Sullivans time

Perhaps Jack Burke gets sold short a bit.

He beat or drew with Mitchell, Greenfield, Kilrain and Slavin.

Many people thought that he had the better of Corbett in their ND encounter.

 

I agree with the possible Australiocentric, as i have done quite a bit of looking into Fitz' time in Australia and that is where it becomes clear just how good some of these guys were. (lack of knowledge showing up a little).

But, that is no different to everybody else's lists being more US Centric because that is where most information comes from. I think it is undeniable that the Aussies lead the world at this time. The ones that travelled to the US pretty much proved it when they arrived, before they lost focus and generally became alcoholics or stopped training hard.

I ranked Sullivan at the top, but in reality, why should he get an automatic pass when he simply did not fight the best Australians out there. It wouldnt have been that hard for him to do it, when he toured Australia. If my knowledge is correct (it may not be), prizefighting was pretty much legal in the US and Gloved rules were being used much earlier than in the US or elsewhere, so doesnt that suggest that the Australians probably evolved in the sport a little quicker?

And if we touch on a point by Matt that he made earlier, where he pointed out that the new wave wiped the floor with the 1880s fighters, well i am not so sure that happened with the Australians!

 

Yes Goddard was a good talent. He floored Jackson in a back and forth type of match vs. a prime Peter Jackson. Tom Sharkey thought highly of him.

 

One obvious guy who i even forgot to consider adding to the list was Bob Fitzsimmons.

He might have done his best work in the 90s, but he did beat Corbett (later on) who was on the list, and was in his prime and he did have some ND 4 rnders with Lees, Dooley and Slavin. What do you guys think about rating Fitz in this period even if he wasnt yet as proven as the others. I think he would definitely have beaten at least some of the guys on my list (at this time).

Janitor & matt (&others) what are your lists for the time period?

 

Just a quick note on Dooley. In most of the recent readings, i have read he seems to have been referred to as little more than a trial horse. Certainly not in the same class as Foley, Lees, Goddard, Farnon or Fitzsimmons of that time. Looking at his record on CBZ, he seems to have been very successful early in the 80s but less so into the 90s. I wonder if his fighting during his later career caused him to be characterised in this manner, perhaps a little unfairly?

And another thing. I have always wondered about his victory over Fitzsimmons. I have not been able to find a single newspaper article relating to this fight (not that my research skills are anything flash). And Fitzsimmons himself does not seem to acknowledge it in any of the interviews i have read with him. Does anyone have any information on that?

 

I read that on CBZ, but i dont think this is the case. (Well actually they could very easily know more than me). I have recently read quite a few articles of that vintage saying that Fitz beat Slade, who was Jem Mace's no 1 protege.

One of them went into particular detail about how frustrated Mace was that his protege had beaten Slade that Mace had challenged Fitzsimmons. It would seem strange that situation would occur, if it had been Slade's brother. Was he also a protege of Mace? I assume he probably was, but it still seems strange that such a mistake would be made.

 

This is a good stab at a tough topic. I like your top six.