I find it difficult knowing where to place Ketchel and Sanchez, for example. We longingly wonder what could or would have happened. Which other fighters do you consider top 50 (or 100, ATG P4P), in spite of an early demise? (For the record, I have Ketchel top 30 and Sanchez somewhere around 40 regardless. Is that silly?). It's one of my particular interests, and I'm more fascinated here by boxers outside the heavyweight division. Thank you to the forum in advance. I learn every day.
Ketchel was essentially done ,a burnt out case addicted to the opium pipe ,and his whoring had given him an unpleasant surprise downstairs.His manager was reduced to bribing his opponents to lose /take it easy .A longer life would not have enhanced his all time status imo. Sanchez? It's hard to say he may have racked up some more notable wins,or he may have lost to Pedroza. I'm inclined to think that terrific fighter though he undoubtedly was, he has benefitted from the James Dean/Marylin Monroe syndrome.ie dying before his prime began to wane. One guy who may or may not have gone on to greater things,but for his untimely death is Les Darcy.
Masao Ohba died in very similar circumstances to Sanchez, at the same age. Spooky. He was a top flyweight though, some great wins and real great H2H ability. One of Japan's best fighters.
Darcy is a good case in point. Turned pro at 15 , won National titles at welter, middle and heavyweight, beat solid world class fighters, scored a comparitively high KO% compared to other top ranked contemporaries, had last fight at 20, dead at 21. Rated on what he did he was clearly a very, very good fighter and getting better. But there is a tendency in Australia amongst some to rank him on the what if factor. Some rate him as one of the best middles ever which considering how deep that division is simply isn't true. He may have been if he hadn't died but he simply didn't do enough in his lifetime. I personally think he was a phenom who would've made a big impact on the world stage and would've met and beaten some more top flighters but also likely dropped fights to some of the elites in the US as he moved up in weight. Of course I can't prove that either which I guess is the point of the thread.
Ketchel looks awful on film. I think we saw his best results anyway. Sanchez is an all time could have been. A rare aggressive type who could counter punch. The other guy for me is Ike Ikeabuchi. He went to to toe with Tua when Tua was at his best, and tracked down and took out a prime Chris Byrd. Still developing as a boxer, he committed crimes and went to prison. Up to this point he showed a iron jaw, and enough speed to track down a quick boxer type. Plenty of power too. A developing jab...an all time could have been. Probably would have beaten a mid 1990's Tyson. A very dangerous fight for Louis. Would have pounded Bowe, and Moorer in 1996. Almost a criminal fight to make vs the older Foreman.
That's the guy I was thinking of most, I think he might, might have over powered Manny at 135, just no way to know
Benny 'Kid' Paret deserves a shout. He had won the welterweight title and his rivalry with Emile Griffith ended tragically at a young age for him. It would have been interesting to see how his career would have gone had he lived on. While the thread focuses primarily on other than heavyweights, Luther McCarty remains a curious what-if case. There was talk of matching him with then-champion in-exile Johnson. Would he have been ready at that point? Could he have done what Willard did in 1915? A match or series with prime McCarty and prime Dempsey has intriguing possibilities.
I feel like Paret, although fairly young, would not have been champion again in the future if the final fight had been stopped early enough to save him. Although not that old, he'd taken a lot of damage over his career even before the final fight. How long could he really go on like that?
