Busting The Modern Myth!

[Erison]

Forman was just as strong if not Stonger than Wlad and Already Destroyed Fraizer 35 years ago so Modorn fighter make no differant

Youre missing my point. I'm not saying it would be done for the first time. I'm saying it would be done. Foreman did it first and it was shocking. But it'd happen a lot for little Joe in todays world.

I got your point but im saying it happend back then too so it would be to suprising

You think Wlad could handel Fraziers Attack

I do. If Frazier was born today, and trained and fought in a modern style, he'd be like a Lamon Brewster or Danny Williams and could probably take Wlad. But the old school Frazier would be easily picked apart by the rangy Klitschko. And how long would it take before Frazier's face was a swollen mess?

[KSTAT124]

As good of a read as that is....a prime Roy Jones could go back and wax ANY lightheavyweight from 1800-1980. I'm sorry.

They're built better today. Old school fighters would not be great in todays world. I believe in that firmly. Boxing may not have evolved, training or what have you. But the athlete has. Is there any debate LaDanian Tomlinson would run circles on the 1980 Bears, and thats just 18 years.

Jim Jefferies would be a Butterbean-like side show in bar room brawls. It may be blasphemy to say so, but thats how it is. I actually made my first ESPN post comparing Butterbean to Rocky Marciano.

The level is set higher. Theres more parody in boxing today. Very rarely to champs stay champions for very long, and we attribute that to the glory days of boxing being behind us. No more greats. But I think otherwise. Its just that the level between above average fighters and average fighters isnt as wide. A modern athlete can have his day.

Joe Louis wasnt going to lose to any of the bum of the month club. But Junior Witter is more likely to slip up and lose to someone maybe he should lose to. Its just because Timothy Bradley is a hell of a lot better than Tony Musto. Just the way it is.

Muhammad Ali was the first boxer of his kind. Before him there were fleet footed boxers, but no one moved like that. No one threw punches like that. Ali represented evolution in the way boxers fight. A modern fighter like Ali would still be good today, and he'd make the transition a lot better than Earnie Shavers, but I dont think Ali would be "great" in this era. He couldn't take a flush Shannon Briggs punch the same way he could a Jerry Quarry punch.

See if Ali could Rope-a-Dope Vitali Klitschko. I think we'd all be in for a rude awakening. See if Frazier could withstand more than a few rounds of Wlad's flush shots. He'd be down and out. Even though he's by far the greater fighter.

Is there any doubt who would win between Juan Manuel Marquez and Willy Pep.

Even a guy like Marvin Hagler. Now granted he wouldnt be a scrub in today's world. But he damn sure wouldnt be the great Hagler. Mugabi<Pavlik, Calzaghe, Kessler.

Jones never fought a light heavyweight as good as Ezzard Charles, Archie Moore, or Harold Johnson nor did he ever face a light heavyweight who could hit as hard as Bob Foster.

Louis didn't just fight bums. Most of the challengers he defeated were top notch fighters. It's not really fair to compare one of Louis' lesser opponents to the undefeated Bradley. Musto was no worse than Arturo Morua. Musto was inconsistent but on a given night, he was capable of scoring a major upset. Who would have ever expected him to beat Lem Franklin, Curtis Sheppard, Jimmy Bivens or Lee Savold or hold Turkey Thompson to a draw but he did. (He later lost to Franklin and Savold.)

A Willie Pep-Juan Manuel Marquez bout would have been interesting but Pep would have been the favorite. Marquez would have been a decided underdog against Henry Armstrong, Baby Arizmendi, and Sandy Saddler as well.

The Kessler who fought at 160 before moving up to 168 would not have been allowed in the ring with a prime Hagler. As a pro, Calzaghe never fought at 160. A prime Hagler would prove to be too tough and too experienced for Pavlik and would knock Pavlik out. Remember Hagler faced Mugabi near the end of his career.