All-time greatest white boxer?

[Jim Reaper]

You're right, Calzaghe does deserve recognition among the rest of these names for sure. I dunno why I left him out.

 

[GhettoWizard**]

For fun, this would be my top 10 White fighters based on achievements:

Harry Greb
Benny Leonard
Willie Pep
Mickey Walker
Barney Ross
Jimmy McClarning
Tony Canzoneri
Terry McGovern
Jimmy Wilde
Rocky Marciano

 

[GhettoWizard**]

Dammit I forgot Stanley Ketchel....Marciano out, Ketchel in.

 

[GhettoWizard**]

You're right, Calzaghe does deserve recognition among the rest of these names for sure. I dunno why I left him out.

I'd puke if I ever see Joe listed alongside those great, great fighters. Not when he admitted himself he only wanted money fights. Nopeeee!

 

[GhettoWizard**]

Here is a nice write up on McGovern for those who are unfamiliar:

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The destructive prowess of heavyweight upon heavyweight champion has been lauded and fetishized in the past one-hundred years of boxing, but it is very probable that none of them—not Tyson, not Dempsey nor Marciano—had the sheer and destructive prowess of “Terrible” Terry McGovern.

Between turning professional in 1897 and the end of 1901, McGovern boxed sixty times and lost just twice on disqualifications. Pedlar Palmer was the poor soul caught holding the bantamweight title when McGovern bludgeoned his way to number one contendership, knocking out ten of twelve, chopping down made men like so much wheat. It is likely Palmer was not intimidated for he was a most excellent champion, victorious in six title fights and unbeaten since turning professional.

“McGovern simply battered his opponent into partial sensibility,” reported The San Francisco Call. After just 144 seconds, Palmer was “laying helpless but semi-conscious on the floor of the ring.” The brutal prototype for every swarming power-puncher to follow had been born.

He immediately relinquished his title and moved up to featherweight in search of bigger game, specifically the great featherweight champion, George Dixon. Terry wiped out nine consecutive featherweights in making his case, most impressively Harry Forbes, a bantamweight champion of the future who had only been stopped once before—also by McGovern in 1898. It had taken him fifteen rounds on that occasion, but on this occasion he shortened matters to two, punishing Forbes brutally for the crime of attacking him. Bigger or smaller, nobody extended him further than three rounds between title shots. By the time George Dixon gave him the nod, he was boxing with the apocalyptic savagery of a butcher turned trained killer.

A narrow favorite, Dixon started brightly, feinting and leading for the head, but McGovern unleashed upon him the most terrible body attack of the era, two-handed, each thudding blow bound inevitably for the champion’s kidneys. This pattern repeated itself through the early rounds, Dixon coming closest to saving himself with a left hook that sent McGovern into and nearly through the ropes in the second, and a huge right hand that staggered the challenger in the third; but that was all. Wearing him down with an incessant, autonomous offense, McGovern dropped Dixon as many as seven times in the eighth round. He was retired on his stool by his corner.

“Veteran followers of the prize ring,” commented the New York Tribune, “will look upon the result much as they did upon the downfall of [John] Sullivan or Jack Dempsey.”

McGovern was the first man to knock the legendary Dixon out. Six months later he met lightweight champion Frank Erne in a non-title match. Erne was coming off a stoppage victory over Joe Gans. Terry smashed him to pieces in three. In those twelve months, he became the first man to knock out the reigning bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight champions of the world. As intimidating in his short prime as Mike Tyson or Sonny Liston, he also brutalized the best fighters in the world in three different weights. Relative to his peers, perhaps only Henry Armstrong and Harry Greb can lay claim to twelve month periods as impressive. More likely, no one can.

 

[Jim Reaper]

That was a good quick read. Thanks for sharing!

 

[mikezismike]

Rocky Marciano =)

 

[actjac]

If Barack Obama can be the first African American president though he is half white then Muhammad Ali can be the greatest white fighter because he is 1/4 (his mom was half Irish decent)

 

[GhettoWizard**]

If Barack Obama can be the first African American president though he is half white then Muhammad Ali can be the greatest white fighter because he is 1/4 (his mom was half Irish decent)

Henry Armstrong had irish in him as well. Armstrong > Ali

 

[The Batkilt]

If Barack Obama can be the first African American president though he is half white then Muhammad Ali can be the greatest white fighter because he is 1/4 (his mom was half Irish decent)

Henry Armstrong had irish in him as well. Armstrong > Ali

 

[Sunfish]

If Barack Obama can be the first African American president though he is half white then Muhammad Ali can be the greatest white fighter because he is 1/4 (his mom was half Irish decent)

 

[The Batkilt]

That guy's great grandfather was white too -we're claiming the "dis gon b good" gif guy.

 

[Sunfish]

I'm 1/16th Norwegian.

 

[The Batkilt]

They can't claim you. Fuck the Scandinavians. Literally and figuratively.

 

[GhettoWizard**]

There are a lot of ATG white fighters that get unsung. Among others not listed: Ken Buchanan, Maxie Rosenbloom, Sammy Angott, The Gibbons bros, Packey McFarland, Jack Dillon, Lou Ambers

Has anyone even mentions Fitzsimmons? Surely he is right up with Leonard, Walker and Pep

 

[Sunfish]

Jeah.

 

[Jim Reaper]

Wasn't Charley Burley half irish too?

 

[GhettoWizard**]

Another tricky white fighter was Billy Conn.

 

[Sunfish]

I was being facetious. What is it with people saying they are, certain amount a different race? You aren't a quarter Irish, youre whatever the fuck you're from.

 

[Social Distance Warrior]

Jerry Quarry