Who is the most underrated heavyweight Champion between 1920-1970?

Prety good choice.

I would say Primo Carnera.

 

In a golden era for the sport, the holder of most well known title in the whole of sports (not just boxing), is not going to go underrated.

But I do understand what you are getting at, and we have had two good choices so far. So I will add Floyd Patterson to the debate. He never truly recovered his reputation with the hardcore fancy after the Liston fights. And that is a shame, because some of his 'work' was truly exceptional.

 

Joe Frazier who likely beats all of them excluding Louis, Liston and Ali.

 

Lately I´ve seen a lot of footage on Primo Carnera. He is better than his myth. He was big, strong, moved well for a man his size and had a decent left jab. He outjabbed and outsmarted Tommy Loughran, the legendary lightheavyweight champion in a defence of the Heavyweight title. What I see is a man who like the Klitscoes, is not a natural boxer. But he is able to work behind the left jab. He does not explode in spectacular combinations. But what he does - he does well.
The Max Baer fight is terrible. These days Max Baer would not get away with his behaveour during the fight. Carnera is messed up by Baers fouling. He is constantly wrestled or thrown out of balance to the floor. But he is not outclassed. He fights back the best he can, but is up against bad refereeing and a crazy Max Baer.
I like him and I consider him very underrated.

 

Ezzard Charles. Squeezed 8 defenses in two years time against the likes of Louis, Maxim, Walcott, Baski, Oma, and Valentino.

 

But isn't there a point where we have to say size matters? I mean Carnera is a giant compared to Loughran, today such a fight wouldn't be sanctioned and if a heavyweight like Deontay Wilder outjabs a lightheavyweight, people would expect it, no matter who that lightheavyweight is. Carnera outweighed Loughran by almost 100 pounds and had a 12 inch reach advantage.

 

Absolutely agree. If someone like a Wilder allowed someone like Jurgen Braehmer to go 15 rounds, Wilder would be laughed out of the sport.

 

I believe Floyd Patterson is overlooked alot.

 

Erm.....did you see the Klitschko vs Povetkin fight??

 

Today a guy like Loughran would be able to bulk up to over 200lbs.

I think that we could compare him to Byrd or Admek,if he were fighting today.

 

Good choice.

Idk, let me think.

Dempsey
Tunney
Schmeling
Sharkey
Carnera
Baer
Braddock
Louis
Charles
Walcott
Marciano
Patterson
Johansson
Liston
Ali
Terrell
Frazier
Ellis

I feel that Ingo deserves a mention. Knocked out Machen and Patterson. Only lost to Patterson (twice) but didnt fight many top fighters.

 

I would suggest Patterson, except that he is rated a bit higher than the norm,on this site.

 

Sharkey or Charles.

 

Rahman and Peter were two of the hardest punchers our era produced, and they both scaled superheavyweight poundages.

Between them, they managed exactly zero stoppages in three championship fights against an old, obese lightheavyweight in James Toney. All 5'9" of him.

...Which is not to say that Carnera was any good, mind you.