Mickey Walker vs. Kid Gavilan

Saying that he did not knock out anybody with a pulse is like saying that the welters of that era are largley forgotten. Dave Shade for example is an all time great welterweight who should have held the title.

In any event would you give him more credit if he had knocked out the welterweights but had not knocked anybody out at heavyweight or light heavyweight?

 

Yes, assuming the welterweights had a pulse.

I'm not really impressed with Walker KO'ing big bums. Truth be told, the only knockout I really give Walker credit for is the KO of Tommy Milligan ( - Mike McTigue was pretty much through when Walker stopped him).

 

Dave Shade is a fighter that broke his arm when Walker stopped him.

Got any other examples of great or even good welters that Walker stopped?

 

Dont know if he we as better ,but it isnt outlandish to suggest it is it?

 

Lets look at Arthur De Khu.

He was a trial horse or fringe contender type of 223 lbs.

His only career knockouts were at the the hands of George Godfrey, Tony Galento, and Mickey Walker. In other words the only other people to KO him besides Walker were among the top heavyweight punchers of the era.

And Walker did it in 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

He had a recent win over Paul Berlenbach. It was more after the Walker loss that he really went into the tank.

 

Nope, Rodriguez was the Harold Johnson of 147lbs in regard to how underrated he was.

 

You have pointed out to me some trends which I had not previously noticed.

I will make two observations however-

1. Knockout percentage falls off verry rapidly when you step up in quality of competition or step up in weight.

2. Walker has an abnormal career profile in terms of the number of world class and bigger oponents he fought.

 

In De Khu's very last bout mind you. He was a bit of a hack at the best of times, but this was a hack on his last legs.

 

Perhaps. But he had losses to Loughran and Sharkey immediately before the Walker bout, and did nothing after those losses.

 

Well Sharkey was a dang heavyweight. And Tommy Loughran was the 2nd best light heavyweight of his era(Behind Jack Delaney)

You cant hold thsos loses against McTige can you?

 

He was expected to lose to both, but the point I'm trying to make is that he did nothing after those losses. So was he through right there, or was it only after the first round KO to Walker that he was done?

 

That Walker was knocking out bigger men is strong evidence for him being a great puncher in his natual weight class. But his record at welterweight doesn't seem to back that conclusion up.

Now, either:

1. The opponents at welterweight that he knocked out were good but have been forgotten
2. The opponents at welterweight were just better boxes and avoided tasting Walker's best bombs
3. Walker was a rare exception to gain power when he rose up in weight
4. Walker was never that big of a puncher once you analyse his knockouts of bigger men

I think the truth lies somewhere between points 3 and 4. Walker probably gained power as he reached full maturity in his mid to late twenties, but was in any case never really a monster puncher, despite having good power.

 

I think it's more 1 and 2, than 3 and 4.

Most of the records from Walker's era are lost.