----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gerry de Bruyn was never the same after he was 'beaten badly' by 'El Gato' Corletti. in 1967. Gerry de Bruyn, upon fighting Eduardo had only lost one bout in his previous '15'. He was, by far the best heavyweight in the Southeastern Hemisphere at the time.
So in Pepe's world the ATG heavyweight list starts off something like 1) Jerry Quarry 2) Thad Spencer 3)Eduardo Corletti. and Ali was just a bum who ducked all and sundry.
Two quotes stick out in my mind as were written about Corletti around the time the WBA Heavyweight Elimination Tournament was being formed: "A Corletti fight is one in which you could go to the toilet and when you come back nothing's changed." and "... watch out, Mr. Clay. This guy really is the prettiest."
October 2, 1966 Eduardo 'El Gato' Corletti defeated Jose 'Kid Tutura' Giorgetti by a Unanimous 10-Round Decision at Estadio Luna Park in Argentina. The Champion - Cassius Clay had stated the he would fight the 32 year-old Argentinian veteran Jose Giorgetti if he had defeated the young 25 year-old 'El Gato' Corletti. It was a battle of 'young' versus 'old' Argentinian Heavyweights. A fast strong boxer with 'cat-like' reflexes, versus a hard-punching mountain of man, they call 'Gigante de Quequen'. It was not to be for Giorgetti, as Eduardo at 196 lbs. was too fast and too smart, in winning 8 of the 10 Rounds. Corletti used all the tools, by scoring with fast left jabs and quick combinations to stun the veteran 245 lb. Giorgetti time and again. Eduardo Corletti, the #6 WBA-ranked Heavyweight improves to 16-2-5. Jose Giorgetti drops to 36-6-2 (33 KO's), and with it a chance at the Heavyweight Championship. Eduardo Corletti, 'I think Clay cannot fight below the equator. It is something about South America that scares him. He won't come to Argentina.' This content is protected
That couldnt have had anything to do with the fact that outside of Mathis and Corletti he never faced anyone even approaching a world class level and that both fights were his only fights outside of South Africa... At 18-5-1 when he fought Corletti exactly when was de Bruyn ever so good that losing a decision to Corletti left him "never the same" ? Ali and Corletti have several common opponents: Blue Lewis Ali WTKO 11, Corletti LKO2 Chuvalo Ali W15, W12, Corletti W10 Quarry Ali WTKO2, WTKO7, Corletti LKO1 Bugner Ali W12, W15, Corletti L10 Ill take Ali over Corletti any day of the week. You can make a much better case that Bonavena, even at that early stage of his career, had a better claim to contendership. Corletti wanted no part of Ringo who was the Argentine champion at the time. Instead Corletti preferred to run to Europe and pretend he was an Italian or Brit. Nope, Corletti wasnt even the best Italian-Argentine heavyweight in South America at the time.
That's funny, Because Jose Giorgetti has a win over Oscar Bonavena on March 12, 1966. He had 'Ringo' in all sorts of trouble, and was on his way to stopping Oscar, when Oscar repeatedly 'fouled' Jose and got DQ'd. I will give Oscar his due, as he defeated Giorgetti by 10-Round Decision one-month later in the rematch - on April 16, 1966. But you cannot defend Cassius Clay taking on George Chuvalo, 2-months after Eduardo 'El Gato' smeared him first. You could say, Eduardo softened the tough Canadian up for Cassius. 'Sir Lord', lets stick with the 'period of time' - not jump all over the place to make a point. Let's stay in 1966 and 1967.
Yeah, cause when I think soft, I think George Chuvalo. Btw, I've been trying to make it a point to avoid Pepe's threads on Ali, for the same reason that I've avoided Rooster's threads on Leonard, or frankenfrank's... anything, but just to keep things in perspective, I did a little looking at Corletti and his opponents on boxrec. (Not really a great source of course, but there was something I was curious to see.) Starting from the Chuvalo fight, Corletti basically had 2 1/2 years that he was on a winning streak. His opponents during that time had a win-loss record of 202-109. The record of Ali's opponents until his exile: 329-53. (I left out draws) Corletti's streak ended when he was KO'd by Alvin Lewis, who was promptly beaten twice by Leotis Martin. Lewis, who KO'd Corletti in 2, was in turn KO'd a few years later by none other than Ali. After that fight Corletti ended his career something like 6-12, being KO'd around 8 times. Yeah, I can see why Ali was scared of the guy! Next can we have a thread on how Ali ducked Marciano too? I mean, as long as we're making having fantasies here... please? When you shift over to current events, can we have a thread on how Pacquiao is ducking Hector Saldivia and Mayweather is avoiding Shawn Porter?
George Chuvalo was a 'chunky' 206 lbs, when he fought Eduardo Corletti in January 1966. Two-months later, George was called in as a 'replacement', at a thick 216 lbs. Too many 'Canadian Flap-Jacks' made it a little easy for the 'fleet-footed' Clay, don't you think. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eduardo Corletti was seated at 'ringside' for the Clay vs. Chuvalo bout. He left after the 5th Round, because he was falling asleep, much like the Toronto crowd and closed circuit theatre viewers. The bout was a 'dog', and the promoters took a 'Cold Canadian Bath'.
The point of this thread, as I see it, is not that Eduardo would have beaten Clay. Everything that happened with their careers after their fights against Chuvalo is extremely irrelevant. A young, unexperienced 22 years old heavyweight champion of the world who took the easy way fighting Chuvalo instead of Corletti, or London instead of Spencer, doesn't seem exagerrated at all unless we're talking about The Greatest boxer and human being who set foot on this planet.
Yes, and Corletti showed so much more potential and staying power than Chuvalo. You are also aware that Chuvalo had, in the prior year, given credible fights to both Ernie Terrell contending for the WBA title and Foyd Patterson? That Chuvalo was supposed to fight Liston if he won the second Ali bout? That Ali's only fight before the Chuvalo fight was agianst Patterson, (who beat Chuvalo) and then against Chuvalo himself, who claimed that he too was being avoided by Ali? So, if you're Ali, who's the more credible challenger to fight, the contender who has been a notable contender and has spent the past 2 years fighting everyone from nobodies to fringe contenders to ex-champs to the current WBA champion, or the guy whose only notable bouts are the win over Chuvalo and a 10 round draw with Albert Westphal, the same guy Liston KO'd in 1? Oh, and Corletti's next fights after Chuvalo was a guy who was 0-5, one that was 3-1-2, and 3-7. Yeah, he was really ready to challenge the World Champion! Imagine if Ali had fought Corletti, can you imagine he messages Pepe would be posting now about Ali fighting nobodies instead of recognizable challengers? It would be the same situation as Jesse Ferguson pulling a massive upset on Ray Mercer, then Riddick Bowe fought Ferguson instead of Mercer. Who here thinks that Ferguson was a better contender than Mercer?
The Wanderer, Not that it matters, but the records of Eduardo Corletii's opponents, you must have found on Box/Rec, which does not post every boxers correct records. Telmo Gonzalez was not 0-5-0. He was a 28 year-old Argentinian 190 lb. Heavyweight with a record of 27-5-0 (12 KO's). Silvestre Serena was not 3-1-2. He was a 31 year-old 175 lb. Light-Heavyweight who had been boxing since 1955. His record was 37-1-2 (30 KO's). Alberto Benassi was not 3-7-0. He was a 33 year-old Argentinian Heavyweight who had been boxing since 1954. His record was 43-7-0 (11 KO's).
Can you post your proof? Preferably showing that it's sure the record were legit, and not fixed by promoters and such, ala the whole Don King and the Ring American Heavyweight tournament from the 80s?