Dream fight Tony Zale vs Carmen Basillio. Who wins?

Question

Middleweights and 15 rounds

Zale 67-18-2 (45)

Basillio 56-16-7 (27)

Answer 1

The pre-world war ll Zale wins this fight. I think he was a great fighter and he lost several years in his career due to the war, but still had some great fights after.

Zale was a little sharper than Basillio and would win a decision.

Answer 2

Both are very similar in style.  Its simple math.  Zale is just a little better in every category.  Speed and defense wouldn't be much of a factor in this fight.  Zale takes a better punch and punches a little harder.  Its like two men with clubs.  Fighter A hits once and Fighter B hits twice.   Fighter A will soon fall.

Zale by TKO in 10

Answer 3

I think I would take the onion farmer in this one just to go against the grain, but I must admit it would have been an all time classic.  In all the obvious categories of comparison Zale appears on paper to be a slight favorite, but than again on paper Marciano is a decided underdog against Walcott and Charles too, and the out come was quite different from the pre fight predictions.  The intangible quality that defines greatness is fickle, and a lot of times the fighter with the greater physical tools doesn't always win.

If Carmine Basilio could go on to found the International Boxing Hall of Fame in his home town after his career in the ring, I think he would have found something deep down and turned in a classic effort against another all time great in Zale and won this one.  Great match up.

Carmine Basillio in a bloody split decision war.