Mike McCallum vs Tony Zale

[Ambling Alp II]

Obviously, Burley and Marshall were great fighters. Not saying they weren't. Saying that Zale ducked them and others is simply not true.

Just because Marshall beat Charles and LaMotta does not automatically make him better than Burley (and other guys of the era) as well. The other guys had big wins and Mashall had losses to look at. During Zales' title reign, Marshall lost to Yarosz, Hogue, Oakland Billy Smith, Jack Chase. Not mention Charles, Moore, Williams multiple times.

It's doubtful that there were 5 guys at this weight class in Zales era who were better than him. Even if there was, it doesn't mean he himself wasn't great.

there are lot of debatable points at play here. Zale missed a good chunk of his best years because of the war. you should not hold that against them but it looks like you are. Also worth pointing out that most of Marshall's career he was over the middleweight limit, often by several pounds.

You are just looking at the good points of your guys and not the bad. you should be rating Zale on what actually happened in his fights, not what you are speculating would have happened in fights that never occurred.

[goose 5]

October, 1945: N.B.A. listed Lamotta, Abrams, Graziano and Holman Williams as the logical contenders for Zale's title.