The Crap Chute

GorDoom

   Bobo Olson, Ken Buchanan, Jeff Chandler & Jimmy Carter. Two of them were good, tough, fighters & one was a rising star in boxing's firmament when his career was unexpectedly cut short & the fourth was a completely mobbed up fighter with that even with that advantage had thirty career losses on his record.

   The CBZ has always been supportive of Ed Brophy & The Boxing Hall Of Fame in Canastota, New York ... But, in the last few years, some of the inductees have raised more than a few eyebrows. For the sake of brevity, we will only deal with the present inductees:

    1- Bobo Olson. Bobo was a rough, tough, middleweight who lost EVERY crossroads bout in his career with the exception of his middleweight title elimination bout with another notorious under achiever, the tragic Brit, Randy Turpin.

   The biggest wins of Olson's middleweight career were against over the hill
foes like, Lloyd Marshall (KO 5), Kid Gavilan (W-15), Joey Maxim (W-10,
W-10). Among the top contenders of his day he beat, Robert Villemain, (W-10), Joey Giambra ((W--10, W-10) & Rory Calhoun (W-10).

   As a light heavyweight Bobo fared even worse the only recognizable names
he beat were: Roque Maravilla (W-10), Jesse Bowdry (W-10), Wayne Thornton (W-10, W-10), Andy Kendall (W-10).

   He also drew with Guilio Rinaldi & Hank Casey. On the other side of the
ledger as a light heavy, he was KO'd by: Archie Moore, Doug Jones, Jose
Torres & Pat McMurty. You can also add the three times Sugar Ray starched him...

2- Ken Buchanan. Again, a rough, tough, fighter, with all the guts in the world ... But, again we have a career ledger that is very deceptive. Beginning in 1965 Buchanan rolled up an impressive record against a bunch of European hobos. His first loss came in 1970, against the immortal (yeah, right ...), Miguel Velasquez (L-15), for the vacant European lightweight title.

   Later that year he won the world title from the great Ismael Laguna (W-15). He also beat Laguna in a rematch in 1971. On paper, like his later victory over Carlos Ortiz (KO-6), these seem like sterling victories until you realize that both Laguna & Ortiz were at the end of their career's & by the time they fought Buchanan they were ghosts of their former fighting selves ... Ortiz, was not only totally shot by then, he was in the throes of his desperate battle against alcohol addiction. In fact, his fight with Buchanan was the last of his long & glorious career.

   As lightweight champion, Buchanan defended his title against tough Ruben
Navarro (W-15) & his rematch with Laguna, (W-15), before losing it to Duran
in 1972. His biggest victories after losing to Duran were against the forgettable, Jim Watt, for the British lightweight title (W-15) & against fringe contender Frankie Otero ( W-10, KO-6).

   He also lost in a try for the WBC title against, Ishimatsu Suzuki (L-15),
in 1975.

3- Jeff Chandler. Chandler's case is different from the aforementioned. Chandler was well on his way to becoming that rare entity, a lower weight fighter that develops into a super star.

   Beginning in 1976, Chandler marched through the bantamweight division. In
1979 he hit his stride & started knocking out most of his opponents. He won the lineal bantamweight championship in 1980 with a 14 round KO of Julian Solis. Over the next three years he defended his title 9 times with six KO's two decisions & one draw. He was well on his way to greatness when he suffered a detached retina & was KO'd in 15 rounds by Richie Sandoval in Atlantic City, in 1984.

   That proved to be Joltin' Jeff's last fight, as medical science was unable to deal with the detached retina at that time.

   Of the three fighters mentioned so far, Chandler clearly makes the best case for induction to the HOF. As champion he defeated such sterling fighters as Gaby Canizales, Julian Solis, Jorge Lujan & Eijiro Murata.

    Because Chandler actually dominated his era there are good reasons for
his induction ... But, this was a fighter who's career was cut short in his prime. In the eyes of the CBZ while he verged on greatness, his career ended too prematurely to truly stamp him with the mantle of greatness ...

4- Jimmy Carter. His induction is so beyond the pale it's a disgrace. Carter was the poster boy for mob fighters in the 50's. While his record is dotted with many victories over "name" fighters like, Ike Williams, Enrique Bolanos, Wallace "Bud" Smith, Percy Bassett, Art Aragon, Lauro Salas & Paddy DeMarco, every one of these "victories" is highly suspect.

   Carter was owned by Frankie Carbo, Blinky Palermo & James Norris & was used as a tool to control the lightweight title. His career was manipulated in the same way as Virgil Akins & Don Jordan were to control the welterweight title. The formula was simple: Have Carter lose his title to the likes of Lauro Salas, Paddy DeMarco & "Bud" Smith & then clean up on the bets in the rematches.

    From 1951 when he first won the title from a very faded Ike Williams, until 1955, when the mob finally lost interest in him, Carter won & lost the title three times. He finally lost the title permanently to the utterly mediocre, Wallace "Bud" Smith. After that, his career stumbled on until 1960 when he finally retired.

   Like any event, The HOF induction ceremonies likes to induct living fighters who they hope will draw fans to the ceremonies. Olson, Buchanan & Chandler are alive & functional but does that mean that the fans are going to claw and scratch at the gates of Canastota to get in. The bar has obviously been lowered for induction. Bobo & Buchanan were good fighters, at times even very good, but in no way are they all time greats that truly deserve induction. Maybe I'm wrong but shouldn't you have either dominated your era or at least had a long & illustrious career to deserve induction?

   Olson & Buchanan simply don't meet that criteria. Chandler is a close call
& is arguably deserving. Carter, while was a three time lightweight champion
was so under the thumb of the mob that almost everyone of his major victories
is under a thunder cloud of suspicion.

    With Carter's admission to the Hall Of Fame, this might be a good time
for Canastota to close it's compromised doors