Your personal top 10 favourite fighters

April Fool's!

 

1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Muhammad Ali
3. George Foreman
4. Evander Holyfield
5. Harold Brazier
6. Julio Cesar Chavez
7. mIke Tyson
8. Larry Holmes
9. Jerry Quarry
10. Thomas Hearns

 

McGrain, any fan of boxing in the 40s, will love this film as much as or better than Rocky and Raging Bull. Hell, it was made in 1949, which in my mind, is the greatest year of boxing anyhow

(proof of that assertion: http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/6627/1949-perfect-storm-pugilism/)

The Set Up captures what boxing was in that era better than any film I've ever seen -and it isn't pretentious. Ryan is perfectly cast. That actor, along with Robert Mitchum and Jack Palance were true tough guys who no one wanted to play with off the set. Ryan plays a journeyman with just enough pride not beaten out of him to make a stand.

Have you seen "Rope" by Hitchcock? It moves like that, like a play in a theatre. You're in the room, a voyeur.

And of course, you got Jack Chase and other authentic guys in there to give it that crooked-nosed credibility.

No fooling... it's great.

 

1. Carlos Monzon
2. Willie Pastrano
3. Jimmy Young (!)
4. Jose Napoles
5. Ken Buchanan
6. Harold Johnson
7. Rocky Marciano
8. Gene Tunney
9. Marco Antonio Barrera
10. Emile Griffith

 

Interesting list Magoo. Congrats on your impartiality. I wouldn't have guessed Leonard was your favorite. Nice shout for Brazier.

 

Harry Greb
Stanley Ketchel
Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis
Benny Leonard
Ray Robinson
Willie Pep
Ike Williams
Joe Frazier

 

Rocky Graziano
Rocky Marciano
Mickey Walker
Roberto Duran
Beau Jack
Great fighters all, who gave boxing fans their money's worth...

 

1.) Salvador Sanchez
2.) Ray Leonard
3.) Alexis Arguello
4.) Carlos Monzon
5.) Julio Cesar Chavez
6.) Donald Curry
7.) Jeff Chandler
8.) Edwin Rosario
9.) Marvin Hagler
10.) Eusebio Pedroza

I didn't like Hagler when he was fighting. Got tired of his whining about being disrespected (while earning multimillion dollar paydays). But he's great to watch after the fact.

Honorable Mentions (no particualr order): Ismael Laguna, Ken Buchanan, Barry McGuigan, Ray Mancini, Jiro Watanabe, Michael Spinks, Saad & Mustafa, Harry Arroyo, Lupe Pintor, Bernardo Pinango, Bobby Chacon, Marlon Starling, Simon Brown, Tommy Ayers, Harold Brazier, Wilfred Benitez & Gomez, Larry Holmes, Felix Trinidad, Orlando Canizales.

 

****ing awesome!

 

Philadelphia's boxing history is amazing...Does anyplace beat it?

 

Stonehands 89,
Perusing through the records of Jack Chase, I noticed the name of a Bronx fighter,whose home I once saw him..His name was Larry Anzalone, and he was kod by the great Californian Jack Chase in one round in 1944, about the year I met him...Small world it is given enough time....B.B.

 

Ali - courage, heart, desire beyond belief
Hearns
Gatti
Tyson for that brief blinding flash of brilliance in the late 80's
George Chuvalo
Meldrick Taylor
Vernon Forrest
Aaron Pryor
Prince Nas