Would you pick Tommy Burns...

I would favour him over Leon Spinks, and might make is a close call with some others.

 

We could have had a little side bet on that one then.

I might have chanced a fiver on Burns.

 

I love watching tommy burns, such advanced footwork and technique for the day, bringing taller opponents onto him. A very unusual approach for a short fighter boxing heavyweights plus he was tough!
Theres a great fight on youtube vs gunner moir which has been remastered with up to date commentary. Hard to believe its over a century old.
5ft 7 tall and fought around 175 though he reportedly weighed in for Johnson at 168 after being ill, he had the chin and skills to give some of the later champions some trouble.
Could have a good chance style wise versus braddock, sharkey, carnera, ingemar johannsen, and I have a sneaking feeling he might even give joe Louis a little trouble stylewise.
Fought big punchers in 4oz gloves and was only stopped once I think, so hed be a good bet to be in there, though probably not against the big punching giants who would come later.
Such a different style of boxing back then with those dangerous little gloves so its hard to compare him fairly, but I like to think hed give a few of them some real trouble.

 

1932 Sharkey
Braddock
L Spinks maybe

 

I like what has been so far, and I'd give hit a shot against Michael Moorer.

 

Now if we were talking about light heavyweight champions, we could perhaps pick him over a good few.

 

With that kind of underdog status he would probably cause a surprise.

Many lineal heavyweight champs would have packed it in before round 14 with Jack Johnson. Lil' Arthur wasn't in he nicest mood that afternoon despite the grin. Burns' dimensions were not tokens of his durability. Furthermore his speed and power are underrated. It is not in the realms of fantasy to believe he could ping Floyd Patterson into a stoppable state.

 

Jimmy Braddock. That's it. Burns too short and small, and not fast enough or strong enough to make up for it.

In fact I pick a good amount of cruiser's, and light heavies to defeat him.

Maybe 1-2 super middles as well.

 

Really.

 

Primo carnera comes to mind

 

I
think he defeats Willard in a ten to fifteen round decision contest.