Greatest Heavyweight

[Shamrock]

None of us were even thinking about being born when either Jack Johnson OR Joe Louis were fighting. But I find it hard to get excited about someone fighting in grainy black and white films, with fists curled upwards in the old style of fighting, and the grace and quickness of two rhinos fighting over dinner. Styles change... fighters get better. Face it.

Advantage: Louis

I have to issues with your statement... firstly watch the grainy, black and white films more closely and you will notice Johnson was nothing like a Rhino... in fact he was so adept at reading, reacting and defending an opponent he would often block punches by catching them in the air almost like he knew what they were gonna throw before they threw it. . Don't assume that because the medium used to record fighters and fights of the past was poor compared to today that this also means the fighters were of a lesser calibre too.

You made a sweeping statement that fighters get better... in general terms I agree... better training, better knowledge of diet and how the body works. Boxing is perhaps more of a science now then it has ever been. However fighters from the past would fight to the finish 20 - 30 - 40+ rounds... maybe throwing less punches per round than todays fighters but still imagine for a moment fighting for 40 rounds and the amount of punishment the body and mind would have to absorb. It's truly amazing.

There are probably a greater depth of good quality fighters around now but there are certain fighters who would have been great no matter what era they fought in. Louis, Marciano, Ali, Johnson, Tyson, Robinson, Hagler, Duran, Leonard, Barrera, Cotto these guys were born to do what they do and would have done it to an exceptional level whatever period of history they were born in.

I'm trying to respect your view point but in a way what you said dismisses some of the golden years and timless heroes of the sport I love and I find that hard to accept.