Barbados Joe Walcott v Thomas Hearns @147

Italians and Irish, and to a lesser extent Jews, got organized on a grander scale than the block for prohibition. They saw it for what it was -a gold mine.

The shadiness in the sport at the turn of the century was different -more localized. Have you seen Charles Bronson's "Hard Times"? You should. You'd like it. And Bronson understood the mechanics of boxing.

The cobweb era comes to end when we could see what we are analyzing on film, when the sport became more organized, and when the basic rules as we know them now came into play.

They couldn't do a damn thing to the Italians. That's a fact. They'd have ended up in barrels in the Hudson River.

Abolutely! Although, you know that Capone made a bit of an offer to Dempsey....

I would consider it. But would you consider the possiblity that Corbett would not far well against modern greats in his weight class?

-I tip my hat to you, and agree.

Hahha! Nice.

 

We are far more capable of analyzing Winston Churchill than we are of Caligula. It's a matter of degrees.

However, we do the best we can with what we have. Which is why it is fair to refrain from making conclusive statements about the "all-time" greatness of Joe Walcott. It is and always will be a stretch to argue that he would whip Marvin Hagler or Thomas Hearns or Gene Fullmer when there is only reports and no film and so many differences in style and rules between then and now.

Walcott was great for his time -on that we can shake hands.

But the objective evidence is not so lacking as it is for turn of the century guys.

Nah -guys needed protection -be that in the form of public exposure or good managers or at times, shady guys.

Fair enough. But I'd consider probability and what the film strongly suggests...

 

A man who's nickname is "Little Boots" couldn't possibly take out the Lion that was Churchill! I think that Churchill belly-bops him out of the ring.

Well, the rest of the story, which we've gone over ad nauseum, would in my opinion tip the scales considerably if the time machine could only bring them here (15 rounds, neutral corner, etc...).

That sounds good.

We all have our passions. And please don't think for a moment that the pioneers aren't interesting to me as well. I have great respect for them... and that is why I don't believe that most guys today would survive 15 rounds with many of them. Men were iron then. Diet be damned -it's a state of mind.

Sure, and it sounds like a nice debate for another day. Consider making a thread about that...

 

Sure, but let's not forget that Caligula was sleeping with his granny and sister. Women weaken knees.

Well, then it's hello Jack Johnson.

 

I think you might be missing out a little.

As you know I am a paleontologist and geek. I have spent the last four years of my life studying how a group of prehistoric fish swam. I can spend hours crunching data sheets and the payoff is the magic moment when I discover something about this fish which has been extinct for hundreds of millions of years that no human being has ever seen. You can get adicted to that.

Classic boxing can offer the same hit. Anybody can dig up newspaer articles about a long dead boxer and find an element they never expected.

 

I'll leave the prehistoric fish to you, paisan, but keep me posted.

As to where the focus is for me, it's a matter of practicality. I still mix it up in the ring and the films help me to make the adjustments necessary to improve my ability to grant concussions. Your discoveries are intellectual... mine are that and more -they're applied. Film is a better training tool than articles... It may be akin to your getting into a body of water and swimming like those ancient fishes!

 

This fight would be pretty bewildering to see, I'm not even sure being that much smaller than someone could be called a disadvantage considering that Walcott is much more used to fighting men the size of Hearns than Hearns would be used to fighting men the size of Walcott.

Walcott hung in there with some genuine heavyweights, also some solid middleweight\LHW punchers like Dan Creedon, George Gardner and Joe Choynski. I think he can take what Hearns dishes out better than Hearns could take what he dished out.

 

A GREAT matchup--would pay top dollar for a good seat to this one! Ultimately I have to go with the "Hit Man"--I think he's got a few more weapons in the arsenal!!

 

I might have to bet on the Hitman taking this one- business is good for Hearns today.

 

Don't know it this was posted already. Time stamped...Interview with the man.

This content is protected