Ali and Frazier not in same class as Dempsey and Tunney

**Sugarj** · 05-24-2010, 04:28 PM

Nat always favoured the old school heavyweights, I seem to remember him once saying that Jim Corbett was a better boxer than Ali and that James Jeffries would chew him up and spit him out!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I felt that many of his comments were a bit 'old buffoon'.

**boxing boy** · 05-24-2010, 04:30 PM

Originally posted by sonnyboyx2

Nat Fleisher the founding editor of The Ring Magazine and boxing historian for over 60yrs said Muhammad Ali & Joe Frazier was not in the same League as Dempsey & Tunney what are your thoughts on the link below.

http://news.google.co.uk/newspapers?...yweights&hl=en

I can see saying there better,BUT saying there not even in the same league?

That's crazy talk.

**TheGreatA** · 05-24-2010, 04:33 PM

He also didn't think Archie Moore was even a top 10 all-time light heavyweight and didn't rank Willie Pep up there with the best. He favoured the fighters of his youth, just like Bert Sugar does now. Understandable, but hardly objective. Of course I'm not going to say he had no right to his opinion with him having seen far more of the old timers than anyone today ever has.

**Southpaw Great** · 05-24-2010, 05:20 PM

Originally posted by TheGreatA

He also didn't think Archie Moore was even a top 10 all-time light heavyweight and didn't rank Willie Pep up there with the best. He favoured the fighters of his youth, just like Bert Sugar does now. Understandable, but hardly objective. Of course I'm not going to say he had no right to his opinion with him having seen far more of the old timers than anyone today ever has.

You are joking?

**Miburo** · 05-24-2010, 05:34 PM

While it's not perfectly clear, I think many people are failing to read closely - he appears to be saying that as an EVENT Dempsey-Tunney II was much bigger, with a million dollar gate and 100k+ in the stands. Of course he makes ludicrous comments about the fighters as well, but as to the point of this thread, he's probably right.

**carlos slim** · 05-24-2010, 06:07 PM

nat fleischer is an old timer clown in the same league as bert sugar...90% his atgs would get annihliated today...

**TheGreatA** · 05-24-2010, 07:05 PM

Originally posted by JerseySugar

You are joking?

He ranked Pep number 7 in his all-time featherweight. Not that Fleischer kept Pep out of his list completely but he criticized him often. He apparently felt that Pep was often more of a showboat than a fighter.

**TheGreatA** · 05-24-2010, 07:07 PM

Originally posted by Tengoshi

While it's not perfectly clear, I think many people are failing to read closely - he appears to be saying that as an EVENT Dempsey-Tunney II was much bigger, with a million dollar gate and 100k+ in the stands. Of course he makes ludicrous comments about the fighters as well, but as to the point of this thread, he's probably right.

Quoted from the article:

"This'll be much bigger but Frazier and Ali just ain't in the same class with those guys," said Fleischer. "Not even close."

**T.Horton** · 05-25-2010, 11:43 AM

anybody who has been following boxing for more than ten minutes would understand Nat Fleischer and his MO.

Ali and Frazier not in same class as Dempsey and Tunney