5 top middleweights at one era

[burt bienstock]

My 5 top middleweights in one era were in no order
Tony Zale
Freddie Steele
Fred Apostoli
Al Hostak
Ken Overlin
Any one of this group would be champ in most eras.,What is your pick?

[Jorodz]

hmmm, interesting topic.

i'll take...

ray robinson
gene fullmer
carmen basillio
joey giardello
dick tiger

[dpw417]

Just to be different, I'll pick the sixties...
Dick Tiger
Joey Giardello
George Benton
Rubin Carter
Henry Hank
*Emile Griffith
*Luis Manuel Rodriguez
Joey Archer
Gene Fullmer
Holley Mims

Alot of depth in the sixties.

[dpw417]

My 5 top middleweights in one era were in no order
Tony Zale
Freddie Steele
Fred Apostoli
Al Hostak
Ken Overlin
Any one of this group would be champ in most eras.,What is your pick?
BB, how would you see a Zale/Steele fight going? Somebody would definitely be KO'd in that one! Steele looks very explosive, but Zale was such a rough body puncher.

[WhataRock]

60's middleweight era was the tits....In fact its probably the best era for all of boxing.

[Jorodz]

60's middleweight era was the tits....In fact its probably the best era for all of boxing.

only problem was limiting it to 5:!:

[burt bienstock]

DPW,,Freddie Steele Ibfeelo was a top 10 or better alltime middleweight...He was virtuably unbeatable in a ten year period, losing just TWO times in over 100 bouts..During that great streak he KO'd the rugged Ceferino Garcia twice,among so many others,during that rich laden period...Steele suffered a cracked sternum,near the end of his career,a painful injury to him and he retired soon after..A beatiful boxer and a great two handed puncher was Steele...I believe Steele vs Zale at there peaks would be a pick em, but forced to choose I'd take Steele by close dec. No middleweight kos Zale when he was in prime...Well maybe the "Michigan Assassin", Maybe...

[Jorodz]

DPW,,Freddie Steele Ibfeelo was a top 10 or better alltime middleweight...He was virtuably unbeatable in a ten year period, losing just TWO times in over 100 bouts..During that great streak he KO'd the rugged Ceferino Garcia twice,among so many others,during that rich laden period...Steele suffered a cracked sternum,near the end of his career,a painful injury to him and he retired soon after..A beatiful boxer and a great two handed puncher was Steele...I believe Steele vs Zale at there peaks would be a pick em, but forced to choose I'd take Steele by close dec. No middleweight kos Zale when he was in prime...Well maybe the "Michigan Assassin", Maybe...


good analysis. i'll have to take another look at steele.

btw: i hate to say it but i feel zale is SLIGHTLY overrated on the forum. great middleweight but without the graziano fights, would we be talking about him?

[PH|LLA]

first thing that popped in my mind is Cerdan, Lamotta, and Robinson... but maybe someone else can fill out the last 2 spots of that era

[burt bienstock]

PHlla,I'll pick youtwo more offhand
Charley Burley
Georgie Abrams,tough opponent for anyone

[My2Sense]

I'd favor either the '40s or the '60s.

The '40s:
Robinson
LaMotta
Cerdan
Zale
Burley

The '60s:
Tiger
Fullmer
Giardello
Benvenuti
Griffith

...and those are just the HOFers in each era.

[bodhi]

70s:
Monzon
Valdes
Benvenuti
Griffith
Briscoe

00s:
Ketchel
Klaus
Ryan
Pappke
Hugo Kelly

20s:
Greb
Walker
Flowers
Wilson
Mike O'Dowd

[teeto]

Just look at the consistency for decades:

40s

Robinson
LaMotta
Cerdan
Zale
Burley

50s

Robinson
Fulmer
Basilio
Olson
Turpin

60s

Giardello
Tiger
Benvenuti
Griffith
Downes

70s

Monzon
Valdes
Briscoe
Hagler
Minter

I went for a few different choices, some are lesser than others but it's all deep.

[DFW]

1940's: Zale
LaMotta
Cerdan
Graziano
Apostoli


1950's: Robinson
Fullmer
Basilio
Olson
Turpin

1960's: Tiger
Fullmer
Pender
Giardello
Benvenuti
Griffith

1970's: Monzon
Valdez
Briscoe
Hagler
Antuofermo

[SLAKKA]

Any u guys heard about that killer Harlem middleweight from the early 30s Harry Smith?

[dpw417]

DPW,,Freddie Steele Ibfeelo was a top 10 or better alltime middleweight...He was virtuably unbeatable in a ten year period, losing just TWO times in over 100 bouts..During that great streak he KO'd the rugged Ceferino Garcia twice,among so many others,during that rich laden period...Steele suffered a cracked sternum,near the end of his career,a painful injury to him and he retired soon after..A beatiful boxer and a great two handed puncher was Steele...I believe Steele vs Zale at there peaks would be a pick em, but forced to choose I'd take Steele by close dec. No middleweight kos Zale when he was in prime...Well maybe the "Michigan Assassin", Maybe...
Thanks for the opinion, BB. Steele/Zale is one tough fight to call...and one I had a hard time getting my head around. Enjoy your posts...and btw I'm a fan of Ketchel too.

[burt bienstock]

DPW417,Thanks,I'm a great favorite of the "michiganASSASSin, Stanley Ketchel also...Upon Ketchell's killing in 1910,his mnanager was quoted assaying,"Ketchell had the soul of a bouncer,but a bouncer who loved his work".What a killer he was in his prime, by all reports...My fantasy match,Ketchell vs Greb...Get your heart pills ready....

[Sweet Pea]

How about the 30's? One of the most underrated eras for any weight class, in my opinion. The Middleweights in particular.

Freddie Steele
Fred Apostoli
Teddy Yarosz
Lou Brouillard
Ken Overlin
Marcel Thil
Gorilla Jones
Al Hostak
Solly Krieger
Babe Risko
Vince Dundee
Kid Tunero

[burt bienstock]

Yes SweetPea,I agree what a deep group of great middleweights in the 1930s...Lest we forget...
Billy Soose
Lloyd Marshall
Nate Bolden
Ken Overlin for example had about 150 fights,licked Ezzard Charles,Fred Apostoli,Al Hostak,Ceferino Garcia,etc...Overlin was frequently called "the poor mans Harry Greb"', what does that say about the original edition?.