willie pep's best performance?

Willie Pep gave so many great performances,before his plane accident in 1947, some of which I'd seen, but the one I jever saw was in 1944 when Pep beat a lightweight great boxer Willie Joyce, who beat the great Ike Williams 3 times. Willie Pep at this stage of his career was almost surreal...

 

a shame his best form isn't on film and his best victory (saddler 2) isn't available

 

I am not sure , but I think so. I saw that bout on our little 12" television screen..

 

Maybe Sal Bartolo III, on June 7, 1946. Willie unified the World FW Championship in this one, and it was Pep's last title fight before the plane crash. Sal was only stopped twice in 97 bouts. (The first of these came in 1940, when recent Bartolo points victim Abe Denner came from behind to stop him in eight rounds on a badly torn ear in a quick rematch.) The second and last time was when Pep conceded only round five, then got Sal counted out in the 12th with a jaw fracturing right before an MSG audience. (The vanquished was subsequently out of commission for two and a half years before coming back in January 1949 to close his career with a pair of wins.) Willie himself indicated that Bartolo had excellent skills, a real pain in the ass to box against, who exchanged knockdowns with Pep in their first match during 1943, pushing him then to a ten round SD.

Certainly, Saddler II was his greatest win, but if we're looking for his physical peak, then, factoring in the timing of his plane crash, Bartolo III might be a likely candidate.

 

what's his best filmed performance

 

I'd be looking for action preceding his plane crash, like this rare clip (not great quality footage, but essential viewing like 1940s Robinson):

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNhKyvrGp_4[/ame]

 

Pep-Ralph Walton

 

Against Chaves he even shows some nice offensive moves If I remember correctly....moving forward sometimes and everything......

 

This fight in 1952 ,shows a shell of the great Willie Pep I saw in his prime
many years before.

 

Burt what are your comments about the Pep-Walton footage from January 1945, when Willie was 22, yet already 83-1-0, and a FW Champion for over two years at this stage? And take away the hindrances inflicted on his physical abilities by that infamous crash, and does Saddler ever lift the title from Willie?

 

Hi D. Ralph Walton was a journeyman welterweight who Pep fought over the weight, so Pep much lighter, was not terribly motivated for this bout...
I truly believe the Willie Pep I saw ,BEFORE his near fatal plane crash, would have outboxed the spidery Sandy Saddler when Pep was at his fastest best...He lost some of his astounding quickness after his terrible injuries in 1947. About 1 year later he met the rough,tough elongated Sandy Saddler and lost a 15 rd decision. Incidentally, Pep beat several featherweights in his prime who BEAT Sandy Saddler, for what it's worth...