It's an excellent point ... and the Bulldog was faster, stronger and a much better hitter than Vito ... It is a terrific match up .. Mickey took bombs from Schmeling ... I can see him handling Hagler's power ... a nasty fight ...
I'd like Hagler to outbox Walker over the early round with straight punches which slowly escalates into an even war but, Hagler getting enough points early from his boxing skill to win.
Berlenbach is very overlooked. He was not only powerful but also ridiculously stong, a former wrestler which he continued after his boxing career. I always thought of him as a crude bange until somebody upped a clip of him fighting Delaney - another underrated lhw great - and he actually looked quite well schooled thee with decent footwok and nice straight punches. He would have been an obstacle for any lhw and the mws able to handle him IMO would be far and between. On the fight, it´s hard to say. I don´t think it will be a boxing match, not early, not late. It wouldn´t suit there personalities when matched up with fighters. Hagler didn´t box guys who came to fight, he went to war. Same fo Walker. But one thing bugs me a bit. Duran - he deserves a mention here :deal Hagler payed him too much respect and made a fight he should have won comfortably relativly close. If he pays Walker the same respect, he loses. Hagler has to be at his absolute, fired up best to win here and even then it is far from sure. On the other hand Walker said fighting the big guys is easier because they are less skilled, slower and clumsier than the little ones. This indicates that he founf smaller fighters harder to fight than little guys which means that his results against lhws and hws shouldn´t be counted too much. Anyway, this would be an awefully close fight, the equivalent of Marciano-Frazier.
B, very good synopsis of the matchup.Yes Paul Berlenbach surprised me in the film clip I saw of him.They called him Paralyzing Paul because of his tremendous body punching which destroyed Battling Siki and so many others. But the film shows him light on his feet and a good boxer also. And yet Mickey Walker spotted him weight and beat him. My dad would see Berlenbach train,and marveled at his strength. Walker also dropped and beat Tiger Flowers,the tough Southpaw, who might have been as good or better than Marvin Hagler. So all in all ,Walker /Hagler, I make Walker 8/5 favorite in a tough fight...
I'll go with the guy who actually had a jab, had faster hands, straighter punches, better movement and an iron chin thanks
PP watch the prime Mickey Walker destroy a top Brit Tommy Milligan in London, 1927. And Tommy Milligan was a helluva better fighter than Vito Antuofermo. Walker after he blasted out Milligan,impressed the British boxing public tremendously...No one, but no one was tougher ,nor sturdier than the Toy Bulldog. It is.or was on youtube...Cheers. P.S. I have GREAT respect for Marvin Hagler also...
what a ****ingf idiot. WALKER'S WHOLE GAME WAS INSIDE. HE MAY BE THE GREATEST BODY PUNCHER EVER. HE KO'D FROM LIGHTWEIGHT TO HEAVY. Post like these have driven away all most all the knowledgeable experienced posters. SOOOOOOOOOOOO, TIME TO LET THE KIDDIES PLAY. i EXPECT THAT REAL OBJECTIVE MODERATOR TO DELETE THIS POST QUICKLY. SO
I agree with your lucid post M.:good P.S. some posters are truly not aware that there was great boxing before television ! Mickey Walker had 163 fights against every weight and style of his tough, tough era, and was as wily, as he was tough. Let us see if a Hagler or any other middleweight today would have the cujones or sheer toughness to meet a Berlenbach, Sharkey, Risko, Uzcudun,or Schmeling and survive as Mickey Walker did. It is so frustrating to see some posters ignore the history of boxing.atsch
I think that my reprimand of this poster was adequately pointed to cover the offense. Rather than be rude to him, I would much rather we engaged him in mutualy constructive debate.
Janitor you often **** me off and I believe you're pretty much always wrong on analysing boxing styles, but unlike many on here, perhaps myself included, you're a gentleman :good