Ketchel beaten up and KO'd by Papke : does it hurt his ranking ?

It's possible Papke just had the style to beat Ketchel. It happens.

 

Loving this thread. It's in my nature to love the "myth" fighters. Like many others, I believed in the punch to Ketchel's neck before the bell story. But always thought teeth in the glove story was bollocks.

 

An old newspaper report by Frank G Menke was brought to my attention that stated Ketchel was completely sucker punched when he went to shake hands so theres one newspaper contradiction here.

 

Dead men tell no tales.


Was part of the fix for Ketchel to get beaten and embarrassed for 11 rounds? If this was a pre-arranged distance fight that changed once Johnson was floored and according to the press on hand dazed, what other fixes was Ketchel in?


Lets' skip the a marathon debate on the knockdown, the ref says Ketchel caught Johnson in the back of the head region, which can take away a fighter equilibrium.


And while I have you reading, what was Ketchel's real weight for Johnson. I've read close to 155 is accurate. The reports of 170, no way. Like I said the web is full of wrong information about Ketchel in many areas.

 

Whats the date of the report? Menke wasnt the most reliable source either. My syspicion is that it was years later and not a ringside account. No ringside account mentions this. In fact they give a detailed description of the opening seconds and it entirely refutes that story. As I said, you can find reports that predate this fight where it is Papke claiming he was hit when he went to shake hands.

I just double checked. Menke didnt cover this fight. He was playing ball at the time and didnt start covering national stories until 3 years later.

 

Im sure youd love to skip another debate where you come out looking like an ignorant biggoted fool.

 

I think Papke was a very good top notch fighter and.....his style was difficult for Ketchel....it does not hurt his legacy if anything it enhances it as it answers the question of can he take it and is he good enough to comeback and beat him....the Ketchel- Langford fight/exhibition speaks volumes to Ketchel ability

 

Ketchel got the better of a great fighter in Papke...what’s the big deal?

 

It says 1937 ..But reproduced by permission of author so dont know if Menke was original author or not?
I know I have read this not just on the internet but in actual books too. But as Q said Ketchel was the better fighter which I agree.
BTW I do believe the Johnson fight was a fix. It just doesnt look rite on film to me.

 

Just asking what you think his weight was for Johnson. Is that beyond what you know?

 

This is in regards to Ketchel, a fighter with many falsely reported truths to his career. That was my point in the thread, remember?

For example I am aware he used cowboy boots to make himself look taller for the promotion of the fight with Johnson, and suspect his mentioned weight of 170 pounds is bogus. Well is it bogus weight or not? Klompton if he knows can answer.

So its a comment on his career, and how the web presents it. The story of the fix only adds more clouds over the career of one Stanisław Kiecal.

Another unknown point for me is how Marucie Thompson is 2-0 vs Ketchel.

 

Papke had a difficult style for Ketchel but it does not diminish his rep it enhances his legend. Just like any series where a great fighter meets his style foil it answers the questions we have of his resolve.....no great fighter gets the mantle without proving his will to walk through fire and rise. Without Ketchel Papke may have been champion.

 

Papke was a champion.