Let’s talk about Jeff Chandler

Someone on here recommend some of his fights and I was mighty impressed by Jeff! Great boxer but could also mix it up. Also literally just been reading about him in the excellent Tris Dixon book Road to Nowhere, he doesn't have his money but seems to be doing OK although frustrated that his career was derailed by an eye injury. He really wanted to unify and get some big fights but they never came, if only he had been a Welterweight!

 

I know Jeff and have spent some time with him. Unfortunately his mind isn’t what it was but his wife is a saint and really takes good care of him. He’s a happy guy and he loves to see the fans and watch the fights.

A great fighter in his prime and excellent to watch. I personally love his style, excellent boxing skills but liked to get down and fight too. I think if it wasn’t for his eye problems and the painkiller taken before the Sandoval fight he’d likely have gotten around to unifying and made a few more defenses.

 

Didn't he QB the Atlanta Falcons in the late 90s?
Took em to the super bowl if I'm not mistaken

 

Joltin Jeff Chandler, I really wanted to see him unite the belts against Lupe Pintor.

 

Possibly a bit of era bias but i regard Chandler as a great fighter and find him underrated. He was a genuine boxer/puncher ad had loads of assets with no real weaknesses at all.

I'm a big fan of Pintor too and feel they would have put on a fantastic fight.

 

Glad he is being looked after well, thanks for the story!

 

The same year Chris Chandler took the Falcons to the Super Bowl, Chan Gailey (full name Thomas Chandler Gailey) was head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

 

I liked the way he shook his glove like a rattlesnake.

Also, we shouldn't mix him up with the actor, Jeff Chandler.

 

Never seen a rattlesnake shook a glove

 

I don't recall seeing Chandler inlcuded in top 10 all time BW discussions very often, if at all.

At #11 he falls just short of mine, but I think his record warrants being inlcuded in the discussion.

He went 27-2-2 at BW, including 9-1-1 in lineal world title fights. According to my notes only Manuel Ortiz, Panama Al Brown & Johnny Coulon won more lineal BW world title fights.

I suspect it's a lack of depth in his win resume that keeps him out of people's top 10 BW's, but he still beat Julian Solis x 2, Jorge Lujan, Eirjo Murata x 2, Gaby Canizales, Oscar Muniz & Johnny Carter, which isn't too shabby.

His only 2 x losses were to Oscar Muniz by SD, which he avenged, and to Richie Sandoval in his last fight, when he may have been past prime &/or weight drained.

A damn fine BW, imo.

 

He was the complete fighter who could do almost anything in the ring, very skilled boxer-puncher and its impressive knowing that he started late without much amateur background. It's a shame that he and Pintor didn't meet in the ring, a win over the other would have catapulted their standings as one of the best BW.

 

He’d developed cataract issues in both eyes by then. In addition to which, he injured his arm (or shoulder) and without testing a painkiller properly, took it the day of the fight and it left him feeling really drowsy all day. He should have been pulled out the fight but I’m guessing there was some concern on his part that perhaps he wouldn’t get past the eye exams for his next fight. Of course, he retired shortly after due to his eyes. With all due respect to Sandoval, I don’t think he’d have beaten the best of Chandler. Their common opponent, Gaby Canizales absolutely wrecked Sandoval, but also worth noting that Sandoval was dangerously struggling to make weight for that one.