Marcel Cerdan - Underrated?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Beau Geste, Jan 15, 2010.


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  1. turpinr

    turpinr Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    humez ,langloise,villemain,jean stock were all good middles during the post war period with cerdan being an elite class welter.
     
    turpinr, Jan 16, 2010
    turpinr, Jan 16, 2010
    #16
  2. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    All good mentions. The French have produced many good middleweights over the years. Not recently however. Of course Marcel Thil in the 1930s and in the seventies Jean Claude Bouttier and Gratien Tonna.
     
    Beau Geste, Jan 16, 2010
    Beau Geste, Jan 16, 2010
    #17
  3. trampie

    trampie Well-Known Member Full Member

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    #73 :good
     
    trampie, Jan 16, 2010
    trampie, Jan 16, 2010
    #18
  4. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    I believe this post is a good example of underrating Cerdan. When he beat Holman Williams he was injured and Holman had beaten Charley Burley and Archie Moore in the past 12 months.

    Also his win over Zale came just a couple of months after Zale looked awesome in the third Graziano fight.

    Rarely mentioned is his win over another very underrated middleweight named Georgie Abrams. Abrams beat a tremendous array of top middles in the 1940s, including a draw with Charley Burley, and Cerdan gave him a whipping.
     
    Beau Geste, Jan 16, 2010
    Beau Geste, Jan 16, 2010
    #19
  5. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    It was WW2 and France's capitulation that screwed him more than anything. It prevented him from getting any fights at the world class level during the whole of his prime years.

    It would've been great to see how he would've fared had he gotten those fights, but in the end we'll never know.
     
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    #20
  6. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Agreed. That would be Marcel Thil.
     
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    #21
  7. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    That's basically the bulk of his career achievements right there, and yet I don't really think that's a relatively lot for a fighter who had more than 100 fights over 15 years. Consider also that the Williams and Abrams fights were very close and possibly could've gone either way, and that LaMotta was himself injured (a broken left hand) when he beat Cerdan.

    I don't think he can be called "underrated" because he simply didn't prove enough to be rated higher than he generally is. If anything, he's probably overrated for that reason.
     
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    #22
  8. My2Sense

    My2Sense Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I never heard that. I'd always read it was a close and competitive fight, and Abrams actually surprised a lot of people by giving Cerdan as good a fight as he did, as Abrams was considered clearly past his peak and hadn't looked good since coming out of the service.
     
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    My2Sense, Jan 17, 2010
    #23
  9. SLAKKA

    SLAKKA Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Do me a fav and don't assume they Burley/Abrams draw was a draw.
    Burley clearly won, gave up poundage, and got a draw!
     
    SLAKKA, Jan 17, 2010
    SLAKKA, Jan 17, 2010
    #24
  10. Boro chris

    Boro chris Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Didn't Cerdan beat Randolph Turpin as well?
     
    Boro chris, Jan 18, 2010
    Boro chris, Jan 18, 2010
    #25
  11. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    I believe he beat Randy's brother Dick Turpin.
     
    Beau Geste, Jan 19, 2010
    Beau Geste, Jan 19, 2010
    #26
  12. SLAKKA

    SLAKKA Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Surprised nobody's mentioned Anton Raddick giving Marcel life and death.

    Recall Ring Mag dream fights, early 90s, Cerdan vs Burley with one of the pollsters being non other than Eddie Futch, who of course favored Burley. I'll try and find it.
     
    SLAKKA, Jan 19, 2010
    SLAKKA, Jan 19, 2010
    #27
  13. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    Well Adams hadnt had a good win in about 4years and wouldnt score another quality win again. And Williams was still on the downside of his career 170fights in at 34.
     
    PowerPuncher, Jan 19, 2010
    PowerPuncher, Jan 19, 2010
    #28
  14. Beau Geste

    Beau Geste Active Member Full Member

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    After Abrams lost to Cerdan he lost a split decision to Ray Robinson.

    A fight the ringside press scored for Abrams, as follows.
    • Unofficial UP scorecard - 6-4 Abrams
    • Unofficial AP scorecard - 6-3-1 Abrams
    So Abrams was far from washed up when he fought Cerdan.
     
    Beau Geste, Jan 20, 2010
    Beau Geste, Jan 20, 2010
    #29
  15. Ezzard

    Ezzard Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Definitely... Speak to boxing people from his era and they speak very highly of him. Ezzard Charles thought he was the world's best fighter when he saw him fighting in North Africa.

    Robinson was the fight he needed.
     
    Ezzard, Jan 21, 2010
    Ezzard, Jan 21, 2010
    #30
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