can you name that were controlled by the mob or underworld figures? or fighters that the underfield mob had a piece of?
I'd say damn near all TOP fighters. They got through with either Mob ownership or approval (needed for thier fighters, draw & contests and GATES), decisions and outcomes were more fixed than we know - obviously not all of them, but when & where needed and against whom. they can pay off refs, judges, board members, fix ratings, pay off writers & reporters, controll contests or ellimination bouts, you know meetings and outcomes to ensure who gets there and on & on it goes... but mostly important fights at or near the TOP to keep controll of their "invested" fighters place!!! MOST Crooked sport/BUSINESS, next to Figure Skating.
Primo Carnera Johnny Saxton Ike Williams Sonny Liston Ernie Terell Blackjack Billy Fox Frankie DePaula (he was killed by mobsters. I suspect they had a hand in his career but am not certain. Anyone know the full story?) Abe Attell and Arnold Rothstein were pals. Abe was a crooked guy but I'm not sure if the mob really had a piece. I suspect so. Johnny Wilson was a known friend of mobsters. Not sure what kind of control they exerted though.
Terell ?? Don´t know much about him besides the footage of his fights.....What´s the story behind him ?
He was managed by Big Julie Isaacson, who was a known associate of racketeers. Also Bernie Glickman: http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...+isaacson+underworld&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://webcache.googleusercontent.c...xing+julie+isaacson&cd=19&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PThWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4422,3658255
you only have to read the bert lyttle articles from a couple months ago to see the control underworld had over boxing as a whole. In this context the fighters were controlled because the game was controlled. Mobsters are not stupid, for every public association, i.e carnerra and owney madden, there will be umpteen fighters owned by madden through a front name.
I recently read through the 'Corruption in Professional Boxing' hearing from 1993. Interesting to read that Buddy McGirt, Iran Barkley and Bobby Czyz all had links to organised crime.