i read that Stanley ketchel knocked out four heavyweights in in an amateur one night tournament a week after his final victory over Thomas, is this true or not
According to this book, it's true https://books.google.com/books?id=l...ocked out 4 heavyweights in one night&f=false
Given more time, Ketchel could have been the greatest middle of all time, I've always thought. Savage. I have him number three nonetheless.
A number of early 20th Century sportswriters wrote that Stanley Ketchell was the greatest middleweight of all time. Yet Ketchell was a top fighter for only three or four years. - Chuck Johnston
Yes, why is ketchel so highly regarded now...was he that good...he is hardly impressive on film...was his chin and mental toughness that great?
Ketchel was a spent force when he was murdered. I dont think he would have accomplished much more. He freely admitted that his health was wrecked through high living, he was still suffering from the KO loss to Johnson, and that he intended to retire. Combined with the fact that the talent in the division was only getting more fierce and better all the way around and i dont see Ketchel accomplishing much more. He came along when the division was weak and fractured and cleaned it up, the next best guy, Papke, Ketchel basically ran neck and neck with so he wasnt head and shoulders above real talent. With guys like Klaus, Dillon, McGoorty, Gibbons, Clabby, and men of their class the division was just entering an incredibly deep phase. I dont know that Ketchel navigates that mine field. That book by the way is garbage. One of the most poorly written and researched bios Ive ever seen. The author was on here several years ago spouting all kinds of nonsense. One of his gems was that Ketchels biceps measured bigger than Carneras (spoiler alert: they didnt). Another was that Ketchel was in plans to defend his 158 lb title against 200 lb Sam Mcvey. He never explained how Mcvey planned to lose 50 pounds to accomplish that title challenge but... the guy had a ridiculous hero compkex when it came to ketchel and it doesnt surprise me that he printed an unverifiable story with no citations in which ketchel did something unbelievable.
