Johnson, McVea, Wills, Jeannette...were they really all that great?

[QueensburyRules]

- -Anyone have JJOHNSON autobio that Nat purchased but never seems to have published for obvious reasons.

It seems it eventually was published and reads like Alice in Wonderland from excerpts I've read.

[Dr. Z]

what? Stewart's transformation of Vlad was the epicenter of the new evolved style of boxing first popularized by John Ruiz. Boxing is reduced to its most functional aspects, a jab and a grab, what else is needed?

When we see those primitives, doing things like setting distance, parrying, setting traps, we have to just say "how cute." The Ammy style of boxing around since the late eighteen hundreds was pioneered by Britian. Even then trainers were remarking on how simple, and primitive the framework was. Yet this is the style we see today... and unless fighters fight professionally at a relatively young age, or go to an excellent trainer of sorts, we see very limited skills in the ring.

Fighters used to be "fighters" and not athletes. Today we have athletes that box. Its just like today we have hot women that fight MMA... it is kind of a dilution of talent... The older guys look primitive because they are doing things we are not used to seeing.

I agree with Billeau2,

Comparing Wlad to Carnera on skills is a reach.

Outside of both were big guys and liked pasta, I'd end it there. That was humor.

My favorite Carnera quote. Mr. Carnera, what do you think of Hollywood? Carnera replies with a grin, I'll knock him out too.

[billeau2]

I agree with Billeau2,

Comparing Wlad to Carnera on skills is a reach.

Outside of both were big guys and liked pasta, I'd end it there. That was humor.

My favorite Carnera quote. Mr. Carnera, what do you think of Hollywood? Carnera replies with a grin, I'll knock him out too.

Carnera was a physical specimen and as a human being was quite graceful for a big man. In the ring he was however limited... He certainly was no fighter.

[QueensburyRules]

Carnera was a physical specimen and as a human being was quite graceful for a big man. In the ring he was however limited... He certainly was no fighter.

- -KOing HOFers and bedding Hollywood starlets good enough.

[billeau2]

- -KOing HOFers and bedding Hollywood starlets good enough.

yeah he did well for hisself

[Anthony342]

Carnera was a physical specimen and as a human being was quite graceful for a big man. In the ring he was however limited... He certainly was no fighter.

Still did pretty well though, becoming not only heavyweight boxing champ, but also winning a good amount of legit wrestling matches later in life. Not too bad. Didn't really get into the whole Toots Mondt show wrestling, from what I've read about him.

[billeau2]

Still did pretty well though, becoming not only heavyweight boxing champ, but also winning a good amount of legit wrestling matches later in life. Not too bad. Didn't really get into the whole Toots Mondt show wrestling, from what I've read about him.

He did well for himself. I didn't know about the wrestling.

[Anthony342]

He did well for himself. I didn't know about the wrestling.

It's on his Wikipedia page and I remember reading about it when I used to read wrestling bios in the library in school.

[Willie Pep 229]

He did well for himself. I didn't know about the wrestling.

He was a great wrestling champ and made big money more than in the boxing game (where they say he was robbed by the mob ) but I doubt they were 'shoots' (legit matches) he was wrestling in.

Strangler Lewis had pretty much corrupted the wrestling game by the mid 20s and the last legit champ retired after pinning one of Lewis fake Champions in a classic double cross in 1926. After that I don't think there was any real wrestling after that.

The Strangler Lewis double cross is a great story.

[Anthony342]

He was a great wrestling champ and made big money more than in the boxing game (where they say he was robbed by the mob ) but I doubt they were 'shoots' (legit matches) he was wrestling in.

Strangler Lewis had pretty much corrupted the wrestling game by the mid 20s and the last legit champ retired after pinning one of Lewis fake Champions in a classic double cross in 1926. After that I don't think there was any real wrestling after that.

The Strangler Lewis double cross is a great story.

I've read there was a combination of shoots and scripted matches after that until about the 1950s maybe, when the product got TV airtime. You're probably right, so I don't know why a win-loss record is listed for his wrestling career. Pretty cool he ended up getting to work with the great Lou Thesz. I remember reading Lewis having one of the longest bouts ever, lasting 5 and a half hours. I doubt fans would go for that now, as younger fans complained when the Last Man Standing match at last year's Wrestlemania between Edge and Randy Orton lasted 36 minutes. It was great storytelling IMO. These damn kids with their smart I gadgets and short attention spans just don't appreciate the slow burn stories and matches these days, it seems.

They might have taken the approach AEW does today, where the wrestlers with the better records are taken more seriously by fans and promoters and given title shots.