Who Is The Best Aussie Fighter Of All Time?

In fairness I don't think he ever boxed before he got to Oz, and it is fair to say he learned his trade there.

 

FFS I grew up in Australia and this subject was always always discussed, IT WAS THE GENERAL feeling/opinion from as long as I can remember. We went decades with many of our best fighters never getting a world title shot. You know McVey I feel all you care about is arguing for arguments sake.

 

Not really that small a pond, sure the population then was small but there were many hundreds of pros, the sport was in very good shape then. Travel back then was far from easy like it is now, long long boat trips were the only way so fighters who did come downunder stayed for many months and many fights same would be the case in reverse, no one is going all the way to the US for one fight even if it's a title. When I talk about how Aussies thought about all this it's true........ they may have been wrong but Aussies really felt that way, even felt that in the 70's. Australia today is what you call a small pond... compared to the 20's 30s and 40s the game here is minute indeed.

 

I was amazed at how much professional boxing activity there was in Australia from 1880 to 1950, especially during the period from 1920 to 1940. You can get an idea about how much activity there was "Down Under" by looking on BoxRec.

- Chuck Johnston

 

How about you carefully read what I was saying... I never said anything was a fact but if most Aussies in the old boxing community thought they would get a bad wrap in america then it explains why many never made the trip.

Leave my freind the Librarian out of this, his opinions are not always mine but he is a good guy and I don't think he goes on to make a video without a whole pile of facts to back up what he is saying, his knowledge is extensive. In your real life how many of your friends agree with everything you say ? is that a pre-requisite for friendship ? of course not yet you come here and want to get hot headed when all we are doing is talking about a sport we love.

My playing is going fine although I don't have the same energy as I used to have so don't play as much but I know my stuff but playing all the time gives a fluency that money can't buy. Hoping to regain some health but the cancer will never go away... I have to try and live with it. It sucks greatly.

 

I will add this, The Boxing Librarian has not bothered to respond to you because of the names you called him.... he just can't be bothered as you are just one man..... he would however come out fighting if a lot of people called him a liar or something like that.

Yes many Aussies were great fighters and yes I am not sure that many would have won world titles but I think Ron Richards could have.... Jack Carroll would have had a big chance even though the competition was high, Barney Ross was a truly great fighter but Jack was probably too fast and slick for Barney to have worked out, Barney would have had to go all out from the mid rounds and try to overwhelm Jack. Who else ? Vic Patrick had a chance for sure but would not have held on to the title long, he was a massive puncher so had a punchers chance. Jack Hassen could have gone on to a world title to be the first aboriginal to win a title but after he killed Archie Kemp he just could not put any power behind his punches and he had great power. Elley Bennett also may have been a chance, he hit like a cement truck but Jimmy Carruthers was two levels above him and stopped Bennett's career completely, Carruthers was a very special fighter.... retired as world champion undefeated, he was incredibly fast.

Peter Jackson ? now what if someone forced John L. to put his title on the line against him ? I personally do not think Sullivan had a hope in hell against Jackson who was in his prime and Sullivan past it.

Jim Hall could have been a world champ too but the mighty Fitz stopped Jim right when Jim was destroying all the best american fighters on their home turf. There are many what if's in boxing and we love those, that's why we come to the forum....

 

from the film i think ross would box his ears off, carroll was about as slick as sandpaper vs leto.

 

only a couple of minutes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJppd2zwQ_4

 

I read this yesterday in a book titled Great Australian Sports Rorts

Racketeers in control

In the late 1920's, former Australian triple champion Billy Grimes travelled to the USA to further his career. For a while he struggled to get a bout, eventually sacking his manager, and then secured a fight in New York with a promising boxer named Bobby Nelson. After drawing the fight in what was described as a terrific contest, his new manager was able to secure a fight with Bobby Garcia, who at the time was quite a name on the American fight scene.

During the fight, the Australian noticed a man sitting ringside twiddling a revolver around his finger while he sent messages to the referee by way of tick-tack signals. It become apparent to Grimes that Garcia wasn't his only opponent in the ring.
Grimes recalled that every time the boxers were in a clinch, the referee would hold his elbows from behind allowing his opponent a free hit, at which point the ref let him go.

In the second round the referee called break and grabbed the Australian, turning him around and allowing Garcia to floor Grimes with a fierce blow to the kidneys. The Australian fought back, keeping clear of Garcia and the referee for the rest of the fight yet still landing a series of blows, enough he thought, to get the decision. The referee thought otherwise and signalled Garcia the victor.

A number of visitors to Grimes dressing room expressed outrage at the referee's decision. The Sporting Globe reported that a man called Grimes aside and said, 'You got a raw deal son, but you will get a return bout, and next time you'll have no worries about getting the decision'. In the return fight, Garcia had two associates planted in the visitors dressing room. They saw that the Australian was still sore from broken ribs, and relayed the information on to his opponent, who went for the ribs from the first punch. Again the decision went Garcia's way.

A couple of months later Billy Grimes was matched against Sydney Lampe in his home town of Baltimore. The day before the fight, Lampe's connections offered Grime's $5000.00 to take a dive in the early part of the fight. Grime's thought that if they made that offer, Lampe should be pretty easy to beat, and so refused the approach. In the third round Grimes knocked the local to the floor, while he called the referee for a foul. The referee counted to nine before Lampe got back up.Again, Grimes hit Lampe with a big right, and down he went for the nine count, again calling for a foul. Lampe got up as the bell rang to signal the end of the round.

At that stage the local Boxing Commission doctor went to examine Lampe, but he took his time giving the American some extra breathing space. It was a couple of minutes before the next round began, Lampe saw out the distance of the fight and, to widespread amazement, got the decision.

It's not known whether it had anything to do with the fact that Grime's turned down the offer to take a dive, but a short time after the fight his American manager was murdered.

I hope this can shed some light on dodgy shizen that happened in the past concerning at least one Australian fighter in the USA.