BoxRec

Pep is a shoo-in (Hell, he is not terribly far off being the greatest fighter ever, period), but you definitely named at least two or three superior names to LaMotta.

Pep & Canzoneri and there isn't any doubt about it.

I vote for the greats Willie Pep and Tony Canzoneri also as the best Italian American fighters ever.

For 2 the greatest Italian fighters ever, I vote for Nino Benvenutti and Duilio Loi

arturo gatti of recent times,where are the italians now? :!:

BarryWashington wrote:

hurlock wrote:arturo gatti of recent times,where are the italians now? :!:

Stuck at a local pizzeria get weighed down by the grease. All kidding aside, all my fellow paisans (B. Washington is a pseudonym) that fight seem to be more interested in MMA.

like who???...& dont say matt fukin serra

1.Willie Pep
2.Tony Canzoneri
3.Young Corbett III
4.Lou Ambers
5.Nino Benvenuti

BarryWashington wrote:Greatest two fighters of Italian heritage?

I have to go with Jake LaMotta and Willie Pep.

Other Greats to consider:

Rocky Marciano, Lou Ambers ,Tony Galento, Joey Giardello, Tony Canzoneri, Roland La Starza, Ray Mancini, Joey Maxim, Rocky Graziano, Wilie Pastrano, Carmen Basilio, Sam Angott, Fred Apostoli, Duilio Loi, Sumbu Kalambay, Primo Carnera, Tony DeMarco Nino Benvenuti, etc.

Your thoughts?

Some great names here. Duilio Loi and Sammy Angott are among the most under-rated fighters of all-time, IMO. Fred Apostoli, Joey Giardello, and Nino Benvenutti are under-rated too. I love watching Carmen Basilio's fights (he's one of my personal favorites) and of course Jake LaMotta was a beast of a middleweight. No disrespect to any of those great champions but, that said, my top 2 are:

1-Willie Pep
2-Tony Canzoneri

No. 3... tough one. I'd take either Lou Ambers or, and I know I'm going to catch some flack for this, Rocky Marciano.

Pep And Canz

Next:
Marciano
Joe Dundee

Carnera wasnt Italian American, at least not until well after his career.

What about Oscar Bonavena?
What was he,chopped liver?

He was an Italiam Argentinian

[quote="klompton"]He was an Italiam Argentinian[/quote

Willie Pep was Italian-North American.
Oscar Bonavena was Italian-South American.

Bonavena wasn't good enough for the discussion, on his merits as a fighter.

Nicolino Locche

BarryWashington wrote:Greatest two fighters of Italian heritage?

I have to go with Jake LaMotta and Willie Pep.

Other Greats to consider:

Rocky Marciano, Lou Ambers ,Tony Galento, Joey Giardello, Tony Canzoneri, Roland La Starza, Ray Mancini, Joey Maxim, Rocky Graziano, Wilie Pastrano, Carmen Basilio, Sam Angott, Fred Apostoli, Duilio Loi, Sumbu Kalambay, Primo Carnera, Tony DeMarco Nino Benvenuti, etc.

Your thoughts?

You can be sure there were dozens of italian american middleweights of the 40's and 50's who we have never heard of who were better than Sumbu Kalambay......as good as he was at world level in the late 80's.

Is Calzaghe worth a mention?

Bladder wrote:Is Calzaghe worth a mention?

Italian or Italian-Americans.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:

Bladder wrote:Is Calzaghe worth a mention?

Italian or Italian-Americans.

I was looking at the original poster's opening comment ..... "Greatest two fighters of Italian heritage".

Calzaghe's dad is Italian.

Well, he would still be instantly DQ'ed, on the basis it's the best two in the whole sport's history.