what was the deal with marcel thil?

I've always thought of Thil (a frenchmen) as the Hugo Corro to Marcel Cerdan's Carlos Monzon. Defo not a perfect metaphor but I think the comparison is funny.

Plus Thil turned winning by Dq into an art form.

 

La Course à la gloire. Illustrations de Ch. Roussel.
by Marcel Thil; Noré Brunel
Book
Language: French
Publisher: Paris : Delagrave, 1937.
His 2 victory's over Kid Tunero distinguish him big time. Chris Dundee raved about Tunero till the day he died. Ive always hoped his book above could be published in English.

 

My cursory knowledge has lead me to think poorly of him,but Klompton states he is underated.

 

there was a lot to do with Nationally safe guarding the title...

it's my understanding there was a dispute to who or what body held the title rights so to speak, political unrest within the board, and mob control. the world middleweight title was hevily sought after by the Americans of course, to keep it there, Britain had a stake in McAvoy, who was rated Top 10 as both a MW & L-HW, Europe (France) had a stake in Thil and No One was giving in too easy...

Steele, Apostili, McAvoy and Thil were probably the best at this time mid-late 30s and Boxing History really owed it to us to has these men face off for the title...

there were equal talents lurking behind and pushing for the same recognition as these guys, some right great candidates in Krieger, Garcia, Risko who was champ for a short while was still in the loop, Dundee was still around, and another crop in Ben Brown, Glen Lee, Hostak, Belliose, and the College kid Billy Soose...

Britain had Bert Gilroy coming into it and Ginger Sadd was rated 9th, Europe had the welterweight Cerdan that Nat Fliescher was already raving about 1939, and then of course the War came!

this was a period of Top Class middleweights, but National Identity, Political Squabbles with in boxing boards, Mob Control and inevitably the War put a stop to it all, untill enough was enough...

Decisions were made, Money changed hands and by 41 they basically had 2 or 3 candidates in Hostak, Apostili and Zale and it was finally worked out!

 

Thil is the best middleweight France ever produced. Period. Better than Cerdan and better than Carpentier. The big difference is that Cerdan and Carpentier were overrated due in large part to their adoration by the American press. Thil wasnt handsome and had a rough, mauling style of fighting and as such didnt get anywhere near the respect he deserved but he was easily the best european middleweight of the era.

His DQ victories were just IMO. The Americans simply fouled out rather than have to face such a rough, bruising fight with a guy who was always in your face.

McAvoy. Thats a laugh. I have his fight with Thil and Thil went through him like **** through a goose, dropping him in the process. McAvoy couldnt get enough room to breath.

When Thil lost his last hurrah to Apostoli he was ahead but was stopped on cuts.

He later helped train Cerdan but mark my words had the two ever fought he would have run Cerdan out of the ring. I have no doubt. Totally underrated today. Criminally abused by the American press. Thil was the real deal.

 

Wow...!!!!!!

Who wins Prime Jake Lamotta vs prime Marcel Thil?

 

Thatd be a very good, very exciting fight. Prime for prime Id say its a tossup, probably LaMotta but I could make a case for both. It would be close whoever won.

 

Well fair play ,you've gone out on a limb here ,and intruiged me enough to do some research.:good

 

given your high appraisal of Thil, which I agree with, though McAvoy was no walk in the park.

I'd have to say he soundly defeats LaMotta. Jake, tough as he was fought a lot of Welter cum middles and IF Thil is France's best, which I think he was one of them, well the little Robert Villimain didn't have a whole lot of bother with Jake.

Thil soundly, and also along the same line, it wasn't the American middles who were fighting John Henry Lewis, it was McAvoy.

as I said, Thil, Steele, McAvoy and Apostili should have been in contests for this absent title!

news clip, Thil v McAvoy, American - says close fight and No return... http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...2334,6662196&dq=jock+mcavoy+marcel+thil&hl=en

 

"Close" my ass. I doubt if Jeff Moshier (of St. Petersburgh FL) ever saw Thil or McAvoy fight much less fight each other in Paris. I have and Thil beat his ass. He didnt give McAvoy any room to breath and simply worked him all over the ring. By "worked him" I mean punched him. McAvoy simply couldnt get any leverage on his punches. Thil floored McAvoy with a great bodyshot and McAvoy was in bad trouble taking the full 9 count only to be saved by the bell just as Thil rushed in to finish him. Thil fought an old fashioned mauling, punching, infighting style that strongly resembled a Billy Papke or Frank Klaus. Very effective at smothering fighters, particularly guys who were more comfortable at long range like McAvoy was (at least in that fight). In order to create distance McAvoy had to move backwards at full speed, practically running backwards, while trying to pop his jab. He was moving back so fast he couldnt get any leverage on his punches, the backwards momentum took too much steam off of them. Invariably by the time he was set to throw his right hand Thil was on top of him and it was too late. McAvoys infighting was ineffective and he threw few uppercuts, bodypunches, or short punches in general. Everything he tried was from long range and like I said before these attempts were few, far between, and largely ineffective.

 

Great thread. I must admit I know nothing about Thil. Might have to do some reading after some of things Ive heard in here.