|
A New Era for Heavyweight Boxing
At the turn of the year 1946
and to note, I'm mentioning Light Heavyweights here because some factor very much in the heavyweight competition with Light Heavies wanting to get in on the more prestigious heavy class with it's bigger payoffs.
NBA announced ratings of Jan 15:
Joe Louis, Champion
Billy Conn, Logical Contender
Outstanding boxers listed were:
Tami Mauriello
Jimmy Bivins
Honorable Mentions:
Lee Oma
Jersey Joe Walcott
Elmer Ray
Bruce Woodcock
Arturo Godoy
Joey Maxim
Johnny Flynn
Lee Savold
Light Heavyweights
Gus Lesnevich, Champion
Logical contenders
1. Archie Moore
2. Freddie Mills
Outstanding boxers
1. Lloyd Marshall
2. Billy Fox
3. Phil Muscato
4. Anton Christoforidis
Honorable mentions
Joe Kahut
Jack Johnson
Fitzie Fitzpatrick
Ezzard Charles
Billy Grant
Oakland Billy Smith
Around the same time we have Ring Magazines annual rankings Feb 1946:
Heavyweights
Joe Louis, Champion
1. Billy Conn
2. Tami Mauriello
3. Jimmy Bivins
4. Elmer Ray
5. Bruce Woodcock
6. Lee Oma
7. Freddie Schott
8. Arturo Godoy
9. Jersey Joe Walcott
10. Joe Baksi
Light Heavyweights
Gus Lesnevich, Champion
1. Archie Moore
2. Phil Muscato
3. Billy Grant
4. Lloyd Marshall
5. Joe Kahut
6. Nate Bolden
7. Jack Johnson
8. Freddie Mills
9. Oakland Billy Smith
10. Fitzie Fitzpatrick
NBA Quartely Rankings continue in 1946:
April 9th
Heavyweights
Joe Louis, Champion
Logical contenders
1. Billy Conn
Outstanding boxers
1. Tami Mauriello
2. Jersey Joe Walcott
3. Jimmy Bivins
4. Lee Oma
Honorable mentions
Melio Bettina
Elmer Ray
Bruce Woodcock
Joe Baksi
Phil Muscato
Johnny Flynn
Light Heavyweights
Gus Lesnevich, Champion
Logical contenders
1. Archie Moore
2. Freddie Mills
3. Billy Fox
4. Oakland Billy Smith
Outstanding boxers
1. Ezzard Charles
2. Anton Christoforidis
3. Lloyd Marshall
Honorable mentions
Joe Kahut
Jack Chase
Walter Woods
John Henry Eskew
Hilton (Fitzy) Fitzpatrick
Coley Welch
NBA Rankings as of July 9 (They appear again In Jan 1947 as listed in BoxRec)
Heavyweights
Joe Louis, Champion
Outstanding boxers
1. Tami Mauriello
2. Jersey Joe Walcott
Honorable mentions
Elmer Ray
Lee Oma
Bruce Woodcock
Billy Conn
Jimmy Bivins
Tommy Gomez
Joe Baksi
Joey Maxim
Johnny Flynn
Light Heavyweights
Gus Lesnevich, Champion
Logical contenders
1. Ezzard Charles
2. Billy Fox
Outstanding boxers
1. Oakland Billy Smith
2. Archie Moore
3. Lloyd Marshall
Honorable mentions
Freddie Mills
Joe Kahut
Johnny Colan
Tommy Yarosz
Jack Chase
So I see a lot of names I at least know of but also a good number I do not know about at all. Have to look up in my data base to see if they are even there, especially with the light heavies. I see in the later half of 1946 Ezzard Charles shows up in the NBA Light Heavy rankings.
Prominent heavyweight beside Louis is Billy Conn, waiting for his rematch with Louis to get even with 1941. But 1946 would see both of these fighters appearing to be on the very downward side of their careers. Physically and ability to contend with the younger group though some not that much younger.
|