The Irish or The Italians

Who made a bigger contribution to American boxing history?

Gene Tunney
Jack Dempsey
Billy Conn
Mickey Walker
Gerry Cooney
James J. Corbett
Nonpareil Dempsey
Johnny Kilbane
Tommy Loughran
James J. Braddock


vs

Willie Pep
Rocky Marciano
Joey Maxim
Lou Ambers
Sammy Angott
Carmen Basilio
Tony Canzoneri
Rocky Graziano
Jake LaMotta
Ray Mancini

 

Related point - obviously The Irish fighters come first and the Italian fighters start coming to prominence 20 years or so later on average. Its a 2nd generation diaspora sport. That seems to fit with blacks really taking over the sport as the Italians started to fade out a couple decades after the great migration of blacks northward in the 20s and 30s (about 10-20 years after all the Italians arrived). And possibly even the emergence of Mexican & Mexican American fighters starting in the 70s and 80s though I don;t really know the history of emigration there.

Kinda obvious point, but, yeah...

 

interesting thread.

I have to give it to the Irish by a whisker.

 

Godfather>>>>>> State of Grace

 

Nino Larocca>>Mickey Ward

 

The Irish early, the Italians later... I don't know who you could say made a greater contribution historically

BUT, and I HATE SAYING THIS SO MUCH as an Irishman SURROUNDED by Guineas where I live, but since boxing in the 1930s and onward was a lot more developed than boxing before that, I would give the edge to the Italians (I just choked down a puke) because more of them were fighting when guys really knew how to fight


And HUt, how in the hell do you put Gerry Fucking Cooney on there instead of Jimmy McLarnin??? LOL

Shit, Art Hafey and Jerry Quarry deserve to be there more than Cooney does

 

Italians

no Niccolino Locche? Nino Benvenuti?

 

Rocky Balboa > "Irish" Micky Ward



REED:Lok:

ps. YES, REED Knows Ward Wasn't REALLY Irish..

 

What the hell is Ward then if he's not Irish?

 

Irish by a nose, IMO.

 

I say Italians clearly.

 

The Arabs.

 

:giggle:

 

Not Sure, but REED Recalls REEDing Somewhere that Ward Only Adopted the "Irish" Nickname for Marketing Purposes, Similar to How Old School Fighters Used to Do...

Mickey Ward is NOT Irish, if REED's Not Mistaken...



REED:Lok:

 

Sure has an Irish surname. Unless that's an adopted name.

 

I remember reading Ward was from Polish stock

 

Ward is at least half German, I know that

 

Call me mad, but I still have the Irish with their noses in front, even if they lose Wards presence ::

 

He's Irish/German/English, to my knowledge

His half brother has the last name Ecklund- German

 

Hey cdogg, I had some Irish stew today

 

aye, was it grand?

you're a foine lad

 

Yes!

If we get him on our team that will surely put us over the top!

EIRE GO DEO!!!!:rock1::rock1::rock1:

 

Wuz feckin' delicious, i ate it while watchin' a fillum. I prefer it to that pasta shoite so the Oirish have moy vote

 

that's feckin grand, fair play to ya