Marcel Cerdan

[McGoorty]

Not even close! All Fitzsimmons did was beat Corbett, he was destroyed already in the first defense by Jeffries. I rate both Cerdan and Benvenuti above him.

Sorry buddy but that was far too simplistic.. Fitz was also a MW and LHW champion, his victories over MW's rank very high indeed, I dont know if he was as skilled as Cerdan was but certainly tougher and a massive legacy. As for Benvenuti I cant put Nino that high, one thing I MUST point out though guys, please count the total amount of Fitzsimmons fights on European soil and you get to the actual truth of the matter.. Fitz lived in New Zealand, was good with his fists so decides to go to one of the best boxing cities in the world that time... Sydney, New South Wales where he learned the Mace school style from Larry Foley ( who was never defeated inside a boxing ring in a 4 decade long career)...... there Bob had lots of tough fights until he was considered among the two best fighters in Australia (Peter Jackson was the other)...................... .................................................. Then Bob decided to try his luck in America the rest is history.... as far as I know Bob had never had a single fight on European soil... Bob Fitzsimmons was an Antipodean from the Antipodes (the best part of planet earth).

[McGoorty]

Your actually taking it too far now...He has one of the most insane resumes of all-time, also one of the hardest hitting punchers of all-time.

Amongst other things, heres afew things he did:

Smashing Philly Jack a the age of 41.

Smashing HW contenders while weighing in as MW or a very smal LHW.

Smashing Dempsey (nonpareil) for the MW title, Corbett for the HW title, and outpointing Gardner for LHW title.

Basically you got it, and I can say that some of his Aussie opponents were good fighters, better than whats around now, I think Geale is good but Bob would have hammered him and so may quite a few others, the standard dowunder in the old days was high and going to America was very expensive and dangerous massively long journey so most never made the trip.... in the end it was an Australian who finished Bob as a fighter with a horrible horrible beating when he was way too old by Bill Lang............. Cerdan is one of the great IF's of boxing history as his life was cut short.

[Welsh Jon]

It seems a lot of people question whether Bob Fitzsimmons is European but few ask the same questions of Marcel Cerdan. Cerdan was Algerian. He spent his early career fighting in North Africa. Cerdan should surely be considered one of the greats of African boxing not European.

[Isaac Hunt]

It seems a lot of people question whether Bob Fitzsimmons is European but few ask the same questions of Marcel Cerdan. Cerdan was Algerian. He spent his early career fighting in North Africa. Cerdan should surely be considered one of the greats of African boxing not European.

Good point. Did Cerdan have French parents? I know he was born in Algeria but were his parents Algerian?

[D.Y. Lawrence]

Good point. Did Cerdan have French parents? I know he was born in Algeria but were his parents Algerian?

Cerdan's dad was from Rousillon, which is a region located in the South-East of France that also comprises lands in present North-East of Spain, Catalonia. His mum is also French of Spanish extraction.

See Nicola's Cerdan site (Marcel's grandson): marcelcerdanheritage.com/5.aspx


Cerdan was born in Algeria but his family actually moved to Casablanca, Morocco, when he was only six--hence his nickname the "The Moroccan Bomber". Both Algeria and Morocco were French colonies back then, and Marcel Cerdan was a pied-noir.

[D-MiZe]

Great, underrated fighter.

But nowhere near the best to come out of Europe.

[IronDanHamza]

Great, underrated fighter.

But nowhere near the best to come out of Europe.

No where near?

How many would you rank ahead of him?

[Welsh Jon]

Cerdan's dad was from Rousillon, which is a region located in the South-East of France that also comprises lands in present North-East of Spain, Catalonia. His mum is also French of Spanish extraction.

See Nicola's Cerdan site (Marcel's grandson): marcelcerdanheritage.com/5.aspx


Cerdan was born in Algeria but his family actually moved to Casablanca, Morocco, when he was only six--hence his nickname the "The Moroccan Bomber". Both Algeria and Morocco were French colonies back then, and Marcel Cerdan was a pied-noir.

Algeria and Morocco were certainly French colonies, but they were not in Europe. I am not comfortable with a man who was North African born and raised being described as one of the great European boxers.

[Chalama123]

How would you rank these guys in the list below based on overall boxing legacy?