Is Harry Wills Resume overrated?

Some "names" avoided him and in his last years as a relevant contender ,he was accused of avoiding the "iron" of his division,resting on his laurels, hoping for his deserved title shot.
Here is an interesting take on him and his times. I post it just for interests sake and don't vouch for anything it contains.

http://fightfilmcollector.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-trouble-with-harry-harry-wills-vs.html

 

I must say I was a bit disappointed when film of Firpo and Wills turned up. Very underwhelming. But perhaps Wills was much better in fights we never saw with Fred Fulton and Willie Meehan?

 

The story sounds familiar. Avoiding the iron of his division. Hmmmm..

Wills did duck out of matches vs Godfrey and declined Tunney.

 

I don't think his resume is overrated.
I think anyone who talks about his resume tends to mention the issue of him facing the same old fighters multiple times, the fact that Langford et al had seen better days.

 

I think his resume is mostly misunderstood. Those who study the dates, ages, and results will change perspective a bit, most realizing he was not quite as great as their initial baseline thoughts.

Wills disappoints on film too.

 

"

In the years that Wills was ranked by the Ring magazine
1924,25,26.He fought 4 other ranked contenders. Beating 2 Firpo and Weinert ,and losing 2, Sharkey and Uzcudun.Okay he was a veteran in 25 &26 but among those he somehow missed in those 3 years are.
Renault
Rojas
Godfrey
Maloney
Spalla
Tunney
Gorman
Young Bob Fitzsimmons
Persson
Hansen
Risko
Gibbons
Maybe some of them wouldn't fight him IDK,but we know Tunney and Godfrey stated they were agreeable to meet him.
Here is a brief summary of his 1922 fight with Kid Norfolk.
Wills and Norfolk met in New York on March 2, 1922. When the two battlers met in the middle of the ring the mismatch was apparent to all that surveyed the two men. The disparity in size was alarming (Wills 6'2" 230 and Norfolk 5'9" 185). Wills stood almost a full foot taller that Norfolk and looked as if he could sweep him away with one stoke of his long ebony arms. The fight itself was little more than a public beating with Wills plastering the helpless Norfolk for a full round and a half before depositing him on the canvas with a vicious right hand midway through the second. Norfolk gamely tried to rise but could not find his footing. The fight was waved off when the Kid rose stumbled and then fell back into the ropes"

Wills fought Jeff Clark multiple times , 4 during Dempsey's reign in 1919 Clark had 17 fights that year 3 were ND's ,of the others he won 2. Wills best wins during Dempsey's title tenure are.
1919
Langford W 8
Clark TKo4

1920
Fulton Ko3
Langford W15

1921
Clark Ko2

1922
Langford W10
Norfolk Ko2
Clark Ko2
Clark Ko3
1923 ----
1924
MaddenW15
Firpo W12
1925 Weinert ko2

 

Doesn't look special on the films available to me at all.

 

Until the film showed up nobody knew what he would have looked like. It allowed room for a lot of artistic license. some people were even saying Wills was a George Foreman type killer. But in the film we have seen he appears more kind of clinchy.

 

The guy was 35 years old against Firpo. You wanna judge joe Louis off his fights in the 1950s?

 

35 years old and near retirement. Ever think of that?

 

You keep judging a man on film taken of him at age 35....

But Is that a bad thing? Most of the big bums demosey fought sucked on the inside and sucked at clinching. Wills superior strength punching power uppercuts and clinching ability would have served him well on the inside vs jack Dempsey

 

His resume is arguably a tad better than a Dempsey’s. He dominated two of Dempsey’s best scalps Fulton and Firpo, beat Norfolk who shutout Miske, and defeated Langford who dempsey was too scared to fight. Not to mention Jeanette and mcvea who were still highly rated fighters in 1915.

Another person who judges wills based on footage of him at 35 years old instead of in his prime

 

You think Wills did better against Firpo?

 

Like I say, maybe wills looked better against big Willie?