Freddie Steele-Why is he forgotten today?

Freddie Steele is so vastly underated today...His record puts him in the top 10 great middleweights, in history I believe..How do you rate Freddie Steele?

 

Pretty highly but probably, more out of ignorance then anything else, not that highly.

He is a bit overlooked, a few guys on here however do talk about him quite often though.

 

How high do you rate him Burt and how would he fair against

Greb
Ketchel
SSR
Monzon
Hagler
B-Hop
Graziano
Lamotta

 

The film of Steele in the fights against Lesnevich and Dundee is flat out impressive. Looks like a life-taker as a puncher.

 

He gets underrated/forgotten today because his championship tenure came to such a sudden and anti-climactic end. Personally, I think that point may preclude him from a spot in the top 10, but I have him rated in the top 15.

 

Bummy Davis,Freddie Steele was an alltime great in my opinion..He is sadly forgotten by todays fickle fans...Consider this...In his first 10 years Steele lost just two bouts....Look at some of his victims....Ceferino Garcia,kod twice,Al Hostak, Fred Apostoli,Ken Overlin,Solly Kreiger,Gorilla Jones, Gus Lesnevich, etc..Steele was almost unbeatable until 1938, when rematched with Fred Apostoli, Freddie Steele fractured his sternum...That very painful injury, ended his career as a great fighter...Think of this..In 125 bouts against top opponents Freddie Steele, ko'd 60 fighters ,while only losing FIVE fights...Great boxer puncher...
Greb over Steele[or anyone]
Ketchel over Steele
SRR over Steele
Steel /Monzon pick em
Steele over Hagler
Steele over B- HOP
Steele Ko's Graziano
Steele over Lamotta
P.S. I think the late 1930s and early 1940s, had the best total middleweights of calibre in middleweight history,,,Steele, Apostoli, Zale, Billy Conn,Ken Overlin, Al Hostak, Billy Soose, Charley Burley,Teddy Yarosz,Solly Kreiger,Georgie Abrams,Young Ezzard Charles, Lloyd Marshall,Marcel Cerdan, etc...Any one of them might have been champ today...What a rich era....

 

He never beat Hostak.

 

That's my man. Met him on multiple occasions and had drinks.

Georgetown Tavern Rules!

 

My2sense, I stand corrected.I mistook Fred Apostoli for Al Hostak...On Jan ,1938 Steele fractured his chest sternum in his bout with Fred Apostoli, who Steele Previously defeated...I have read after that injury to his sterum Steele had severe pains on his chest bone from then on...Six months later, the heavily favored Steele was stopped in the first round by the murderous punching Al Hostak...Steele's career ended soon after that loss to Hostak...Thanks for correcting my error.....

 

That era of middleweight certainly had an embarrassment of riches talent-wise. I'm pretty new to the classic game and finding out more about Steele over the past year or so has been a real treat, especially since some of his dominance was filmed and is available. Shame he's overlooked now by many, but those who are fans are so adamant about him I don't think he'll ever be forgotten. I feel he'd be able to beat most middleweights and give a massive headache to those he didn't.

 

Agreed, right where I have him too.

 

Not addressed to me i know, but i think that Steele would have to start favourite against Lamotta, Graziano. I personally like his chances against Ketchell also. I think he would be a live underdog (who id probably back depending on the odds) against Robinson and possibly also Hopkins. I think Hagler, Monzon and Greb are probably a little too good.

 

He was a very good fighter. Don't know if he could hang with the top tier of Middleweight champions, but he would be competitive.

 

Freddie Steele was one of the great middleweights. I rate him highly.
But I'd probably rate Fred Apostoli even higher !

I'm not sure why they get overlooked. Perhaps because they fought in an era of disputed "world title".

I'd expect Freddie Steele to beat Dick Tiger.

 

I know Sweet Pea is a big Steele fan.

I think he looks real good on film. But I havent really researched him enough to pass judgement on his career.