Why is Willie Pepp's win over Sandy Sadler more talked about than the 3 times Sandler

Because he got an excuse for losing. Never mind that his career continued for another 19 years after the injury.

 

Wasn't Pep in a serious car wreck previous to the win over Sadler....and most people thought Sadler would win easily?

All their fights were very dirty.

Plus Sandler was really a Superfeather by today's standards, but fought at feather.

 

And LaMotta was a super middle -- often came in around 164-65 while fighting welterweights who were far below the middle limit -- but no one discounts any of his work.

Pep won 30-something fights in a row after the plane crash. Maybe he was better before it, probably so, but the preponderance of evidence suggests he probably fully recovered -- or nearly so -- and was an all-time elite fighter after. If he was a broken man from the plane crash, it would have shown sooner.

Saddler was flat-out better. The record is pretty clear. His art form just wasn't as pleasing to the eye as Pep's, and it's not like Pep didn't fight dirty -- both were guilty of fouling.

 

Largely because Pep is considered to have been past his prime because of the airplane crash that broke his back.

We have little for footage of the pre-crash Pep, the Pep vs Walton footage being the only one that comes to mind. The 1st Saddler fight is an early ko for Saddler over the absurd 134/1/1 Pep. The 2nd bout that Pep won was on TV and was considered one of the great boxing masterpieces ever fought. The 3rd fight saw an increase in dirty fighting between the two, as Saddler would use his freakish reach and power and implement a highly aggressive strategy to wear down Pep. Saddler dislocates Pep's shoulder in the 6th or 7th round in a clinch forcing Pep to retire in the 8th, despite being given far ahead.
Contrary to what you would expect, Pep dominates the outside fighting in these bouts with superior footwork, angles, counterpunching, punch variety, and hand speed. Saddlers tactic, which was effective in wearing down Pep, was to grapple with the right and punch with his free left hand. You can see this in the 4th fight when Saddler knocks down Pep in the 2nd round.
In the 4th fight, the dirty fighting by both fighters escalates further, in a close fight Pep is edging when he retires from an eye injury.
What these fights show is the slipping Pep was still the superior boxer, but was vulnerable to damage from an opponent who could impose his physicality on him. Unfortunately for Pep, Saddler's freakish power and reach were anathema for him, and the slippage he incurred after the crash was enough to tilt the odds Saddler's way.
On top of this, imo Pep is superior against a wider range of opponents, was held in higher contemporary regard, and aces the eye test.

 

I think the whole series between these two had a stench around it.

 

They are both HOF boxers so does it really make a difference? Obviously Saddler had Pep's number. Both guys are considered ATG's.

 

Do you mean the dirty fighting? Or do you think Pep mailed it in the 3rd and 4th fights?

 

Quite simple. Peps win is one of the greatest displays of boxing skill in the history of the sport.

 

He's white?

 

Very cute f. Degrading remarks like yours in the guise of humor does nothing to help society...Have you seen Willie Pep in his prime ringside
as I have several times you might not be so flippant...He was better than you in your ignorance can imagine...Grow up sir...

 

He never denied that Pep was great. Are you saying that race had nothing to do with the lack of attention Sandler gets? If so, how do you explain it then?

 

Not to be redundant. I who saw Pep before his near fatal plane crash wa awed by his uncanny boxing ability.The reason his decision over Saddler is most talked about is because whenever a fighter is stopped by another fighter more than once his upset victory of Saddler was awesome. A few other points. Saddler was always the bigger and stronger man than Willie, and there is no doubt that after his terrible accident in which he was in traction for many months, Pep miraculously returned to the ring winning ways but experts of those days admitted Pep lost a step or two, which took away his amazing speed somewhat and aided Saddler in beating the somewhat slower Pep a couple of times...
One other pertinent fact. Willie Pep defeated 4 or 5 fighters who beat Sandy Saddler , so Pep is more highly regarded than Sandy in featherweight annals...
Both great featherweights. BUT the prime Henry Armstrong in his 126 lb. prime
overpowers both Willie and Sandy IMO...

 

A great post! I was going to attempt writing what you put better then I could.

 

It's favouritism, plain and simple. Whether or not race had anything or much to do with it. Saddler in his interview for the book "In This Corner" claimed racial discrimination. Could be.
But also, Pep is favoured for other reasons mostly, imo.