Watching Raging Bull and I have a question...

[LostInAnomie]

... Was boxing back then really that punch intensive?

I realize it is just a movie but boxing has been steadily declining in popularity for years and I wonder if the reason is that boxers don't fight like they used to back when boxing was popular.

[autorank]

1. Watch the lower weight divisions, it's that way now.

You just don't see it as clearly as you do in the movie because they get 'up close' in so many ways.

That's a great movie. One amazing thing is that he held out so long as an independent in a mob town. NYC was heavily mob influenced in boxing and he turned them down several times. That shows you just exactly how scary that guy was. You didn't say no back then and get away with it too often. What a guy!