Les Darcy

Great boxer, tragic death. I dare say he would have become an all time great had he lived long enough to fulfill his potential.

He held the Australian middleweight and heavyweight titles and a version of the world middleweight title.

Interestingly his last fight was against George Chip, he won by KO in the ninth round. In Chip's previous fight he beat a young Harry Greb.

 

There are a few good books on Darcy floating around as well that are definitely worth the read.

 

I'm curious to see what some of the regular posters make of Darcy holding a version of Middleweight title. Was it valid and if not who deserved to hold the title ?

 

Darcy vs Greb would've been MASSIVE

 

No his middleweight title wasnt valid for several reasons. Most importantly he didnt win the title from the champion, Al McCoy. Secondly, during this era the middleweight limit was 158 and Darcy won his "title" at 160, above the poundage. This version of the title was created primarily as promotional tool to make fights more marketable in Australia.

I think a lot of question marks sorround Darcy. His record is impressive but consider that he was always fighting on his home turf, in fights that were promoted and arranged by his management, stacked with officials that were friendly to him, and several times the referee was the brother of his manager. Furthermore the both Jeff Smith, first McGoorty fights, Buck Crouse fight, and one of the KO Brown fights have some curious shinnanigans going on to say the least. It was widely reported at the time that McGoorty (who had a bad gambling problem) had thrown the fight and bet against himself, Buck Crouse swore for years he was paid to lay down, Jeff Smith should have been credited with a KO win over Darcy but Darcy was protected by his in house ref and in the rematch Jeff Smith was DQd for a dubious foul and then had his purse taken away (by Darcy's people) Smith left after this fight and was extremely bitter about it for the rest of his life. A lot of ringsiders felt KO Brown at least deserved a draw in one of their fights. Another issue with Darcy that leaves questions is how he would have faired in the USA without such "help". He admitted that he had gained a ton of weight when he got here and didnt think he would have ever been able to make the 158 pound limit. The promoters were talking about matching him immediately with the greatest fighters in the country and possibly eventually Jess Willard. I think Darcy would have been thrown to the wolves and his record would have looked a lot more like swiss cheese after coming to the United States. He didnt help his popularity either by fleeing his country, seemingly at least partly to avoid the war effort, and then coming to America and demanding unheard of sums of money for lesser fights while turning down fights against guys like Mike Gibbons.

 

I am a les Darcy fan.I think this is an informative theoretical view you have proposed.Know one knows what would have happened to darcy in the US regarding his boxing career.He was a champion person and anything was possible with a person like him

 

There will always be question marks regarding Darcy. He died when he was 22 so thats to be expected. Plenty of fighters have fought their entire careers in their home country so I dont see that as being a big issue.

The Jeff Smith fight certainly has a few question marks surrounding it but plenty of sources confirm that Smith fouled so flagrantly in the first fight that Darcys corner threw the towel in in disgust and as for the second fight it seems the same thing happened but the referee decided to disqualify Smith. I can only go on the newspaper articles I've read that seem to confirm all this.

 

Id like to see the articles that state he flagrantly fouled in the first fight or second. Everything Ive read didnt mention low blows and intimated that it was at best a strange stoppage given that it looked like a legit bodypunch which folded Darcy and had him refuse to continue. It should have been a TKO or KO win for Smith but Darcy's managers brother was the ref in both fights so draw your own conclusions. The second fight there was a low blow but it occured while Smith was ducking low and doesnt sound blatant. He was dq'd with no warning or anything. It was the only time Smith was ever DQd and the only time Ive ever read (and Ive read a lot on him) of him being accused of using dirty tactics despite fighting the best fighters all over the world from WW to LHW. It has been surmised by a few researchers that both fights were fixed due to the heavy gambling. Thats another issue with Darcy's fights, the gambling was out of control down there so that could have easily influenced the outcomes of some fights.

 

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19150609.2.132

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=NZTR19160624.2.45.2

 

Those are two New Zealand newspapers and neither refute the accounts I have heard. The only person who ever claimed Darcy was flagrantly fouled in the first fight was Dave Smith and Les Darcy. Id say they are pretty biased parties. The only thing new here is that Jeff Smith was warned in the first for a low blow which I had never heard. Beyond that it sounds like what I described which was he ducked low to avoid punch and from that angle hit Darcy low at which time Darcy's hometown ref DQd Smith, and Darcy's promoter refused to pay him. Sounds like an inside job to me.

 

Darcy looks very good on film. Very strong, tenacious, powerful, a good athlete.

 

No doubt he was a good fighter, even a great one, Im just curious how his career might have been different (notice I say might) had he survived and gotten to match up against the biggest names in the sport away from home, and away from officials hired by his promoter, a referee who was the brother of his manager, a hostile crowd, etc etc. The shoe would have been on the other foot and it would have been very interesting to see how that might have altered his performances or his ability to win.

 

Well New Zealand papers are hardly going to be complimentary to the Australians are they?