I hate comparing records from now to back in the day

[Master]

Outside of the heavyweight division you could compare fighters at the lower weights and speculate how they would do in 15 rounds or same day weigh in which are some of the major things that have changed in the time period.

I know championship fights were changed from 15 rounds to 12 mostly because of safety....... but have many times wondered how certain classic 12-rounders would've finished had they gone 15.

Many of those old time 15-round classics actually needed all 15 rounds to produce what was the final outcome. The Thrilla in Manila comes to mind.

Rocky would never have become champion, Leonard would have lost to Hearns so big difference's in careers and history.

[TitoFan]

Outside of the heavyweight division you could compare fighters at the lower weights and speculate how they would do in 15 rounds or same day weigh in which are some of the major things that have changed in the time period.

I know championship fights were changed from 15 rounds to 12 mostly because of safety....... but have many times wondered how certain classic 12-rounders would've finished had they gone 15.

Many of those old time 15-round classics actually needed all 15 rounds to produce what was the final outcome. The Thrilla in Manila comes to mind.

Rocky would never have become champion, Leonard would have lost to Hearns so big difference's in careers and history.

That Leonard-Hearns one was HUGE. Hearns was comfortably ahead on the cards after 13 rounds, so yes..... Leonard would've lost to Hearns. Instead, we ended up with a timeless classic.

[TitoFan]

The "ebb and flow" I love about some championship classics would've never had time to develop over "only" 12 rounds.

[Master]

The "ebb and flow" I love about some championship classics would've never had time to develop over "only" 12 rounds.

Agreed and it would have provided decisions for big fights such as Hagler v Leonard too.

[Fenster]

In a broader sense the whole internet age has given us instantaneous information at our fingertips and that has sped up people's thought processes and coming to conclusions much quicker then say fifty or a hundred years ago.

Good point. However, we don't need some random observers interpretation, full of natural prejudice and bias to give us the "truth."

[Fenster]

The "ebb and flow" I love about some championship classics would've never had time to develop over "only" 12 rounds.

Agreed and it would have provided decisions for big fights such as Hagler v Leonard too.

It's not quite as simple as that (for pedantic cunts like me, anyway). If Leonard and Hearns knew the fight was 12 rounds the pace and their entire outlook/training - as well as life on the planet - would have been utterly different. Angelo Dundee "would" be shouting - "you're blowing it son," well before the 12th? This may have got him knocked out? Who knows?

[NoSavingByTheBell]

True, fighters would fight AS IF there were 12 rounds, adjust their attack strategies to 12. Leonard would've made his move earlier.

[TitoFan]

The "ebb and flow" I love about some championship classics would've never had time to develop over "only" 12 rounds.

Agreed and it would have provided decisions for big fights such as Hagler v Leonard too.

Hagler vs Leonard was so frustrating to watch, it may have ended in controversy not only after 15 rounds, but even 20.

Although someone else made the valid point of changing strategies if you know the fight will go 15 instead of 12, there have still been some fights with sudden endings which would probably not have occurred as such had the fight only gone 12.

Mike Weaver vs John Tate was one such fight.

Tate (WBA heavyweight champion at the time) had the fight in the bag, only to get shockingly knocked out in the 15th round.

So yeah..... there's a little of both in there.

[NoSavingByTheBell]

I saw that fight live on TV. It really look like Tate had the whole thing wrapped up. Next thing boom.