Zale gave Jake a miss and opted for Graziano

While Champion Zale never fought top contenders Lamotta, Holman Williams, Charley Burley, and Ezzard Charles back in 42. He opted to have big money fights with Graziano.

He was also lucky enough to be serving in the army when Archie Moore was a top contender. I think all would of defeated him.

 

Yeah, cant really blame him for taking huge money fights with Graziano when past his peak do. But would of like to see him give Williams, Lamotta or Burley a shot, like a true champion.

To be onest I sometimes see Zale in top 100 lists, and I think that overrating him. He was a good solid fighter who maybe achieved more than he should of and got the right fights and avoided the wrong fights.

 

You guys are selling Graziano (and Zale) short here. He was rated as the leading MW contender by the NBA following his win over Servo, and was favored to beat Zale the first time. Obviously, he doesn't go down as being as good as someone like LaMotta or Burley today, but at the time he was rated right on par with either of them and considered just as credible a challenger.

 

Although Rocky was a top contender, he was still behind Lamotta and Burley in the pecking order for a title shot....FACT

 

Not exactly. This was the NBA's rankings in April 1946, when the fight was first signed:

1. Graziano (named "logical contender")
2. Georgie Abrams
3. LaMotta
4. Holman Williams
5. Burley

 

Ring Magazine Rating As Of 1946
1.Jake Lamotta
2.Charley Burley
3.Rocky Graziano

Lamotta in 1946 was 9-0-1. Which included wins over Holman Williams, Tommy Bell, Tony Janerio, Bob Sasterfield.

Burley in 1946 was 5-0 and had lost just once in his last 27 bouts, which included wins over Archie Moore.

Both were more worthy challagers to Zale's Title.

 

No, that's the Ring ratings from February, 1947.

That still doesn't change the fact that the NBA rated Graziano as its leading contender when the fight was signed in April of that year.

 

But you're judging them partially from retrospect and what they did afterward, which is unfair. As I said, Graziano was the NBA's leading contender in mid '46, and was favored to beat Zale. Besides, it was probably the most in-demand fight from the public - hence the reason it was such a big money fight.

 

No Lamotta and Burley also should of been NBA number #1 contenders in reality. But for some reason Graziano was given the spot.....Pretty suspicous on the NBA's part.

At the end of the day Burley and Lamotta were more proven contenders at 160lb and should of been given the title shot before Graziano.

 

No the ratings were 1946
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine's_Annual_Ratings:_1946

Why so much love for Graziano? Lamotta and Burley were much better and more worthy fighters for Title shots.

 

It says right on there, "As selected by The Ring magazine in the February 1947 issue."

 

That's your view, but that doesn't change what the facts were, nor does it make any sense to blame Zale for not taking into account how someone 60 years in the future will view his choice of opponents.