I was watching interview with Mr. SRR and Graziano and when he was asked who was the hardest puncher he faced he mentioned a guy called Artie Levine. I said to myself jeez he was very hard puncher when Robinson said he hit harder than Zale,LaMotta,Zivic,Amstrong.... I then went to check his record because Graziano also claimed the same thing. I was then not suprized when I check his record and life: At 5' 8", he was a right handed slugger, with an orthodox fighting style. His left hook made him a fighter who no one looked forward to facing in the ring. He was trained by Charley Goldman, the fabled trainer of boxing legend Rocky Marciano. From 1941–42, Levine fought twenty-seven times with only two losses, and won by knockout an impressive seventeen times. I also found that Robinson didn't kill Doyle but this man did like Carnera didn't kill Schaaf but Baer did! On March 11, 1946, Levine matched skills with Jimmy Doyle in Cleveland, Ohio, defeating him in a ninth round knock out. Levine later told a reporter that Doyle nearly died in the ring as the result of the blows he received and required a respirator to stay alive. Doyle died a year later in a fight with Sugar Ray Robinson. Levine claimed the experience affected his aggressiveness in the ring, and reduced his desire to stay with boxing as a career.
Graziano never fought Levine. Sugar..was almost kayoed in the fourth round. A left hook, followed by a right cross, both to the chin, put (him) down and almost out...Sugar rose unsteadily and called upon all his ring skill and stamina to last out the round...Sugar had several other close calls during the course of the evening. Artie's left hooks and resounding right crosses occasionally found their marks and with telling effect. Robinson's class and body punching were taking their toll from the heavier Levine as the bout progressed. Sugar started the tenth with knockout intent. With the round about two minutes gone, Sugar paralyzed Artie with a right to the solar plexus. Then Sugar became a 'killer,' throwing punches with reckless abandon to both head and body with the result that Artie was beaten to the floor."
I knew they didn't fight, but in the video Rocky did agree with Rocky as if he had sparred with him, or at least seen him fight a few times. idk
They sure could. I have never thought of Turpin as one of the big bangers, but he does get underrated in that department.
