Would Pep Be No1 ATG If He'd Won The Series With Saddler?

[1SILVA]

Good assessment, I always kind of felt that Saddler was Pep's Norton so to speak.

Sandy saddler held two world titles at the same time(126 and 130) and retired with both titles still in his possession. He is vastly underrated. Ko'd the great Flash Elorde in one of Saddler's final bouts.

[GJC]

Sandy saddler held two world titles at the same time(126 and 130) and retired with both titles still in his possession. He is vastly underrated. Ko'd the great Flash Elorde in one of Saddler's final bouts.

Didn't mean it in a kind of equals way meant that I think that Saddler might always have had Pep's number so to speak even if they had fought at Pep's peak.
No I do feel for Saddler, to beat a man 3 out of 4 times and be a great fighter in your own right and to always be sort of remembered as the guy who fought Willie Pep does him a major diservice

[TheGreatA]

Sandy saddler held two world titles at the same time(126 and 130) and retired with both titles still in his possession. He is vastly underrated. Ko'd the great Flash Elorde in one of Saddler's final bouts.

Then again he rarely defended those titles against top opposition. He was beaten many times in non-title bouts.

Also the second Flash Elorde fight includes some of the most impressive use of the head in order to open up a cut which ended the bout.

[GJC]

Also the second Flash Elorde fight includes some of the most impressive use of the head in order to open up a cut which ended the bout.

To be fair he didn't use the laces though which makes it a restrained Saddler performance lol

[mickey malone]

QUOTE:GREATA

One thing that has to be taken into account is that while Saddler beat Pep in the series, Pep beat several men that had the better of Saddler.

Humberto Sierra knocked down and beat Saddler, Pep knocked him out.
Paddy DeMarco went 2-1 against Saddler, Pep won a clear decision over DeMarco.
Charley Riley gave Saddler big trouble as can be seen on film, Pep knocked Riley out.
Pep beat Armand Savoie clearly, Saddler was DQ'd against Savoie for illegal tactics (which he used in almost all of his bouts). One has to wonder whether Saddler could compete in a stricter era if his usual style, which consisted of mostly hitting & holding, is basically illegal.

Jock Leslie and Phil Terranova can also be added to that list..

[1SILVA]

Then again he rarely defended those titles against top opposition. He was beaten many times in non-title bouts.

Also the second Flash Elorde fight includes some of the most impressive use of the head in order to open up a cut which ended the bout.

Never understood how they allowed fighters back then to have so many non title fights. Saddler, like Hopkins, Eusebio Pedroza and Fritzie Zivic, was allowed to get away with foul tactics throughout his entire career.

[Method Checker]

Even if he won every bout of the series, I wouldn't rate him number one. I believe that spot belongs to Robinson. He might go up a notch on some people's all-time great lists, though. I have him around number 5 or 6, right now.

Pep was in that plane crash and that took a lot out of his prime, but I'm not gonna necessarily blame that for him losing 3 out of 4 times. Saddler was a dirty fighter. Referees allowed a whole lot of dirty tactics, at the time. Some of the stuff that fighters did back then would've got them a point deducted or even disqualified, in today's game.

In the end, they each have the claim of winning over the other.