Does History do John L Sullivan a disservice?

It's another example of relativism. I would argue that Johnson's skillset was "better" or more advanced given the parameters of boxing after 1920. I'd also have to argue that his opponents were of a better class. However, Corbett was great, yes, for his time.

Comparing and contrasting the tale of the tape between Wlad and Jess shows virtual twins. I see their styles as more similiar than not as well. Dempsey handled Willard the way a smaller, more dynamic, elusive, and heavy punching man should handle a giant.

When did boxing peak? Well, I have down to a year: 1949. By the fifties there were complaints of closing clubs due to TV and dying trainers active in the 1920s. I believe that the trainers were and always have been the keys to great boxing. This really is the crux of why Duran is among the top 10 greatest fighters ever -he learned at the feet of two old Jews who were there in the twenties. Their body of knowledge made Dundee look like a babe in the woods and Dundee himself ackowledged that he used to carry towels for Arcel and Brown at Stillman's.

Stillman's -what John Garfield rightly refers to as "The Center of the Boxing Universe."

...It closed in 1959...

 

Interested post Stonehands. Nice chatting.

By the way, out of curiosity -have you decided to continue some sort of sequel to your Gods of War series? I remember you had two ideas you weren't sure about. Would be terrific if you continued it. Provoked such good discussion, but more importantly got people to dig and research even more themselves. Beautiful prose. I know it's a lot of work, though.

 

I might have taken a stab with 1920.

 

This debate/discussion was an unmitigated pleasure. I hope that we disagree more often.

I have calculated and identified the 25 fighters whom I believe were the greatest ring generals since 1920. Doing 15 more essays on them is daunting to say the least, but, as of now, I'm going to include it in the appendices of a manuscript (working title: The Gods of War: Boxing Essays) that I'm working on.

 

That is a compelling thought, janitor.

 

My reasoning is that this period probably boasted the greatest number of profesional boxers in continental North America.

The periods strengths include deep divisions in the Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Lightweight and Flyweight classes.

 

Sounds great Stonehands:good. I look forward to reading the first installment. While you're showcasing those gents I will be hard at work with the lesser-sung pugs of the past for my little series. This should be fun and informative:smoke