Between Walker and Zale

[Ambling Alp II]

Thought we could discuss something that I don't think we have before.

After Mickey Walker gave up the middle weight title, there was a lot of chaos in the division until Tony Zale won the title title. There was no one universal champion all during the 1930s. The National Boxing Association, NYSAC, and the EBU all had their own fighters as champion.

Gorilla Jones, Marcel Thil, Ben Jeby, Lou Broulliard, Vince Dundee, Teddy Yarosz, Babe Risko, Freddie Steele, Fred Apostoli, Al Hostak (twice) Solly Krieger, Cerfino Garcia, Ken Overlin all were recognized by either the NBA, NYSAC, or EBU as world champion at one time or another.
Billy Soose won the NYSAC title, gave it up to fight a t higher weight class. The NYSAC finally recognized Zale and ale was the first universal champion in more than 10 years.

This is a period that you don't hear much about. Seven of them (Jones, Thil, Brouillard, Yarosz, Steele, Overlin, and Soose) are in the Hall of Fame. However, even they are seldom talked about. At the very least you would think people would say that they do or don't belong in the HOF but you don't even hear that.

Anyone with any opinions as to who was the best of them?
Any of them very underrated?
What fights in that period were the best?

[SaadOffTheDeck]

I think Steele is pretty clearly the most accomplished(though that is without research), yarosz and brouillard are both underrated. I also think Garcia did a lot more than just get an unpopular decision against Hank. I don't think I've heard anyone reference him for anything else in ages.

[elmersalsa]

Freddie Steele, Lou Brouillard and Ken Overlin were the best of the bunch. I think Steele was the best of the three.

[klompton]

If anything Lou Broulliard is overrated. Thil was better than Broulliard. Hes up there with the best of that era.

[Tomasino]

Al Hostak seemed to have quite a lot of success for a time and was a big puncher...

[elmersalsa]

Lou Brouillard was also the Welterweight Champion of the World.

[Crease]

This is a period that you don't hear much about. Seven of them (Jones, Thil, Brouillard, Yarosz, Steele, Overlin, and Soose) are in the Hall of Fame. However, even they are seldom talked about. At the very least you would think people would say that they do or don't belong in the HOF but you don't even hear that.

Maybe because we don't hear much about them. The vast majority of us weren't alive when these events were taking place, so all we can do is read about them and try to find any footage that we can to watch.

I think it's definitely much, much different when you are actually living through some sport era rather than reading about it many decades later.

[Sidney Carton]

Freddie Steele, Lou Brouillard and Ken Overlin were the best of the bunch. I think Steele was the best of the three.

Ken Overlin lost two out of two to Teddy Yarosz.

He also lost two out of two to Billy Soose.

[bwu]

Tough men, all. When you talk about underrated, though, you have to think of Teddy Yarosz. Only one KO loss in 127 fights. He broke his kneecap in the first and kept coming out until they stopped it in the seventh.

He has wins over Overlin, Brouillard, Kreiger, Babe Risko, Pete Latzo, Vince Dundee, Lloyd Marshall, Archie Moore and Billy Conn. Remarkable.

[cfang]

Steele was the best of these, Thil was no mug either and beat some good men. I'd go Steele though he's an all time great middle. Incredible record.

[Ambling Alp II]

It is kind of strange; 7 of these guys are actually in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 7 from one weight division from one decade is a lot. Yet you hardly hear about these guys.

I guess I would have to look even deeper to be sure, but this is how I currently see it:

Steele and Yarosz were the best middleweights. Those two are legitimate, no question about it deserve to be Hall of Famers. Also considering what Brouillard did at welterweight, he probably belongs in that class as well.

Jones, Thil, Overlin , and Soose are in. They are probably below average Hall of Famers, but certainly not the worst. Could go either way with them being in or not.
Dundee, Risko, Apostoli, Hotak, Krieger, Garcia, are not in the HOF, but just as easily could be.

Jeby is probably the worst of the bunch; but was a good fighter.

bwu pointed out some great wins that Yarosz had. I'm beginning to think that he was one of the most underrated fighters of all time.