In 1934, having problems with his arm, he fought only twice. The surgery he had to correct the problem removed calcium deposits, but left him with a left arm slightly shorter than his right. He adopted a style that allowed him to have his best years in 1935–36 winning with great frequency and utilizing his strength, counterpunching, and defensive skills. On October 22, 1936, he won an exciting twelve round match against Oscar Rankins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Describing how he could appear to be taking a beating in a fight like the one with Rankins, while actually avoiding or blocking most of the blows coming his way, he once said, "I started walking in on my opponents but I countered. People used to think I was taking a beating, but I could weave while standing still...I'd walk in and look like I was a punching bag half the time, but I'd never get hit. That operation (on left arm) was the turning point of my life." The "Pittsburgh Press" noted how Krieger appeared to be taking serious punishment in the Rankin fight, but came back stronger. It wrote "From a mile behind to a mile in front came Krieger after the Coast colored boy (Rankin) tired, principally from rocking right hands off Solly's chin and sinking both hands deep in his body. And when he came there was no stopping. Unmarked, despite being a perfect target in the early rounds..." Many newspapers considered the fight one of the greatest middleweight bouts of all time.