Will Luis Angel Firpo Ever Make The IBHOF?

At the end of the day it's the hall of fame, not hall of skill or hall of achievement

 

Mr. Stallion, I didn't really answer your question about whether Carnera should be in the Hall of Fame. If we are talking about the Canastota version then my answer is yes because his qualifications are equal to some of the lesser deserving personages there. If we are talking about a Hall of Fame composed of truly great fighters, then my answer is no.

 

I think the Italian Stallion must have taken down his post asking for a comparison of Primo Carnera's case for entering the IBHOF with those of Mustafa Hamsho and Tim Witherspoon. Maybe because I took too long to answer and he went on to start other threads. Here is my answer anyway.

Carnera was an undisputed lineal heavyweight champion. He is the only such retired champion dating from Tommy Burns up to recent times who is not in the IBHOF. He twice defended his title successfully while champion, unlike Willard, Sharkey, Schmeling, Baer, Walcott, Johansson, Liston, and others who lost their titles with either no defenses or just one. IMO, the level of competition he faced clearly surpassed that of Burns and Willard. I think his career performance compares well enough to other undisputed lineal champions to warrant his induction.

Hamsho's case is weakened by the fact that for whatever reason he is not popular. Most importantly, even in an era where there were multiple champions, he never won a world title. "Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride." True, he decisioned two world champions -- Alan Minter and Wifred Benitez -- but those victories were after both their championship days were over.

Witherspoon has a pretty good case, but I don't know how big his fan base is to support his nomination. He was not an undisputed lineal champion like Carnera, but he did win two world alphabet titles, both of which he promptly lost in his first defenses. His case is stronger than Hamsho's but weaker than Carnera's

 

The put him in the South American BHOF.