thats prety outrageous, the guy beat 11 rated contenders and came closer than anyone to knocking out ali. there is no shame in losing to a peak ali, peak patterson and peak ingo. Hes no all timer but you have to rate him as a good contender. If shavers and snipes are remembered as good contenders for decking Holmes so should henry cooper. shavers did not beat 11 rated contenders.
Jerry just had one of those bad fights versus Jimmy Ellis. Probably would have done well, during the Ezzard Charles and Joe Walcott era.
He'd look like an amateur vs. Charles and maybe Walcott as well. Let's see... there was also Archie Moore, Jimmy Bivins, Joey Maxim, Elmer Ray, Rex Layne, Roland LaStarza, and a few others. How would he do vs. them?
I think Jerry's bad night against Ellis had more to do with his brother breaking a vertebrae in his back and his father pushing him to not postpone the fight. He only lost to Ellis by a shade and that was because he laid back to much and wasnt aggressive enough. I think with his back good you would have seen a typical Quarry where he counterpunched until he got mad and then tore in and that spells trouble for Ellis. This fight also affected his fight with Frazier because he got so much criticism for his uncharacteristic passivity that he swore he would take the fight to Frazier at all times. He was true to his word but it was a stupid game plan. Had he counterpunched more he would have had a lot more success. Quarry's main problem was he was so tempermental (particularly from about 1967/1968 on) he just never followed a gameplan.
Since when was speculation, yours or mine, qualified as a fact? Please explain away what Gil Clancy says between 3:10 and 3:40 of the following clip after Jerry blows out the hardest puncher in boxing in a single round. "Why don't he fight Jerry Quarry? It's the biggest money match he can make!" Answer, please. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXcmdhiraL4[/ame]
If only He hit his prime five years earlier , or ten years later. way better chance in WBA Tourney, or early 80's against Weaver.
Jerry was at his absolute best in defeating an excellent Thad Spencer. Jerry was also the first boxer to promote 'Gatorade', and did a little acting, as he appeared on 'I Dream of Jeannie'. Managed properly, and marketed correctly, he could have been a Champion.
If he possibly fought Foreman and possibly beat him, probably a year tops with careful management.At some point, he would have to encounter Ken Norton, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier, and would lose the belt.
It would not matter who he defended against as champ, he was to inconsistent, and often drank instead of trained. He would have lasted one or two defenses. He could beat very good fighters, then lose to someone not quite as good, like Chuvalo. He threw in a real clunker in second Frazier fight, had nothing at all, and wanted to quit early. He slugged with Shavers and ko's him, beat lyle easily, but had tough time with Ellis. Not a guy to hold title long, or sustain a win streak.