1930-1955 is the absolute golden age of boxing from lightweight to middle weight all of the contenders were amazing. Jimmy Leto 5 fights 3 of them with ATG's, and 2 of them in just under a month, could You imagin, Julio Ceasar Chavez JR fighting Martinez and Cotto 3 times within 5 fights, and facing them back to back in just under a month. 1941-01-20 152 Georgie Abrams 160 37-4-2 Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland, United States L PTS 10 10 1940-12-09 149¾ Chalky Wright 127 101-25-16 Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland, United States W MD 10 10 The weights are correct for this bout. Wright did in fact give away 22 3/4 pounds. Wright won most of the early rounds but faded, probably because of the big weight differential. 1940-11-11 148 Cocoa Kid 150 123-32-6 Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland, United States W KO 3 10 The Ring (February 1941, page 58) stated that Cocoa Kid was counted out for the first time in "over 93 starts." The Kid was ahead on points when Leto nailed him with a left hook that sent him to the floor for a 9-count. After he arose a righthand to the jaw put him down for the full count. 1940-10-03 151 Eddie Dolan 145½ 76-5-3 Randolph-Clowes Stadium, Waterbury, Connecticut, United States L PTS 10 10 referee: Jim Galvin 1940-07-08 146½ Cocoa Kid 147¾ 121-30-6 Carlin's Park, Baltimore, Maryland, United States L UD 10 10 1940-06-13 Saverio Turiello 75-36-31 Bulkeley Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut, United States W PTS 10 10 Turiello was down seven times in the first round, but "Leto was never able to land a solid damaging punch after the first round." (The Ring. September 1940, page 51. 1940-05-27 Frankie Terry 32-7-5 Valley Arena, Holyoke, Massachusetts, United States W TKO 6 10 This content is protected This content is protected
I love the lower weights up to middle from about 73 - 85 All my fav fights Gomez v pintor Hagler v hearns All bobby chacon fights Arguello v pryor Zarate v gomez Duran v moore Hearns v leonard Brooks v curry The list goes on... A great era of which we are unlikely to see again If there was only more footage from 1940s id probably vote that era
different eras, imagin heanrs, hagler, duran, leonard, benitez fighting each other 4-10 times each the records would be different, i wish i was around back then there was an amazing fight every other week.
Luke, Jimmy Leto at his best was a terrific LW/WW. He fought anyone he could get in the ring and beat Charley Burley, Fritzie Zivic, and ko'd Cocoa Kid...Mean looking guy...I once met him when he was retired...
:good. Push it back 2 years so you have the FOTC in there as well as TIM and RITJ mixed in with Frazier Foreman I and II Ali Norton trilogy and the introduction of Holmes domination in the late 70s. Also I think it's plausable to argue that the introduction of Tyson was the end of the golden age. This is no disrespect to Tyson but his style is certainly that of a more modern fighter.
There have been a few golden ages. I'm fascinated by the forties. Robinson,Gavilan,Burley et al. My favourite golden ages that I've actually lived through are the early/middle seventies for heavyweights and the eighties for welters/middles.
I count the Golden Era as 1920-1950. Baseball, Horse Racing, and Boxing were the three big sports in America and boxing was big in Europe as well. The television age began in the late 40s and it spelled the end of that era because the clubs couldn't compete and only a relatively few fighters got exposure. The clubs groomed fighters but began rapidly closing down because they couldn't compete with TV. American GIs went to college instead of the ring. Those tough Jews from the lower East Side of NYC became civilized. Less kids were going into the ring because times weren't nearly so desperate after WW II. The mob got entrenched in the sport with the IBC and monsters like Bert Lytell got blackballed. Before television, boxer's fought so damn much it became a lifestyle. What does that mean? Better fighters! What the hell else could it mean? After television, the celebrity factor kicked in and there were fewer clubs, fewer cards, and the fewer fighters. When there are fewer fighters, there is less experience. As time went on, the great trainers died off and their tricks began dying off too.
Well, for me the 70's were my personal Golden Age, but in a historical perspective, I'm torn between the 20's and the 30's.
