Was Zale robbed of his peak?

**Sugar Adam Ali** · 07-24-2014, 10:56 PM

Yeah most likely or at least part of it.. But he wasn't alone, there were a lot of fighters this could have bee said about..

Though his greatest rings successes and world titles came after ww2, I don't think there can be any doubt that he missed some of his prime.. I think he entered into the war at age 29, so he did have his best physical prime years inside the ring.. But I think a fighter peaks when his physical prime meets a mature experienced mental prime.. Usually fighters gain that in the late 20s early 30s.. Or at least in recent times.. With the more active schedules back then, not sure how to view when a fighter peaked mentally and physically

**Humean** · 07-25-2014, 05:25 AM

Yeah he probably was, as was Marcel Cerdan who finally took his middleweight title. In 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbour nine days after Zale became universally recognized as the middleweight champion and in 1939 Hitler invaded Poland about 3 months after Cerdan won the European Welterweight title.

**ShoulderRoll** · 07-25-2014, 09:21 AM

Zale was inactive for 4 years between fights due to the war.

Cerdan, on the other hand, somehow managed to stay pretty busy. Looking at Boxrec it seems he had quite a few bouts in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945.

**Humean** · 07-25-2014, 01:27 PM

Originally posted by ShoulderRoll

Zale was inactive for 4 years between fights due to the war.

Cerdan, on the other hand, somehow managed to stay pretty busy. Looking at Boxrec it seems he had quite a few bouts in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945.

Funnily enough ****-occupied France during the Second World War was not all that conducive towards sustaining a vibrant boxing scene.

Cerdan didn't fight for about a year and a half between June 1939 and January 1941 whilst he was in the French Navy. From January 1941 to September 1942 he is hindered from being able to fight much quality opposition bar fighting his old foe Kouidri a couple of times plus defending his European belt against a weak Spaniard (for obvious reasons). Then he doesn't fight for about another year before fighting very low opposition in the Inter-Allied Championships at the beginning and end of 1944 although those tournaments did seem to provide some fame for him. Cerdan's career was most definitely badly hampered for 6 long years despite the fact he did have numerous fights.

**ShoulderRoll** · 07-25-2014, 02:11 PM

The competition may or may not have been the best but at least Cerdan was able to step into the ring multiple times during the war years.

I imagine that it was easier to stay somewhat sharp and stave off ring rust that way than by taking a complete vacation from the sport.

**Ray Corso** · 07-25-2014, 05:54 PM

That time frame was taken not robbed! Americans took the call to save the European counties who were trying to stop invasions of their borders and total destruction of their cities.
Americans' like Zale put their lives on the line for freedom and social rites and to eliminate oppression.

Lets be honest if Hitler didn't get KO'd by the United States all of Europe and England would be the "United States of Germany"!!!

There were great fighters then who fought great out of the ring also.
Ray

**rightsideup** · 07-25-2014, 05:59 PM

Originally posted by Ray Corso

That time frame was taken not robbed! Americans took the call to save the European counties who were trying to stop invasions of their borders and total destruction of their cities.
Americans' like Zale put their lives on the line for freedom and social rites and to eliminate oppression.

Lets be honest if Hitler didn't get KO'd by the United States all of Europe and England would be the "United States of Germany"!!!

There were great fighters then who fought great out of the ring also.
Ray

Let's not forget the Canadian's that gave there lives in both great war's

**Y0@NN** · 07-25-2014, 06:51 PM

Originally posted by Ray Corso

That time frame was taken not robbed! Americans took the call to save the European counties who were trying to stop invasions of their borders and total destruction of their cities.
Americans' like Zale put their lives on the line for freedom and social rites and to eliminate oppression.

Lets be honest if Hitler didn't get KO'd by the United States all of Europe and England would be the "United States of Germany"!!!

There were great fighters then who fought great out of the ring also.
Ray

**Ray Corso** · 07-25-2014, 07:14 PM

..................................FACTS........... ...............!

............I don't think Canada had the impact that the USA had but nice assist.

Was Zale robbed of his peak?