older guys- boxing fans

[Nitt1300]

Do you remember when even a casual fan could probably name at least half of the weight class champs (and when there was only one per weight class)?

I realized the other day that I can't name a single one in any weight class.

There was a time when the heavyweight champ was pretty much known worldwide, now they are hardly known, it seems.

 

[nits74]

Remember it well. Boxing has dropped out of favor and it doesn't help that there aren't the same charismatic personalities as there once were. To a lesser degree the same can be said for professional tennis.

 

[NewEra 2014]

The Ali documentary on HBO is excellent. Some great boxing footage on that program. I remember many of the fights they showed from Ali’s career—Ken Norton, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, etc.

It was somewhat jarring to see Ali’s health deteriorate like it did over the course of the documentary. Looking back, you could see the signs much earlier than it was ever acknowledged at the time.

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Yep, I would watch Ali, Frazier, Holmes, Foreman... fights with my dad and can still remember where I was when Buster Douglass beat Iron Mike. I watch UFC now and can’t understand how boxing retains the huge purses it does.

 

[Lion78]

Do you remember when even a casual fan could probably name at least half of the weight class champs (and when there was only one per weight class)?

I realized the other day that I can't name a single one in any weight class.

There was a time when the heavyweight champ was pretty much known worldwide, now they are hardly known, it seems.

Problem is, if you can name any boxer, in all likelihood they are a champion. There are probably 5 or more per weight class. I still like to watch, but have no idea who is champ of what.

 

[PSU20]

Henry Armstrong held the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight titles at the same time. No WBA, WBC, IBF with separate champions back then.

 

[psulongago]

Do you remember when even a casual fan could probably name at least half of the weight class champs (and when there was only one per weight class)?

I realized the other day that I can't name a single one in any weight class.

There was a time when the heavyweight champ was pretty much known worldwide, now they are hardly known, it seems.

You are correct, can't name a single title holder, nor can I even name the weight divisions. Remember Sugar Ray Robinson, Leonard, Hagler and of course all the Heavy Weights. Remember Ingmar (sp) Johanson (sp) beating, who was it, Patterson.

 

[Nitt1300]

I remember my dad taking me to an event at his club when I was a kid to meet Jack Sharkey- the guys in the club were all WWII vets and not easily impressed, but meeting a former heavyweight champ (even one not on the all time greats list) was clearly a big deal for all of them.

 

[Option Bob]

I remember James Leija (known in boxing as "Jesse James Leija), a super featherweight champion and a contender in lightweight & light welterweight.

James is still a very "down-to-earth," humble young man. I was "blessed" (sorry ... I spend too much time reading the recruiting thread) to have taught him in high school.

 

[Connorpozlee]

I miss big time boxing a lot. A big time fight was a bigger event than the Super Bowl to me.

 

[psucjo]

Yeah, I wish they had ONE heavyweight champ. I used to like it when the challenge was to unify all the titles, but not anymore.

 

[artsandletters]

I knew them then but I couldn’t name all of them now. Philly had many great boxers, especially middleweights. Bennie Briscoe, Willie ‘The Worm’ Monroe and another I can’t remember. Tyrone Everett was a great lightweight until he got shot in the head outside his bar. Tyrone has really fast hands. He’d hit you with so many lefts that you’d be beggin’for a right. Meldrick Taylor was a champ in one of the lighter weights. There’s many others but I’d have to think too hard. Don’t want that.

Story was that the Philly boxers would beat each other up so much that they’d lose important fights. Stan Hochman was the Philly writer that covered boxing closely. He knew all the players.

 

[LionJim]

I knew them then but I couldn’t name all of them now. Philly had many great boxers, especially middleweights. Bennie Briscoe, Willie ‘The Worm’ Monroe and another I can’t remember. Tyrone Everett was a great lightweight until he got shot in the head outside his bar. Tyrone has really fast hands. He’d hit you with so many lefts that you’d be beggin’for a right. Meldrick Taylor was a champ in one of the lighter weights. There’s many others but I’d have to think too hard. Don’t want that.

Story was that the Philly boxers would beat each other up so much that they’d lose important fights. Stan Hochman was the Philly writer that covered boxing closely. He knew all the players.

Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. Gypsy Joe Harris.

 

[Connorpozlee]

This is the best fight I ever saw.

 

[artsandletters]

Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. Gypsy Joe Harris.

I just remembered Bobby ‘Boogaloo’ Watts, another middleweight.

 

[4IUSox2]

Great subject!!!! Mid 70's to Mid 80's boxing was the best. Recall quite a few of the weight class champs. CBS Sports Spectacular Boxing with Tim Ryan or Wide World of Sports on ABC often had boxing.

Way before my time, but my dad and Grandpas were huge Tony Zale fans since from my area, Gary, IN. He beat Rocky Graziano 2 of 3 fights to win 2 middle weight titles. One at Yankees Stadium. Graziano said as he got older he would have nightmares of fighting Zale. When Graziano made his autobiographical movie "Somebody Up There Loves Me", Paul Newman, playing Graziano, wanted no part of Zale playing himself in boxing scenes.

 

[Steve G]

Do you remember when even a casual fan could probably name at least half of the weight class champs (and when there was only one per weight class)?

I realized the other day that I can't name a single one in any weight class.

There was a time when the heavyweight champ was pretty much known worldwide, now they are hardly known, it seems.

used to really enjoy boxing. The prospect of every fighter developing CTE has kind of ruined it for me and it makes me second guess watching football as well.

 

[phillybillyreprise]

I used to go to fights at the Blue Horizon, Spectrum and Arena.
Today, I couldn’t name a single champion. I was at the Arena when Buster Douglas’ father, Billy “Dynamite” Douglas beat Cyclone Hart in a split decision. We bought upper level seats and “tipped” the ushers for second row seats. When the decision was announced we were showered with beer. Lots more stories.
I was at a funeral of a very good friend on Friday. His cousin was there. He was never a champ. Dennis Heffernan. His hair is all white and his nose a lot flatter.

 

[83wuzme]

This is the best fight I ever saw.

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Herns broke his hand in that fight.
Herns had a tremendous straight right due to his incredible hand speed. He couldn’t do much with it by the third round.

 

[SUPERTODD]

If you want to get back into boxing watch Deontay Wilder. I was a huge boxing fan but kind of lost interest over the last 10 years or so. Wilder has brought me back. He is doing things that haven’t been seen before and may never be seen again. He has 40 KO’s in 41 fights. If I had any idea how to link a video I would link his fight from last night. One punch knockout. He has the most power of any fighter I have ever seen- Foreman, Lyle, Tyson - have nothing on him.

 

[PSU20]

This is the best fight I ever saw.

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+1000.....I watched it at the War Memorial Building in Trenton. Couldn't hardly talk afterwards from yelling. I was a huge Hagler fan!

 

[RU31trap]

1970’s
Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Quarry, Shavers, Lyle
Foster
Monzon
Durán

1980’s
Holmes-Cooney-L. Spinks-Tyson-Holyfield
Spinks-Braxton-Matthew Saad Muhammad
Hagler-Leonard-Hearns
Mancini-Alexis Argüello-Pryor

Both decades produced great fighters

 

[doublehaul]

When I was a kid, Friday night was Gilette Cavalcade of Sports, Friday night fights. Saw a lot of good fights. Most of the heavyweight championship fights were live on the radio if not on tv. I remember listening to the Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay first fight on my transister radio. Once PPV came in , kind of ruined it for the average Joe.

 

[Connorpozlee]

If you want to get back into boxing watch Deontay Wilder. I was a huge boxing fan but kind of lost interest over the last 10 years or so. Wilder has brought me back. He is doing things that haven’t been seen before and may never be seen again. He has 40 KO’s in 41 fights. If I had any idea how to link a video I would link his fight from last night. One punch knockout. He has the most power of any fighter I have ever seen- Foreman, Lyle, Tyson - have nothing on him.

 

[Aardvark86]

Title fights used to be big events that you’d stay up for

 

[SUPERTODD]

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Yep there it was. The vast majority of knock outs happen when a fighter doesn’t see a punch coming. Throwing one straight right and collapsing a guy with it is amazing. Big George had that kind of power, like the punch he threw that felled Moorer, but not too many other fighters.

 

[LionJim]

If you want to get back into boxing watch Deontay Wilder. I was a huge boxing fan but kind of lost interest over the last 10 years or so. Wilder has brought me back. He is doing things that haven’t been seen before and may never be seen again. He has 40 KO’s in 41 fights. If I had any idea how to link a video I would link his fight from last night. One punch knockout. He has the most power of any fighter I have ever seen- Foreman, Lyle, Tyson - have nothing on him.

Earnie Shavers?

 

[sigchip_a_yahoo.com]

Yep, I would watch Ali, Frazier, Holmes, Foreman... fights with my dad and can still remember where I was when Buster Douglass beat Iron Mike. I watch UFC now and can’t understand how boxing retains the huge purses it does.

Same here, grew up loving boxing, all the heavyweights plus Leanord, Hearns Hagler, great fights in the 80’s. Now I follow UFC and know basically nothing about boxing.

 

[TangSoo]

Eugene “Cyclone” Hart. Gypsy Joe Harris.

Some great Philly shoutouts in these two posts. Tyrone Everett completely schooled Alfredo Escalera and was robbed of winning the title. I scored the fight a few years ago 11-4 for Everett:

 

[SUPERTODD]

Earnie Shavers?

In 41 fights Wilder has knocked out 98% of his opponents and has 19 first round knockouts.

In 89 fights Shavers had 68 knockouts (76%) with 23 first round knockouts.

It’s not a perfect comparison because of length of career and quality of competition etc?, but boxing has never seen this level of power from a fighter in the first 40 fights of his career.

 

[Lattner]

Sugar Ray Robinson was the real greatest of all time.

 

[LionJim]

Sugar Ray Robinson was the real greatest of all time.

Ali for me.

 

[Nitt1300]

Sugar Ray Robinson was the real greatest of all time.

he is sure as hell on the very short list- I'd add Ali , Louis, and Marciano and call it a day

 

[PSU20]

Earnie Shavers?

Jerry Quary!

 

[b&w1987]

This is the best fight I ever saw.

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I'm old enough to have watched this when it happened. Hagler was in a lot of good fights. Great fighter.




Holmes Norton was epic as well and very under rated. Always loved Duran long before Leonard. He was insanely fast and powerful. When he fought Leonard he was already on his way down .

 

[CoastGuard2018]

I'm old enough to have watched this when it happened. Hagler was in a lot of good fights. Great fighter.

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Holmes Norton was epic as well and very under rated. Always loved Duran long before Leonard. He was insanely fast and powerful. When he fought Leonard he was already on his way down .

Julio Caesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker were two of the best I ever watched.

 

[LionJim]

Julio Caesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker were two of the best I ever watched.

Carlos Palomino for me.

 

[83wuzme]

Foreman and Shavers could really hammer people, but Tyson had more weapons, albeit they were shorter range. He hit guys like he was a coiled spring, many of his punches started in his feet. He also fought straight on, so opponents never knew which angle a punch was coming from. I never saw anybody knock down opponents with body shots like Tyson. I also saw him literally knock guys off their feet.
He did fight a lot of tomato cans and he ruined his career and never achieved his full potential by getting involved with the wrong people. By the time he lost to Buster Douglas, his patience and defensive skills were going in full reverse.

 

[rudedude]

Who can forget the indomitable Vampire Johnson?

 

[RU31trap]

I'm old enough to have watched this when it happened. Hagler was in a lot of good fights. Great fighter.

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Holmes Norton was epic as well and very under rated. Always loved Duran long before Leonard. He was insanely fast and powerful. When he fought Leonard he was already on his way down .

Duran was always the smaller man once he went up in weight. I believe he moved up to 145lbs to fight Leonard. Then he fought and won a decision against Barkley at 155lbs, a great fight by both men. Durán was a gifted great fighter with an inability to make weight. As a light weight Durán was the very best.