Charley Burley

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by cotto20, Jun 25, 2009.


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  1. cotto20

    cotto20 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He tuck on welterweights, middleweights, lightheavyweights and heavyweights but could not get a title shot! how good was this man could he have won at title at heavyweight was he that good? also after reading about burley and watching him on film he looks like he had it all cast iron chin, big punch, great boxing brain, and was very fast and looked very slipery
     
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    #1
  2. the cobra

    the cobra Awesomeizationism! Full Member

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    Great, great fighter. Would make my top 25 of all time. The footage against Billy Smith is all I have seen, and I think it's the only thing out there of him. Just about about every fighter of the Murderer's Row was great, guys like Lloyd Marshall, Holman Williams, Jimmy Bivins etc, Burley being the the most well known and probably best of the group.

    Wait for McGrain to tell you about him.
     
    the cobra, Jun 25, 2009
    the cobra, Jun 25, 2009
    #2
  3. cotto20

    cotto20 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Why couldnt none of them get a shot at a title? also billy smith was another good fighter kept down, no disrespect to rocky graziano or tony zale but they couldnt of lived with them guys
     
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    #3
  4. smitty_son408

    smitty_son408 J ust E njoy T his S hit Full Member

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    When your blatantly ducked by Ray Robinson it's safe to say your not getting a title shot.
     
    smitty_son408, Jun 25, 2009
    smitty_son408, Jun 25, 2009
    #4
  5. cotto20

    cotto20 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    i think burley would of beat ray
     
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    cotto20, Jun 25, 2009
    #5
  6. Thread Stealer

    Thread Stealer Loyal Member Full Member

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    They weren't "connected" and were too high-risk/low-reward. All they could muster was a "duration" title (while the champs were in WW2).

    Burley's contract was apprently bought out by Zivic after one of their fights, and Zivic became WW champ. Burley knew he wasn't going to get another fight with Zivic when Zivic was champ and had Burley under contract, so Burley looked north to middleweight for a title shot (which was not to be).
     
    Thread Stealer, Jun 25, 2009
    Thread Stealer, Jun 25, 2009
    #6
  7. Vantage_West

    Vantage_West ヒップホップ·プロデューサー Full Member

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    yeah the reasons why he never got a title was usually due to him being so unconnected and mismanaged. all honesty most of the guys on murders row were stuck in round robins becuase of none of them were "mafiafied". they wanted there own loot and the only guy at that time to be actually successful was robby. no one would believe if ray fell.

    if it wasnt for guys like them to say no. there wouldnt be a change round in policies concerning fight fixing and the such.
     
    Vantage_West, Jun 25, 2009
    Vantage_West, Jun 25, 2009
    #7
  8. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    The biggest factor was WWII. All the champions from 147 through heavyweight were all serving in the military, and the titles were frozen with all the contenders shut out of title shots. By the time those champs came out, many of those contenders were past their primes.
     
    My2Sense, Jun 25, 2009
    My2Sense, Jun 25, 2009
    #8
  9. Sweet Pea

    Sweet Pea Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    Maybe once in a series.
     
    Sweet Pea, Jun 25, 2009
    Sweet Pea, Jun 25, 2009
    #9
  10. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Graziano certainly would have had his hands full,and its strange none of the best black guys of that era made it on to Zale's resume.
     
    mcvey, Jun 26, 2009
    mcvey, Jun 26, 2009
    #10
  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Anything could happen. If your point is that in a series of three a whitewash is almost out of the question, I think you are spot on.

    Fast, slippery, spot on. He was a very sudden puncher, closing distance very quickly and landing with really hard punches from a variety of angles. Moore called him a "human riveting gun", the best he ever fought and a favourite to beat Ray peak for peak (keeping in mind Moore and Robinson had their issues). He could be out-punched, but not by a welterweight in my opinion.

    Title at HW - no. But I often think he should have chanced a move up to HW. Louis and Blackburn were both confirmed fans, especially Louis, to whom he was connected via Holman Williams so there was perhaps an opportunity to get the ball rolling there, to get connected. But Burley isn't beating any very top light-heavies, never mind top heavies. The man is a light-middleweight, basically.

    He does have a win over a genuine heavy in JD Turner. Here's an article I cobbled together for this site about that fight & a picture:


    This content is protected



    http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=17162&more=1


    As to why Burley never got a title shot -as has already been said, WWII was a factor. Burley was also a very good fighter with very bad representation, as well as one who was passed between managers (he lost one manager for knocking out his prime HW prospect in sparring :lol:). Finally, he had no grasp of the media. He didn't make loud or brash statements, he did not do self-publicity.
     
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2009
    McGrain, Jun 26, 2009
    #11
  12. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    explain
     
    GPater11093, Jun 26, 2009
    GPater11093, Jun 26, 2009
    #12
  13. cotto20

    cotto20 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I think he would of canceld ray's style out, and would of been able to match rays speed, power and chin, also i think he would of been more hungry than ray at that point in there career's
     
    cotto20, Jun 26, 2009
    cotto20, Jun 26, 2009
    #13
  14. teeto

    teeto Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    When we talk fantasy fights on here, we ask for a winner, ultimately. I pick Robinson over Burley consistently seen as though we get this one quite a lot. Burley was clearly one of the greatest of his era and ranks as an all time great middleweight in my opinion, on resume. Although for what i have gathered he was better at welterweight.
     
    teeto, Jun 26, 2009
    teeto, Jun 26, 2009
    #14
  15. JIm Broughton

    JIm Broughton Active Member Full Member

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    Too good. Too black and too avoided.
     
    JIm Broughton, Jun 26, 2009
    JIm Broughton, Jun 26, 2009
    #15
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