Quote Originally Posted by Jimanuel Boogustus View Post
Aaah...That sounds better, thanks Marb! I just found one fighter that was never recognised by the NYSAC... Gene Tunney!

Shame about the IBF & WBO though... More so as they were breakaway sanctions of the WBA... I wonder how long the writing was on the wall? Actually I wonder if it was a re-occuring threat over the years? All speculation but i'd be interested to know...
Also, it's a shame about all the regional affiliates... I mean i know about ALL of the regional titles I just never knew ANY of them were affiliated!?
It5 just occurred to me why NYSAC never recognized Gene Tunney, Harry Wills and William Mulsood.

Wills was a very prominent black heavy of that time. Nat Fleischer and a series of other boxing folks were pushing for him to get a title crack at Dempsey in the early 1920's. Wills was big and powerful but not quick and in my mind those are the guys Dempsey destroyed. BUT Wills had certainly earned a shot with wins over Langford (old by then) Jeanette, McVea and Fred Fulton among others. Of course promoters were still scared to death to match up a black guy for the crown given the national reaction to Jeffries-Johnson. Muldoon was a famous wrestler and then trainer of fighters who was so highly thought of he became the first commissioner of NYSAC, He refused to sanction any title fight for Dempsey except Wills and that is why neither Tunney fight was held in NY.