Les Darcy's Depth Of Resume Is Really Suprising

The guy is massively overrated in terms of what he actually did. Pure potential but little else. Agreed though, solid list of solid contenders.

 

I'm used to him being regarded very highly. Made Boxing News' top 100 greatest fighters list. Often ranked as the greatest Aussie and a top ten middleweight of all time.

He was f'n amazing no doubt. But not that amazing.

 

Exactly

 

The title claim during this period is very murky.

Him and gibbons pretty much have as valid a claim as each other. A problem is Darcy always contested in official bouts and gibbons often contested in no decision bouts.

I personally see it like this:

gibbons became number 1 mw when he beat clabby in Jan 15. he kept this title until he lost to McFarland and when packey retired he reclaimed it by beating ahearn.

Darcy is just as arguable though but it's my opinion Darcy needed to beat gibbons to consider himself above gibbons.

 

This kinda explains it. Gibbons never really had a strong claim to any title except that of being the best MW in the world. Frank Klaus made the first solid claim for championship honors post-Ketchel:

[url]http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/middle.htm[/url]

[url]http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/claimants.htm#lheavy[/url]

 

I love Darcy but I have to agree with what you said. I think people remember he still hadn't reached his peak and his tragic story which is why he may be mentioned so frequent.

Mundine and Green are bum beaters. Geale is a real champion aussie boxerl.

 

In terms of solid championship claims, the claimant system was every bit as confusing as an alpha title.

here is my timeline of the top man in the division from Klaus unifying the division:

Frank Klaus - May 1913
Jack Dillon May 1913 - Jan 1914
George Chip Jan 1914 - Apr 1914
Al McCoy Apr 1914 - May 1914
Billy Murray May 1914 - Jul 1914
George Chip Jul 1914 - Nov 1914
Jimmy Clabby Nov 1914 - Jan 1915
Mike Gibbons Jan 1915 - Sep 1915
Packey McFarland Sep 1915 - Jan 1916
Mike Gibbons Jan 1916 - Nov 1917
Mike O'Dowd Nov 1917 - May 1920
Jonny Wilson May 1920 - Aug 1923
Harry Greb

 

True.

It's a shame very few in this country know who Darcy is, me myself didn't even know about him until recently and I still don't know alot about him other than he's always rated the greatest boxer Australia has produced.


Who would you fellas rate higher Lionel Rose or Dave Sands?

 

Sands has such a high regard from everyone I've listened to. It isn't a stretch to say he's one of the best to never win a title.

 

Interesting list, though as long as Jack Dillon was breathing you could never put George Chip ahead of him. They fought a dozen times with Dillon going 10-1-1 against him. That's a pretty thorough dominance there. I would never put Chip ahead of Jeff Smith either. In fact I don't think you could ever say that he was the best. Not while guys like Dillon, Smith, Gibbons and Clabby were around.

 

Re: Sands. Anyone who Ray Robinson is hesitant to fight deserves much notice and consideration. A helluva fighter.

 

I'd have to check my notes but I believe by then Dillon had left the division.

Chip seemed to be one of them who picked uo a victory at the right time so had an arguable claim despite having others who would be favoured over him.