Pittsburghs Greatest

[Quickhands21]

The Top 5 From this region of pa.
1.Harry Grebb
2.Charley Burley
3.Billy Conn
4.Zivic
5.Spadafora

These are just the fighters i know of from pittsburgh.Anybody can give there input or maybe even people with more Knowledge can give a top 10

[billyconn]

not too shabby....

[Chinxkid]

How 'bout some near greats? Guys like Bob Baker, Tommy Yarosz, (Teddy's baby brother), Lee Sala, Sammy Adragna, Sammy Secreet, Andy Kid DePaul, Juste Fontaine, (not from Pittsburgh but fought out of the Lyceum in the 40's), Sammy Angott, (sorry an actual great slipped in there; a native of Washington, Pa. who fought out of the Lyceum), and Sammy Parrotta. You could argue that some of these guys don't even rank in the second rung of boxing, and that could be fair. But on the other hand I'm sure I've missed some that do. It won't surprise you that I think this is a good thread, Quickhands. Right?

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Chinxkid]

Just thought of Billy Soose, MW Champ.

[Quickhands21]

Just thought of Billy Soose, MW Champ.
I know you know your pittsburgh history chin.Throw your old man in there as well..Great picture

[Chinxkid]

I know you know your pittsburgh history chin.Throw your old man in there as well..Great picture
Thanks brother. I was just waiting for somebody to ask!:D

[McGrain]

Eddie Futch had Burley at #1.

Just so everybody knows :yep

[Chinxkid]

Eddie Futch had Burley at #1.

Just so everybody knows :yep

#1 in Pittsburgh, or #1 in history?:hey

[McGrain]

#1 in Pittsburgh, or #1 in history?:hey

:lol:

Don't get me started...

[Chinxkid]

Done, and if you don't get me started on my favorite fighter then the thread, the forum!, could be safe.

:thumbsup

[bladerunner]

Eddie Futch had Burley at #1.

Just so everybody knows :yep
thats cause he probably didnt saw Spadafora operate.

[Chinxkid]

uh-oh...there's some shit in the game now! Loyalties run deep in the Burg!

[teeto]

Futch thought very very highly of Burley, he praised him much.

[Chinxkid]

Hey T, what's up cat? Guess you know I'm in my element.

[teeto]

Hey T, what's up cat? Guess you know I'm in my element.
You're on Cloud 9 here Chinx! Im into these topics aswell, im thinking some very interesting stories and Pittsburgh boxing folklore could arise here, looking forward to it if it does, feel free to gimme somethin!

Im good, you??

[Chinxkid]

You're on Cloud 9 here Chinx! Im into these topics aswell, im thinking some very interesting stories and Pittsburgh boxing folklore could arise here, looking forward to it if it does, feel free to gimme somethin!

Im good, you??

I'm hangin' in T. Nursing my ailing mother a bit today, but I'll be in and out on this. I do have some stories I guess, that I haven't aired here yet. Just need something to jar my memory.

[teeto]

I'm hangin' in T. Nursing my ailing mother a bit today, but I'll be in and out on this. I do have some stories I guess, that I haven't aired here yet. Just need something to jar my memory.
Hope everythings as good as can be there with your family Chinx.

Who's everyone in the pic you posted on page 1??

[Chinxkid]

Hope everythings as good as can be there with your family Chinx.

Who's everyone in the pic you posted on page 1??
Thanks T, I'm as fond of you as one can be in CyberSpace. Mom's the worst patient in the history of patients, but it's time I've stopped askin'. So that's what I'm doin'.

Standing, from left to right that's the old man: CHARLEY ZIVIC AFFIF :D about age 52 or so, next to him is Andy Kid DePaul, pretty good cutie middleweight who my dad fought and decisioned; "I pitched a no-hitter that night," was the way he put it. But Andy was/is a class act, current boxing commissioner for the State of Pennsylvania, and a guy who actually saved my grandfather's life one day, right around the time that photo was taken, when he found my mother's father, (also a diabetic), lying face down in the street. Thanks Andy.

To Andy's left is Bob Baker, a Lightheavy champ, and next to Bob is Joe LaQuatra, a good local boxer in the '50's. Seated are Billy Conn and Joe Louis, the guy at the right is a mystery even to me, but somebody might recognize him, all together for an affair in Pittsburgh, could have been a Dapper Dan dinner in the late seventies.

[teeto]

Thanks T, I'm as fond of you as one can be in CyberSpace. Mom's the worst patient in the history of patients, but it's time I've stopped askin'. So that's what I'm doin'.

Standing, from left to right that's the old man: CHARLEY ZIVIC AFFIF :D about age 52 or so, next to him is Andy Kid DePaul, pretty good cutie middleweight who my dad fought and decisioned; "I pitched a no-hitter that night," was the way he put it. But Andy was/is a class act, current boxing commissioner for the State of Pennsylvania, and a guy who actually saved my grandfather's life one day, right around the time that photo was taken, when he found my mother's father, (also a diabetic), lying face down in the street. Thanks Andy.

To Andy's left is Bob Baker, a Lightheavy champ, and next to Bob is Joe LaQuatra, a good local boxer in the '50's. Seated are Billy Conn and Joe Louis, the guy at the right is a mystery even to me, but somebody might recognize him, all together for an affair in Pittsburgh, could have been a Dapper Dan dinner in the late seventies.
Thanks for that ChinxKid, and some great little stories there aswell. Must have been some occasion that, on the photo.

You know i dont know much about Baseball, so i dont really understand the 'pitching a no-hitter' line your old-man made, if u could explain it for me i'd appreciate it. Hope you do a better job of it than what i've done explaining our football/soccer to you!! (if it's a pain in the ass though dont worry about it!!)

[Chinxkid]

Thanks for that ChinxKid, and some great little stories there aswell. Must have been some occasion that, on the photo.

You know i dont know much about Baseball, so i dont really understand the 'pitching a no-hitter' line your old-man made, if u could explain it for me i'd appreciate it. Hope you do a better job of it than what i've done explaining our football/soccer to you!! (if it's a pain in the ass though dont worry about it!!)

Not at all T. The only pain in my ass right now is my mother trying to escape out the back door! Trying to save her from herself, it's that dire. Anyway, a no hitter in baseball is exactly what it sounds like. A pitcher doesn't give up a hit, means nobody gets on base and into scoring postion through legitamate means; only if there is a walk, four bad pitches or an error, (somebody drops a ball), and that's why they get on base.

[teeto]

Thanks Chinx, i think i get it!! Remember when i was explaining my sport to you, i thought it was the easiest thing ever to understand, and you come back at me with 'i just dont understand Soccer!', (something along those lines), well now i know how you felt! MAN!!!

It's gettin late over here and i'm up early so i'm gunna have to get a few hours sleep in. Until next time, speak soon Chinx!

[Chinxkid]

Sorry T. I'll be able to do better under different circumstances some day.

[teeto]

No need to apologise Chinx! It's just a matter of not growing up around the sport and really not knowing anything about it, that's all, same as Soccer for you maybe?

[Quickhands21]

How about Verquan Kimbrough an Monte Meza Clay as future pittsburgh stars

[Chinxkid]

No need to apologise Chinx! It's just a matter of not growing up around the sport and really not knowing anything about it, that's all, same as Soccer for you maybe?
Definitely, and I'll go one further. I don't think you can really understand a sport until you've played it. I've tried to explain American football to women from time to time, and only had success with one; my wife, which was a stroke of luck, makes Sunday afternoons a bit more peaceful around here. Probably why my knowledge of boxing is admittedly limited, though I did compete a bit in kickboxing which is at least similar. And truth is the boxers I did know were anything but boxing experts as far as from a fan's point of view. They could tell you how to do it, but don't ask most of 'em who fought who on such and such date for example.