Position that can be justified for Zivic? Beat LaMotta four months about Jake decisioned Robinson, while past prime. Robinson wasn't the only welter to move up to beat the massive LaMotta. As the Cyber Boxing Zone puts it... "Zivic fought seven future Hall of Famers and nine world champions; He defeated such men as Henry Armstrong, Charley Burley, Sammy Angott, Lew Jenkins, Giacobe "Jake" LaMotta, Freddie "Red" Cochrane, Al "Bummy" Davis, Johnny Jadick, Anthony "Izzy" Jannazzo, Jackie Burke, Eddie Booker, Harry Weekly, Bobby Pacho, "Baby" Salvy Saban, Kenny LaSalle, Kid Azteca, Milt Aron, Saverio Turiello, Johnny Barbara, Laddie Tonielli, Tony Falco, Chuck Woods, Harry Dublinsky, "Baby" Sal Sorio, Eddie Ran, Pete "K.O." Castillo, Maxie Berger, Reuben Shank, Carmen Notch, Billy Arnold and "Wild" Bill McDowell" Kid Azteca has been getting some attention on these forums lately, being mentioned as one of the most underrated fighters of all time. Is a top 25-30 spot reasonable?
I don't think so. I would question even putting him in the top 10 just in his own weight class. Despite having some very impressive wins (particularly over Armstrong and LaMotta) he simply wasn't consistent enough to warrant that high of a ranking.
Beat Burley as well. Anyhow, Zivic didn't take his career seriously until he was a half decade into it, he had a day job his entire career as well. I see Walcott get a lot of slack for that, don't know why Zivic doesn't... Man had 231 fights, and from most accounts a lot more then that... In Zivic's own words 399 fights.
Because Zivic still had embarrassing losses even after he got "serious," such as his KO by Milt Aron or his title fight loss to Freddie Cochrane (which was considered one of the most surprising upsets of the decade).