What are some popular pugilistic myths that have been discredited(or need to be)?

That sounds about right. Since when are those numbers an indicator of someone with no power? He wasn't a one punch hitter, he was an accumulation/combination puncher. I'd have him nestled safely in that area as well.

 

There you go, Thread Stealer.

 

Harry Greb was not a big a drinker

Its highly unlikely that he "entertained" onoe or even two women in his dressing room before a match.

Despite myths stating that Greb never trained he was actually a very serious and hard trainer. Kind of ironic that for a guy who supposedly never trained the only footage we have of him is training footage...

In Mickey Walkers Bio he says that during his first fight his mother fell through a skylight either into the ring or the audience, i cant remember which.

 

Also the story of Benny Leonard falling through a skylight I have never heard. In fact Benny was fond of telling the story of his first boxing match (which never mentioned him falling through a skylight). I have two seperate films of him telling the exact same story at two different times in his life.

 

Aside from a fat and disinterested Buster Douglas, when did Holyfield KO a heavyweight with a single shot or end a heavyweight fight early against quality opposition?

Holyfield had above average power, and his tendency to really sit down on his punches adds onto that. No one who took a loaded up Holyfield shot is going to say that it doesn't hurt. But if I were to pick a prime Holyfield to win a bout against a top contender or another great champion, I'd be much more likely to pick Holy by points than by KO.

For what it's worth, my two cents is that Liston may have decided it wasn't worth fighting on, but the commonly spouted ideas that Liston was terrified of the Muslims or that the Mob had Liston throw the fight are patently ridiculous. Liston had much bigger, nastier customers than the Nation of Islam backing him, and the Mob had nothing to gain from Liston throwing the fight.

The idea that the first Ali-Liston bout was a fix also makes me scratch my head.

 

How about the myth that Dundee loosened the ropes in Zaire? Or people seeming to think that all Ali had left by 74 was the rope-a-dope?

 

Saying a fighter had punching power in the 6 to 7.5 range or calling him an accumulation puncher is much different from saying he "didn't have punching power". A 7 of out 10 in power is respectable punching power. Fighters like Rosenbloom or Malignaggi are guys who most would say did not have punching power.

 

True Rosenbloom was not a puncher, but would give any lightheavy
fighter a run for their money. Rugged, and durable, in 299 bouts he was stopped just ONCE,in a disputed kayo to Tommy Milligan..He fought everyone, including John Henry Lewis 3 times...Malignaggi, nice fighter, should not be mentioned in the same breath as Maxie...
P.S. Meant to say Rosenbloom beat the great JH Lewis 3 times...

 

:thumbsup

 

I know they're not in the same league, or within 20,000 leagues, I was just bringing up two random guys without punching power.

Slapsie is an ATG.

 

Understood,and agreed :good

 

Rating an ATG heavyweight like Holyfield's punching power a 7 out of 10 is not respectable at all. It's ridiculous. Try 8.5. I'm sure Holyfield could bang with ALL of the heavyweight GREATS, punching power to punching power, you could possibly mention, and make it a real dust-up. Look at it. I suppose Dempsey or Frazier or Liston or Baer or Schmelling are rated higher in the punching department? What would they rate then? I also wouldn't bet against Holyfield KO'ing the great Marciano. That's not as outlandish as one might think at all... unless you believe the myth that Holyfield couldn't REALLY punch at heavyweight etc etc

 

Seven is perfectly respectable for an ATG. I wouldn't rate Ali's punching beyond it. Or Holmes. And Ali and Holmes are my first and 3rd greatest of all time.

 

Well I would rate Holyfield above Ali and Holmes in the punching department, for sure, if just not quite the jab department. There you go. 'Not trying to hijack the thread. Please, carry on.

 

I wouldn't. But, the example is that it's in no way an insult to label an atg as having less than elite punching power. Unless Pep is not an ATG or is an elite puncher, for instance.