Saddler v. Pep: Under appreciated rivalry

[oogiebe]

Saddler was a freak of nature as a 5' 8" featherweight with a reputation of using "work-arounds" inside the ring. (he was dirty)

Pep couldn't break tissue paper but was a "master" boxer.

Their series of fights were one of the greatest of all-time. My favorite memory was a pic of Pep after beating Saddler. He looked like he got the heck kicked out of him. To me it was a near perfect 'styles make fights' example.

http://www.pulpinternational.com/images ... tep_02.jpg

My dad taught me who to spin a fighter by his elbow and other nifty moves that HE learned from this when he was a kid. The September '51 fight was deemed the "dirtiest" ever! I find their rivalry amongst the most interesting and entertaining in Boxing History!

[prewarboxing]

Great image oogiebe. Two tough hombres. Did your Dad box amateur or pro? Where was he based?

[oogiebe]

Great image oogiebe. Two tough hombres. Did your Dad box amateur or pro? Where was he based?

He didn't however; boxing was always around my family. My Uncle Murray Woroner was a promoter in Texas for pro wrestling and boxing back in the late 50's and throughout 60's. He did the Marciano/Ali computer fight, as well as the All time great's album for HW tournament. My dad loved boxing and fortunately for me, he passed it on. I'm actually becoming an amateur referee in New Haven, CT.

[prewarboxing]

Good for you oogie! Reffing is good thing to do. Game couldn't go on without them

I really remember the Ali and Marciano computer fight. 1969 wasn't it? I was about 12 at the time and that event made a big impression on me.

[oogiebe]

Good for you oogie! Reffing is good thing to do. Game couldn't go on without them

I really remember the Ali and Marciano computer fight. 1969 wasn't it? I was about 12 at the time and that event made a big impression on me.

Very cool indeed. A funny note; my dad did all the advertising for the event and my uncle credited him with something like 'counter of knockdowns.' or something. I would listen to the album (all time greatest...???) over and over again and couldn't believe Ali hadn't won it all. Funny thing is that Ali didn't believe it either and thus the Ali Marciano fight. My aunt actually threw Ali out of their house during filming. Funny story to be told. She was barely 5' tall.

[Abradolf Lincler]

They actually fought 4 times.

[oogiebe]

They actually fought 4 times.

LMAO!!! I knew that! Brain fart!

[Seamus]

Saying Pep couldn't break tissue paper is quite an exaggeration. He wasn't a big puncher, but he rocked and staggered quite a few opponents, and that was after the crash. Before that he hit quite a bit harder.

[oogiebe]

Saying Pep couldn't break tissue paper is quite an exaggeration. He wasn't a big puncher, but he rocked and staggered quite a few opponents, and that was after the crash. Before that he hit quite a bit harder.

No one ever called Pep a puncher. With 229 wins and only 65 coming by knockout, I'm confident the term fits. Great and sensational fighter, but punched like my sister.

[oogiebe]

Interestingly enough, He was said to have taken a dive once.

[Seamus]

At the time of the crash, Pep had stopped 8 of his last 9 opponents, including Hall of Famer Chalky Wright, Sal Bartolo and Jackie Graves. KO pcts, especially in that era and earlier can be deceptive. Billy Conn had an even lower KO pct, but he did on occsasion land some pretty hard shots.

[oogiebe]

At the time of the crash, Pep had stopped 8 of his last 9 opponents, including Hall of Famer Chalky Wright, Sal Bartolo and Jackie Graves. KO pcts, especially in that era and earlier can be deceptive. Billy Conn had an even lower KO pct, but he did on occsasion land some pretty hard shots.

Believe me, had Pep hit me, I'd be down. Just a soft puncher. Absolute genius in the ring.