when zale got out of the army he had a list of people to fght for the middle title. why did he choose graziano instead of higher ranked guys like lamotta and burley. im pretty sure they would have been just as good as money makers as him and graziano? if he had chosen lamotta for the shot how would he have done with jake? an even better question is , is how would he ahve done with jake BEFORE he went into the army?
I think Jake beats any Zale but obviously pre war its a much better matchup. Zales sparring partner Leon Thompson told me he didnt think either Zale or Cerdan (whom he also sparred with) could have ever beaten LaMotta (and he was friends with Zale until Zales death). Winch and Pian knew Zale was over the hill after the Army and his days were numbered. They were looking for the most beatable opponents with the biggest names: Enter Graziano.