I actually had a poster or 2 that the Detroit Free Press printed up declaring "Hearns Wins". They were a little hastey. Might be worth some money now, if I can find it........
Hearns was one of my very favorite boxers back when he was in his prime,.."The Motor City Cobra",..
He did the same thing to Hagler that he did to every other boxer who got in the ring with him, but Hagler took it and kept moving forward.
Hearns had never had to take the kind of relentless punishment that Hagler dished out.
Hearns was a much more polished boxer, but Hagler was old school tough.
It must have been very disaheartening for Hearns to give Hagler everything he had in the first round and then see him come out for the second as fresh as he was at the beginning of the first. He must have known that he had lost the fight at that point.
To his credit, Hearns continued to stand in there with Hagler and literally fought himself to exhaustion for two more rounds.
Two outstanding fighters giving everything they have from beginning to end.
I actually boxed 3 fights at Kronk gym. Went 2-1. Tough place, let me tell you. Never saw Tommy down there, but did see Emanuel Steward.
Tommy was a frickin' legend down there, and still is.
He went on to win more belts and beat some decent fighters, but his bouts with Ray and Marvin are the ones people remember. Great fighters, all 3 of them.......
Hearns was one of my very favorite boxers back when he was in his prime,.."The Motor City Cobra",..
He did the same thing to Hagler that he did to every other boxer who got in the ring with him, but Hagler took it and kept moving forward.
Hearns had never had to take the kind of relentless punishment that Hagler dished out.
Hearns was a much more polished boxer, but Hagler was old school tough.
It must have been very disaheartening for Hearns to give Hagler everything he had in the first round and then see him come out for the second as fresh as he was at the beginning of the first. He must have known that he had lost the fight at that point.
To his credit, Hearns continued to stand in there with Hagler and literally fought himself to exhaustion for two more rounds.
Two outstanding fighters giving everything they have from beginning to end.
Hagler was also a true Middleweight, not a blown up Welter. Hearns ALWAYS showed up, never coasted.
Nick Diaz is an animal. I'ts going to take one tough sonofabiitch to ever lay him out. That fight with Daley was incredible. Like Hearns with Hagler, Daley had every chance to put Diaz out in the first, and didn't have Diaz's killer instinct. The best fighters have that fury.
Cuevas wasn't beaten in like 3-4 years with like 10-11 title defenses. Tommy took him out in the 2nd round. That was the fight that put the Hitman on the map.........
Best fights I have EVER seen were the trio of fights between Arturo Gatti and "Irish" Mickey Ward! The lead continued to change again and again in all three of their fights. While they both had the utmost respect for each other (a rare occurence in this sport), Mickey Ward had so much respect and belief in Arturo that he was his trainer and ring coach in his last fight. Unfortunately, Arturo's performance was a dissapointment.
Some other fighters that I was very impressed with...........Costya Tsu (spelling?), and the great "PacMan" Manny Pacquiou. Watcha think?
Ray Leonard won / stole a couple fights he should not have won. Hearns was certainly one of em and so was his fight with Hagler.
I still get insanely upset anytime someone says Ray Leonard "beat" Marvin Hagler. One of the most disgraceful things I've ever seen in combat sports. I don't blame Marvin for retiring after that.
Best fights I have EVER seen were the trio of fights between Arturo Gatti and "Irish" Mickey Ward! The lead continued to change again and again in all three of their fights. While they both had the utmost respect for each other (a rare occurence in this sport), Mickey Ward had so much respect and belief in Arturo that he was his trainer and ring coach in his last fight. Unfortunately, Arturo's performance was a dissapointment.
That first Gatti-Ward fight was insanity. Ward's body shots were amazing in that fight. Gatti probably pissed blood for a week after that.
Originally Posted by lngrng
Some other fighters that I was very impressed with...........Costya Tsu (spelling?), and the great "PacMan" Manny Pacquiou. Watcha think?
Manny is the best boxer of his generation, by a long shot.
Good stuff. I used to really enjoy watching boxing back then with my Dad. He and I didn't get along very well at times but we always loved watching a good fight together. I wish he was still around today. I would classify my boxing history as pre and post Tyson. During the Tyson years, I pretty much lost all interest.
Ray Leonard won / stole a couple fights he should not have won. Hearns was certainly one of em and so was his fight with Hagler.
I still get insanely upset anytime someone says Ray Leonard "beat" Marvin Hagler. One of the most disgraceful things I've ever seen in combat sports. I don't blame Marvin for retiring after that.
Brian.
I remember watching that fight live with a couple of Navy friends and our girl friends. It was a very active fight but I was left disappointed as well. Ray landed more light shots but every one of Marvin's was twice the power. I was always a fan of the Marvelous one and was sad to see him go out that way.
That does bring back memories. Remember when you could watch the big names fight on Saturday afternoon/night without paying big bucks? I'm only 40, but I remember watching Ali live. I watch that stuff on ESPN Classic now and my kids ask me if I was alive then!
Not quite as long ago, but I never got more satisfaction out of a fight than seeing Douglas beat Tyson.
Good stuff. I used to really enjoy watching boxing back then with my Dad. He and I didn't get along very well at times but we always loved watching a good fight together. I wish he was still around today. I would classify my boxing history as pre and post Tyson. During the Tyson years, I pretty much lost all interest.
I think most people start off watching combat sports with their Dad. I remember my old man renting the first UFC's on VHS and watching them with him. I thought it was pretty cool - I remember watching UFC 7 with him and thinking Marco Ruas was the greatest fighter ever. Ever since then, we'd watch boxing or kickboxing together (Dad is a big Ernesto Hoost fan). When MMA started to get big again, we would watch that - IIRC, it was the old Pride show on FSN that Jay Glazer hosted. That's when I really started to follow MMA seriously.
And yeah, I've never been much of a fan of Tyson, although I think he was incredibly talented in his prime. I've always been more of a Holyfield fan.
That does bring back memories. Remember when you could watch the big names fight on Saturday afternoon/night without paying big bucks? I'm only 40, but I remember watching Ali live. I watch that stuff on ESPN Classic now and my kids ask me if I was alive then!
What killed boxing was going to pay per view. Once they lost their presence on TV, they lost the bulk of the casual fans. One of the reasons why MMA took off so much is that they started showing a ton of stuff for free on TV. That way, people flipping through the channels would see it and stop and go, "Hey, that looks pretty cool, let's watch this." The UFC is even looking to put all but their biggest cards on broadcast TV - either NBC or ESPN. That's how you keep fan interest from getting stagnet and keep the money rolling in. The people who run boxing thought they could just put it all on PPV or premium channels like HBO and the interest would carry over. It didn't.
Now, unless Pacquiao or Mayweather are fighting, there isn't much interest in boxing among the general public. HBO won't even cover heavyweight fights anymore. It's that sad.
I don't look at Tyson as being a very talented boxer. He just plodded towards his opponent when the bell rang and knocked his ass unconscious.
He could hit like a truck with both hands,...very intimidating.
He fought like that later in his career. In his prime? He was incredibly fast, had great head movement, and was extremely accurate with his punches. When he started reading his own press clippings and not training as much, he turned into a guy who relied soley on power instead of technique. Kind of the opposite of how George Foreman's career went.
I think my Tyson comment came across wrong. Although I think he's kind of a freak now, I didn't mind watching his 2 minutes fights at first. For whatever reason, before he came along, it seemed to me that boxing was different and legendary. It's no different than basketball for me. Back then, I liked watching the Celtics as I grew up in New England. I remember the classic days of Bird, McHale, Ainge, Perish etc and others around the league. After that era, I lost interest completely. It's weird, it seems sports before and after the late 80s were different. Maybe there got to be too much showboating, and the me me me mentality. I don't know.
I remember watching that fight live with a couple of Navy friends and our girl friends. It was a very active fight but I was left disappointed as well. Ray landed more light shots but every one of Marvin's was twice the power. I was always a fan of the Marvelous one and was sad to see him go out that way.
Leonard would spend 2 minutes and 30 seconds of each round running away, and in the last thirty seconds would flurry with pitter patter punches that didn't even get Marvin's attention. To the idiot judges, that rendered Marvin's work each round as irrelvant, as Leonard "finnished strong".
Larry Holmes was also a good boxer in his day . Norton vs Holmes was a good match.
Norton vs. Holmes is probably my favorite boxing match ever, next to The Thrilla In Manilla. Norton and Holmes are two of the most under rated heavyweights in boxing history. Both those guys were absolutley fantastic.
You're probably right. The best 3 rounds of action ever seen in professional boxing. But for my money, the fight that defined heavy weight boxing was "The Thrilla, in Manila" Ali- Frazier #3. Both fighters poured their whole career into that one foght. Neither were the same after. Two amazing warriors. Both lost, and won, in my opinion. Two amazing individuals.
This thread is very depressing to me as I see/realize that fight, which I also watched with my dad, was twenty six years ago?!?! To me THAT has always been and will always be the best fight ever.
I stopped watching boxing in the 80s as well and have never found MMA or any variations entertaining, at all.
For all Tyson's disgusting and pathetic personal failings and faults I will never forget the first time I watched one of his 'fights'. I'm one year older than Tyson. He was probably 18 at the time I saw his first fight. It was a late night broadcast and he was still pretty unkown. I had never heard of him before. Not even sure if his fight was the lead on the card. In any event, at the time he had apparently never gone beyond the third round in a fight and was undefeated, all by TKO. The commentators made some comments just prior to the fight that there was some doubt about whether or not he had the stamina to go beyond three rounds. I heard all that and thought, "I need to watch this guy". For four rounds I kept thinking to myself, "What in the world is so great about this guy?" I mean he was doing nothing impressive at all. The bell rang for the fifth and he walked across the ring with a decidely different demeanor. When he reached his poor unsuspecting opponent, he hit him so hard and so fast, it literally put fear in MY heart. And I was watching the fight on TV!! The second to last punch was a body shot that had his opponent bend over and his last punch was an upper cut. The guys nose literally exploded! The way he hit the ground I honestly thought he was dead. I remember thinking, "My God, I just watched an animal beat the life out of a human." Tyson, who wasn't even winded during the post fight interview said in that painfully distinctive voice something along the lines of "People were saying I couldn't go more than 3 rounds. So I told myself I'd let it go 5 and show them I could." I made sure the doors were locked that night.
Holmes was tough. I think he was stuck in an era of mixed up fans and he was always trying to win over the fan base. Holmes was the bad guy-especially after he beat a washed up Ali. The crowd still wanted the showmanship of Ali and the toughness of Foreman. Holmes peaked at a bad time - immediately following legends and nobody wanted to accept his contenders. After Tex Cobb lost to Norton (questionably) and lasted with Dokes, I thought he had a chance against Holmes. Wrong! That was a classic beating and I actually wanted Cobb to go down and stop the beating.
Hagler was the first "cool" athlete with a bald head that I can remember. Jordan gets the credit for paving the road, but Hagler set the stage. I wonder what Larry Bird (my favorite pro athlete of all time) would have looked like bald?
But for my money, the fight that defined heavy weight boxing was "The Thrilla, in Manila" Ali- Frazier #3. Both fighters poured their whole career into that one foght. Neither were the same after. Two amazing warriors. Both lost, and won, in my opinion. Two amazing individuals.
That fight was the most spectacular display of willpower, perservierence and plain old guts that you will ever see. I can't think of another fight that's anywhere close to as exciting, or as violent. Both those guys sustained life altering amounts of punishment in that fight. They both should have retired after that fight. Ali keeping on for years after that is what directly lead to his current state.
But for my money, the fight that defined heavy weight boxing was "The Thrilla, in Manila" Ali- Frazier #3. Both fighters poured their whole career into that one foght. Neither were the same after. Two amazing warriors. Both lost, and won, in my opinion. Two amazing individuals.
That fight was the most spectacular display of willpower, perservierence and plain old guts that you will ever see. I can't think of another fight that's anywhere close to as exciting, or as violent. Both those guys sustained life altering amounts of punishment in that fight. They both should have retired after that fight. Ali keeping on for years after that is what directly lead to his current state.
For all Tyson's disgusting and pathetic personal failings and faults I will never forget the first time I watched one of his 'fights'. I'm one year older than Tyson. He was probably 18 at the time I saw his first fight. It was a late night broadcast and he was still pretty unkown. I had never heard of him before. Not even sure if his fight was the lead on the card. In any event, at the time he had apparently never gone beyond the third round in a fight and was undefeated, all by TKO. The commentators made some comments just prior to the fight that there was some doubt about whether or not he had the stamina to go beyond three rounds. I heard all that and thought, "I need to watch this guy". For four rounds I kept thinking to myself, "What in the world is so great about this guy?" I mean he was doing nothing impressive at all. The bell rang for the fifth and he walked across the ring with a decidely different demeanor. When he reached his poor unsuspecting opponent, he hit him so hard and so fast, it literally put fear in MY heart. And I was watching the fight on TV!! The second to last punch was a body shot that had his opponent bend over and his last punch was an upper cut. The guys nose literally exploded! The way he hit the ground I honestly thought he was dead. I remember thinking, "My God, I just watched an animal beat the life out of a human." Tyson, who wasn't even winded during the post fight interview said in that painfully distinctive voice something along the lines of "People were saying I couldn't go more than 3 rounds. So I told myself I'd let it go 5 and show them I could." I made sure the doors were locked that night.
I've always found Tyson more interesting as a character study than as a boxer. It's a clear example that someone can attain all the wealth and fame in the world, and still be a walking train wreck. If you've never seen the documentary "Tyson", it's a must watch. Tyson is VERY open and candid about his personal problems, and you definetly come away with a better perspective on the man. It won't change your opinion of him, but it will help you understand how he became so screwed up in the first place.
For all his faults, Tyson was a beast in the ring. The beating he put on Michael Spinks was a masterpeice of violence.
Holmes was tough. I think he was stuck in an era of mixed up fans and he was always trying to win over the fan base. Holmes was the bad guy-especially after he beat a washed up Ali. The crowd still wanted the showmanship of Ali and the toughness of Foreman. Holmes peaked at a bad time - immediately following legends and nobody wanted to accept his contenders. After Tex Cobb lost to Norton (questionably) and lasted with Dokes, I thought he had a chance against Holmes. Wrong! That was a classic beating and I actually wanted Cobb to go down and stop the beating.
If Holmes had come 10 years earlier or 10 years later, he would have been a household name. Instead he picked up where Ali left off, and his every move was compared to Ali. Even beating Ali didn't make it go away - it just made it worse. Larry Holmes is the Rodney Dangerfield of boxing. Always has been, always will be.
Originally Posted by shortactionsmoker
Hagler was the first "cool" athlete with a bald head that I can remember.
My father and I went to the local college auditorium for the closed circuit TV broadcast of the first Leonard vs. Duran fight.
My father is of Spanish descent and he and I were huge Duran fans.
I remember we were sitting next to a lady who was a hugely emotional Leonard fan. She would scream wildly whenever Leonard did anything and she would literally cry and wail when Leonard got hit.
We put up with it for quite some time but after a while all the Duran fans were being just as vocal as her.
That was a good fight and the outcome was very satisfying for us.
That does bring back memories. Remember when you could watch the big names fight on Saturday afternoon/night without paying big bucks? I'm only 40, but I remember watching Ali live. I watch that stuff on ESPN Classic now and my kids ask me if I was alive then!
What killed boxing was going to pay per view. Once they lost their presence on TV, they lost the bulk of the casual fans. One of the reasons why MMA took off so much is that they started showing a ton of stuff for free on TV. That way, people flipping through the channels would see it and stop and go, "Hey, that looks pretty cool, let's watch this." The UFC is even looking to put all but their biggest cards on broadcast TV - either NBC or ESPN. That's how you keep fan interest from getting stagnet and keep the money rolling in. The people who run boxing thought they could just put it all on PPV or premium channels like HBO and the interest would carry over. It didn't.
Now, unless Pacquiao or Mayweather are fighting, there isn't much interest in boxing among the general public. HBO won't even cover heavyweight fights anymore. It's that sad.
Brian.
Everything there is true, but what REALLY killed boxing is five different belts, and an unwillingness of top ranked fighters to fight each other unless it is for one of the five belts. Just think if there were only one champion for each weight like back in the day, and top ten contenders had to fight each other to earn a title shot. Now days it has become a choreographed dance. Thank you Bob Arum and Don King.
Everything there is true, but what REALLY killed boxing is five different belts, and an unwillingness of top ranked fighters to fight each other unless it is for one of the five belts. Just think if there were only one champion for each weight like back in the day, and top ten contenders had to fight each other to earn a title shot. Now days it has become a choreographed dance. Thank you Bob Arum and Don King.
You're spot on. At one time, EVERYONE knew who the heavyweight champ of the world was. My mother knows who Ali and Tyson are to this day. Ask someone now who the heavyweight champion is, and they don't know. The fact that there are currently three guys holding heavyweight world titles doesn't make it any easier.
At this point, I'm pretty sure anyone on this forum could grab a pair of gloves and win an alphabet soup title. It's that preposterious.
That was the wildest thing I have ever seen in combat sports. I watched that fight live, and when it happened I just jumped out of my seat and started making loud noises.
That was the wildest thing I have ever seen in combat sports. I watched that fight live, and when it happened I just jumped out of my seat and started making loud noises.
That was the wildest thing I have ever seen in combat sports. I watched that fight live, and when it happened I just jumped out of my seat and started making loud noises.
That was the wildest thing I have ever seen in combat sports. I watched that fight live, and when it happened I just jumped out of my seat and started making loud noises.
What makes it even more impressive is that it was in the final minute of a championship fight, with the fight tied up on two of the score cards. The greatest clutch move in the history of clutch moves.
If I ever run into Dan Henderson I'm gonna buy him the biggest steak and the coldest beverage I can find! I fugg'n hate Bisping!
The other night I needed something to watch, so I stuck in my DVD of UFC 100. I damn near wore the disc out replaying that knockout.
When they showed it live on the PPV, Henderson had his back to the camera and you couldn't really see the punch - you could just see Bisping going down. As soon as Bisping hit the mat, they changed camera angles and here comes Dan with that flying forearm. I just remember the ref pulling him off Bisping, and Bisping looking like a stiffened up corpse.
He didn't wake up for a good 5 minutes after that. And it didn't shut him up at all.
Ray Leonard won / stole a couple fights he should not have won. Hearns was certainly one of em and so was his fight with Hagler.
I still get insanely upset anytime someone says Ray Leonard "beat" Marvin Hagler. One of the most disgraceful things I've ever seen in combat sports. I don't blame Marvin for retiring after that.
Brian.
Looks like you saw the same fight I saw. Complete sham..... black eye for boxing.
I remember watching that fight live with a couple of Navy friends and our girl friends. It was a very active fight but I was left disappointed as well. Ray landed more light shots but every one of Marvin's was twice the power. I was always a fan of the Marvelous one and was sad to see him go out that way.
Leonard would spend 2 minutes and 30 seconds of each round running away, and in the last thirty seconds would flurry with pitter patter punches that didn't even get Marvin's attention. To the idiot judges, that rendered Marvin's work each round as irrelvant, as Leonard "finnished strong".
Makes my head hurt just to think about it. Brian.
Mine too.... I've watched that fight start to finish several times and went over it round by round. It was a great fight no mistaking that but IMO Hagler clearly was the better fighter and won the fight. The only thing Leonard won that night was the judges. He did it exactly as wheelchair described it above which was the only way he could have won. 163bc
Mine too.... I've watched that fight start to finish several times and went over it round by round. It was a great fight no mistaking that but IMO Hagler clearly was the better fighter and won the fight. The only thing Leonard won that night was the judges. He did it exactly as wheelchair described it above which was the only way he could have won. 163bc
Ali vs. Norton 3 is right up there when it comes to decisions that bore no resemblance to reality. Norton won no less than 9 rounds of that fight.
I think if Mike Tyson could have mastered Fraizer's upper body and head movement, he could have done great things. I'll never know exactly why Tyson thought he could just walk straight in. He either got lazy or too much confidence.
Frazier's style totally centered around the fact that he couldn't straighten out his left arm, due to badly breaking it as a child and having it heal funny. He could throw nothing but a hook with that hand. This, along with the fact that he wasn't particularly tall, forced him into the style we all know him for.
Tyson normally fought from a peekaboo stance, and relied on a combonation of parrying and head movement to avoid punches. In his prime, he was far harder to hit than Frazier, who was never particularly hard to hit. Frazier could get away with it because he was insanely durable - the only person who ever put him down for the count was George Foreman, without a doubt the most powerful puncher of his generation.
Tyson fought with a very traditional style, due to the fact that Cus D'Mato was an old school guy. Remember, Cus was always annoyed by Ali's style as he felt that Ali wasn't using proper defense.
Tyson's problems weren't his style of fighting, but rather that he became very complacent in his training. He did literally no training whatsoever for the Buster Douglas fight. The closest thing he got to training for that fight was doing a little light sparring for the press. Tyson was so out of shape that his sparring partner knocked him down. Later in his career, after he served time in jail, he just slowed down. He always relied on being a lot quicker than his opponents, but when he slowed down he never adjusted for it. Somewhat simmilar to what happened to Roy Jones, although when Roy hit the wall he hit it hard and fast.
I will never respect any victory by Ali due to the lack of any referee forcing Ali to let go of the back of the neck of his opponent. All you saw was a constant removal of his hand, never a point taken away. Now, this takes nothing away from my respect for Ali. When you constantly have your opponent in a half muy ti clinch, you are going to get in some free shots. It's just another example of how crooked boxing was and has always been connected. Ali is the champ, but he's also a cheater.
Holyfield beating Tyson. I believe it was 1997? My father in law and i both had money on Evander. Tyson was outclassed by a counter puncher who was not afraid of him in the least.
Ali vs. Ernie Shavers. I'm guessing it was 1977. Shavers kicked Ali's ass. Ali got the decision.
Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez. 1993. I had money on this fight. it was called a draw. Whitaker easily won 8, and probably 9, of the 12 rounds.......
I will never respect any victory by Ali due to the lack of any referee forcing Ali to let go of the back of the neck of his opponent. All you saw was a constant removal of his hand, never a point taken away. Now, this takes nothing away from my respect for Ali. When you constantly have your opponent in a half muy ti clinch, you are going to get in some free shots. It's just another example of how crooked boxing was and has always been connected. Ali is the champ, but he's also a cheater.
The only fight I ever noticed him doing it blatantly and getting away with it was the second fight with Frazier. That directly impacted the outcome of the fight. The other times I've seen him do it, it never amounted to much.
Holyfield beating Tyson. I believe it was 1997? My father in law and i both had money on Evander. Tyson was outclassed by a counter puncher who was not afraid of him in the least.
The only reason people thought Tyson was going to win that fight was due to Holyfield having some really off performances, specificly the third fight with Riddick Bowe. People just didn't apprechiate what an awesome fighter Bowe was, and thought Holyfield was washed up. Didn't change the fact that Holyfield was a far superior technician than Tyson though, which is why he took Tyson to the cleaners.
Holyfield beating Tyson. I believe it was 1997? My father in law and i both had money on Evander. Tyson was outclassed by a counter puncher who was not afraid of him in the least.
The only reason people thought Tyson was going to win that fight was due to Holyfield having some really off performances, specificly the third fight with Riddick Bowe. People just didn't apprechiate what an awesome fighter Bowe was, and thought Holyfield was washed up. Didn't change the fact that Holyfield was a far superior technician than Tyson though, which is why he took Tyson to the cleaners.
Originally Posted by 2muchgun
Ali vs. Ernie Shavers. I'm guessing it was 1977. Shavers kicked Ali's ass. Ali got the decision.
That's one of my all time favorite fights. I thought Ali edged out Shavers, but barely. Shavers could have knocked out Ali early in the fight, but he thought Ali was just goofing around and didn't realize how badly he had him hurt until he went back and watched the tape.
What about that hard right Shavers caught Holmes with? That punch would have 10 counted all but the very best.
There's a reason why Holmes, Lyle and Ali all said that Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever ran up against. You can't teach that kind of power. Shavers had a God given gift. Heck, I bet he still hits like a freight train.
And yes, just about anyone other than Holmes would have stayed on the mat from that punch. Holmes said that punch was the hardest he had ever taken in his career, and he said that after he had fought Mike Tyson in his absolute prime.
Brian.
PS- when Mike Tyson was just starting to get popular, they wanted to match him up with Shavers. Tyson turned the bout down flat, for obvious reasons.
Local boy done good. Marvelous Marvin, representing the Shoe, AKA Brockton MA. And as others have said, that's one for the ages. I loved watching him fight then, and still do. And he's one of the nicest guys you could meet.
Boxing use to be a family affair for us. Everyone getting together to watch a Sat night fight, eat good food and listen to the grown ups argue back and forth over who would win. Some of my best childhood memories.
Anyways, this is one of the finest fights I've ever seen.
I LOVED seeing that live! Hendo kept lifting his left foot to load up that right and then finally saw the green light opening and threw it. And then how Hendo put his entire body weight behind the coup de grace when Bisping was on the mat! I can't imagine how it must have felt to receive those two shots!
Brian, Remember how Ali always made up a "nick-name" for his opponents? Shavers was "The Acorn" right?
Originally Posted by WheelchairBandit
Originally Posted by cutNshoot
What about that hard right Shavers caught Holmes with? That punch would have 10 counted all but the very best.
There's a reason why Holmes, Lyle and Ali all said that Shavers was the hardest puncher they ever ran up against. You can't teach that kind of power. Shavers had a God given gift. Heck, I bet he still hits like a freight train.
And yes, just about anyone other than Holmes would have stayed on the mat from that punch. Holmes said that punch was the hardest he had ever taken in his career, and he said that after he had fought Mike Tyson in his absolute prime.
Brian.
PS- when Mike Tyson was just starting to get popular, they wanted to match him up with Shavers. Tyson turned the bout down flat, for obvious reasons.
The best boxing lesson taught to a contender was that by Joe Calzoghy from Whales when he fought the silver spoon kid called "left hook lacey" such boxing skills I have not seen in the last 40 years. By the way Joe was undefeated for over 10 years and took on all commers.
Thank you for showing the Big Cat Williams attempt at Ali. I missed that one in Houston, although I did see Williams outpoint Zora. Live in Houston. Won $50 on that one.
