The Hardest Men To Ever Step Into The Ring

Carmen Basilio
Rocky Marciano
Ron Lyle
Jerry Quarry
Sam Langford

 

George Chuvalo

Craig Bodzianowski

Joe Grimm

 

Some of my picks woulds probably include:

Joe Frazier (first name to come to mind)
Marvin Hagler
Marciano
Dempsey
Chuvalo
Quarry
Basilio
Lamotta? (Don't know if you'd count the thrown fight with Fox against him)
Mosley? (Nice guy, but never gave up, stepped back, or quit, not even when Forrest was beating the **** out of him in their first fight).

Chavez would have been on the list through his first 90 fights or so, but the behavoir with the second Randall fight, as much as I love Julio, is questionable for this category.

Having trouble thinking of any others right now.

 

Jeffries.

 

Carmine Basilio
Rocky Marciano
Joe Frazier
Jerry Quarry
Jack Dempsey
Marvin Hagler
George Chuvalo
Evander Holyfield
Arturo Gatti
Chuck Wepner
Mickey Ward

And in the non-traditional fighting style sense Muhammad Ali. How could he not deserve to be on this list. He was blinded and although he did want to cut his gloves it was to expose Liston. He went on the Lions den and took body shots from Liston and came back to make HIM quit. Fought through a broken jaw with Norton. Got up and kept fighting like a champion in FOTC. He toughed it out against Foreman taking tremendous body shots. He willied himself against Frazier in Manila. He outworked the younger Spinks in the 78 rematch. He took a beating from Holmes without being the one to quit first while being completely dehydrated, faded, and shot as a fighter.

If I had to pick a top 3 fighters for this thread it would be (In no order)...

Arturo Gatti
Rocky Marciano
Carmine Basilio

This is the ultimate Italian fighter thread in a way I guess in my mind. In reality, it's an ultimate Arturo Gatti thread. What a warrior. Unbelievable. Good timing for a thread being not too long since he died. Rest in peace champion.

I also think Marciano and Basilio are top picks. Basilio would tell you that closed eye didn't matter in the SRR fight. He fought bigger men and trenched forward with resilence. Marciano took batterings, cut noses, and just refused to be denied.

 

I think LaMotta deserves to be off the hook. Its all well and good us lot discussing how wrong it is to throw a fight but unless we were in his situation, knowing you'd never get a title fight without taking a dive we cant really take the moral high ground. In fact I know I'd have thrown the fight, I simply wouldnt have been able to live my life knowing I never got a shot at the title. For me LaMotta is one of the toughest guys to step in the ring, for sure.

 

Talking about Gatti, his great rival Mickey Ward was a hard man as well.

 

Ah how did I miss that one. I agree with you on Lamotta but because of the criteria the OP wanted I excluded him.

 

But neither were Ivan Robinson, a true warrior, who brought more out of Gatti (overall) than Ward.....

Peter Buckley deserves a call on this thread as well; ditto Marion Wilson.

 

Good call. :good

 

Marciano
Ali
Frazier
Greb
Basilio...
I've been reading up on Fitzsimmons, Ketchel, and Langford lately...and my appreciation grows and grows. Incredibly tough minded fighters.... Never say die.

Addendum: Walker!!! Can't forget the "Toy Bulldog".

 

I would disagree with this. Robinson as a fighter was much superior to Ward. Ward beat Gatti in a close contest. Gatti could find a way to out-muscle Robinson. I feel Ivan fought too brawl-like and not smart enough in order to try winning. Ward would never give you every ounce he had. Ivan hurt Gatti at times but Gatti started to overcome him and break him down. He was a warrior but I don't put him ahead in this category.

 

Surely that proves his hardness? Despite having the brains (as you mentioned) to win, he still preferred to win it the hard way!

 

Fighting on one leg and being good. Wow.