Tony Zale vs the MW of the last 30 yrs

Never been impressed with zale. He ducked the top black fighters of the era. He is vastly unproven unlike jake lamotta who took on many of the black murderers row

Of the last 30 years he beats some loses to many

 

Only in your dreams S. Only in your dreams...Anyone who could flatten the murderous hitting Al Hostak twice, beat Fred Apostoli, a prime Georgie Abrams, Ossie bulldog Harris Rd ONE,Nate Bolden, give the bigger Billy Conn hell, was a helluva fighter...But of course you bring in the old bromide "racist" into the picture. Makes you feel "superior". Well S I am not buying that BS. Zale before he served four long prime years in WW2, fought a number
of tough black middleweights, but it doesn't fit your NOBLE agenda...When Tony Zale was discharged after serving 4 prime years in the Navy, he was 32 years old, way past his peak, rusty as hell and his first priority was to make money for his family. So Zale went for the money matches, such as the biggest gate attractions Rocky Graziano and Marcel Cerdan...Sorry S he did not fight the fighters you so nobly preferred SEVENTY years later who would have drawn peanuts compared to who he fought...
Put this in your bucket list S and read up on as tough a middleweight who ever lived Tony Zale, who I somehow think was as good a human being as you are and a hell of a lot tougher...They didn't call Tony Zale the "man of Steel for naught" "...:hi:

 

Where did anybody call him racist? Did he fight the top black opponents or not?

 

To be honest Bolden was a novice in their three fights, and had only about 18 bouts in their 4th. I don't know how many black fighters Zale fought but:
Moore
Charles
Richards
Burley
Wade
Chase
Cocoa Kid
Lytell
Williams
Booker
Were all ranked during Zale's time at ,or near the top.
I can't really blame Zale for going for the $ after he came out of service, he wasn't the same fighter and was probably looking to his pension plan. Post war I think it was just economics, but that list is a very significant list of names to not have a single one on your resume.:think

 

Louis fought three hall of famers and two heavyweight champions who were black john Henry Lewis jersey joe Walcott and ezzard Charles..the best black heavies of the era. Louis proved himself

Robinson fought a prime ATG kid Gavilán as well as Henry Armstrong Aaron tiger wade Jackie Wilson Tommy bell . He proved himself

Drawing the color line is a huge blemish on anyone's record. Only fighting white men eliminates a big percentage of the competition pool

Dempsey and zales resumes are weak because they didn't fight good black fighters

 

Wow look at the names zale missed out on. We definitely don't know how good he really was. Fighting some of those names would have told us the truth about zales ability.

 

Personally I've always had a soft spot for Zale. He was one of the first middleweights whom I took a shine to when I started watching the sport.

As to the topic, for me he's right in the mix with the top guys.
RJJ may have too much speed for him and Hagler maybe a bit too well-rounded but Zale would give a good account of himself. Nunn would maybe be too slick. Hopkins? Not really too sure. I think it's quite a close fight.

But that is the real top tier. I think he'd do just fine, barring a loss or two against the elite.
I wonder how he'd do against Golovkin. That could be some fight.

 

Contrast that with :
Georgie Abrams fought:
Cocoa Kid
Robinson
Burley

Ken Overlin fought:
Charles x2
Bolden
Marshall

Billy Soose fought:
Bivins
Burley

 

Yep

Such a shame

Zale lost twice to Soose too

 

Hostak another over protected white fighter who never took on the black murders row

Would zale have ever been champion had he
fought the likes of Holman Williams Archie Moore Ezzard Charles Charley Burley Eddie booker Lloyd Marshall? Also his duck of jake lamotta in mid 40s post WW II was disgraceful

 

Well why the heck don't you put an asterisk on every white fighter and be done with...Zale fought black opponents before he went into service, and when he came out of the Navy after 4 years living on Navy pay and at the age of 32 ,needing money,
Zale fought the top boxing draws in the MW division, and sir if you in your distaste for Zale, old and past his peak wanted to fight the men who were the best money draws to provide for his family knowing his end as a top fighter was nearing a close, well
tell that to his survivors today....So damn easy to be so "critical"
of someone who can no longer fight back...So , so easy...

 

Not every white fighter

Joey Maxim Rocky Marciano jake lamotta these white champion took on the black murderers row..there were others as well. Benny Leonard