Re: Black and white boxing era
They were great mate, but people tend to get carried away on what "greatness" really means. Because for me it certainly does not mean that these old guys could have wasted their current peers.
Boxing is a sport that grew out of competitions of fist fighters that had more in common with bully types than sportsmen. Gradually, over time, the boxers became more and more "professional" if you will. Now days the boxer is the most highly trained and Spartan conditioned of all athletes.
They looked like slug fests back then because boxing was still not yet a completed sport. It was more like a wild bar brawl. Between those days and now, things have been worked out more fully and it has become appreciated to fight with what's between your head.
Take Ray Robinson's quip for example... I forget the exact quote but he is fond of saying that boxing is all instinct, that you cannot think about what you are doing.
I believe Ray has a point because fighting instincts are a necessary part of success at top level. But this contrasts completely with Whitaker or Floyd's principles "boxing is cerebral. It's atleast 50% mental!"
Obviously Robinson and his era were lacking in the "thinking" aspects of boxing and it is telling when you watch the tapes.
Same with Ali and his friends. Every fight was a slug fest. It was sometimes a test of who could take the most punches. Today nobody WANTS to get hit like that and nor should they. The idea of boxing is to hit and NOT GET HIT.
"Enough with the games mate! Your messing with the Grand Master!"
Lennox Lewis
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