If Wills Had Fought Tunney?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mcvey, Sep 20, 2011.


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  1. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Wills was still going strong, Langford was going blind.
    Norfolk was 7 inches shorter than Wills,Langford 9 inches.
     
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    #31
  2. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    He was going blind when?

    This did not keep Norfolk from clowning 6'6 Bill Tate on film. It is not as if Wills was only facing opponents who were around 5'7. It just happened to be that Norfolk and Langford were pretty good at this time.
     
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    #32
  3. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBvbJxEOnh4[/ame]


    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oebhNQeFh9A[/ame]
     
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    #33
  4. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    " Wills was still going strong,"
    Langford was going blind.
    After the 1917 bout with Fulton, Langford began to lose his vision ,he had 5 fights prior to that with Wills he won 2 by ko, drew 1 and lost 2 decs.After Fulton ,Langford fought Wills 8 times ,the best he could manage was 1 draw.
    Of course Wills had improved,but Langford had deteriorated too.
     
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    #34
  5. bodhi

    bodhi Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Tha Chagaev fight could NOT have gone in Ruiz´ way. Stop making stuff up.
     
    bodhi, Sep 21, 2011
    bodhi, Sep 21, 2011
    #35
  6. TheGreatA

    TheGreatA Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I was under the impression that you were saying Langford was going blind in all their fights but I was wrong about that. Wills and Langford did have three additional bouts before the Fulton fight (two of them were scheduled for less than 10 rounds), making it a total of 8 fights. The newspapers had Wills edging them. Wills aside from the 19th round KO loss seemed to have Langford's number from 1914 onwards. He was not able to stop him until Fulton had accomplished the feat though.
     
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    TheGreatA, Sep 21, 2011
    #36
  7. Swarmer

    Swarmer Patrick Full Member

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    When do you suggest Wills' prime was? After Fulton and Langford?
     
    Swarmer, Sep 21, 2011
    Swarmer, Sep 21, 2011
    #37
  8. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    It is hard to extrapolate exactly what Wills strengths and weaknesses were. While his style was seen by some as beeing ugly, there seems to have been little question that he deserved the decision in his key fights.
     
    janitor, Sep 21, 2011
    janitor, Sep 21, 2011
    #38
  9. guilalah

    guilalah Well-Known Member Full Member

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    If Tunney had suceeded in defeating Wills would that increase Tunney's stock for a fantasy h2h with Lennox Lewis?
     
    guilalah, Sep 21, 2011
    guilalah, Sep 21, 2011
    #39
  10. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    With the dearth of footage available.
    I think a look at his results over quality men would be the best guide ,what about you?
    But certainly post 1917 probably from `1918, when he beat Langford for the coloured title, until maybe 1924 ,when he beat Firpo that is from age 29 to 35, he may have been slowing up against Firpo , but the Argentinian was too clumsy to exploit it. Fortyfive fights in that time with only one loss a dsq to Tate and, a draw four days later, are the only fights he did not win in that time.
     
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    mcvey, Sep 21, 2011
    #40
  11. JWSoats

    JWSoats Active Member Full Member

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    Had Tunney and Wills met in 1926 it would have been a spectacular victory for Tunney, as it was for Jack Sharkey.

    Remember Gene Tunney was a man who carefully studied and analyzed his opponents. Had he met Wills, prime for prime, it would have been a tough fight, but a prime Tunney would have been a tough match for any heavyweight.
     
    JWSoats, Sep 22, 2011
    JWSoats, Sep 22, 2011
    #41
  12. Bummy Davis

    Bummy Davis Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Tunney was so much advanced as a boxer for heavyweights of the day, he had a solid defense, had good size but fast hands and feet, Gene beat some quality lower division fighters and I feel he would have been too quick of hand and foot for Wills and took a decision. Tunney light on heavyweight resume but still showed plenty...I think he beat Wills IMO
     
    Bummy Davis, Sep 22, 2011
    Bummy Davis, Sep 22, 2011
    #42
  13. Hank

    Hank Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Tunney fought 71 times without loss, so what if most or all were White? Do you consider Black fighters superior?

    Wills fought Firpo, won decision, but lost to Sharkey and Uzcudum, and was beaten badly by both.
     
    Hank, Sep 22, 2011
    Hank, Sep 22, 2011
    #43
  14. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    It is.
     
    McGrain, Sep 22, 2011
    McGrain, Sep 22, 2011
    #44
  15. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Haven't seen Chagaev-Ruiz, have you?

    I think i gave Ruiz two, ten and eleven. He was outclassed.
     
    McGrain, Sep 22, 2011
    McGrain, Sep 22, 2011
    #45
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