Greatest showboater ever

[RDJ]

Are there more fans of purposeless clowning or am I alone? Who are the greatest showboaters in history? Who deserves an honorary mention? Johnny Tapia, Emanuel Augustus, Roy Jones, Muhammad Ali? And in which fights? Some input please I need to watch some entertaining fights :D

[McGrain]

You're ALONE!

You will hate me for this but I am going to offer up Midget Wolgst....no footage (you love that), although there is supposed to be 13 minutes or so out there somewhere....anyway, he fought in the twenties, he was a switch hitter who cavorted (Great word), played to the crowed, riffed all over the place, did what he liked. Then - and you'll like this - he hit the peev and went mad, still fought, but just not as good any more. Little Wolgast.

[MagnificentMatt]

You're ALONE!

You will hate me for this but I am going to offer up Midget Wolgst....no footage (you love that), although there is supposed to be 13 minutes or so out there somewhere....anyway, he fought in the twenties, he was a switch hitter who cavorted (Great word), played to the crowed, riffed all over the place, did what he liked. Then - and you'll like this - he hit the peev and went mad, still fought, but just not as good any more. Little Wolgast.
Well.. I love how there is no footage, yet he is your favorite showboater..


You're right, I hate you. ;)

I would have to say Augustus though, or James Toney, I mean..he stuck his tongue out at Holyfield in between slipping punches...
Than theres Pernells behind the back punch which is the shit.

You didnt mention Naz.

[Stonehands89]

Augustus was off the wall.

Gypsy Joe Harris may have been the most fun, I posted recently about how he would begin round 1 with a sixties dance called "the Mashed Potato". Here's the best footage I could get:

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[RDJ]

You're ALONE!

You will hate me for this but I am going to offer up Midget Wolgst....no footage (you love that), although there is supposed to be 13 minutes or so out there somewhere....anyway, he fought in the twenties, he was a switch hitter who cavorted (Great word), played to the crowed, riffed all over the place, did what he liked. Then - and you'll like this - he hit the peev and went mad, still fought, but just not as good any more. Little Wolgast.

You are no good to me :bart

[Russell]

No Ray Leonard?!?!

[RDJ]

No Ray Leonard?!?!

It was a question, you're free to put in a good word for Leonard :D

[RDJ]

I particularly like Tapia's showboating, he really needed the crowd to be a part of it. At quiet moments he'd clinch with one arm, and play the crowd with the other.

[Mike T]

Hector Camacho deserves mention

[werety]

I think augustus wins this hands down

[Arka]

I loved Calzaghe's spazzing against Jones Jnr in the final rounds.
He belongs with the greats.

[Jack]

Augustus and there isn't any real competition either.

[GazOC]

Augustus, but Loche is a name no ones mentioned yet, the line between showboating and feinting to draw a lead can be a small one.

[Bad_Intentions]

em augustus, hands down.

[RDJ]

Augustus, but Loche is a name no ones mentioned yet, the line between showboating and feinting to draw a lead can be a small one.

I only have two Locche fights, and he does clown a lot. Talking to the crowd, etc, great stuff :good

[RDJ]

Amazing :lol:

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[GazOC]

Good find!! I was looking for this set to music clip after the Calzaghe-Jones fight but couldn't find it for some reason.

[tysonlewisbook]

I interviewed the great man Eddie Futch before his passing and he said in response to funniest boxers he remembers, that a guy named KO Morgan in the 40s used to do the Charleston between rounds or read newspapers on his stool or put his cornerman on the stool and refreshed them.

Gotta add Eubank, Naz, Joe Calzaghe, Roy, Ali to this list. Naz was incredible on his way up in his fights in the UK. America never really understood his cockiness and didn't react well to his antics. This kind of inhibited Naz in his U.S. fights. He fought better when the fans laughed with him. In the U.S, he wasn't as comfortable. His early fights before Kevin Kelley were incredible performances. Amazing fighter was Naz. Roy's showboating always came against overmatched comp. Doubt Roy would act like that against McClellan, Benn, Michalczewski or Tyson.

[Dempsey1238]

Ali had NOTHING on Johnson in this regard imo.

"Stop loving on me this way mister Jeffires".

"I fighting the way you did mister Corbett."

Than he go to his MANY white girlfreinds, and say something among the lines, which round do you want me to knock this chump out. And they replie, the 5th or 6th. And Johnson would do it.(Moore in 4, way before Ali)

I mean I would LOVED if the Johnson Jeff fight had sound. It would have been amazing io hear the war of words between Corbett and Johnson. And Johnson winning both the word war, and the fight at the same time lol.

[The Whaler]

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The Prince was the King at showboating.

[Loewe]

The fighter in my avatar deserves a mention also he is neither a great - record of 60 fights, winning 30, losing 19 and drawing 13, also his record is very misleading - nor a real showboater but I tell you why he deserves to be mentioned.

His name was Johann Wilhelm Trollmann called "Rukelie" what means gypsy. He was a Sinti-German and started boxing as a pro in 1929. His style resembled that of Gene Tunney. Great technician and tactician, good footwork, very tough. He was quite good looking and with his showboating he became quite popular and even some kind of a sexsymbol. Sadly, he came around when the NAzis already started to take control over German boxing. His style was seen as a chicken style and he had to take fights where he wasn´t allowed to take a step back or he would lose. In 1933 he fought Adolf Witt for the German lhw title and was winning easily. When the decision was announced, that Trollmann won, a high-ranking Nazi entered the ring and said a gypsy can´t win and changed the decision. The audience protested so much that the Nazi had to flee and Trollmann was awarded with the decision, just to lose the title 8 days later because the German boxing board stripped it´s recognition of the fight beeing a title fight. In his next fight he had to take on Gustav Eder, one of the best German fighters around. It was one of the fights where he wasn´t allowed to take a step back. So, he bleached his hair blonde, and made his skin white with some powder, going out there, making a fool out of Eder and the Nazis everytime he had the chance while doing exactly what they wanted. He did things like that in every fight after his fight with Witt - and lost every single one of them. He was later brought into a concentration camp where he was made fun of because he was a boxer and was often used as a living punching bag by the SS guards and finally was shot in 1943/1944 - records differ there, also nobody knows the circumstances under which he was shot, but it is believed that he was hsot because he offered to much resistance when he was getting beat up.

He surely has a story to remember. There´s a film documentation about him and 2 biographies - in German though. He´s one of the tragic boxing stories of the Nazi time. And I would love to see it beeing filmed.

btw. the German boxing board just recognized him as German lhw champion very recently. They needed nearly 70 years to correct that mistake. A disgrace.

[RDJ]

Sad but informing story Löwe :good

[fists of fury]

If you like clowning, you have to watch Jorge Paez fight.

[Loewe]

Sad but informing story Löwe :good

Yep, and a story to remember. There´s such a difference between the popularity of Trollmann - back in the day when a boxer fought similar to Trollmann people said "he dances the Trollmann" - and at the same time beeing a victim of the Nazis. He was very forgotten for a very long time but get´s some recognition now. There´s the documentation about him, the two books and he possibly will get a memorial stone at the graveyard of Hannover, his hometown, with the honoration: "dedicated to the boxer who wasn´t allowed to win" - which would be a great title for a movie if they ever make one about him.
What´s also very ironic that he was drafted into the Wehrmacht and fought for Nazi-Germany before he had to go into the concentration camp.

[RDJ]

If you like clowning, you have to watch Jorge Paez fight.

Will do mate, thanks for the advice. I haven't got any of his fights though, I'll need to get me some first.

[JohnThomas1]

Ali shits this in, due to sheer magnitude and popularity.

[RDJ]

Ali shits this in, due to sheer magnitude and popularity.

Not even close IMO. His showboating was of course very high profile, but compared to Augustus he's almost modest in his showing off. Ali did because he's obnoxious, Augustus does it because he's a bad ass :hey

[JohnThomas1]

Not even close IMO. His showboating was of course very high profile, but compared to Augustus he's almost modest in his showing off. Ali did because he's obnoxious, Augustus does it because he's a bad ass :hey

Ok, i'll reset then :lol:

[RDJ]

I've become a big Augustus fan in the last few days ;)

[My dinner with Conteh]

Ali's best was his 'between rounds' interview with Reg Gutteridge when he fought Lubbers. :yep

[janitor]

Max Baer was a showboater who ocasionaly boxed between his showboating and accidentaly won the world title while doing so.

[mcvey]

Sad but informing story Löwe :good
DITTO!

[zadfrak]

Ali in that Dunn fight--or was it Lubbers--where he did that windmilling with his right hand when the bout was about over.

Eubank was a master at it & I always wanted to see if the american fighters would've been willing to be a road warrior and fight the guy. and not let the cheering or those antics have an affect on them and see if they could win nevertheless. Collins handled it perfectly but I'm not sure others can and do and still Keep their A game.


Early Camacho was something. The one that fought at 130 especially. That was also one big factor I'd always wanted to see Leonard handle. And he sure didn't seem to handle those Camacho antics before the bout & sure didn't seem to get in his comfy grove about 10 seconds into a fight like he normally did. He just never seemed comfortable and it became a case of the shoe being on the other foot, since Leonard liked intimidating and playing to the crowd himself.

[JohnThomas1]

Early Camacho was something. The one that fought at 130 especially. That was also one big factor I'd always wanted to see Leonard handle. And he sure didn't seem to handle those Camacho antics before the bout & sure didn't seem to get in his comfy grove about 10 seconds into a fight like he normally did. He just never seemed comfortable and it became a case of the shoe being on the other foot, since Leonard liked intimidating and playing to the crowd himself.

Being old and farked and not having fought for 6 years wouldn't have had anything to do with it either.

[Raggamuffin]

How about Jorge "Maromero" Paez !!

[Addie]

Being old and farked and not having fought for 6 years wouldn't have had anything to do with it either.
Didnt you hear? Redrooster set the record straight - Leonard was in his prime for both the Norris and Camacho fights.:yep

[CarlesX7]

The fighter in my avatar deserves a mention also he is neither a great - record of 60 fights, winning 30, losing 19 and drawing 13, also his record is very misleading - nor a real showboater but I tell you why he deserves to be mentioned.

His name was Johann Wilhelm Trollmann called "Rukelie" what means gypsy. He was a Sinti-German and started boxing as a pro in 1929. His style resembled that of Gene Tunney. Great technician and tactician, good footwork, very tough. He was quite good looking and with his showboating he became quite popular and even some kind of a sexsymbol. Sadly, he came around when the NAzis already started to take control over German boxing. His style was seen as a chicken style and he had to take fights where he wasn´t allowed to take a step back or he would lose. In 1933 he fought Adolf Witt for the German lhw title and was winning easily. When the decision was announced, that Trollmann won, a high-ranking Nazi entered the ring and said a gypsy can´t win and changed the decision. The audience protested so much that the Nazi had to flee and Trollmann was awarded with the decision, just to lose the title 8 days later because the German boxing board stripped it´s recognition of the fight beeing a title fight. In his next fight he had to take on Gustav Eder, one of the best German fighters around. It was one of the fights where he wasn´t allowed to take a step back. So, he bleached his hair blonde, and made his skin white with some powder, going out there, making a fool out of Eder and the Nazis everytime he had the chance while doing exactly what they wanted. He did things like that in every fight after his fight with Witt - and lost every single one of them. He was later brought into a concentration camp where he was made fun of because he was a boxer and was often used as a living punching bag by the SS guards and finally was shot in 1943/1944 - records differ there, also nobody knows the circumstances under which he was shot, but it is believed that he was hsot because he offered to much resistance when he was getting beat up.

He surely has a story to remember. There´s a film documentation about him and 2 biographies - in German though. He´s one of the tragic boxing stories of the Nazi time. And I would love to see it beeing filmed.

btw. the German boxing board just recognized him as German lhw champion very recently. They needed nearly 70 years to correct that mistake. A disgrace.
That's one sad story mate.

Thanx for sharing that info.

Oh, and thumbs up for mr. Johann Wilhelm Trollmann. :thumbsup

[My2Sense]

Kid Gavilan, hands down.

[My2Sense]

Max Baer was a showboater who ocasionaly boxed between his showboating and accidentaly won the world title while doing so.

:lol: