Most Underated Middleweight?

[BoppaZoo]

i have to say without a doubt in my mind.

LES DARCY.
i know im an Aussie but there are unbelievable stats and stories on this guy.

like one stat the only man to KO George Chip. Chip had just beaten Harry Greb then he came to Australia to take on the great Les Darcy he was Knocked Out cold in the 9th round. and Chip in his whole career was only stopped once.

then there was Eddie McGoorty who had never been stopped inside a boxing ring until he met Darcy and on both occasions he was KO'd.
and McGoorty had beaten guys like Battling Levinsky and George Chip.

so i can honestly say that because he died so young that he may have been the best boxer that the USA never really got to see.

although he beat some of the best Middleweights getting around at the time in Jimmy Clabby,Eddie McGoorty and George Chip.
he never got to face and i say beat the likes of Harry Greb,Mike Gibbons,Battling Levinsky,Mike McTigue,Al McCoy and Gene Tunney.

but i would have to say he would have been able to beat a fair few of those men mentioned. why because in Australia at the time Darcy was fighting 20 round match's and Greb and other USA fighters were only fighting 10 round fights.

anyway that why i think he is the most underated Middleweight all time.

[Jose FM]

Oscar De La Hoya:lol:

[Sweet Science]

Michael Nunn - Some people say he's overrated, I say he's underrated.

[BoppaZoo]

Michael Nunn - Some people say he's overrated, I say he's underrated.Nunn's a good call SS. a very underated fighter that didnt get alot of exposure.

[mr. magoo]

Erick Crumble.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[BoppaZoo]

Erick Crumble.

[Only registered and activated users can see links] wonder if he ever deserved a title shot.:D

[Street Lethal]

What about this guy Freeddie Steele. What do we know about him?

[My dinner with Conteh]

Rodrigo Valdez


Seconded.

[Manassa]

Seconded.


... And thirded. Top ten for ability I think. Excluding the very elite four or five middleweights, Valdez might be beaten by the more slick middleweights like Giardello or Griffith, but would most likely eat the others for breakfast. I think he'd beat Fullmer, LaMotta, Zale and even Tiger.

[Minotauro]

Holman Williams

[TBooze]

i have to say without a doubt in my mind.

LES DARCY.


BoppaZoo back with his Barry Humphey's alter ego.... I know

Well look I've learnt a little bit more about, and gave him a bit more credit post your last visit...

Top 10 fighters 1911 to 1920

10 Jim Driscoll
9 Harry Wills
8 Jack Johnson
7 Benny Leonard
6 Freddie Welsh
5 Jack Britton
4 Ted Lewis
3 Georges Carpentier
2 Johnny Kilbane
1 Jimmy Wilde

Mentions:

Kid Williams, Pete Herman, Abe Attell, Ad Wolgast, Dixie Kid, Mike Gibbons, Les Darcy, Mike O’Dowd, Sammy Langford, Jack Dillon, Battling Levinsky, Sam McVey, Joe Jeanette and Jack Dempsey


But anyway the most underrated Middleweight ever is probably Kid McCoy, when he was real.;)

[McGrain]

Holman Williams


You can be rellied upon my friend.

I agree.

[Seamus]

What about this guy Freeddie Steele. What do we know about him?


Took the wind right out of my sails, brother.

Definitely underrated. The guy lost 5 fights, three of them in the last five fights of his career. The war years definitely hurt his legacy. Perhaps also for Zale, whom people only appreciated in the waning days of his skills.

[dmille]

Hey Boppa,

what about Dave Sands?

[Titan1]

Curtis Parker.

[TBooze]

Curtis Parker.

The irony being in the late 70s he was the most overrated 160lber on the planet!

[BoppaZoo]

Really? I was under the odd impression that Greb was fighting at least 15 rounders.yeah he fought a few but he mainly fought 10 rounders as was the way in the states back then.

i still think a Greb vs Darcy fight would have been a beauty to watch its just a pity they didnt have TV back then so we could see more of these guys. they both would have been Brutal not like today's Pretty Boys.

[BoppaZoo]

Hey Boppa,

what about Dave Sands?poor Aussie boxing hey. you summed it up with this name.

Two of Australia's most talented boxers ever both died way to young and never got a shot at the big time.
Darcy being one dying at age 21
and the other Dave Sands dying at age 26.

what is it with us Aussie's. Dam it.

[OLD FOGEY]

i have to say without a doubt in my mind.

LES DARCY.
i know im an Aussie but there are unbelievable stats and stories on this guy.

like one stat the only man to KO George Chip. Chip had just beaten Harry Greb then he came to Australia to take on the great Les Darcy he was Knocked Out cold in the 9th round. and Chip in his whole career was only stopped once.

then there was Eddie McGoorty who had never been stopped inside a boxing ring until he met Darcy and on both occasions he was KO'd.
and McGoorty had beaten guys like Battling Levinsky and George Chip.

so i can honestly say that because he died so young that he may have been the best boxer that the USA never really got to see.

although he beat some of the best Middleweights getting around at the time in Jimmy Clabby,Eddie McGoorty and George Chip.
he never got to face and i say beat the likes of Harry Greb,Mike Gibbons,Battling Levinsky,Mike McTigue,Al McCoy and Gene Tunney.

but i would have to say he would have been able to beat a fair few of those men mentioned. why because in Australia at the time Darcy was fighting 20 round match's and Greb and other USA fighters were only fighting 10 round fights.

anyway that why i think he is the most underated Middleweight all time.

I would nominate Teddy Yarosz for the following reasons:
1. Yarosz fought 11 world champions and defeated 10 of them, running up the outstanding record of 13-5 against world champions. He defeated Tommy Freeman, Vince Dundee, Ben Jeby, Pete Latzo, Babe Risko, Ken Overlin, Solly Krieger, Lou Brouillard, Billy Conn, and Archie Moore.
He lost twice to Risko and Conn before reversing against each and winning the last match.
The only champion he fought and did not defeat was Ezzard Charles, whom Yarosz lost to in his next to last fight.
2. When boxing integrated in the late 1930's, Yarosz fought the toughest black fighters and won against Moore, Al Gainer, Nate Bolden, Jimmy Reeves and Lloyd Marshall
3. Yarosz's resume has a great deal of depth, defeating 26 men who were ranked in Ring Magazine's yearly rankings at one time or another.
4. Yarosz might actually be better than his excellent 107-18-3 record implies. A stylish and fast moving boxer, he hurt his knee in the first round in his first fight against Babe Risko. Unable to move, he suffered several knockdowns but was not counted out. He still had knee problems and was limping in the rematch which he lost. After his knee was fixed by an operation, he defeated Risko decisively.
He also lost several disputed decisions, the rawest against Tommy Gomez. The ringside press saw this as a shutout for Yarosz in Gomez's home town, but Gomez got the nod.
5. Although it does not directly speak to his abilities, Yarosz has a rather impressive accomplishment. He defeated champions from every decade from the twenties (Latzo) to the sixties (Moore), five consequtive decades in total. Even Ali can't match that.

Yarosz has been all but forgotten by history, although he did finally make the Hall-of-Fame. He is perhaps fairly seen as less impressive than twenties champs Greb and Walker and fifties champ Robinson. He has also been unfairly shunted aside for flashy forties champs Zale, Cerdan, and LaMotta, none of whom, in my judgement, accomplished as much.

[Minotauro]

You can be rellied upon my friend.

I agree.

Glad to see some agree, the guy has win over Archie Moore, Aaron Wade, Charley Burley, Cocoa Kid, Jack Chase, Eddie Booker, Lloyd Marshall and Satterfield. Only a handful of fighters can claim to have beaten as many or more quality opponents, yet he still hardly gets a mention amongst the greats he is yet to be inducted in the hall of fame.

[mcvey]

i have to say without a doubt in my mind.

LES DARCY.
i know im an Aussie but there are unbelievable stats and stories on this guy.

like one stat the only man to KO George Chip. Chip had just beaten Harry Greb then he came to Australia to take on the great Les Darcy he was Knocked Out cold in the 9th round. and Chip in his whole career was only stopped once.

then there was Eddie McGoorty who had never been stopped inside a boxing ring until he met Darcy and on both occasions he was KO'd.
and McGoorty had beaten guys like Battling Levinsky and George Chip.

so i can honestly say that because he died so young that he may have been the best boxer that the USA never really got to see.

although he beat some of the best Middleweights getting around at the time in Jimmy Clabby,Eddie McGoorty and George Chip.
he never got to face and i say beat the likes of Harry Greb,Mike Gibbons,Battling Levinsky,Mike McTigue,Al McCoy and Gene Tunney.

but i would have to say he would have been able to beat a fair few of those men mentioned. why because in Australia at the time Darcy was fighting 20 round match's and Greb and other USA fighters were only fighting 10 round fights.

anyway that why i think he is the most underated Middleweight all time.
Joey Giardello gets a shout from me ,Freddie Steele a good mention from another poster,how good was Tommy Ryan,?Valdes obviously suffered substantially by being around in the Monzon years,he may well have had an extended reign.Holman Williams was another good pick from a poster.

[robert ungurean]

Id like to add
Laszlo Papp
Teddy Yarosz
Eddie Risko
Billy Papke
Paul Pender

[dmt]

I would nominate Teddy Yarosz for the following reasons:
1. Yarosz fought 11 world champions and defeated 10 of them, running up the outstanding record of 13-5 against world champions. He defeated Tommy Freeman, Vince Dundee, Ben Jeby, Pete Latzo, Babe Risko, Ken Overlin, Solly Krieger, Lou Brouillard, Billy Conn, and Archie Moore.
He lost twice to Risko and Conn before reversing against each and winning the last match.
The only champion he fought and did not defeat was Ezzard Charles, whom Yarosz lost to in his next to last fight.
2. When boxing integrated in the late 1930's, Yarosz fought the toughest black fighters and won against Moore, Al Gainer, Nate Bolden, Jimmy Reeves and Lloyd Marshall
3. Yarosz's resume has a great deal of depth, defeating 26 men who were ranked in Ring Magazine's yearly rankings at one time or another.
4. Yarosz might actually be better than his excellent 107-18-3 record implies. A stylish and fast moving boxer, he hurt his knee in the first round in his first fight against Babe Risko. Unable to move, he suffered several knockdowns but was not counted out. He still had knee problems and was limping in the rematch which he lost. After his knee was fixed by an operation, he defeated Risko decisively.
He also lost several disputed decisions, the rawest against Tommy Gomez. The ringside press saw this as a shutout for Yarosz in Gomez's home town, but Gomez got the nod.
5. Although it does not directly speak to his abilities, Yarosz has a rather impressive accomplishment. He defeated champions from every decade from the twenties (Latzo) to the sixties (Moore), five consequtive decades in total. Even Ali can't match that.

Yarosz has been all but forgotten by history, although he did finally make the Hall-of-Fame. He is perhaps fairly seen as less impressive than twenties champs Greb and Walker and fifties champ Robinson. He has also been unfairly shunted aside for flashy forties champs Zale, Cerdan, and LaMotta, none of whom, in my judgement, accomplished as much.:good

[robert ungurean]

forgot to add Soose

[BoppaZoo]

I would nominate Teddy Yarosz for the following reasons:
1. Yarosz fought 11 world champions and defeated 10 of them, running up the outstanding record of 13-5 against world champions. He defeated Tommy Freeman, Vince Dundee, Ben Jeby, Pete Latzo, Babe Risko, Ken Overlin, Solly Krieger, Lou Brouillard, Billy Conn, and Archie Moore.
He lost twice to Risko and Conn before reversing against each and winning the last match.
The only champion he fought and did not defeat was Ezzard Charles, whom Yarosz lost to in his next to last fight.
2. When boxing integrated in the late 1930's, Yarosz fought the toughest black fighters and won against Moore, Al Gainer, Nate Bolden, Jimmy Reeves and Lloyd Marshall
3. Yarosz's resume has a great deal of depth, defeating 26 men who were ranked in Ring Magazine's yearly rankings at one time or another.
4. Yarosz might actually be better than his excellent 107-18-3 record implies. A stylish and fast moving boxer, he hurt his knee in the first round in his first fight against Babe Risko. Unable to move, he suffered several knockdowns but was not counted out. He still had knee problems and was limping in the rematch which he lost. After his knee was fixed by an operation, he defeated Risko decisively.
He also lost several disputed decisions, the rawest against Tommy Gomez. The ringside press saw this as a shutout for Yarosz in Gomez's home town, but Gomez got the nod.
5. Although it does not directly speak to his abilities, Yarosz has a rather impressive accomplishment. He defeated champions from every decade from the twenties (Latzo) to the sixties (Moore), five consequtive decades in total. Even Ali can't match that.

Yarosz has been all but forgotten by history, although he did finally make the Hall-of-Fame. He is perhaps fairly seen as less impressive than twenties champs Greb and Walker and fifties champ Robinson. He has also been unfairly shunted aside for flashy forties champs Zale, Cerdan, and LaMotta, none of whom, in my judgement, accomplished as much.This is a great Post. top job:good

[la-califa]

Tony Sibson a great fighter, He had alot of skill & was very impressive coming up. But he was boxing in an era of a dominate prime Hagler.

[Dempsey1238]

yeah he fought a few but he mainly fought 10 rounders as was the way in the states back then.

i still think a Greb vs Darcy fight would have been a beauty to watch its just a pity they didnt have TV back then so we could see more of these guys. they both would have been Brutal not like today's Pretty Boys.

We do have film on Darcy think God. Vs Crabby and Smith I belive. One of the fights I have all the rounds too. All ten rounds of action(In highlight form of couse) Darcy can hit, he was a brawler, but he added tactics to it, He was sort of like Dempsey. To bad I cant say the same for Greb in regards to film.

[Vantage_West]

Michael Nunn - Some people say he's overrated, I say he's underrated.when i saw this thread i just only thought of him

tall quick amazing jab southpaw very skillful and slick for his size and power was underated he could bang but wasnt a slugger or had a style that complemented it

[la-califa]

Dwight Davison was actually a good Middleweight, But his laidback style didn't win too many fans. Plus he had long strings of inactivity between fights.

[JohnThomas1]

Nunn's a decent shout, tho he didn't end up quite as good as we thought he would he was still a fine fighter for a time. Many claim he was yet another victim (during the end of his reign) of drugs. Pryor, Chandler, the 80's had plenty of em.

[la-califa]

Well Nunn did have Toney beat up until the last round. If he had hung on, Nunn would have had recieved alot of respect.

[Luigi1985]

Lou Bogash

beat:

Tiger Flowers
Mike McTigue
Mickey Walker
Jock Malone
Panama Joe Gans
Jackie Clark
Tommy Loughran



great opposition IMO, never knocked out, good record...