A combination of indifferent performances, zero charisma, jumping from manager to manager(ad infinitum) and just plain being too damn good blunts what should have been a championship-winning career. A great fighter fighting in the wrong era; an era so replete with great fighters vying for the spotlight that even an outstanding one like Burley could get eclipsed.
Simply brilliant, sublimely talented at welterweight, where he accomplished less than middleweight but fought with more fire since he was not yet disillusioned. I believe Ring Magazine rated him behind only SRR, Armstrong, Leonard, Hearns, and Gavilan in their welterweight all time list. Good for them.
His career can be summed up in 1 word: avoided. He's easily, the greatest welterweight never to get a shot. A shot which given would have probably seen him rule from armstrong to robinson. At mw he did compile a great resume. Due to the war he also spent a bit of time at the top. Despite it not being his best weight, he's one of my top ten middleweights, completely unsure where I rank him at welterweight. Lhw is barely worth a mention tbh.
Avoided defo, but equally this below... Burley was also fortunate to have been American, this giving him the chance to prove himself among the percieved best there. Though this claim was both generally accurate, it was also Not Literally Correct, as atleast a hundful of TOP foreigner fighters from outside of the States, in every division, were equally as good, but couldn't get even as close as Burley did. Burley is a proof fighter that shows just how rich the era was for talent, and Charley Burley was one of the best among them, perhaps even the best of those 'outside!'
Can you list some examples? Because in all honesty, I cannot think of too many avoided (or neglected) foreign fighters from that era who were the equal of Charley Burley. Not saying it ain't so. Just that I've never heard of 'em.
Burley may have been the best as I & others stated, but that was also due, in part, to having the opportunity of fighting the percieved best Stateside... a lot of people took issue with this judgement and rightly so, as these were great times in boxing with thousands of participants, many never getting near America to showcase themselves. Britain always had a strong arguement against the Ratings and it was continually being questioned in Boxing News as were claims for a few others from different parts. a few names. Len Johnson Len Harvey, should have had another shot Jock McAvoy - arguable the best middleweight in the world circa 1935 - 38 or so Jack Casey, world beater in anybodies book Eric Boon, a world champion on any given night Ernie Roderick, should have had another shot Bert Gilroy, couldn't get out of his own back yard, was invited Stateside by Charley Rose, should have went. Fred Henneberry, a world champion at his best Canadian Sonny Jones ended up Globe Trotting, settling for money, knowing he couldn't get near a title. Villimain, could have won a title So many TOP boys from other areas IF they could have fought Stateside, they certainly would have been ranked and made rightful claims for themselves. I'm not a historian but those are just some of the Top Lads I'm aware of, and I know there are more yet... Lafferty, Medina, Jim Brady and so on.
That's the point with burley, he was ducked by armstrong and robinson so never got a chance to prove himself.
This about covers it, imo. " For all sad words of tongue and pen." "The saddest are these ,it might have been". John Greenleaf Whittier.
