Re: This "old vs new" recent onslaught
When comparing contemporary fighters to those from previous eras, the rose tinted spectacles come out and any good sense goes out the window. I was speaking to someone today who came out with the classic. Todays heavyweights wouldn't have been competitive in Lennox Lewis's era. Clearly on the back of every Tom Dick and Harry boxing "content creator" regurgitating Lewis's back and forth with Hearn re: AJ Ngannou. I get it, it's the safe bet and everyone just seems to love using the 'all day long' phrase.
What people are actually saying is that Lewis would beat them all isn't it. He might well do. But to say Fury, AJ, Wilder and Usyk wouldn't be competitive is beyond fucking stupid. Frank Bruno was competitive. Ray Mercer was competitive. Hasim fucking Rahman and Oliver McCall were so competitive, they chinned him out with a single hit. None of them elite or anywhere approaching. By all means back Lewis to beat todays top four, I'd probably agree. But lets not pretend that they're not a level or two above old Frank et al.
Another nugget. Past fighters get an awful lot of credit for beating ordinary opposition. Opposition who over the passing of time get elevated beyond their station. Ray Mercer is a classic. The administrator of one of the most brutal beatdowns in boxing history and an immoveable object for Lennox Lewis one night over ten rounds. He's infamous no? When people ask the question on Facebook and the like. Who wins, Ray Mercer or Anthony Joshua. Lots of really thick people will put Anthony Joshua's head in the way of seven or eight unanswered blows, just like poor Tommy's was. And they will surmise that under those circumstances Mercer wins. And they'd be right. What they don't acknowledge, is that the chances of that happening are slim to none, and as inspired as he might have been over the shorter distance with Lewis for one night only, virtually everyone of anything like class went the distance with Mercer. This brutal foregone conclusion people have in their simple heads just ain't happening.
Another classic. Hagler V Golovkin. Oh Hagler would knock him out early! Fuck off!!! As a side note. This is my favourite fantasy fight. Technically excellent, but more importantly a bloodbath of biblical proportions.
When God said to the both of us "Which one of you wants to be Sugar Ray?" I guess I didnt raise my hand fast enough
Charley Burley
Bookmarks