February 1946 This content is protected , Champion This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected Here is February 1947 Rankings This content is protected , Champion This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected Notice anything goofy?
No. Here was the NBA's rankings for April 1946: 1. Graziano (mandatory challenger) 2. Abrams 3. LaMotta 4. Williams 5. Burley 6. Belloise 7. Cerdan
So we have to ask ourselves which is more important Ring Magazine or NBA rankings. I think the consensus is Ring Magazine rankings are more imporant. Especially since in other threads, you argue about Ring Magazine ratings constantly. Fact of the matter is Burley and Lamotta were BOTH ranked ahead of Graziano by Ring Magazine. Ring Magazine certainly did not and never thought Graziano was worthy of a number 1 ranking. For good reason too.
Depends on what you choose to look at. Ring doesn't/didn't have the authority to mandate a challenger, or strip a champion of his title for failure to defend. Furthermore, NBA rankings were often the ones that were given credence in newspaper reports, not Ring's. And NBA too. When? You only posted the rankings for Feb. '46. Could you post the rankings for April please?
NBA. Because The Ring dont strip their recognition from fighters who dont fight the number 1 challenger. The Ring dont withdraw license to contest a title match in any of the United States.
