I would like to know your opinion on "ranked" fighters in 70's and earlier eras. Does being ranked in top 10 or top 20 (particulary at HW) meant something? There was only one belt (two when Ali was banned) so it wasn't that easy to crack to that group. There were many fighters and only one (or two) belts and ranking. So i pressume that being "ranked" was something legit. But were then many green table operations pushing fighter to the top 10? Like he was very popular or having got good promoter or connected caretaker? Second question: does somebody has a source to monthly HW rankings of The Ring? Or maybe Top 20 ratings (annual or monthly)? cheers!
jaffay, It seemed, that if you could get your Heavyweight figher a bout in NYC, at Madison Square Graden, that helped big time in getting your name in Ring Magazine. If not in the Top 10, the secondary 11 thru 20 list. Roger Russell, a pretty good quick-fisted, but light punching Heavyweight from Philadelphia, was in and out of the Top 15 every other month; October 1967 thru September 1968. Even when he didn't fight,,,,,,,,????? Ring Magazine
Judging from his record he shouldn't be that high... 1967/1968 he decisioned Leotis Martin and got a draw with Folley, later on he went really bad...
