By Jack Hirsch
THERE was a time when sanctioning bodies did not exist. When they finally did, it took a while for each of them to gain the influence they enjoy today. But let’s pretend for a moment that the WBC, WBA, WBO, and IBF were all in place much, much earlier; would boxing history have then been significantly altered? It is all speculation, of course it is, but it’s nevertheless fascinating to think of what might have happened.
Let’s examine three specific cases in detail and gloss over some more.
JOE LOUIS – MAX SCHMELING II
On June 22, 1938, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in one round at New York’s Yankee Stadium. It is generally acknowledged to be one of the three biggest fights in boxing history, primarily because of the storyline outside of the ring and what was at stake. By avenging his only career defeat in such devastating fashion, Louis, in the minds of many, went on to become the greatest heavyweight champion of all time, a legendary figure who transcended his sport.
On reflection, Louis needed the rematch a lot more than Schmeling. His place in boxing history would have been irreparably tarnished had he not been able to extract revenge. However, the lure of the heavyweight title which Louis held, trumped everything else. With that said, it is hard to imagine a scenario where at least one of the sanctioning bodies would have allowed champion Jim Braddock to bypass Schmeling in favour of Louis in 1937, considering that the German had previously stopped ‘The Brown Bomber’.
Chances are that Schmeling would have been boxing for a vacant title at home against an opponent, perhaps someone like Tommy Farr, who he would have been favoured to defeat. And had Schmeling done so it is quite possible that his claim to the title would have enabled him to avoid Louis.
At the end of the day, the revenue of a Louis-Schmeling rematch might have been too great for it not to have taken place. After all, the reason Schmeling’s big fights took place in the United States was because he could make substantially more money boxing there than in Germany. Although Schmeling would have been considered a champion in some quarters, surely Louis’ reputation was such that public pressure would have forced Schmeling to have another go at him. But we can’t discount the possibility of the rematch never occurring. Nazi Germany might have claimed the title and not allowed their man to risk it against Louis.
THE CASE OF HARRY WILLS
In the 1920s, Harry Wills was the perennial number one contender for the world heavyweight championship held by Jack Dempsey. Yet he never got the opportunity to box for the title, despite having better credentials than all the challengers who Dempsey defended against.
Wills, a soft-spoken black man, was haunted by the spectre of the boisterous Jack Johnson, who held the title the decade before. With the great White Hope era still fresh in everyone’s mind, Dempsey’s promoter Tex Rickard drew the color line, thus depriving Wills of the chance to fight for the title. For his part, Dempsey was detached from the situation. Jack probably did not fear Wills but his failure to fight his closest rival is a stain on the Dempsey legacy.
Had sanctioning bodies been around, at least one would have demanded that Dempsey box Wills or be stripped of the title. In fact, The New York State Athletic Commission refused to allow Dempsey to defend the crown against Gene Tunney in their State because of his refusal to defend against Wills. The match was then relocated to Philadelphia.
Wills would have probably picked up at least one of the sanctioning body belts had Dempsey been stripped. This might have resulted in so much pressure being put on Dempsey that the fight occurred.
Opinions vary, but with Wills’ physical advantages and ring acumen, there is a reasonable chance he withstands Dempsey’s rushes and diffuses his attack to relieve him of the title.
Eventually Wills probably would have lost the title to Jack Sharkey, the fighter who beat Wills in 1926, toward the end of the Black Panther’s career. As for Dempsey, had he lost to Wills, it’s unlikely he’d be regarded as highly as he is today.
THE REIGN OF JOHN L. SULLIVAN
The mighty John L. Sullivan was a mythical hero in the United States of America. Known for frequenting bars and proclaiming he could ‘whip any son of a bitch in the house’, Sullivan was also an overt racist, declaring that he would only defend the world heavyweight championship against fellow white fighters.
Although Sullivan held the title and was the biggest name in his sport during that period (1882-1892), there were many who felt that Australian Peter Jackson, along with Jim Corbett, were the two best heavyweights around. In fact, Corbett and Jackson fought to a 61-round draw in 1891. The next year Corbett dominated before knocking out Sullivan in 23 rounds to relieve him of the crown. Based on that factual evidence, there is no reason to believe that Jackson would not have done the same. However, he never got an opportunity to box for the title.
Had the sanctioning bodies been around, Sullivan would have either been forced to defend against Jackson or been stripped of the belt. Worse yet, he would have been labeled as a coward in some quarters which would have been intolerable for a man like Sullivan.
Most importantly, historically speaking, it would have been Jackson and not Jack Johnson who would have been the first black heavyweight champion of the world.
UNCROWNED CHAMPIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN CROWNED:
Sam Langford, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, could have been a world champion in multiple weight divisions.
Later, other black fighters such as Lloyd Marshall, Holman Williams, Jimmy Bivins, and Charley Burley would go on to have Hall of Fame careers, but never box for a world title. It is incomprehensible that Burley, who was put on a level with Sugar Ray Robinson by some, could get surpassed in favour of so many lesser men. Had the four sanctioning bodies been around at least one would have come to Burley’s rescue. And had that happened there is an excellent chance that the dream matchup with Robinson would have become a reality.
Jerry Quarry lost a close decision to Jimmy Ellis in the finals of the WBA heavyweight elimination tournament in 1967. Despite notching some fine victories and remaining a perennial contender for many years, the closest he came to a title shot was against Joe Frazier whose claim at the time was not even as strong as Ellis’. Had there been four sanctioning bodies around instead of just mainly the WBA at the time, it is hard to believe that not at least one of them would have put Quarry in a position to win their title.
Whether boxing history would have turned out to be better or worse had the Big Four (WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO) been around from the start we will never know. On the one hand, certain fighters who deserved to fight for titles would have received their chance but, on the other, the multiple championships and subsequent confusion might have turned fans off to the point the sport would have been irrevocably altered.