Is Tony Zale a top 20 all time Middleweight

Furthermore, is Graziano top 20? Since that was the actual root of the argument.

 

Erm, no. You said Graziano was a top 20 MW, I said he wasn't even close. Then I said neither was Zale. You having Graziano top 20 is a much worse opinion than me not.

Either way. Present your case for Zale being top twenty.

 

Apparently he was prime after that long break, so there's nothing special about him coming back and beating Graziano. If he was prime, he should've done that anyway. As for his résumé; there's easily more than twenty better than: Rocky Graziano, Al Hostak, Fred Apostoli and Nate Bolden. Easily.

 

I don't quite agree with George that it's an outrageous opinion, but yeah I don't see it. His resume is good, but not stacked with killers or anything. Part of the reason is the history of the division itself, middleweight is ridiculously deep. To put it in perspective, I don't really see a reason to rank him above say Nino Benvenuti, who I might rank in the top 25 or thereabouts.

 

I would say no, not 73 years after his last fight. There have been a number of great middleweights over the last SEVEN decades.

But, when he retired, Zale was solidly in the top 20. Probably top 10.

 

I don't think it's an outrageous opinion. I think having Graziano top 20 is outrageous.

 

Whoops, apologies for misunderstanding. Yeah I think that's a fair statement.

 

Short Answer NO,

he is a Great, of course he is, but that is not a unique stat, it is equated with THOUSANDS of Great fighters... lists are an impossible quest.

Boxing History is litered with Great fighters.

 

Deep, deep division, historically. I wouldn't argue too hard with those, who have Zale inside their Top-20, but I don't have him in mine.

That said, Zale was building up a head of steam, pre-war. When he returned to boxing, post-war, I guess securing himself financially would have played a big part in his fight selections and the trilogy with Graziano provided that, I suspect.

Although, I wouldn't have Graziano in my Top-20.

 

Arguably. I haven’t done an in-depth middleweight list but I imagine he’s either just inside or just outside the top 20.

 

Heeeelll no.