Better All-Around Fighter: Primo Carnera or Riddick Bowe?

It took me less than half the time on Earth to see that it was a legit KO.
You've been wrong for a very long time.

 

This is exactly the same reason Ring Magazine gives for Primo not receiving the exact same award.

"The publication said Primo Carnera should have received the award for 1933, but they chose not to give it to him because of his ties to organized crime. "


I know your a popularist, but why write off only Primo when your prepared to put so much faith in Sonny Liston who was snubbed on exactly the same grounds.

Primo and Sonny both won their title with stunning knockouts.

why on earth should Cleveland "I never knocked out a single contender" Williams be given so much faith?

 

Then you would be doing him a disservice.

How does a fraud last 6 rounds against a killer like Louis?
He KO'd B Baer in 1.
A fraud is a fraud.
And no fraud should last 6 rounds with Joe.

 

I know, I keep mentioning George Foremans inexplicable opponent selection of 1972 when he fought Terry Sorrell, Murphy Gordwin and Clarence Boone as #1 contender in what must be the most dangerous mismatches that were ever allowed. Those were appalling, worse than anything served up to Any leading contender. But nobody cares...

 

I'm honestly perplexed this thread has gone on this long...

 

See had a grudge against Carnera and his handlers, because he discovered Carnera, and he got muscled out.

Now look at what the man is saying.

I was involved in illegal fight fixing on a massive scale, but on this occasion I am telling the truth.

I could absolutely shred See on the witness stand, and so could some children!

Gallico probably did not have any animosity towards Carnera, but he was essentially a man selling a story.
You have to think that he either embellished the truth, or did not let it get in the way of his story.

 

In most cases they were probably genuinely mistaken.

There have been various studies carried out where they stage an armed robbery (for example), and interview witnesses about the sequence of events.

What these studies find is that witnesses are very poor at recollecting the sequence of events, especially when something unexpected happens.

I think that the "invisible punch" is a perfect example of this, because it was an unusual and unexpected event.

When we play the tape back it is all too visible however.

 

Does anyone else love how Jack Sharkey deforms his own face after the fake uppercut from Primo?

He takes method acting to a whole new level.

 

You can't knock Carnera unless you are going to knock every giant heavyweight who ever won the world title. You can't have it both ways. You either like SHW or you dont.Nobody can be selective on this.

It's like nobody wants to believe giants used to be good. It's like they just appeared after 1985. Before that, they were all Oafs. No exceptions.

Since Everything that allowed a smaller man a "fighting chance" against the giant has been taken away, we now have a division of giants. Just for the giants. Some people call it evolution. But it's not really.

Primo really had to have been something especially if SHW fighters are your bag. Think about it, Primo was a rare beast. An Oaf who won a lot of big fights in spite of the fact that during his time there was a lot in place to give regular big men a chance against Oafs...and he still made it!

Trust your own eyes. primo knocked guys out. It's on film.

 

So to come back to my previous question, where do you feel that Bowe demonstrated exceptional outfighting skills, or defence for that matter?

 

I don't think you are entirely wrong here. There are a lot of good things to say about Bowe. But there are good things to say about Carnera also.

Carnera had to adapt to the time he was fighting and likewise Bowe had to adapt to the times he fought in.

Carnera was effective and Bowe was effective. It's down to personal interpretation and taste who you actually prefer. I just don't think the total ridicule of any effective fighter is in anyway justifiable.

Whatever anyone says about Carnera you cannot say he was not effective or not a real fighter. He was. Primo was effective at world level. He was a real fighter.

 

It would not be for the first time , but on this occasion I don't think I am.

 

But never at any time a great fighter, which is how you described him.