Tomorrow marks the anniversary of one of the legendary battles of all-time, that being the ultimate conflict within the historic rivalry between pugilistic greats Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta. Over the many years this showdown between true legends of the prize-ring has taken on nearly mythic proportions, primarily due to the masochistic show given by one of many roughest, hardest and most relentless of world middleweight champions, the aptly nicknamed “Bronx Bull.”
In tribute to the event, and to LaMotta’s reckless ring fashion, we provide right here our rating of the all-time greatest “catchers” in boxing historical past. A “catcher” is a pugilist at all times keen to check his opponent’s energy, very happy to soak up a number of punches with the intention to land simply one among his personal arduous pictures. Such warriors win the admiration of followers for his or her braveness and willingness to commerce, although this masochistic fashion will not be for the faint of coronary heart. And whereas our rating favours the boxers who, like LaMotta, achieved nice success with this preventing fashion, the highest spot is reserved for the person who, indubitably, will without end be the best “catcher” of all of them. Test it out:
12. John L. Sullivan: As powerful as they arrive, Sullivan’s fashion was to a major diploma predicated on taking his adversary’s greatest punches and sporting him down earlier than touchdown his personal knockout pictures, in fights to the end or matches scheduled for as many as eighty rounds.
11. Bobby Chacon: With a coronary heart as massive as California State College the place he briefly studied earlier than changing into knowledgeable prizefighter, “The Schoolboy” appeared keen at occasions to pattern his opponent’s energy earlier than touchdown his personal, his willingness to battle within the trenches giving battle followers a number of the most thrilling motion in current boxing historical past.
10. Rocky Graziano: “The Rock” knew just one approach to battle: coming straight forward and buying and selling pictures with heavy-hitters like Tony Janiro, Charley Fusari, Tony Zale and Ray Robinson, fortunately taking 4 or 5 blows in trade for only one of his pulverizing proper palms.
9. Arturo Gatti: Whereas “Thunder” truly possessed sound boxing expertise, this born warrior at all times discovered toe-to-toe slugfest unimaginable to withstand. Even when he gained, Gatti usually absorbed a frightful variety of flush pictures, within the course of giving boxing a collection of extremely thrilling slugfests, together with his memorable trilogy with Micky Ward.
8. Gene Fullmer: “The Utah Cyclone’s” principal weapons have been his bodily power and extraordinary toughness as he bulled and bullied his opponents across the ring whereas taking punch after punch in grueling battles with champions resembling Sugar Ray Robinson, Joey Giardello, Carmen Basilio and Dick Tiger.
7. Matthew Saad Muhammad: “Miracle Matthew” gained fame for a collection of high-stakes wars during which for a number of rounds he would take a horrible pounding earlier than dramatically reversing his fortunes to attain thrilling come-from-behind wins over such battlers as Marvin Johnson, John Conteh, and Yaqui Lopez.
6. Rocky Marciano: The one undefeated heavyweight champion achieved astonishing success with a easy ring method: march ahead, take the opposite man’s greatest pictures, after which overwhelm him with continuous strain and punishment. “The Brockton Blockbuster” withstood heavy blows from such greats as Joe Louis, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles and Archie Moore and at all times got here roaring again to win.
5. Beau Jack: Struggle followers knew that with Sidney Walker’s brawling, swarming fashion, drama and pleasure have been assured and so the tough-as-nails “Beau Jack,” a survivor of the repugnant “Battle Royales,” introduced big crowds out to his clashes with Bob Montgomery, Fritzie Zivic, Ike Williams, and Child Gavilan.
4. Carmen Basilio: A straight-ahead strain fighter with a coronary heart as massive because the onion farm he got here from, Basilio by no means minded taking heavy punches from the likes of Tony DeMarco, Gene Fullmer and the good Sugar Ray Robinson.
3. Battling Nelson: Danish brawler and world light-weight champ Oscar Mathæus Nielsen had the sturdiness to remain within the pocket with such all-time greats as Abe Attell, Joe Gans and Advert Wolgast in grueling wars of attrition that lasted thirty rounds or extra.
2. Jake LaMotta:“The Bronx Bull” fought with a legendary disregard for his personal security, the middleweight champion consuming punch after punch like he was ravenous for leather-based earlier than ultimately bringing his personal deadly energy to bear in battles with such greats as Marcel Cerdan, Holman Williams, Fritzie Zivic, Tommy Bell and naturally, Sugar Ray Robinson.
1. Joe Grim: Not for nothing was Grim’s nickname “The Human Punching Bag.” This pugilist’s complete technique was to catch and hold catching, hoping that ultimately his opponent would keel over from exhaustion. Whereas he holds the report for many knockdowns in a single battle — hitting the ground twenty occasions in opposition to the good Bob Fitzsimmons — he additionally was not often stopped, struggling solely six KO defeats in a profession of some 150 fights during which he absorbed 1000’s of punches. Now that’s a “catcher.”
