Mike Caseys rankings

Thanks for your reply.Casey was I believe, pally with Hank Kaplan who would qualify imo.

 

Adam certainly is an example of a diligent researcher who give impartial accounts and presents both sides of a story if they are there to be presented.

 

I believe that is very often the case!

 

That was a qualitative assessment comparing Lewis' heavyweight pedigree to Tunney's. Let's review.

Tunney fought the following heavyweights.
Jack Clifford x2 182 pounds 0-6 and later 2-8 record
Dan O Dowd x2 175 pounds (a heavy?) 13-10, later 15-18
Ole Andreson 168 pounds (a heavy?) 7-6-5
Charley Weinert 184 pounds 29-5
Jack Renault probably in the 190's, 19-3
Jack Burke x2 184 pounds, then 176 pounds, 4-1, then 9-2
Italian Jack Herman 188 pounds, 4-9
Erminio Spalla 191 pounds, 33-4
Tommy Gibbons 179 pounds, a career lightheavy in the last fight of a very long career
Ray Thompson 180 pounds, 0-8
Jack Dempsey x2
Tom Heeney, a middling hamandegger who lost to .500 fighter and TWICE to Fainting Phil Scott

That is truly the stuff legends. No way in hell that Lewis' resume stacks up to that.

 

I'm making no apologies for Casey's rankings ,I just took issue with you implying Tunney only had 2 fights at heavyweight. Heeney had recently beaten Jack Delaney
drawn with Jack Sharkey ,beaten Jim Maloney,and Johnny Risko and drawn with Paulino Uzcudun. He was an acceptable challenger.Gibbons had lost 1 fight in the previous 3 years and that to the champion Dempsey.

 

I love this post and only have the slightest idea what it means.

Bravo!

 

Ross Purrity 31-20

 

Ross was 24-13 when he faced a pre-prime Waldo.. but let's look further...

Axel Schulz - 28-3
Phil Jackson 42-8
Paea Wolfgramm 18-1
David Bostice 22-1
Monte Barrett 23-1
Chris Byrd 31-1
Derrick Jefferson 23-2
Charles Shufford 17-1
Frans Botha 44-3
Ray Mercer 30-4
Jameel McClines 28-2
Fabio Moli 29-2
Danell Nicholson 42-4
Davarryl Williamson 20-2
Eliseo Castillo 18-0
Sam Peter 24-0
Chris Byrd 39-2
Calvin Brock 29-0
Ray Austin 24-3
Lamon Brewster 33-3
Sultan Ibragimov 22-0-1
Tony Thompson 31-1
Hasim Rahman 45-6
Ruslan Chavaev 25-0
Eddie Chambers 35-1
David Haye 25-1
Tony Thompson 36-2
Mariusz Wach 27-0
Francesco Pianeta 28-0-1
Alex Povetkin 26-0
Alex Leapai 30-4
Kubrat Pulev 20-0
Bryant Jennings 19-0

Oh, yes, but they all sucked. Nothing like those sub-.500 185 pounders that Tunney faced.

Seriously, soak in the difference in breadth and quality (and size). Soak it in. And come back with some tired bullsh*t about the good old days.

 

True
But modern matchmaking is different and more refined than it was in Gene Tooneys time.

Almost nobody had 0 to two losses.
Think about it. If records told the whole story, how did Wlad lose to he guy with the worst one?

 

I understand the conditions and variables but the overwhelming difference in qualitative measure of opponents extends well beyond such rationalization. Tunney can't hold Wlad's jock at heavyweight. They are not even in the same league given all evidence. Factor in Tunney's record at lightheavy and examine in terms of pound for pound and we have a different story.

 

Well said.
Another thing to consider is that we hadn't really seen tested with real adversity at any time in his career.