Anyone think The 1940's Heavies Were On A Par With The 1970's?

Agreed.. One of my idols ( Apollo Creed ) might never have existed.

 

It is what it is. Darmani Rock could be the best the USA has had in 15 years. He was a jr world champion. But Jr's fade as they move up to the men's senior. We'll see. He has a lot of hype next to his name. On the plus side he's from Philly.

[url]http://www.teamusa.org/usa-boxing/athletes/Darmani-Rock[/url]

 

Interesting thoughts on boxing history

 

Doesn't mean he wasn't in fact rated for three years running.

 

McVey (Post 129)

"Why not just provide your own list of names as they apply to the two eras"

Okay. My criteria to make my list is to be champion, or to be rated in the top five of a yearly ranking, or if not in the top five, at least three years in the top ten, or specials for which I will give reasons.

Top 25 for each decade

1940's

Joe Louis
Max Baer
Arturo Godoy
Buddy Walker
Billy Conn
Lem Franklin
Bob Pastor
Melio Bettina
Jimmy Bivins
Tami Mauriello
Turkey Thompson
Roscoe Toles
Harry Bobo
Lee Q. Murray
Curtis Sheppard
Joe Baksi
Elmer Ray
Jersey Joe Walcott
Ezzard Charles
Lee Savold
Joey Maxim
Archie Moore*
Harold Johnson*
Buddy Baer*
Lou Nova*

Moore--Not rated at heavy in the 1940's, but beat Bivins, Walker, and Sheppard in the 1940's

Johnson--Not rated at heavy, but beat Bivins and Godoy in the 1940's.

Buddy Baer--Never in top five, but deserves spot because of great effort against Louis.

Lou Nova--Never in top five in 1940's, but deserves spot for ending Max Baer's career.


1970's

Joe Frazier
Muhammad Ali
George Foreman
Oscar Bonavena
Jerry Quarry
Mac Foster
Jimmy Ellis
Ron Lyle
Floyd Patterson
Ken Norton
Joe Bugner
Jimmy Young
Duane Bobich
Larry Holmes
Leon Spinks
John Tate
Gerrie Coetzee
Mike Weaver
Earnie Shavers
Jose Luis Garcia
Chuck Wepner
Alfredo Evangelista
Ernie Terrell*
Sonny Liston*
Gerry C--ney*

Garcia, Evangelista, and Wepner make the list by being rated three different years.

Terrell--made a comeback against third-raters, but KO'd Garcia

Liston--a name from the fifties and sixties, but did beat Wepner

Gerry C--didn't beat anyone of note in the seventies, but who else is there?

***Just a point of clarity. There were 28 men who were ranked in the top five at one time or another in the 1940's. There were 19 in the 1970's. All the 1970's guys made it, but I knocked out several from the 1940's.

 

"Prosecution rests."

Hamilton Burger would be proud.

 

So?

There were more fighters per se in the 40's than there were in the 70's. So it stands to reason more would be ranked. The question is how high the 70's Heavies would have been ranked in that era, because I doubt more than half of those in your list ( 40's ) would have been ranked at all in that decade.

Lets take Billy Conn for instance. He is no 5 on your list, I would confidently say that the first dozen guys you have listed in the 70's would beat Conn with ease.

 

These lists are in historical order--just how soon they appeared in the yearly rankings.

"There were more fighters per se in the 40's than there were in the 70's. So it stands to reason more would be ranked."

Why? I don't think that follows at all. After all, a very small percentage in any era get into the top five.

"I would confidently say that the first dozen guys you have listed in the 70's would beat Conn with ease."

Jimmy Ellis? A 35 year old Patterson? Mac Foster? Bonavena? Quarry?

with ease?

Whatever. But I wouldn't bet my money on those guys winning at all against the Conn of 1941.

 

Yes, he was.
But was not a contender - or any description - then, or ever.
imo.

Obviously the RING magazine ratings people thought otherwise.

 

He was, and he didn't deserve to be.