I'm not an absurd, troll like "casual fan" but I play one on the UG.
Johnson was the first guy to really go on the attack and knocked Ketchel down first in round 2 or 3. Anything said about Johnson taking it easy on Ketchel before Stan knocked him down is just fabricated BS by Johnson. Johnson was serious from the begining; he was simply caught by a big overhand right, delivered by one of the hardest punching middleweights in history.
However, Ketchel got cocky and didn't keep his guard up when he rushed in to finis Jack off. Big mistake and it costed Ketchel the fight and (if you believe the legend) several of his teeth.
"if he could have boxed just the tiniest bit,he would undoubtably been the greatest middle ever"
HUH????? TWO WORDS - ALAN MINTER.
LOL at the British Bleeder Alan Minter
(Though he was a good and gallant fighter)
Remember those British fight fans who were none to happy with Hagler's victory over Minter?
"No black guy's going to take my title"
Racially insulting Hagler prior to a fight with him=pure genius.
Has anyone ever seen a world champ beaten so quickly and easily by an underdog. The first right hand that started the TKO sequence, thrown directly after a clinch, was so beautiful I almost cry when I watch it.
Another link regarding Jack Johnson vs. Stanley Ketchel:
www.eastsideboxing.com/news/bearden2006.php
I think that complimenting Hagler would have been a dangerous move :)