BoxBuzz wrote:e.c. Thank you for your assessment. It's nice to get some new, well thought out opinions to challenge some of our resident experts once in a while. It amazes me how well educated and studied minds in boxing can hone in on different attributes of certain boxers and then build a pretty good logical ladder of thought to support very different outcomes.
When your really digesting "best of the best" scenarios the subtle nuances can really lead you to different assumptions/conclusions.
The wild card in all of this is the state of mind any boxer is in on the day of the fight. It could lead to such surprises that about all we can do is make the best case for the "trends" we focused in on during our study of any particular boxer's career.
an art and a science to give "life" to such theoreticals. I am immensely entertained and educated by the different takes, and rarely have a seen any long winded "zany" scenario's here (other than my own).
I'd like to ask one thing without changing the subject too much.
Would anyone/everyone agree that Jersey Joe Walcott was the most enigmatic stylist of the entire span of heavyweights? His record does not quite live up to his displayed skills, and he seems to be the one fighter that gets a wider parameter of opinions and assessments. Different people see very different things when it comes to this guy. I cant' think of anyone who gets a wider divergence of opinions than him, in more ways than one. Power, stamina, ring intelligence, cosistency/inconsistency, ingenuity and originality.
Just a long term observation of mine.
I agree that there seems to be a wide range of opinion regarding Walcott. I think this is because there are several factors that determine how high you could rate him. If you just looked at his record (53-18-1) you wouldn't think he was even of the top 100 heavyweights ever.
However, several factors should be taken into consideration.
1. His early career. He lost 11 time before he ever got a title shot. Many of these losses were to unremarbakable fighters. However, for various reason, he didn't perform up to his potential, and many people (including myself) don't hold his early part of career against him.
2. His detractors point out that he had 5 shots at the title before he finally won it. Doubtless that several other fighters over the years would have won the title if they had 5 trys. However, it must be pointed out that he probably deserved the decision in the first Louis fight and would have won the title in his first attempt.
3. He was only 7-7 in his prime (1st Louis fight to 2nd Marciano fight). However 6 of those losses were to Louis (albiet past a his prime Louis),Charles and Marciano. He did have two wins against Charles. He was close to being 1-1 against both Louis and Marciano. So you could say that those 6 losses are very understandable.
The loss to Rex Layne is less understandable. Layne was a good but not great fighter and great fighter in his prime should have been able to beat him.
So if you give Walcott the benefit of the doubt every time , almost all of his losses in his prime were to great fighters and he was competitive in all of them ecept for the 2nd loss to Marciano. The loss to Layne was an "off night". Plus he beat Charles twice. If you do this you would probably have him close to being in the top 10.
Or you go the opposite way and say that the losses in the first part of career should count against him, he was only 7-7 in his prime, and was is overrated. If you do that he isn't in the top 100.
I myself come down in the middle. I don't think his early losses should count against him, nor should the first loss to Louis. However, the loss to Rex Layne and the pathetic showing in his second fight with Marciano should be held against him. I rate him in the top 25 all time, but much higher is pushing it.
He is hard to figure out. Even his weight doesn't seem right. He was never listed at more than 197 pounds even though he looks much bigger.