Ring Magazine once asked Cus D’amato what he thought about Roberto Duran…he said that Henry Armstrong and Benny Leonard were better
Conteh is a good man, Anubis, but he is also, contrarily, a sockdologizing old man-trap, if ever I have seen one!
Bob Foster was not impressed by Virgil Hill at all …he actually ripped apart a photo of Virgil at a Hall of fame ceremony….( Virgil Hill broke Bob Foster’s record for most light heavyweight title defenses )
well you've started the thread in a mocking bias tone... no one ever says they are 'Hapless Novices', they State that Most of the Greats, particularly from Better Era's are FAR Superior, and they are. just look at a Top Fighter with over 100 or many more fights for either side of 20 years competing, well just look at the amount of TOP Fighters they fought Win or Lose... that is the difference. you want an example, as I always state, 'IF' RJJ (who is a great fighter), would have competed the same, "don't you think a Tarver would have bounced him a lot sooner?" I would say YES!!!
George Benton had some negative things to say about Mike Tyson before the Tyrell Biggs fight …Benton trained Biggs
He don't know the manners of good society, eh? Hmm...should we start calling him Abraham Booth, John Wilkes Lincoln, or Our British Cousin? (Harry Hawk is too obscure, methinks...)
I believe I recall, that in Nat Fleischer's 1st all time Heavyweight list (in the early 40's), he ranked Joe Louis at #2 all time, behind Jack Johnson. If I remember correctly, Jim Jeffries was at #3 then. After Joe's comeback. Nat dropped him down quite a bit. Then later brought him back up some. For whatever it's worth, I believe there were some indications in the later years of Nat's life that he was considering expanding to a top 20 Heavyweight list. Further more I think there were indications that Muhammad Ali would have topped that 2nd 10, at #11 all time. Edit: Corrected "late 40's" to Early 40's."
The Banana Man predates Boston Tom I believe... Billy Miske deserved a title shot | Page 2 | Boxing News 24 Forum (boxingforum24.com)
Ha ha, love this and i'm now dying to use it in conversation. But as I live a Jeremiah Johnson type existence in the Rocky Mountains and my only communication with the natives is 'Covfefe" (said in different tones), I may be waiting a long time.