Didn't realize how banged up Louis was after Galento

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Nah, Galento took the photograph of Charles after the Louis fight.

 

:bart

This statement makes you sound like a homosexual.

:nono

:hat

 

One of the best ever? I could name 20 better hookers without much thought.

Galento could hit, but let's not make him out to be some lights out puncher. Galento went the distance many times. Louis was not that hard to hit. Galento rocked Louis in round one, and had him down in round three. Thankfully Louis came back to win the fight. Galento is the type of colorful person I do not mind in boxing, but having him as a lineal heavyweight champion would have dimished boxing and ruined Louis' legacy, even if Lousi won a re-match.

Some say if Galento landed something else during the few seconds he had Louis hurt the title would have changed hands.

 

Nat Fleischer's ranking in a Ring magazine during 1972 had Tony Galento at number 2 for the best lefts. Granted this was in 1972 and some more can certainly be added to the list, thats still impressive to be the number 2 position in 1972. Going the distance often does not always mean a person cannot hit hard. Jake LaMotta was another fighter who hit much harder than his ko % indicated.

 

well th eonly weapon galento had was a left hook...and thats exactly waht the evidence suggests

 

What about his thumbs and elbows?

 

I doubt this. Nat felt Fitzsimmons had the best knockout hook. Then there were people like Jeffries, Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Patterson, Liston, And Frazier. Each man had a better hook than Galento by a good margin. I think Nat was near the end of a long life when he said this, and must have had a " senior moment ". If someone reminded him what he said before, I think he revises his statement.

 

Heres the list from the early 70's. Opinions often change so I wouldn't be surprised if he thought Bob's was the best at some point. After Nat had died, his ratings were printed.

Best All-Around Fighter:
1. Jack Johnson
2. Jack Dempsey
3. Joe Louis

Most Courageous:
1. Rocky Marciano
2. Marcel Cerdan
3. Joe Grim

Best Puncher:
1. Jack Dempsey
2. Max Baer
3. Rocky Marciano

Best Left:
1. Stanley Ketchel
2. Tony Galento
3. Bob Foster

Best Right:
1. Max Baer
2. Jack Delaney
3. Willie Lewis

Best Jab:
1. Joe Louis
2. Cassius Clay (Ali)
3. Jem Driscoll

Best Combination Puncher:
1. Benny Leonard
2. Ray Robinson
3. Cassius Clay (Ali)

Best Body Puncher:
1. Joe Frazier
2. Tony Zale
3. Paul Berlenbach

Fastest Hands:
1. Willie Pep
2. Pascual Perez
3. Floyd Patterson

Most Killer Instinct:
1. Jack Dempsey
2. Ray Robinson
3. Joe Louis

Best Footwork:
1. Gene Tunney
2. Tommy Loughran
3. Cassius Clay (Ali)

Most Scientific:
1. Benny Leonard
2. Young Griffo
3. Jem Driscoll

Most Aggressive:
1. Henry Armstrong
2. Joe Frazier
3. Harry Greb

Best Defense:
1. Jack Johnson
2. Cassius Clay (Ali)
3. Tommy Loughran

Most Colorful:
1. Cassius Clay (Ali)
2. Max Baer
3. Ray Robinson

Most Unorthodox:
1. Harry Greb
2. Fritzie Zivic
3. Kid McCoy

Most Durable:
1. Joe Grim
2. George Chuvalo
3. Jake LaMotta

Best Counter Puncher:
1. Benny Leonard
2. Joe Gans
3. Pete Herman

Most Gentlemanly:
1. Jim Corbett
2. Dick Tiger
3. Gene Tunney

Best Uppercut:
1. Billy Papke
2. Jem Driscoll
3. Kid Gavilan

Best Infighter:
1. Jack Dempsey
2. Sam Langford
3. George (Elbows) McFadden

 

Very intersting picks in general with a few stinkers.

-Nat loved Ketchel, but if I remember correctly, Ketchel was known for his right hand, not his left hook.

- Galento having the 2nd best left to me ruins the list. Over Dempsey, Robinson, Jeffries, Fitz, Frazier, and others?????

-And how did Delaney and Willie Lewis had a better right hand then Joe Louis???

Corbett the most gentlemanly? Not a chance.

Things I'm not sure of: Papke and Driscol having great upper cuts.

 

I think Galento WAS "some sort of lights out puncher".

He knocked a lot of men out, knocked a lot of men down, he knocked a lot of men out in quick time, and is described as landing "terrific" and "powerful" blows and knocking guys out of the ring. He was known as a powerful slugger in his own time.

Ron Lipton says he saw an old retired diabetic Galento hitting the heavy bag in the 60s, and hitting it as hard as he's seen anyone hit it. Sure, that's just one anecdote, but there's a body of evidence that suggests Galento really did have a lot of power and a crushing hook. Galento's success was built on his power, his toughness and his roughness. And it's pure power that scored quick KOs and all those knockdowns.

 

Quentin Reynolds:good