Ok.... if you want to go back to the black and white days. Everything was different back then. Fighters fought a HELL of a lot more times. Records of 180-25 were not uncommon. Archie Moore himself was 55-5-5 when he beat Eddie Cerda in 1943..... then proceeded to lose 4 out of the next 8 fights. Fighters fought more often. They fought for more years. Fans were different. The media coverage was different. Today's "0" worship was non-existent back then.

I don't see where Moore had to "claw his way to greatness." He just followed the old M.O. of fighting often and for a long time. Win most..... lose a few. Certainly he wasn't "pariah-ed" by fans or press after suffering his first "L". Didn't mean much in the overall scheme of things.

If anything, most fighters went about their business (career development) in much the same way. Nowadays is where the vast difference occur. You've got your Canelos and JCCs, amassing undefeated records against dismal opposition in their immediate neighborhoods...... and you've got your Vargases and your Gomezes fighting not only credible, but awesome opposition very early on.

I don't know. Maybe I'm missing the point.