BoxRec

Wasn't sure where to post this one, here or in the Australia & Pacific section. Both Australia and New Zealand, and even Tasmania, produced some good heavyweights after Peter Jackson and before Tom Heeney. You had Bill Doherty, Mick Dooley, Joe Goddard, Harry Laing, Frank Slavin, Bill Squires, Peter Felix, Sid Russell, Bill Turner, Colin Bell, Jack Howard, Bill Lang, George Stirling, Jack Whittaker, just to name a few. Some of them had short careers based on fighting twenty rounders from their pro debuts at nineteen and twenty years old.

I'm wondering how these guys would be ranked against each other. For instance, how would the top ten look? Harry Laing the Maori would be near the top, I think, based on his record. Bill Doherty would make the top five. Bill Turner the "Taz Tiger" would have gone further if he had taken the fight game seriously.

It's quite hard at times to break down the records of some of those old timers, ive usually like to see how they were held by their contemporaries. Doherty was certainly well regarded. Lang and Felix were certainly up there with the best of that era.

Always thought Slavin and Squires cut an imposing figure. Neither seemed to grasp the finer nuance of boxing. Both were barnstorms with big power. They went for the finish, or would get knocked out trying.

Ive always a soft spot for Colin Bell. Very athletic for a big man and had quite a remarkable career considering he didnt start training till well into his 20s. In fact he impressed Foley so, that he came out of retirement to train Bell as his last pupil.

Dooley is one of those guys i find hard to grasp. Came up fighting through the Larrikin Gangs around Sydney and went on to become one of Foley's star pupils. Seemed to be regarded as one of the more technical guys around pre-1900.