I read once that the three most popular spectator sports in the 1940's were baseball, horse racing and boxing. So I agree with you discussing boxing when it was at its peak in America, aside from the steroids.
I enjoy your journeys through matches from long ago. I once commented on a UA-cam channel about watching Ali fight Zora Folley on tv and a viewer wrote me in astonishment, as if I were Methuselah. I hadn’t guessed why you had drawn 1960 as the dividing line but I like your examples and illustrations. I remember hearing Jose Canseco’s ex talking about how some roids can shrink one’s testicles. I doubt she was speaking hypothetically.
Bruce, according to multiple studies and clinical observations, those anabolics do shut down sperm production that results in shrinkage. Zora Folley and Eddie Machen were big news in the late 50s & early 60s ... primarily for their being denied a title shot. But, it was some time ago. To a millennial or gen-X we might as well be talking about John L. Sullivan or Jack Johnson.
Also, Mercer was among the best of the best of his era. People are waking up to just how good Larry Holmes was; now it's time for Mercer to get similar recognition.
@@ET-RAMBLINGS I think that's Mercer's own fault. He'd underprepare for important fights he had a good chance to win, then lose; taking a lot of hard shots in the process. His performances were too uneven after he beat Morrison, IMO.
Yeah if you don't take into account there was more weight classes to be lineal champ in back then, the smaller weights have less active fighters and the actual fighters they both managed to beat
I would say Roberto Duran was a greater P4P fighter then Pacquiao . Duran started off at Bantamweight and fought up to light heavyweight and was champ in 5 of those weight classes . Lightweight , Welterweight , Jr. Middleweight , Middleweight and Super Middleweight . Plus he had 119 fights to Pacquiao 72 sure Duran was 72 -1 when he first fought Leonard . All those weight classes in between didn't exist back in Robinson's time ? Just gain 4 pounds and your in another weight class give me a break .
Something else to consider is the longevity of Ray Robinson's career and number of bouts. Nobody in recent decades can match either. That said, the great Pacman's talents and style would guarantee a terrific battle (at welterweight) with Robinson.
@@pfitzger2e1 Lower weight classes it not even 4 pounds difference. 3 pounds ! 105,108,112 Flyweight,115,118 Bantamweight. Plus there are 4(?) major sanctions bodies today. WBA,WBC,IBF,WBO. Each have own Regular,Super,tentative,honour titles. 15 to 30 contenders in 17 or 18 divisions. Back then there were only 8 weight classes, one undisputed champion in each division. That is 8 champions and 80 ranked contenders. I don't even know how many of them there are today. There are only one tenth of boxing clubs/gyms today compare to pre 1990's. Much less amateur shows either. I say there were 100 times more competitions in boxing back in pre 1980. Pre 1970, there were only boxing and wrestling too. No other popular fighting sports back then. Every tough ones took on boxing in those days. A Boxing World Title meant 1000 times more to people in old days. I remember when it comes on TV the world stopped back in the days. The tough SOB like Duran fought something like 30 non title bouts when he was the lightweight champion. Today they would have called them all title bouts of some kind. Things are so different today. Pacman guy was a great fighter too, but he was not in the same dimension with Duran or Ray Robinson. Duran even beat future WWA Super Heavyweight Champion Iran Barley.
I read once that the three most popular spectator sports in the 1940's were baseball, horse racing and boxing. So I agree with you discussing boxing when it was at its peak in America, aside from the steroids.
I enjoy your journeys through matches from long ago. I once commented on a UA-cam channel about watching Ali fight Zora Folley on tv and a viewer wrote me in astonishment, as if I were Methuselah. I hadn’t guessed why you had drawn 1960 as the dividing line but I like your examples and illustrations. I remember hearing Jose Canseco’s ex talking about how some roids can shrink one’s testicles. I doubt she was speaking hypothetically.
Bruce, according to multiple studies and clinical observations, those anabolics do shut down sperm production that results in shrinkage.
Zora Folley and Eddie Machen were big news in the late 50s & early 60s ... primarily for their being denied a title shot. But, it was some time ago. To a millennial or gen-X we might as well be talking about John L. Sullivan or Jack Johnson.
saying boxing was better back then because of a lack of steriods in the sport is being generous, in my opinion.
Boxers fought twice as much and went more rounds and landed more and were able to take more punishment
Morrison lost to Mercer because of his porous defense and China chin.
Also, Mercer was among the best of the best of his era. People are waking up to just how good Larry Holmes was; now it's time for Mercer to get similar recognition.
@@ET-RAMBLINGS I think that's Mercer's own fault. He'd underprepare for important fights he had a good chance to win, then lose; taking a lot of hard shots in the process. His performances were too uneven after he beat Morrison, IMO.
TRUTH!!
Pacquiao was lineal champion in 5 divisions and SRR only 2. Objectively, Pacquiao is the greatest P4P fighter ever.
Yeah if you don't take into account there was more weight classes to be lineal champ in back then, the smaller weights have less active fighters and the actual fighters they both managed to beat
Championship records are not all there is to being great, and even if they were, there are greater title records than Pacquiao’s.
I would say Roberto Duran was a greater P4P fighter then Pacquiao . Duran started off at Bantamweight and fought up to light heavyweight and was champ in 5 of those weight classes . Lightweight , Welterweight , Jr. Middleweight , Middleweight and Super Middleweight . Plus he had 119 fights to Pacquiao 72 sure Duran was 72 -1 when he first fought Leonard . All those weight classes in between didn't exist back in Robinson's time ? Just gain 4 pounds and your in another weight class give me a break .
Something else to consider is the longevity of Ray Robinson's career and number of bouts. Nobody in recent decades can match either.
That said, the great Pacman's talents and style would guarantee a terrific battle (at welterweight) with Robinson.
@@pfitzger2e1 Lower weight classes it not even 4 pounds difference. 3 pounds ! 105,108,112 Flyweight,115,118 Bantamweight. Plus there are 4(?) major sanctions bodies today. WBA,WBC,IBF,WBO. Each have own Regular,Super,tentative,honour titles. 15 to 30 contenders in 17 or 18 divisions. Back then there were only 8 weight classes, one undisputed champion in each division. That is 8 champions and 80 ranked contenders. I don't even know how many of them there are today. There are only one tenth of boxing clubs/gyms today compare to pre 1990's. Much less amateur shows either. I say there were 100 times more competitions in boxing back in pre 1980. Pre 1970, there were only boxing and wrestling too. No other popular fighting sports back then. Every tough ones took on boxing in those days. A Boxing World Title meant 1000 times more to people in old days. I remember when it comes on TV the world stopped back in the days. The tough SOB like Duran fought something like 30 non title bouts when he was the lightweight champion. Today they would have called them all title bouts of some kind. Things are so different today. Pacman guy was a great fighter too, but he was not in the same dimension with Duran or Ray Robinson. Duran even beat future WWA Super Heavyweight Champion Iran Barley.