softest hitting middleweight.....

Teddy Yarosz would be a strong candidate.

 

Hugo Corro

 

How did corro ever beat valdez?

 

Valdez seemed to age rapidly when the youth advantage he had over Briscoe was taken away. Also, Corro was an excellent boxer, with a quick jab and fine lateral mobility, who actually enjoyed training, and said he decided to retire when he lost pleasure in the conditioning process.

Immediately after his draw with Hagler, Antofermo emphatically stated and repeated for Cosell and the ABC cameras that he'd much rather take on Marv in a rematch than face Corro again. Hugo Corro was an unusually dull and colorless champion, but an excellent and defensively tight technician. In 1978, the most avoided middleweight contender in boxing wasn't Hagler, but Olympic Gold Medal winning southpaw speedster Ronnie Harris, the fastest man in the division. Corro took him on and rallied late to turn him back. (Ronnie was on the brink of turning 30, and still undefeated when he finally got his shot. If Monzon can be accused of ducking anybody, it would be Harris much more so than the twice beaten and once drawn Hagler.) Antuofermo indicated that Corro was a harder puncher than was commonly supposed. (I'd want to hear Vito himself clarify that however.)

 

svenn ottke, although he was a super middle

 

Ken Overlin

 

Vito said that Corro landed hard to the body..but really, this and the "Monzon decks Frazier" stuff dosen't make Vito sound too reliable...someone should treat Vito to a pizza lunch one day and get him to 'splain himself on these things..

 

A good hearty wine with that lunch is an absolute must for Vito as I see it, preferably a whole bottle to loosen his tongue.

Corro did have Valdez hanging on a bit, and Rodrigo was not a frail middleweight.

Interestingly, Corro and Antuofermo both finished with a record of

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. Hugo had five more stoppage wins. Whatever the truth about his power, I don't think he's a contender for the title of this thread, when just over half his wins came inside the distance.

The statement that he'd rather fight Hagler than take on Corro again does ring true to me, coming immediately following that draw, and taking into account the fact that he didn't have to go looking for Marv. (If you recall, Antuofermo was interviewed first, and instantly agreed to a rematch before Hagler knew anything about it, or had a chance to issue a second challenge. Vito's outspoken alacrity earned Hagler's respect, and I don't recall anybody in New England protesting Antuofermo getting his return at Minter after Roland Dakin's despicably outrageous conduct in Vegas.)

 

When I spotted this thread, I somehow had suspicion his name might come up. I don't think Ottke belongs in this discussion, LH. He never came within six pounds of the maximum limit for what is the marquee lighter weight division in boxing. If it was ever possible for him to weigh in at 160, he would have done so at some time in his career. Prior to the advent of the SMW class, he would have definitely been competing at 175.

Initially more of a close call for me, and I had to resort to some straw picking here. Not having been an eyewitness to both Overlin and Teddy Yarosz, I had to check on a certain other website to look for reported knockdowns. I saw exactly two credited to Teddy. I counted over 20 by Overlin, one on a young Ezzard Charles. Combined with the fact that Teddy had the slightly lower KO percentage of the two, I felt more comfortable going with him.

 

Oddly enough, I was a fan of Corro...being, as I was, A fan of Argentine middleweigthts in the wake of Carlos Monzon...maybe it's a sign that I could be somewhat masochistic or something, but I was impressed esp. by Corro's second fight..a defense with Rodrigo Valdez..I know Valdez was done and over with, but it was such an effortless, skillfull display by Corro..I thought the lad was a fine boxer, however colorless and dull...but I learned that his style and lack of macho fire and swagger made him VERY unpopular with his fellow Argies..among fighters, especially Galindez, who didn't like Corro's style one bit.

 

It would likely be Spinks if he got the rightful decision against Taylor. If Holman Williams got a title shot in his prime it may have been him

 

Cheers Duo.

 

pisses me off just seeing his name typed after what happened in the Reid fight:fire:fire

 

What endears Ottke to me was that when the chips were REALLY down for him, against Mundine, he did come up with a classic peach of a punch...at least it was what he needed to do away with Mundine.