Max Schmeling vs Ingemar Johansson

I hope you're not suggesting that there was any diving involved.

 

Worst dive ever. (LOL) Almost as bad as when Ken Norton took a dive against Cooney.

 

I'd like to remind some of the participants in the Classic Forum that there's more to the history of boxing than what you see in the old films. You can bash Johansson all you want, but he was great for boxing throughout his championship reign, which is more than you can say about Schmeling, who started his tenure writhing in pain on the canvas. Boxing was in a lull in '58 ''59, and '60. The IBC monopoly and the mob influence in boxing was being exposed, there were state and federal investigations being conducted, and there were calls to ban the sport altogether in the United States. As far as championship competition went, there was nothing much going on in the top three weight divisions to hold the average sports fan's interest. The middleweight and light heavyweight divisions were both ruled by old men who were handpicking their opponents and trying to hang on to their titles for dear life. Ray Robinson went almost two years without defending the middleweight title at all, and Archie Moore tied up the light-heavyweight division from 1958 to 1961 with two fights against the over-rated Durelle. The most excitement Robinson and Moore were generating was talking to each other about fighting for the rocking-chair championship of the world in a fight that never came off, thank goodness. Meanwhile, before Ingo came along, Patterson was "busy" dodging his top two contenders, Eddie Machen and Zora Folley. Johansson breathed life into the sport and got boxing back on the front pages of the sports sections and onto the covers of the national and international magazines. He was handsome, engaging, and was always doing something to promote himself and the sport in a positive way. His reign was short, but he had a charisma which generated more interest in boxing to the average sports fan during a one-year period than anyone since Joe Louis.

 

Good post. I actually haven't considered Ingo's importance at the time; you're case is certainly more than plausible. I just believe that Johansson's skills and resume are severely over-hyped.

 

You were not impressed by his knockout win over Henry Cooper in 1956, the kayo over Machen in 1958, and Floyd Patterson in 1959?

 

Um what??? You're not... suggesting Machen took a dive are you?

 

Schmeling was a better all around fighter than Johansson who did not show much except a big right hand. Schmeling KO.

 

I was. It's his third best win.

 

Schmeling does a number on him ..

 

I would pick Schmeling to stop Ingo