Quote Originally Posted by Jimanuel Boogustus View Post
Nice one Andre!

I like watching Tunney fight, always looks like the future fighting the past.

Gene Tunney often gets spoken of as one of the first to bring a more modern fighting style to boxing, more shoulder on, throwing 1-2's etc... I never hear anyone disputing it, but I often wonder if this idea of Tunney being ahead of his time is just historical revisionism?
I think the argument might apply to Tunney as a heavyyweight. But not overall. The techniques used by the heavyweights changed dramtically from about 1915 to about 1925. The heavies had never seen a mobile, heavy handed, all action guy like Dempsey until Dempsey and they'd never seen a modern technical master like Tunney until Tunney. BUT!

George Dixon and Joe Gans, especially Gans, were the earlier boxing revolutions in terms of technique. Watch Gans really closely and he does everyhting you see today. The pacing is COMPLETELY different because of the 20-40 round fight lengths. But when Gans moves or punches or defends? He's the first guy I've found who looks the way guys did from say 1930 on to today.