<SCRIPT>
if (readCookie('MMATV_USERID') == 93361) {
document.writeln('Edit ');
}
</SCRIPT>
I bet my friend that pre-1963, boxing matches didnt involve full power punches to the face. He doesnt believe me when I tell him that old time boxers used to "sell" the punch by slapping their chests with the non-punching hand.
I've got $300 riding on this, so any online proof you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
Steve72 is correct. Body shots were allowed, but boxers SOLD the head punches by slapping their chests with their non-punching hands. The sound was the same, and the receiving boxer acted like he was being punched, but no actual contact was made.
"boxers SOLD the head punches by slapping their chests with their non-punching hands. The sound was the same, and the receiving boxer acted like he was being punched, but no actual contact was made."
I'm was fairly certain that this was common knowledge.
I read a book once by Boxing legend, Willy "One Eye" McKermitt who was LHW champ for over 14 years back in the early 1900's. He talked about slapping his chest so hard (to produce a convincing sound) that he cracked his own sternum.
You have to remember that pre-1963, boxing was solely about entertainment not sport. Real fights are rarely as entertaining as the ones that are played up (like in Rocky).
You have to remember that pre-1963, boxing was solely about entertainment not sport. Real fights are rarely as entertaining as the ones that are played up (like in Rocky)."
You've entered the twilight zone man.
Your claim doesn't explain the myriad head injuries that occurred during Lamotta's, Robinson's, Marciano's, Louis's, Dempsey's, Johnson's, Zale, Graziano, et al's reign as all-time boxing greats.
Photographic evidence of head injuries are numerous pre-1963. This does not include actual testimony from numerous ringside witnesses, doctors, and the boxers themselves.
The Walcott-Marciano photo (supplied by OneRoundBrown) is the most spectacular and famous of such photos.
That photo was taken in the 50's. Before photoshop, personal computers, and the internet was even invented.
Your claim stands simply on a line of "reasoning" that you cannot support either anecdotally, photographically, or logically.
But I'm in the mood to be amused, so I won't stop you. :)
Andre, you need to do some reading about boxing history and watch some of the fights on ESPN classsics (pre-1963). I would suggest that you begin by reading anything by Randy Roberts (his books on Jack Johnson and Dempsey) and Michael Isenberg's John L. Sullivan and His America.
In their rematch, Joe Louis nearly killed Max Schmeling, fyi.
Honestly, I thought that this was a joke thread until I started reading some of the posts. That some fighters threw "fixed" fights is well-known but that all boxing matches prior to 1963 were works is one of the silliest things that I have ever heard.
