Best five wins from the best contenders

contender of the day

Manual Ramos

1----Ernie Terrell
2----Eddie Machen
3----James Woody
4----Tony Doyle
5----Floyd Joyner

Manual Ramos ended with a career record of 24-29-3 with 17 KO's. He is like Tom Heeney though in having a run in which he beat good names and earned a legit title shot. Ramos stumbled out of the gate and went 7-6-2 in his first 15 fights, but then turned it around with a 13 bout winning streak, including his big wins over Machen and Terrell. Both were slipping, but both still had enough left to score impressive wins after losing to Ramos. These decisions earned Ramos a title shot against Frazier who blew him out. After that, it was rapidly down hill into opponent and finally pushover for record padding status.

Ramos strikes me as much like Heeney. I think Heeney had a bit better career, but as Frazier had several title defenses, I have no problem with Ramos getting a title shot. Ramos had reasonably earned it. Heeney had earned his shot also, but in retrospect I wish we had seen Tunney tested by a more dangerous opponent in one of his only two defenses. Frazier was eventually so tested.

 

Okay, so, I know I'm a bit inconsistent with this. But I'll give these two ago since I'm pretty familiar with them and love watching the pair of them.

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• Wladimir Klitschko
• Ross Purity
• Carlos De Leon
• Johnny Nelson
• Bert Cooper

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• George Foreman
• Razor Rudduck
• Carl Williams
• Pinklon Thomas
• James Tillis

I'm seriously overwhelmed. Especially when it comes to Morrison. Sure, he has better all-round names and more depth, but he has four old men and a bonafide journeyman. However, Sanders has a couple cruiserweights and a couple journeyman, topped off with an ATG. Weird for someone so talented, he could've been elite if he had the chance.

Although, I do really like the idea of a shout-out between these two.

 

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• Rex Layne I
• Rex Layne II
• Nino Valdez II
• Nino Valdez I
• Jimmy Bivins

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• Eddie Machen
• Cleveland Williams
• Zora Folley
• Doug Jones
• George Chuvalo

 

OK, we have one who I feel is pretty clear and another who may have all kinds of differing fighters on his ledger. But here we go.

Ernie Terrell

1) Zora Folley
2) Eddie Machen
3) Cleveland Williams
4) George Chuvalo
5) Doug Jones

Bob Baker
1) Nino Valdes
2) Rex Layne
3) Jimmy Bivins
4) Johnny Holman
5) Jimmy Slade

Although Terrell's is self-explanatory, Baker's requires a lot of explanation. On my criteria, I'm trying to nail down a contender that really was relevant at that time. I think the Valdes and Layne wins were outstanding, Bivins - although experiencing a few losses - was still a relevant fixture. The win over Holman was part of the elimination tourney after Rocky abdicated, and Jimmy Slade was experiencing a good stretch coming off wins over Clarence Henry and Hurricane Jackson when Baker beat him. Baker had wins over veterans Joe Baksi and Julio Mederos, but Baksi was on a comeback and Mederos - although coming off his greatest win over Roland LaStarza - was really only a journeyman. I would also classify some of his wins as over prospects and not yet relevant such as Chuvalo, Dick Richardson, Willie James and Coley Wallace (although I do think Wallace was rated at #10 by this time). But Gazelle, I do like your explanation on the Chuvalo win, which was cool. It is a rather deep resume when there are so many options.

 

A bit underwhelemed by

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, only Valdez at peak;
Valdez
Layne
Baksi
Chuvalo
Bivins

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Bob Baker

1----Nino Valdes
2----Rex Layne
3----Jimmy Bivins
4----John Holman
5----Cesar Brion

Jimmy Slade--could easily be subbed for Brion, but I went with the big heavy. Joe Baksi--coming off a long layoff except for a tune up against a pushover. Hadn't really done much against good competition since the Charles loss. Chuvalo--too green. I went with Valdes in the top spot as he was prime. Layne and Bivins were past their best. Baker has an extremely deep resume of second-tier or somewhat past it guys, but came up short against the top men pretty consistently.

Ernie Terrell

1----Zora Folley
2----Cleveland Williams
3----Eddie Machen
4----George Chuvalo
5----Jose Luis Garcia

Not making the cut: Bob Foster--didn't do anything at heavy. Doug Jones--seems to me was way past it. Machen in 3rd place--I think Williams and Folley were still going good, with Williams peaking. Eddie seems to have been on a pretty severe down slide. I was underwhelmed watching the films of the Machen and Chuvalo fights. An okay list, but I think somewhat overrated.

 

Contender of the day

Mike Schreck

1----Marvin Hart
2----Tommy Burns
3----George Gardner
4----Tony Ross
5----Hugo Kelly

Perhaps the most interesting white contender of the 1900-1910 era, with wins over two heavyweight champions and one light-heavyweight champion. He KO'd Hart and Gardner. Overall his record was 66-20-25 in 113 fights with 39 KO's. One of the few southpaw contenders until decades later. Has a very spotty stat record and they really went with draws back then. He would have been an interesting opponent for Johnson.

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of this era than I might comment on Schreck. I understand he was considered a terror at the time.
(Sorry, couldn't help myself)