Tell Me About Tony Zale

I dont know much about the man other then he was one hard guy,heres two clips from youtube for others to judge if they like

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Check out the finish from about 6 minutes in well brutal:good
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Marcel Cerdan was one hell of a fighter,ive seen some knock him on here,but he looked liked a wonderfully entertaining fighter.
So there you go one win and one loss,a bit to talk about if there is any other interest.

 

Tony Zale may have been the greatest body puncher who ever lived. His first match with Graziano may have been the greatest war in boxing history. After they traded knockdowns, the aging and rusty Zale looked like he was finished. Despite a fractured right thumb, he came back, and dropped Rocky for the count with a paralyzing right to the guts and hook to the jaw. Although this battle was televised, the telecast apparently wasn't supplemented with recorded footage. However, Zale won his rubber match against Graziano with the same combination he took the first one with, and that footage was filmed and is widely available.

He was an excellent defensive fighter, although there's not a great deal of film showing his skill in this area. No less an authority than Billy Conn praised his ability on defense. Resilient, and tough as nails. Sometimes, he seemed utterly immune to pain. His "Man of Steel" nickname apparently predates the 1938 creation of the Superman character, although dated confirmation of this claim is needed.

Tony Zale accrued an amateur record of 87-8 boxing in Chicago's outstanding program. He could be dropped and beaten, but managed to shrug off setbacks to keep advancing his career. His boxing legacy is diluted somewhat for his having served in the Navy during WW II, effectively freezing out the black murderers row of MW contenders from having a chance to challenge Zale for his mothballed title. A tough, resourceful customer.

Let's hope this spurs some better informed responses. Maybe JohnGarfield witnessed Zale performing in competition.

 

I can't explain the numerous KO losses in his career, because it was well-known that Zale was a tough SOB. By the time he fought Graziano, he was already past his best. Nonetheles, they put up two murderous fights, with the 3rd and last being a bit one-sided in Zale's favour. That right to the body followed by a left hook to the jaw that felled Graziano like an ox was a classic combo.

Graziano said that for years afterward he would wake up after nightmares induced by their second fight (which he won) and said it was painful for him to even look at pictures from that fight.

Zale was certainly past his best when he fought Cerdan, one of the best middlewights in the world.

I'd love to add more, but I'm no expert on Zale. I just wish he was discussed more in the classic section, because he was a tremendous fighter.

 

Zale was something of a late bloomer, who had an early spotty record somewhat similar to the embryonic phase of Henry Armstrong's career. But between the time he turned 25 and the middle fight with Graziano, only the much larger Billy Soose and Billy Conn were able to beat him (Conn, rebounding from his legendary loss to Louis, had to go the distance, as Soose did. Conn wasn't known for his power, but he'd previously taken out Pastor with a bodyshot, and we've all seen how he buckled Louis with his hook.) Even during his peak, Mamakos, Hostak and Abrams were able to drop him, but Hostak got bounced eight times in the round following his flash KD of Zale, and Tony established his tremendous endurance in the other two fights.

 

Exciting fighter I can tell you that

 

Tony Zale deserves credit for being to get through WW2 and still be a viable fighter. The War ruined many good fighters. Billy Conn was young but he was finished after the war.
Zale had uncommon discipline and dedication to keep that title.

 

NO!

He/they Fought More, the More you fight the more defeats & KO's will come... especially against Fellow, just as capable TOP Men.

people get lost in Wins & Losses, without 'reminding' themselves; "Oh wait, this guy / these guys, had Well over a 100 fights.

Not just 30, where a few Ko's against say only a Dozen Top men in your career might concern.

it's the Numbers in Quantity that Contextually account for and Validate such careers.

think of Roy Jones X 3 times the amount of Fights, would he have met a Tarver SOONER, would he have risen to the Top or perhaps even fallen away... Context!

Zale was a great fighter, among Hundreds during those times. Simple.

 

Power is generated from the feet. Big punchers, if caught with their feet planted, especially if their momentum is carrying them forward, can unravel spectacularly. This is not a judgement of a Fighter's chin but the facts of life in a sport where violence is condensed into a science.

 

God was he good.

 

He was, absolutely.

 

Did some research, other than the Graziano trilogy and Marcel Cerdan fight.. His bout with Fred Apostli, George Abrams and Steve Mamakos is spoken highly according to boxrec:

Tony Zale vs. Fred Apostoli
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Tony Zale 162 lbs beat Fred Apostoli 164 lbs by PTS in round 10 of 10

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• Date: 1940-11-19
• Location: Civic Auditorium, Seattle, Washington, USA
• Referee: Tommy Clark

"Freddie Apostoli and Tony Zale ran the fistic gamut in a crowd-pleasing hair-raiser last night which saw Zale score three knockdowns and take a 10 round decision before a near-capacity house. It was a non-title affair. Zale, NBA middleweight champion, weighed 161 1/2; Apostoli 164 3/4. Those who came to see whether Apostoli was washed up, saw a grand battle by the San Francisco Italian although he took a quite a lacing. Freddie took an early lead, lost out in the middle rounds, came back to take the 9th and was winning the last round until Zale floored him seven seconds before the final bell. Zale, from Gary, Ind., scored his first two knockdowns with terrific right hands to the chops in the 6th. Apostoli's left scored the most points for him, while Zale relied on those rib-shattering body punches. Fred's nose and face were puffed and bloody the last five rounds." -Associated Press

Tony Zale vs. Steve Mamakos (2nd meeting)
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Tony Zale 159 lbs beat Steve Mamakos 157 lbs by KO at 0:26 in round 14 of 15

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• Date: 1941-02-21
• Location: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Referee: Tommy Gilmore

World (NBA) Middleweight Title. Zale "cut loose a terriic two handed attack late in the 13th, surging back after Mamakos had dominated the fight for two rounds". Zale "in the 5th came within seconds of losing his title, taking a severe lacing late in the stanza. One of Mamakos' punches sent him down but he was up without taking a count and was reeling under a barrage of lefts and rights to the head as the bell rang". "Mamakos had an edge going into the 13th largely through his aggressivness and ability to take anything Zale had to offer. Then Zale set off the fistic dynamite that turned back the challenger". He "cut loose a terrific two-handed attack" late in the round. "He landed a straight right that reached his opponent, followed by a left to the body and a right to the face that sent Mamakos reeling to the canvas. Mamakos was still down when the bell rang at six, had to be helped to his corner and was still groggy when the 14th started, and was quickly despatched". (Associated Press)

Tony Zale vs. Georgie Abrams
Tony Zale 158 lbs beat Georgie Abrams 159 lbs by UD in round 15 of 15

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• Date: 1941-11-28
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
• Referee: Billy Cavanaugh
• Judge: Charles Draycott
• Judge: George LeCron 8-7

"Tony Zale of Gary, Ind., became undisputed middleweight champion of the world tonight by blasting out a 15 round decision over Georgie Abrams of the Naval Air Corps before 12,000 fans at MSG. Zale, already recognized as 160 pound king by the NBA, gained recognition also by the NY commission through tonight's unanimous decision - a verdict which he won after rising from the floor in the 1st round and fighting back from groggyland in the 8th. Zale treated the fans to one of the finest exhibitions of right hand punching to body and chin that any middleweight ever turned in, as he provided the division with its first universally recognized ruler since Mickey Walker relinquished the title in 1931." -United Press