsman you would be laughed out of the house in most sports. Boxing seems to have been afflicted with the most serious case of delusion ever.

And it's directly linked to the worlds perception of the intelligence of boxing fans. Boxing fans are described by outsiders as the dumbest fanbase of all precisely BECAUSE of nutbaggery.

Now that the last of the nutbags are slowly being rounded up and eliminated, we can already see a steady improvement in forum intelligence in boxing which will inevitably continue.

But only through "active" elimination will it finally die, the racist and nationalist drives for nutbaggery are strong and will continue to thrive in the absence of policing.

[Suckmedry]

Look. Boxing has not "regressed" so to speak, its just that with fewer gyms today, fewer trainers and fewer fighters some old school techniques and tricks have faded out. as an example thats why a guy like andre ward can school top level guys, he has tricks on the inside which aren't as used today. same reason why a fat old james toney could stand there with HWs like Rahman and Peter.

boxing is not a jump or a running race, its a heavily skill based sport but still has an athletic component.

I cant understand guys who say things like fighters are more powerful today..where are all the punchers then? besides GGG, Wlad K, donaire, Pacquiao...true punchers are few and far between today at the top.

If a puncher like Hearns or Robinson was around today at welter...good god they wouldnt even be able to land a fight.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

The sport itself has devolved slowly since the early 80s..

Watered down amateur system and protecting and inactive matchmaking for prospects have caused fighters not to be as polished