how is ingemar johanson in the hall of fame ?

YOu neeed to look at it in the time it happened. NO euro had won it since Bob Fitz. No Euro was expected to win it. It probably helped that he was white, a white face for the HW crown made it instantly big in those times, made boxing more easily marketable, sellable, more profitable. People were more stupid in that sense back then, they bought into racial differences more back then.

It made him famous, front page news and a star. Hard for the IHOF not to include him. They needed to put him in. Europe and Scandinavia was a market worth buying into. Give them a hero and they will give you there croner or whatever.

At the end of the day the HoF is about selling boxing as well as lauding it. Most things are there to maximise sales potential.

 

also you do say so what Ali won it 3 times - but up to that point in history there had not been an Ali to win it 3 times.

So it was a historic event and deserved its place in the HoF whatever comes next.

Time will come when other records get broke, doesn't mean the previous record holders get dumped out of the HoF.

 

ok that discludes my racial bias thing.

BUT clearly they are looking at the event with historical perspective which you are not.

If you never looked at things with historical perspective, then guys like Jack Johnson would never be top 5 ATGs.

 

you are kidding me. The man was clearly the dominant HW champion 5 years before he was permitted by whites to win the title. At least a decade as the best HW on the planet.

 

Ing had probably the most famous "right hand"
He dropped everybody with it-
He knocked out number one contender Eddie Machen in the first round before getting the fights against Floyd Paterson.

 

Right hand was made of concrete..P4P hardest puncher ever??

 

Is Carnera in there? Not that being in there means anything really.

 

Primo Carnera?

 

It is to do with impact and fame. International impact. Did Marvin Hart make international, crossover impact on the world he lived in?

It is about fame. It is about international recognition beyond the sport that made them famous. Heavyweight champion is about as famous as it gets so far as boxing goes for people who don't watch it. Internationally recognisable one's go straight in because it is an international boxing hall of fame.

They have to be famous. Ingo was very famous in 1959. For people who don't watch boxing, ingo was about as famous as a boxer could get at that time.

 

Maybe you belong in the general forum Mad.
Patterson; youngest ever to win the HW title.
A second career after Liston that may have been better than his first! (how many fighters can say that?)
Is Ali's win over green-Spinks really a 3rd title? I still think he tanked the 1st one knowing the youngblood would take the bucks and immediately fight him again.
Is Ali's second fight against Spinks more impressive than the aging Patterson's effort against Ellis in Stockholm?
I'm sorry but **** on you for even suggesting that Floyd doesn't belong in the Hall. :-(
I'll take some arguments that Ingo doesn't belong but I think he should.
He never fought a fighter with a losing record!
Cooper-Machen (brutal), Floyd?
If anyone has seen him fight, if that right landed cleanly, I think anyone would be on ***** street.
Time for dinner, go back to General and stop your disrespect.

 

You know, racecars!

There's a bunch of racecars, tracks and racecar drivers out there, but all anyone knows about is the top division. Where the big cars go vrrrroooom!

Ingemar Johansson won the heavyweight championship of the world, and had an exciting trilogy with Floyd Patterson. That's plenty!

And dude, Gatti is in!

 

I wouldn't pick Ingo as the worst guy in the Hall. He was, after all, good enough to KO his way to the heavyweight championship.

What about Billy Miske? Only a good contender of the time who generally lost to the best of the era.

 

Max Schmeling
Primo Carnera