Stanley Ketchel appreciation thread

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Maxmomer, Apr 3, 2008.


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  1. Maxmomer

    Maxmomer Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Stanley Ketchel has long been one of my all time favorite fighters. From everything I’ve read he was a relatively crude fighter, but possessed ungodly power, stamina and was as tough as nails. He was the only person to KO Billy Papke in 64 fights. Papke was by all accounts an excellent fighter and the clear No. 2 middleweight at the time and Ketchel beat him three times, also losing once.

    Ketchel also beat ATG light Heavyweight Philadelphia Jack O’ Brian twice by Knockout (though he was past his prime in both fights, and the first was technically a no decision).

    He defeated Mike and Jack Twin Sullivan and he also knocked out prolific heavyweight Porky Dan Flynn in three rounds, the only people to knock Flynn out faster were the 6’4” Fred Fulton in 2 and Jack Dempsey twice in the first round, this despite him fighting people like Frank Klaus, Battling Levinsky, Joe Jeanette and Sam Langford.

    Ketchel also drew with ATG fighters Frank Klaus and Sam Langford. I think he would have gone on to clearly beat Klaus had it not been for his untimely death, though I doubt he would be able to beat Langford who is my all time P4P number one.

    When he died he had a record of 64 total fights, 4 losses (two early in his career, one to Jack Johnson and one to Papke), 5 draws and 54 wins, 49 by way of knockout. Pretty ridiculous KO percentage.

    Had Ketchel fully devoted himself to boxing instead of constantly drinking and whoring about, and had he not been murdered at the age of 24, he might have gone on to achieve much, much more.
     
    Maxmomer, Apr 3, 2008
    Maxmomer, Apr 3, 2008
    #1
  2. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    rip
     
    dmt, Apr 3, 2008
    dmt, Apr 3, 2008
    #2
  3. Maxmomer

    Maxmomer Boxing Addict Full Member

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    No love for the Assassin?
     
    Maxmomer, Apr 3, 2008
    Maxmomer, Apr 3, 2008
    #3
  4. rodney

    rodney Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Nothin better than fighting and ****ing.
     
    rodney, Apr 3, 2008
    rodney, Apr 3, 2008
    #4
  5. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    Except living.
     
    Russell, Apr 3, 2008
    Russell, Apr 3, 2008
    #5
  6. dmt

    dmt Hardest hitting hw ever Full Member

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    I would like to see film of him that is good quality, the quality of film i have on him is poor
     
    dmt, Apr 3, 2008
    dmt, Apr 3, 2008
    #6
  7. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    He was a master. Shedload of title defences, everything you would want in a brawling boxer. A great, great champion, now becoming underated in my view.
     
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    #7
  8. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    :lol:
     
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    #8
  9. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    An interesting what if:

    Say Ketchel was not murdered.

    He was 24 as others have said. He had started taking on the heavyweights, He might well have been the Mickey Walker of his era.
     
    janitor, Apr 4, 2008
    janitor, Apr 4, 2008
    #9
  10. klompton

    klompton Boxing Addict banned

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    Ketchel was already fading fast by the time he was killed. Hard living and tough fights had made him an old fighter and his prime was over. Many felt he lost to Klaus and he spent the next couple of days in a hospital after the fight. Ketchel himself in personal correspondence was already speaking of retiring and going into the ranching business in Missouri. I think if he had fought Klaus again the Pittsburgh Bearcat would have stopped him in a punishing fight that would have put the curtains on his career. Klaus was a monster in his prime, tough as nails, and a nightmare for a fighter of Ketchels type. In short I think the Ketchel era was over whether he was murdered or not.
     
    klompton, Apr 4, 2008
    klompton, Apr 4, 2008
    #10
  11. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    I agree. But he may have come back, added better fundamentals, become a different fighter and added to resume.

    Certianly he would have done more than he did in the grave.
     
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    McGrain, Apr 4, 2008
    #11
  12. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    To be fair though the same could be said of Mickey Walker when he steped up to heavyweight but he still tore the heavyweight division to shreds.
     
    janitor, Apr 4, 2008
    janitor, Apr 4, 2008
    #12
  13. teeto

    teeto Obsessed with Boxing banned

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    I know Walker fought at MW and took on much bigger fighters, but where i really rate him is at WW, and imo, Ketchel was a greater MW than Walker was a WW. No disrespect to Walker at all, just saying - Ketchel was one of the greatest MWs of alltime. His rivalry with Papke is of the greatest ever aswell.
     
    teeto, Apr 4, 2008
    teeto, Apr 4, 2008
    #13
  14. Russell

    Russell Loyal Member Full Member

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    Speaking of that, I have a book where Walker mentions that he feels Ketchel was one of the best.
     
    Russell, Apr 4, 2008
    Russell, Apr 4, 2008
    #14
  15. Maxmomer

    Maxmomer Boxing Addict Full Member

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    He was also the first 2 time middleweight champion. Nobody would lose and then regain the title like that until Tony Zale in 1948, I think.
     
    Maxmomer, Apr 4, 2008
    Maxmomer, Apr 4, 2008
    #15
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