I have a friend who says that when deciding whether boxers of today would beat boxers from 50-100 years ago..?

Question

..My friend says that we would hypothetically have to add weight and strength to the boxers of the past - because we have better training methods and nutrition today. IS THIS A GOOD ARGUMENT BY HIM? (AND PLEASE EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR YOUR ARGUMENT-EITHER WAY). Thanks everyone.

Answer 1

Boxing talent has diminished in recent decades because, unlike in the past, potential boxers can make more money easier playing football. Heavyweights become linemen. Quick middleweights become running backs, etc. No reason to get your brains beat out sparring in a smelly gym when you can practice and play as heroes and end up banging a cheerleader.

Answer 2

literally, i don't think any heavyweight fighting "today" would be able to last very long against the fighters of old! although the training methods, nutrition, and technology have far surpassed that of 50-100 yrs ago, yes, the old fighters often fought longer(20-70 rounds sometimes), more often(every few weeks or more frequently), and under some rather harsh conditions(johnson fought on the run). as such, the old fighters were, arguably, more durable and exposed to more styles than today's boxers. today's fighters, though, are so much larger and heavier, some outweighing the old timers by 100 lbs or more! i, for one, think the heavyweight division should downsize, weight-wise and maybe not have the sky be the limit...is there any reason to have a man fighting at 268 lbs, for example? that's just ludicrous! i mean the fighters have more jiggle and jelly than the round card girls...and that's not a compliment! boxers today, need more discipline, basic skills, and style to uplift the sport and reclaim their position w/in the sport, as well as the sports world as great athletes!

Answer 3

boxers from yesterday would have my vote anytime. they trained harder, fought about 9 to 20 times a year, so that means that they stayed in top shape, the food they ate was not full of drugs,but most of all the had to fight all the time to make decent money. there were good boxers on every corner yesterday. todays boxers fight once or twice a year,make 20 million and that's it. yesterdays fighters had at least 100 fights ..todays fighters may have 60 and that only if they came up hard. yesterdays fighters by far.

Answer 4

I question that. Most fighters back then would basically CLOWN fighters of today. Fighter back then had better training. They fought more rounds. (In Corbitt & Johnson's days they fought until one dropped. It was said that you could go to sleep during a Jack Johnson fight, wake up two hours, and he'd still be fighting in the ring.) And even got to stand over their fallen opponent while the referee counted. (Dempsey, Tunney, Firpo, etc..) Watch some of those ol' black and white boxing matches and judge for yourself.

=)

Answer 5

your friend is right there is no way old schoolers could compete same goes for any other sport (i.e Guys back then were never running as fast as athletes now)

Answer 6

I would say that's true. If you think about it, it makes sense.