Tony Galento. How good?

while we're dispelling myths, has the jack johnson v jack dempsey fight been dispelled?

 

From Mike Casey

http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/casey/MC_DempseyFeature.htm

"Gruff, strict and taciturn, the legendary and brilliant Lou Stillman ran his famous New York boxing gym with a rod of iron. Like Ray Arcel, Lou could be shy and guarded in giving his opinion of different fighters. One has to remember that such special men – along with the likes of Angelo Dundee, Manny Steward, Buddy McGirt and Teddy Atlas today – are constantly quizzed on which fighter they think was the best. They are so wary of getting into endless arguments on the subject. Many fans don’t react kindly when a trainer’s verdict doesn’t happen to dovetail with their own.

Stillman saw thousands of fighters over a great span of years: champions, contenders, preliminary boys, ordinary men just working out. But one day Stillman saw one thing he never forgot. It was the angry punch with which the retired Dempsey knocked out Tony Galento in a sparring session. The sight and sound of that mighty blow being driven home was hard for even Stillman to believe. Right to the end, Lou maintained that it was the hardest shot he had ever seen and that Dempsey was the greatest heavyweight."

 

A tough tough guy that packed a powerful punch. A real character. I am currently reading his biography; Two Ton-One Night One Fight by Joseph Monninger. A fantastic book that you should check out Jazzo (or anybody wanting to learn more about Galento and his fight with Joe Louis).

 

He appears reasonably well skilled, quick and coordinated in punching the bag and skipping rope, more so than a mindless critic who had only read his press clippings might expect. (In fact, he looks almost slim with the rope, not at all ponderous, compared with some of today's slobs. Any lay person who has never hit the bag or skipped rope should try it sometime.)
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=438XDmGEIZQ[/ame]

Galento was 224 for Nova, certainly in better shape than Qawi was for Foreman. He dropped Louis by beating him to the punch, and was much quicker with his hooks and crosses than he's commonly credited for. He had a decent enough double jab to manage around two dozen decision wins, half of those over the ten round distance. His late round power was clearly more consistent than Foreman's. Aside from Louis, his stoppage defeats were due to cuts or fracture injuries. (He was stopped by a broken hand against the brothers Baer.) He didn't gas out as is commonly assumed, and produced over half a dozen stoppages in the eighth round or later. (By contrast, Foreman only did this three times in 81 fights-the Peralta rematch, Coezter and Moorer.)

 

what is the question at hand?