The Michigan Assassin

[Spicoli]

Okay I have been reading about one of the greatest middleweights ever, Stanley Ketchel. He had a career record of 53--4-5 (4 no-decision), with 50 knockouts. There is a picture of him knocking down Jack Johnson although they say he slipped.
Some good quote's: "he would have been a leader in any walk of life...a great general or an admiral, if his path had lead him into those comparatively peaceful lines." --Alexander Johnson.

He died at 24 and had an awesome article about his death: "Stanley Ketchel was twenty-four years old when was fatally shot in the back by the common-law husband of the lady who was cooking his breakfast."

"Cooking his Breakfast" Thats one way of putting it. They showed the Johnson fight a few times and it looked somewhat like a half clubbing right behind the head ?Shame we dont have more footage,Would have loved to see the Papke /Ketchel bouts.The "story" goes that In the 2nd fight Papke landed a cheap shot to his throat/ wind pipe at ring center before the bell and Ketchel was spitting blood and endured a beating.Supposedly thats when they Implemented the "touch gloves" practice?Who knows?

[Master]

Yeah I thought he was having sex with the cook and husband got jealous. He was not going to beat Ketchel in a fight so shot him.

I think he legitimately knocked down Jack Johnson. Could you imagine a middleweight that could knock down a heavyweight champion now?

[boozeboxer]

Like James Toney.

[Master]

When Jame Tony was middleweight could he have knocked down Lennox Lewis?

[Canvasback]

If you watch the film of the Johnson/Ketchel fight, after Ketchel knocks Johnson down he rushes in and Johnson KO's him. You will see Johnson wiping his gloves to get Ketchel's teeth out of them. Pretty scary.

[Master]

Read on this forum that it was supposed to be a show fight for the cinemas and that it was supposed to be more of a spar session but Ketchel went for a surprise punch which felled the great champ who understandably was annoyed and KTFO Ketchel.

[SweetPea]

James Toney has had a lot of people cooking his breakfast over the years.

[El Kabong]

Read on this forum that it was supposed to be a show fight for the cinemas and that it was supposed to be more of a spar session but Ketchel went for a surprise punch which felled the great champ who understandably was annoyed and KTFO Ketchel.

Yeah, the fighters back then got money off of the replays of the fights in the movie theaters....I am not sure if it was by round or what but Johnson took a lot of guys the distance (which was pretty fucking long back then)

Stanley Ketchel was a PLAYA, and apparently a guy who liked to party....must have been awesome to be a boxer back then everyone paid attention to the sport and the fighters were held in very high regard even if they were brainless violent thugs with bad attitudes.