1 how did he get the shot at lamotta for the title and why?(who else was there lamotta could have chosen outside of graziano) 2 how would he fare today? he beat some respectable fighters in his time.
He got his shot when Graziano punched a tree, breaking his thumb, to get out of his fight with LaMotta. They needed a sub and he was on hand. He was the European Middleweight Champion and had recently been showcased at MSG. He had also only been defeated once (by DQ) and had beaten some of the best European fighters in addition to journeyman MW/LHW Dick Wager (the MSG showcase fight) who had recently fought a really exciting fight with LaMotta.
