BoxRec

Yes good post this. There are a few things to consider too like how much harder life was back then. They fought far more often which has pluses and minuses. Also rules were a lot more relaxed so much more dirty fighting too.

I tend to think the exceptional men of any era could at least do well in others. It may well be a trade off between modern fighters knowing more but the old guys were tougher and had more stamina (longer rounds too remember). I also think fighters in the old days fought according to the conditions they had to put up with. Smaller gloves meant it was harder to use them to block. Also smaller gloves means more chance of hand damage and again they fought accordingly.

We’ll never know but foreman did step out of one era into another and he did ok.

cfang wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 15:41
foreman did step out of one era into another and he did ok.

Although he was very carefully matched and said he didn’t want to fight Lewis

We're about to find out in the Sim, and I suspect the answer will be yes.

stevedoc wrote: ↑24 May 2013, 09:56could harry greb and sam langford be great vs todays boxers

Yes. Provided they are given the same advantages that today's fighters have - all the equipment and sports science knowledge. The basics of boxing have not changed nor will they ever. A punch is a punch, a slip is a slip, a block is a bock.

Controversial wrote: ↑07 Feb 2024, 10:28

cfang wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 15:41
foreman did step out of one era into another and he did ok.

Although he was very carefully matched and said he didn’t want to fight Lewis

he came out of a 10-year retirement when Tyson was in his prime.
Look how well he did against Holyfield when he was way over the hill.
That Foreman and Holmes did as well as they did in the 1990s says a lot.

I would say, yes.

Conditions were, generally, much harsher. Fights could be more brutal. Frequency of bouts, substantially more and over longer durations would translate to fighters, specifically top fighters, being exposed to all many more scenarios and factors.

Foreman was well matched of course but how well he did stepping out of one era and back into another is proof that older generations of fighters had qualities newer eras didn’t.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑10 Feb 2024, 11:51

Controversial wrote: ↑07 Feb 2024, 10:28

cfang wrote: ↑05 Feb 2024, 15:41
foreman did step out of one era into another and he did ok.

Although he was very carefully matched and said he didn’t want to fight Lewis

he came out of a 10-year retirement when Tyson was in his prime.
Look how well he did against Holyfield when he was way over the hill.
That Foreman and Holmes did as well as they did in the 1990s says a lot.

cfang wrote: ↑11 Feb 2024, 15:52 Foreman was well matched of course but how well he did stepping out of one era and back into another is proof that older generations of fighters had qualities newer eras didn’t.

Ambling Alp II wrote: ↑10 Feb 2024, 11:51

Controversial wrote: ↑07 Feb 2024, 10:28

Although he was very carefully matched and said he didn’t want to fight Lewis

he came out of a 10-year retirement when Tyson was in his prime.
Look how well he did against Holyfield when he was way over the hill.
That Foreman and Holmes did as well as they did in the 1990s says a lot.

They were world class fighters with a lot of experience and being HWs I think it’s easier to have success than trying to do the same at lighter weights where getting down to the weight is harder and speed, cardio and reflexes are often needed more.

the boxers today will discover that blocking is not such a successful strategy when they try to block a punch with something that is not a lot bigger than an oven mit. what they will discover is that they'd have to really change the way they carry their hands and box. what they will discover next is that guys hit you a lot harder when they are hitting you with something that is not a lot bigger than an oven mit.