The Old Timers....who are your favorites?

[Master]

Benny Leonard was slick as a cat. I got that reading the Ring article I remember.

[amat]

The rules of the sport were just different back then Tito, most fights in most states had to end by knockout or be declared a draw. Go on boxrec and look at some oldtime records and you'll see a lot of 'Newspaper Decisions', those were official draws but newspapermen had rendered verdicts but titles couldn't be won on a newspaper decision. So guys were much more apt to go for the KO even if others did have slick styles like some mentioned. Few guys though were sucessful as very pure boxers, some were though. Philadelphia Jack Obrien was but he had a whole sophisticated character outside the ring to bring interest to his fighting style. He touted himself as a refined gentleman type and boxed like one too.

[El Kabong]

Benny Leonard was slick as a cat. I got that reading the Ring article I remember.

I think all of the fighters trained by Ray Arcel were very solid on defense



He died in the ring but not fighting, refereeing...quite odd




Here's some Philadelphia Jack for you

[X]

It's such a huge mistake to think that anyone from a previous generation simply couldnt compete with today's athletes. Every generation of humans is guilty of this (and it reflects the solipsist views of most people).

The only real comparison is probably in a sport that involves times - so athletics for example. Now, it's true to say that Usain Bolt has run faster than Jesse Owens ..... but ask yourself whether Bolt would have beaten Owens in heavy shoes, on a cinder track and with the type of training and nutrition Owens had. Equally, ask what times Owens would be running if he was around today.

Boxing has changed for a few reasons:

- the formation of multiple weight divisions
- different gloves being used
- massive advances in training, nutrition and weigh in times
- old timers fighting every few weeks meant they were well schooled and experienced, and that they also knew how not to get badly hurt as they needed to fight again quickly

But the sport remains relatively untouched compared to some. If you think about it.

Put two equal sized people in the ring together, irrespective of era, and I do think you'd find the old timers were more complete fighters. Their technique would be more solid, they would be used to taking more punishment and (i suspect) they were tougher guys that we have around today, magnificent athletes that they are.

I mean: David Haye versus Jack Dempsey, Amir Khan versus Joe Gans, Sergio Martinez versus Sam Langford, Yuri Gamboa versus Henry Armstrong, Andre Berto versus Ray Robinson ........ fancy picking some winners.

By the way, I am not suggesting that ALL old timers were better than ALL modern era fighters either. I think we have seen some modern fighters would would be competitive against anyone their size - Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya and others would be great fighters in any era.

[Master]

X is making great boxing posts, what is going on?

[El Kabong]

X is making great boxing posts, what is going on?

Maybe his account got hacked or he swapped accounts with someone.....is there anyone making bad puns anywhere else on the site?

[Master]

X is making great boxing posts, what is going on?

Maybe his account got hacked or he swapped accounts with someone.....is there anyone making bad puns anywhere else on the site?

Just Andre

[El Kabong]

X is making great boxing posts, what is going on?

Maybe his account got hacked or he swapped accounts with someone.....is there anyone making bad puns anywhere else on the site?

Just Andre

Yeah but he's not doing it Like this is he?