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This information was posted after a reply but I felt it needed its own thread. This might give some insight to boxing fans about the differences and changes in the sport of boxing. Also, it is a topic with little information but vital to understanding its importance. Many people are more concerned with the weight of the gloves used and if the padding was decent and if it was often tampered with to get the bare knuckle effect. In the post I hope to provide readers with accurate and entertaining information on some boxing history. BTW- I sometimes get reemed by other members with such long posts where I could have made what was twenty sentences and reduced it to maybe three sentences. My apologies but I prefer to be thorough at the start, as others who don't prefer long posts can always skip it. Thanks for the support by other members who have PM'd me and also posted on threads to continue doing my thing. A sincere thanks to those as I hope to encourage and provide others with entertainment and also information that helps them make +EV wagers.
The gloves were 6-8oz (occasionally 10oz), but they were horse-hair slugger gloves. This is a very important to how and why Marciano was so effective. At the start of the fight, both opponents wearing the same type of glove, it was equal. Unlike today's gloves, as the fight went on and sweat poured into them, naturally the knuckles would be exposed as the padding was moved to the sides.
Here is the kicker, the more punches you landed, the more often gloves would shift the padding, and each side of the glove became so impacted that each punch contained nearly bare knuckles and an even proportion on power and made the first almost double in size. This took many rounds of sweat and punches, but the glove became similar to what Margarito was accused of regarding the plaster. For those unfamiliar it had 3 major advantages, as the fight goes on and they harden each punch is harder then earlier rounds.
Secondly, the plaster also made a frame so that punches that didn't connect with the entire fist still had a major impact because the plaster frame becomes like a bare knuckles and also distributes the weight nearly evenly (That's why boxers that make a fist and you have very little bulges or uneven structure, and the fist is nearly flat across {like a ruler flat over knuckles and they all touch evenly} helps leverage if you so each punch has a considerable impact). Marciano would throw so many punches all over that by the 8th round his gloves had him almost bare knuckled and the index and pinky fingers had 2-4 inches laterally each side, and the gloves now had hard compacted ends and made his fist nearly double in size. Also, it had the plaster effect in the sense that normal gloves and connect with a guy as he leans back with your ring and pinky fingers part of the glove (20% maximum power connect), now plaster framed the glove making like a steel bar across the front and would give greater impact (maybe 35% Maximum) and was harder than bare knuckles. Now to a tenth round glove Marciano used, he would connect with the ring and pinky finger area and add 2 more inches of hardened materials (the more of the glove you connect, naturally the power increases) so it generated around 60-70% maximum power output and the entire area of that glove was hard. You have more power, a larger frame (like a hand around 150% or more in width, and completely compacted) for a higher connect rate. That's why in late rounds (besides fatigue) it appears Marciano wore his opponent down and the punches appear harder. Marciano was a beast and could punch all day and now had an advantage of working hard and a high punch rate connecting (he punched arms, shoulders, chest, wherever it was legal) made that glove a weapon on a beast of a man! BTW- He used 6oz or 8oz (state dependent), as California required 8oz minimum for fights over welterweight (147lbs).
The other advantage Marciano had (and people who cheat and have plaster) realizes that their glove will get harder and more effective as rounds go on giving them incentive to continue and stay in the fight as its just time before they can get the glove advantage. Sounds similar to Cotto-Margarito, that was one of Cotto's most devastating offensive attacks he ever mounted but Margarito hung on and turned the tide. Margarito throws sloppy wild punches that aren't crisp, now you have him take a severe beating (the man regardless of cheating or not, doesn't quit... even Manny wrecked him but he kept coming) and now his punches cut and shred Cotto. Watching Margarito's previous fights with Paul Williams, Citron, etc... I seen him fight to the end but he rallied in fights but not in devastating KO form. You think when Mosley's corner had Margarito re-wrap and lace new gloves, psychologically Margarito worried. Knowing you have that reserve the opponent won't is a huge reassurance, take that away by surprise minutes before the fight and the psychology is reversed. On a closing note regarding old time gloves, some old time fighters illegally used the lace side of gloves to ‘lace’ any part of their opponents face (lips and ears) thus producing a tearing and highly abrasive action that caused cuts.
The gloves were 6-8oz (occasionally 10oz), but they were horse-hair slugger gloves. This is a very important to how and why Marciano was so effective. At the start of the fight, both opponents wearing the same type of glove, it was equal. Unlike today's gloves, as the fight went on and sweat poured into them, naturally the knuckles would be exposed as the padding was moved to the sides.
Here is the kicker, the more punches you landed, the more often gloves would shift the padding, and each side of the glove became so impacted that each punch contained nearly bare knuckles and an even proportion on power and made the first almost double in size. This took many rounds of sweat and punches, but the glove became similar to what Margarito was accused of regarding the plaster. For those unfamiliar it had 3 major advantages, as the fight goes on and they harden each punch is harder then earlier rounds.
Secondly, the plaster also made a frame so that punches that didn't connect with the entire fist still had a major impact because the plaster frame becomes like a bare knuckles and also distributes the weight nearly evenly (That's why boxers that make a fist and you have very little bulges or uneven structure, and the fist is nearly flat across {like a ruler flat over knuckles and they all touch evenly} helps leverage if you so each punch has a considerable impact). Marciano would throw so many punches all over that by the 8th round his gloves had him almost bare knuckled and the index and pinky fingers had 2-4 inches laterally each side, and the gloves now had hard compacted ends and made his fist nearly double in size. Also, it had the plaster effect in the sense that normal gloves and connect with a guy as he leans back with your ring and pinky fingers part of the glove (20% maximum power connect), now plaster framed the glove making like a steel bar across the front and would give greater impact (maybe 35% Maximum) and was harder than bare knuckles. Now to a tenth round glove Marciano used, he would connect with the ring and pinky finger area and add 2 more inches of hardened materials (the more of the glove you connect, naturally the power increases) so it generated around 60-70% maximum power output and the entire area of that glove was hard. You have more power, a larger frame (like a hand around 150% or more in width, and completely compacted) for a higher connect rate. That's why in late rounds (besides fatigue) it appears Marciano wore his opponent down and the punches appear harder. Marciano was a beast and could punch all day and now had an advantage of working hard and a high punch rate connecting (he punched arms, shoulders, chest, wherever it was legal) made that glove a weapon on a beast of a man! BTW- He used 6oz or 8oz (state dependent), as California required 8oz minimum for fights over welterweight (147lbs).
The other advantage Marciano had (and people who cheat and have plaster) realizes that their glove will get harder and more effective as rounds go on giving them incentive to continue and stay in the fight as its just time before they can get the glove advantage. Sounds similar to Cotto-Margarito, that was one of Cotto's most devastating offensive attacks he ever mounted but Margarito hung on and turned the tide. Margarito throws sloppy wild punches that aren't crisp, now you have him take a severe beating (the man regardless of cheating or not, doesn't quit... even Manny wrecked him but he kept coming) and now his punches cut and shred Cotto. Watching Margarito's previous fights with Paul Williams, Citron, etc... I seen him fight to the end but he rallied in fights but not in devastating KO form. You think when Mosley's corner had Margarito re-wrap and lace new gloves, psychologically Margarito worried. Knowing you have that reserve the opponent won't is a huge reassurance, take that away by surprise minutes before the fight and the psychology is reversed. On a closing note regarding old time gloves, some old time fighters illegally used the lace side of gloves to ‘lace’ any part of their opponents face (lips and ears) thus producing a tearing and highly abrasive action that caused cuts.
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