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This is a guy I wrote a thread on as a part of larger series of threads of extreme cases of multi-divisional superstars on another forum, but I'd thought I'd share it here as he's also a guy that is relatively unknown to people today, and putting it here would reach the largest possible medium of users. Hope you enjoy:
Young Corbett III might be one of the most over looked great fighters of all time. Few would realize he's 1 of the 10 greatest southpaws of all time. It turns out he happens to have 3 hall of famers on the win column of his resume, with 2 of them being particularly famous. There names were Mickey Walker and Billy Conn, and had one of them successfully won the Heavyweight Championship, and Conn nearly did, we'd all be hailing him as the most popular fighter since Jack Dempsey and a bona fide top 10 all time great. Some might actually consider Mickey Walker one regardless. Anyways, you'd think being Welterweight and Middleweight Champion along with having famous people on your resume would make you well remembered...but apparently not. The IBHOF didn't even induct Corbett until 2004, over 60 years after the man retired. But where history has over looked Corbett, I attempt to dive in and analyze his greatness.
Prior to debarking to the Welterweight division, where he would win the Undisputed Championship and lose only 2 out of over 50 fights, Corbett beat top rated Lightweights Young Jack Thompson and Young Harry Wills. However, Corbett was never rated as a Lightweight, and it would take a few more years before Ring Magazine rated Corbett at all. 1927 began Corbett's Welterweight career. In 1927, the #1 contender for Champion Joe Dundee's title was Sgt. Sammy Baker. In 1928, Corbett beat Baker. Yet, Corbett would not be rated in 1928. To make matters worse, Corbett also beat Thompson again in 1928, who moved up to Welterweight like Corbett, but ended the year rated as the #2 contender, unlike Corbett. Corbett himself would not be rated until 1929, finishing the year as the #2 contender for the title of newly crowned Champion Jackie Fields. Corbett would beat Fields in a non-title match the very next year. From then on, Corbett became the most ducked fighter in the division.
Rather than defend his title against Corbett after the loss, Fields opted to defend it against the multiple conquest of Corbett, Young Jack Thompson. To Jackie's chagrin, Thompson won. While Champion, Thompson would meet and lose to Corbett for a third time. But once again, Corbett ends up beating the reigning Champion in a non-title bout. So does Thompson rematch Corbett for the title like Fields should have? No. Instead, he immediately defends his title against Tommy Freeman. The defense is unsuccessful. Freeman's first defense of the title came as a rematch to the undeserving Thompson, who happened to regain his title as a result. Thompson's next fight was a farce, as the opponent Bucky Lawless was forced to come in overweight so that Thompson's title would not be at stake. This was a good thing for Thompson, as he was defeated yet again. Sadly, this time it was by a journeyman who had also beat him 1 year previously. Much like Corbett, Thompson had no intentions of facing Lawless again. Instead, he moved on to be defeated by Lou Brouillard in another non-title affair. Enough was enough though, Thompson finally rematched a man that beat him with the title on the line for the second go-round, and consequently he lost yet again. 1931 came to a close with Brouillard as Champion. Then 1932 came around, and Brouillard became the 4th Champion to not give Corbett his long overdo title shot. It's important to note that Corbett had not lost a fight since 1928. Aside from beating Champions that didn't put their title on the line, Corbett also dispatched top Welterweight contender Paulie Walker. Anyways, Brouillard decided to make his first title defense against the original ducker of Corbett, Jackie Fields. Fields won, and held the title hostage for yet another year before finally giving Corbett his LONG overdo title shot. Corbett performed no small feat to finally secure the bout either. He had to beat top Welterweight contender and future Middleweight Champion Ceferino Garcia. Corbett, who had remained undefeated since 1928, naturally defeated Fields and became Champion merely 3 years after he should have won the title in the first place. Unfortunately for Corbett, his undefeated streak ran out in his very first defense against the great Jimmy McLarnin.
Ducked for years and seeing no point in exerting himself to make the Welterweight limit anymore, Corbett moved up to Middleweight. Apparently no longer seen as the immense threat he was at Welterweight, Corbett was no longer ducked. Consequently, his career went from beating 0 hall of famers to 3. Walker and Conn aside, the third was Fred Apostoli. Corbett also beat future Light Heavyweight Champion Gus Lesnevich. Corbett would later end his career in 1940 by defeating top Welterweight contender Sheik Rangel in a Middleweight bout.
Corbett finished his career with 124 wins, 12 losses, and 22 draws. He was an all time great and a force to be reckoned with from Lightweight to Middleweight. His legacy has fallen through the cracks most likely as a result of how rare available footage is of him. I know there's footage of him winning the Welterweight title (not on youtube to my knowledge), but beyond that, I don't know if there's anything else. I hope someone reading this gets a chance to see him fight one day, it will be well worth it.
Young Corbett III might be one of the most over looked great fighters of all time. Few would realize he's 1 of the 10 greatest southpaws of all time. It turns out he happens to have 3 hall of famers on the win column of his resume, with 2 of them being particularly famous. There names were Mickey Walker and Billy Conn, and had one of them successfully won the Heavyweight Championship, and Conn nearly did, we'd all be hailing him as the most popular fighter since Jack Dempsey and a bona fide top 10 all time great. Some might actually consider Mickey Walker one regardless. Anyways, you'd think being Welterweight and Middleweight Champion along with having famous people on your resume would make you well remembered...but apparently not. The IBHOF didn't even induct Corbett until 2004, over 60 years after the man retired. But where history has over looked Corbett, I attempt to dive in and analyze his greatness.
Prior to debarking to the Welterweight division, where he would win the Undisputed Championship and lose only 2 out of over 50 fights, Corbett beat top rated Lightweights Young Jack Thompson and Young Harry Wills. However, Corbett was never rated as a Lightweight, and it would take a few more years before Ring Magazine rated Corbett at all. 1927 began Corbett's Welterweight career. In 1927, the #1 contender for Champion Joe Dundee's title was Sgt. Sammy Baker. In 1928, Corbett beat Baker. Yet, Corbett would not be rated in 1928. To make matters worse, Corbett also beat Thompson again in 1928, who moved up to Welterweight like Corbett, but ended the year rated as the #2 contender, unlike Corbett. Corbett himself would not be rated until 1929, finishing the year as the #2 contender for the title of newly crowned Champion Jackie Fields. Corbett would beat Fields in a non-title match the very next year. From then on, Corbett became the most ducked fighter in the division.
Rather than defend his title against Corbett after the loss, Fields opted to defend it against the multiple conquest of Corbett, Young Jack Thompson. To Jackie's chagrin, Thompson won. While Champion, Thompson would meet and lose to Corbett for a third time. But once again, Corbett ends up beating the reigning Champion in a non-title bout. So does Thompson rematch Corbett for the title like Fields should have? No. Instead, he immediately defends his title against Tommy Freeman. The defense is unsuccessful. Freeman's first defense of the title came as a rematch to the undeserving Thompson, who happened to regain his title as a result. Thompson's next fight was a farce, as the opponent Bucky Lawless was forced to come in overweight so that Thompson's title would not be at stake. This was a good thing for Thompson, as he was defeated yet again. Sadly, this time it was by a journeyman who had also beat him 1 year previously. Much like Corbett, Thompson had no intentions of facing Lawless again. Instead, he moved on to be defeated by Lou Brouillard in another non-title affair. Enough was enough though, Thompson finally rematched a man that beat him with the title on the line for the second go-round, and consequently he lost yet again. 1931 came to a close with Brouillard as Champion. Then 1932 came around, and Brouillard became the 4th Champion to not give Corbett his long overdo title shot. It's important to note that Corbett had not lost a fight since 1928. Aside from beating Champions that didn't put their title on the line, Corbett also dispatched top Welterweight contender Paulie Walker. Anyways, Brouillard decided to make his first title defense against the original ducker of Corbett, Jackie Fields. Fields won, and held the title hostage for yet another year before finally giving Corbett his LONG overdo title shot. Corbett performed no small feat to finally secure the bout either. He had to beat top Welterweight contender and future Middleweight Champion Ceferino Garcia. Corbett, who had remained undefeated since 1928, naturally defeated Fields and became Champion merely 3 years after he should have won the title in the first place. Unfortunately for Corbett, his undefeated streak ran out in his very first defense against the great Jimmy McLarnin.
Ducked for years and seeing no point in exerting himself to make the Welterweight limit anymore, Corbett moved up to Middleweight. Apparently no longer seen as the immense threat he was at Welterweight, Corbett was no longer ducked. Consequently, his career went from beating 0 hall of famers to 3. Walker and Conn aside, the third was Fred Apostoli. Corbett also beat future Light Heavyweight Champion Gus Lesnevich. Corbett would later end his career in 1940 by defeating top Welterweight contender Sheik Rangel in a Middleweight bout.
Corbett finished his career with 124 wins, 12 losses, and 22 draws. He was an all time great and a force to be reckoned with from Lightweight to Middleweight. His legacy has fallen through the cracks most likely as a result of how rare available footage is of him. I know there's footage of him winning the Welterweight title (not on youtube to my knowledge), but beyond that, I don't know if there's anything else. I hope someone reading this gets a chance to see him fight one day, it will be well worth it.
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