Jake Lamotta In Todays Middleweight Era: How Easy Does He Reign?

[cleaner147]

to the topic

Freedom Fighter: LaMotta was one of the best middleweights in the world, truly an ATG. what he accomplished is incredible like TheGreatA said.

[Steak]

Now you're lying. I didn't say they were ALL ordinary. Cerdan and SRR were great fighters.

I said LaMotta has losses to a number of ordinary fighters, and that some of the names ThGreatA mentioned as "great" wins were actually very ordinary, not elite, fighters.

LaMotta beat numerous top contenders and had a very impressive record of wins.

stop messing up people's words.

No, I didn't say it because of that particular fight. It's because LaMotta lost to a lot of ordinary fighters too, and because his style was similar to Wolak.

Roberto Duran lost to handful of ordinary fighters...doesnt change the fact that hes one of the greatest fighters of all time.

most of LaMotta's embarressing losses came really early in his career anyway.

A career full of meaningful, impressive wins outweighs having a few rare bad losses.

[crold1]

stop messing up people's words.
Roberto Duran lost to handful of ordinary fighters...doesnt change the fact that hes one of the greatest fighters of all time.

most of LaMotta's embarressing losses came really early in his career anyway.

A career full of meaningful, impressive wins outweighs having a few rare bad losses.

Yeah, but LaMotta never fought anybody who beat Danny Jacobs!

[GJC]

I've never said that. I have said they would be competitive in any era.

Jake Lamotta had a very ordinary career, except for his win over SRR (you have to take into account that Cerdan was terminally ill when LaMotta won their fight).

Robinson defeated LaMotta in all of the rematches, and utterly destroyed him is some of them.

You know being 6 months away from getting on a plane that crashes doesn't count as being terminally ill don't you?

[The Hammer]

You know being 6 months away from getting on a plane that crashes doesn't count as being terminally ill don't you?

Looks like I was mistaken about Cerdan being terminally ill.

I thought I could remember reading an article on another website (Ring or ESB) a couple of years ago that Cerdan had some terminal illness, but I can't find it now - and everywhere I look it says he died in a plane crash. So I must have somehow confused him with another boxer of the past I'd read about.

[heat27]

i think Martinez is the only one who would have a shot of beating him

every1 else in today middleweight division Lamotta beats

[GJC]

Looks like I was mistaken about Cerdan being terminally ill.

I thought I could remember reading an article on another website (Ring or ESB) a couple of years ago that Cerdan had some terminal illness, but I can't find it now - and everywhere I look it says he died in a plane crash. So I must have somehow confused him with another boxer of the past I'd read about.

Maybe Billy Miske? He was terminally i'll at the end of his career possibly even when he fought Dempsey.

[BOLLOCKS]

The man is a living legend.

[BennyST]

I doubt if Lamotta would fight at 160 today. He would fight at 168. He struggled making weight at 160. He was a big middlweight. With that said, I wouldn't pick anybody at 160 today to beat him.

Well, with the pre-fight weigh ins (plus nutritionist), it's possible he could have fought at 154, 160 and 168. Him making 159 on fight day is very different to how it's done now. At a weigh in now, you can be drained and you still have that time to get rehydrated and in fighting shape with a long rest etc etc. They had to weigh in at the limit and be fight ready ie. not dehydrated. Many, many, many athletes today could not fight in the condition in which they weigh in. They would get steamrolled. Having to make 160 for for just the weigh in is vastly different than having to make 160 to fight.

So, I think he could have fought as low as 154 but he would have been able to make 160 very easily and then jumped up to his more natural weight of 168/170 at fight time...much like most MW's do now. Him making 159 for title fights then is the same as anyone making 154 and then fighting as a 168 pounder if that makes sense.

He was able to get down to 157 at the lowest to fight straight after. Three more pounds the day before, with rest, hydration etc would have been fine for him. I think he would have been a titlist at 154, made his legacy at 160 with dominance and then been a titlist at 168 too. Not many today at any of those weights that could beat him.

There aren't that many fighters today that would be fighting at the weight they are at now, if they were fighting in the fight-day-weigh-in era.

Freedom Fighter: Have you heard of these HOF greats and champions? Fritzie Zivic, Marcel Cerdan, Tommy Yarosz, Jackie Wilson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jose Basora, Holman Williams, Robert Villemain etc etc.

Name a single fighter today that could hold a candle to that? ....and you say some no name dude who beat one prospect is greater than him?

What is this place coming to?