Was Charlie Burley a throwback to the era of Jim Corbett?

[janitor]

Largley working one punch at a time and depending on delivery and timing to conect while using a lower guard and depending on head movment to avoid punches. Burley seems to share many stylistic atributes with fighters like Bob Fitzsimmons and Jim Corbett.

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[McGrain]

He often fought in exacly the manner you describe. I think it's a reasonable claim to make. It may even have been his natural style, but it was NOT his only style. Burley would often come out all guns blazing, almost a swarmer it seems - Moore's quotes are very instructional, but there are many newspaper reports that seem to support Archie's appraisal.

The style you've put your finger on is the one he tended to utilise against big punchers and bigger men - Burley was powerful enough to keep his man honest with a single punch (Even up at HW) but his chin probably wasn't up to that particular job. So not getting hit became paramount. His solution was elegant, but not pleasing - exellent head movement and accurate single shots, slowing the action to a crawl.

Burley would also use that style in a "busy month". All 1942 -

MAY 25 - Ezzard Charles (Lost in 10, a bit of a beating)

JUNE 23 - Holman Williams (Won in ten)

JUN 29 - Ezzard Charles (Lost in 10)

The May battle with Charles was fought at pace, the two June fights were fought slowly and carefully to preserve energy.

Janitor, they might still make them like they used to, but they sure don't get to prove it any more.

[janitor]

I don't see whats so different about Burley in stance than say - Floyd Mayweather. Burley carries his right hand lower thats all.

The older fighters (pre Dempsey era) were more stand up and squared. Burley was not.

I think you are wrong on both counts.

For one thing Burley is not working with combinations. He is esentialy throwing punches verry much like Bob Fitzsimmons.

I would also dispute that fighters of the pre Dempsey era stoof flat footed and squared up. Corbett, Choynski and O'Brien were about as mobile on their feet as you can get.

[janitor]

no no I'm just stalking about stance. which is what I thought you were originally trying to get at. I don't mean to say that the pre 15 round fighters never moved but that - in stance - they were not as slant and held their hands out like say, Corbett, Gans, Wills. Not neccesarily square but you get my point I should think.

In terms of style: Yeah you're very right about Burley. But if anything Burley resembles the fighters of the 20's 30's which was a style that we saw a decline in towards the 40's, 50's and ultimately a near complete end around the 60's. That stance that Schmeling, Tunney, Dempsey, Mclarnin and the like had...that very slanted stance. Burley was cut moreso from their cloth.

I think that you are half right.

While the stance of Burley is reminiscent of the fighters of the 20s and 30s along with some aspects of the defence the punching style is verry much like that of ealier fighters such as Corbett and Fitzsimmons. An interesting combination for sure.

Perhaps the fighter that reminds me most of Burley on film is Jimmy Wilde.