Yesterday vs Today vs The Future

[PhatRick]

Okay... I have never been much of a boxing fan... but I got into a discussion tonight that made me curious of a few things.
The majority of people state that Ali could still beat many of todays greats.
This REALLY confuses me... I would think that the fighters would have evolved to an extent where todays mediocre fighters could beat Ali and others like him.
I do NOT mean this insultingly or to start an argument. I want to ask these questions:
Why is it that fighters have not evolved enough for this to happen?
What could have caused this?
Have certain weight classes evolved more than others?
Will future fighters evolve to a point where mediocre fighters could beat Ali?

I know that these are very general questions but I am very curious and am looking for serious responces... and I might just get power hungry and delete posts that are off subject...*hitler*:p

[Oliver Klosov]

I think fighters in the past were more dedicated to the training and techniques. Today's fighters rely more on their physical skill.

[adamn]

Personally, I think natural skill outweights the evolution of boxing.

[elgigante]

I think fighters in the past were more dedicated to the training and techniques. Today's fighters rely more on their physical skill.


And that does not bode well for the higher weight classes(i.e heavyweights) these guys have such shitty cardio nowadays that seeing an action packed 12 rounder in the heavyweight division is not gonna happen anytime soon. Guys are tiring out by the 4th or 5th round. If you put one of the Klitschko's in now with a Prime Ali or Foreman, they wouldnt last six rounds, ifnot from the punches, from exhaustion IMO

[Oliver Klosov]

And that does not bode well for the higher weight classes(i.e heavyweights) these guys have such shitty cardio nowadays that seeing an action packed 12 rounder in the heavyweight division is not gonna happen anytime soon. Guys are tiring out by the 4th or 5th round. If you put one of the Klitschko's in now with a Prime Ali or Foreman, they wouldnt last six rounds, ifnot from the punches, from exhaustion IMO

Which is why as small as he is James Toney can climb in the HW division. He is old school and understands how to breathe in the ring and uses angles and slips very well. All which allow him to beat bigger opponents.

[Sonny Jilks]

Boxing has been a fully developed art for many years to the point where as many techniques are forgotten or neglected as much as new one develop.This is certainly true of Ali's era and many would argue that this was the case many years before.There is no substitue for hard work in the gym and that is what todays HW's lack.They rely on size and power over skill and stamina.

There is no reason to think todays fighters would beat those of Ali's era bacasue there is nothing new going on.Sure maybe the potential for slightly smarter fitness training is there but how many modern boxers (HW's especially) take advantge of this and are the developments sufficient enough to be a substitute for hours in the gym.

[Tam-Tam]

Today, we have athletes. In the past, we had fighters.

[PhatRick]

Today, we have athletes. In the past, we had fighters.
I like this comment

[Oliver Klosov]

I like this comment
why don't you marry it?

[PhatRick]

*hands over wedding ring in curiousity*

[Kamehameha]

the techniques of old are there, but people are just wanting KOs all the time.

a perfect example is this one dumbass who started training at my boxing gym. A big fat white guy who says he's ready for a match "now" and only needs his power to win, and just scoffs at learning "the basics". A reason guys like Gatti are so popular in that they basically disregard boxing technique and go all out in a slugging war. Then guys like Rafael Marquez gets swept under the rug, w/ comparable punching power even w/ weight difference and much much better boxing technique.

as i posted in another thread, fighters of yesterday trained alot harder for the most part than those today. But i would still give guys like Trinidad, Mosley, Barrera, Mayweather, and Hopkins more than a good chance to whoop on the old timers in their respective weight classes in their primes. Going from 15 rds to 12 i think really boils down the point of how much fighters used to train, throwing clean strong bombs and quick flurries in the 15th, where now guys are huffin and puffin in the 6th w/ sloppy technique.