Famous Sparring beatdowns

[cotto20]

When one fighter beats down the other in sparring! didnt a 16 year old roy jones drop prince charles williams with a body shot

[round15]

Apparently Foreman avoided Jerry Quarry throughout his career because of a sparring session in 69 or 70 that Quarry dominated, hitting George like no other opponent before Ali did.

[My dinner with Conteh]

Bob Foster vs Ali.

[cotto20]

Bob Foster vs Ali.

who got beatdown?

[TheGreatA]

I'm not even sure if it's true or not but Mac Foster supposedly knocked out Sonny Liston in sparring. Ali is said to have embarrassed Ingemar Johansson during a sparring session when he was an amateur.

[he grant]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....

[TIGEREDGE]

didnt de la hoya get ko'd by some partner before the quartey fight in 99

[red cobra]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....
Monzon dropping WHO???

[he grant]

It was rumored and writen ... I for one find it completely unsubstanciated ...

[My dinner with Conteh]

Monzon dropping WHO???


Peppermint Frazier if anything.

[My dinner with Conteh]

who got beatdown?


Clay was filled in, according to Bob.

[AlFrancis]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....



Marvis???????

[robert ungurean]

Dempsey - Godfrey never heard of that one.

[cotto20]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....

are you saying monzon dropped joe frazier in sparring. how sure of you of this?

[lefthook31]

Holyfield used to kick Bowes butt in sparring. Little did he know what would show up in the ring when they fought for real.

[rm36]

Some of this seems dubious. Evidence ?

[Jear]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....

This has intrigued me since i read about it in a Ring article. It said the 14 year old Ayala got the better of the THEN welterweight champion. It claimed Pipino just kept muttering "incredible" after the session. Ring said it was a 4 round session

It is in the January 1982 Ring magazine. I have been unable to find any other documentation.

[Rebel-INS]

This has intrigued me since i read about it in a Ring article. It said the 14 year old Ayala got the better of the THEN welterweight champion. It claimed Pipino just kept muttering "incredible" after the session.

It is in the January 1982 Ring magazine. I have been unable to find any other documentation

It has been completely overhyped by idiots on this board.

[kraLL]

oliver mccall got better of tyson in sparring apparently..

[red cobra]

are you saying monzon dropped joe frazier in sparring. how sure of you of this?
Never happened.

[mak]

Was it Greg Page who dropped Tyson in the build up to the Buster Douglas fight?

The way Tyson mentions it in his recent documentary i dont think it was somethign that happened too often

[he grant]

I agree it is very unlikely .. so are most of these stories ...

[ironchamp]

oliver mccall got better of tyson in sparring apparently..

No he didnt.

Tyson would frequently cut through sparring partners like a hot knife through butter.

Unlike Tyson's other sparring partners McCall was durable enough to give Tyson good rounds. Nothing more.

[Saintpat]

Jeff Sims got a lot of mileage for splittting Ali's lip in a sparring session. I'm pretty sure it was before the Larry Holmes fight. Ali wore a mustache in a lot of pre-fight publicity photos.

[AnthonyJ74]

Tim Witherspoon hitting Gerry Cooney hard enough in sparring to cause Witherspoon to be dismissed!

[TheBradyHawkes]

Was it Greg Page who dropped Tyson in the build up to the Buster Douglas fight?

The way Tyson mentions it in his recent documentary i dont think it was somethign that happened too often

He certainly did. There's a video of it somewhere as well.

[DRMULLEN]

Monzon drops frazier in sparring. That is nuts. Wow! On jones man I seen videos of his training/sparring in the 1990s he was inhuman. DRMULLEN..

[DRMULLEN]

He was unreal...I wonder the speed jones had in boxing was Insane could he hit a 100 mile hour fastball? He was that quick. DRMULLEN.

[My dinner with Conteh]

Vito Antuofermo beat up Eddie Gregory

Eddie Gregory beat up Vito Antuofermo


Depends whose version you believe (like most of this thread, really).

[AlFrancis]

I agree it is very unlikely .. so are most of these stories ...


Where did this story come from?

[Bigcat]

I know when everyone wanted to sign Bowe , the Duvas had thier heavyweight Tyrell Biggs spar with Bowe to check him out and Bowe quit after Biggs hit him with a body shot and Lou Duva didn't like the look of him and warned everyone away from what he called a lazy fat quitter.. He said something like Bowe is another Greg Page waiting to happen , Bowe never forgot that and he cut his hair so he looked nothing like Greg.. He later went on to tear Biggs up when they met as pro's..

[he grant]

When Monzon came to NY to defend his title at MSG in the 1970's it was a rumor that they sparred ... again, I stress, like much of this thread it is unsubstanciated ...

[Stonehands89]

I'm not even sure if it's true or not but Mac Foster supposedly knocked out Sonny Liston in sparring.
Yes. This one was in the papers soon after it happened. It happened in the late 60s and Mac Foster knocked him senseless. Sonny had to be helped from the ring. It was probably the reason why Liston bet his Wepner purse on Foster beating Quarry when they faced off in June, 1970. Liston lost that one too.

[Chris Warren]

Apparently Foreman avoided Jerry Quarry throughout his career because of a sparring session in 69 or 70 that Quarry dominated, hitting George like no other opponent before Ali did.

This is a story made up by Foreman just to be nice. Foreman wanted to fight Tyson yet he would avoid a slower, weaker , less skilled fighter? Give me a break. Based on what I read they just sparred a few rounds, no big deal

[laxpdx]

It has been completely overhyped by idiots on this board.

Idiots...well, you are the pot calling the kettle black. Tell me something, have you found proof that refutes this, besides your prejudice against Tony?

[ThinBlack]

Both Tony Tubbs and Mitch Green reportedly beating Larry Holmes
Curtis Parker beating the daylights out of both Thomas Hearns and Michael Spinks.

[RafaelGonzal]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....

wait a minute Monzon dropping Frazier? amplify on this one its got to be a legend dont belive it.

[Russell]

Yes. This one was in the papers soon after it happened. It happened in the late 60s and Mac Foster knocked him senseless. Sonny had to be helped from the ring. It was probably the reason why Liston bet his Wepner purse on Foster beating Quarry when they faced off in June, 1970. Liston lost that one too.

Supposedly a rumor, or so a trainer that was there has said in interviews.

[cotto20]

wait a minute Monzon dropping Frazier? amplify on this one its got to be a legend dont belive it.
I have heard this also

[Stonehands89]

Supposedly a rumor, or so a trainer that was there has said in interviews.
Who has the better motive to lie -the source who told the reporter that Sonny got knocked senseless or the trainer who said it was a rumor?

[Rebel-INS]

Idiots...well, you are the pot calling the kettle black. Tell me something, have you found proof that refutes this, besides your prejudice against Tony?

I don't dispute that Tony possibly looked good against Cuevas in sparring, I just don't believe he smashed him like some people would have you believe.

[Russell]

Who has the better motive to lie -the source who told the reporter that Sonny got knocked senseless or the trainer who said it was a rumor?

I agree, just putting it out there.

The trainer said this decades after Liston was dead, by the way.

[mochabuzz]

Dokes vs his girlfriend in 1997....

[Titan1]

Supposedly, a young Tony Tubbs dropped Muhammad Ali in a sparring session.Also, Aaron Pryor was rumored to have given Ray Leonard some problems.Milton McCrory is also said to have gotten the best of Mike McCallum in a few of their sparring sessions.

[Bokaj]

I read once that Blackburn embarassed Johnson in sparring and was thrown out of camp as a result.

[Seamus]

Tony Tubbs KO'ing Grimace in one gulp. The Fry Guys ran out of the gym never to be seen again.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[mcvey]

So many famous ones .. so hard to determine what is true ..

Tony Ayala spanking Cuevas

Dempsey, old and long retired, flattening Galento

Dempsey getting KO'ed by Godfrey

Louis dropped by Walcott

Walcott dropped by Louis

Johnson almost KO'ed by Gunboat Smith

Corbett dropping Jeffries

Corbett losing confidence because he could not hurt Jeffries

Monzon droping Frazier

endless ....


Walcott quit as a sparring partner for Louis, according to Louis he was handled easily.
Harry Wills was let go as a partner for Jack Johnson ,because he could not absorb the punishment.
Jack Johnson embarrased George Gardner in training camp.
Ali did the same to Ingo ,its on You Tube,"that boy is very fast"
Toxie Hall dropped Marciano in sparring.
Canzoneri used to drub Lou Ambers but ,in time Ambers got his revenge ,its all about where you are in your respective careers, plus you try different things out in sparring. Too much stock is placed on sparring sessions ,imo.Some fighters go out to hurt their partners [Dempsey,Louis], some take it easy[ Ali].

[Titan1]

Tony Tubbs KO'ing Grimace in one gulp. The Fry Guys ran out of the gym never to be seen again.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

:lol::lol:!

[RockysSplitNose]

Here's the pre-Douglas session where Tyson was dropped by Page

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[RockysSplitNose]

This one is hilarious check out what starts to happen from about the 2:46 point - totally hilarious -here Williams "fckn wid the wroooongg guy maaaaan!!" hahahaha

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[RockysSplitNose]

Here's a couple of odd ones as well

Old Roberto Duran spars young Nigel benn

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Tommy Hearns-Gerald McClellan exhibition match

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

17 yr old Tommy Hearns vs 20 yr old Aaron Pryor

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Tuaman spars Real Deal

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[RockysSplitNose]

Clay vs Ingo

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[RockysSplitNose]

This is a bizarre one for those who haven't seen it before but.......

Old Muhammad Ali Exhibition against young Mike Dynamite Dokes

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[RockysSplitNose]

Wish this were a little longer - Smokin Joe Frazier spars Jimmy Young

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[RockysSplitNose]

and arguably the king daddy of them all

anchient Ray Robinson vs anchient Willie Pep

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[MagnaNasakki]

I got the tar beaten out of me by the following:

Evander Holyfield
George Foreman
David Tua
Lennox Lewis
Wladimir Klitschko


They are famous to me. :D I blame those 5 for any twinge of pain that enters my noggin. And some of those sessions were probably worse beatings that what has been described :lol:

[john garfield]

Always wondered why casual fans gave such importance to sparring sessions. To the best fighters, they were work sessions, constantly being hit or looking awkward trying to perfect a move or correct a defensive flaw.

The gym fighters looked a house-a-fire sparring, drawing OOOHs 'N AAAHs from spectators. But they never got any better.

[ticar]

magnanasakki wow :thumbsup
please share with us some more info about your's and other boxers sparrings that you saw.which of these boxers impressed you the most,who hit hardest etc...

[RockysSplitNose]

I got the tar beaten out of me by the following:

Evander Holyfield
George Foreman
David Tua
Lennox Lewis
Wladimir Klitschko


They are famous to me. :D I blame those 5 for any twinge of pain that enters my noggin. And some of those sessions were probably worse beatings that what has been described :lol:

yeah who would you say hit the hardest, fastest, were the hardest to hurt etc, quickest, hardest to nail, any seem like a bag of nerves even??

[El Bujia]

A few that haven't been mentioned:

A young, Olympics days Whitaker schooling Camacho (according to legend).

Greb giving Dempsey a whipping.

A young Jones handling then Super Middleweight champ Lindell Holmes in '91 (footage available).

[MagnaNasakki]

magnanasakki wow :thumbsup
please share with us some more info about your's and other boxers sparrings that you saw.which of these boxers impressed you the most,who hit hardest etc...

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

[Primadonna Kool]

Here's the pre-Douglas session where Tyson was dropped by Page

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Page has knocked Mike Tyson down more than once, i've seen other footage where Mike Tyson is being knockd down......in black shorts.

[MagnaNasakki]

Page has knocked Mike Tyson down more than once, i've seen other footage where Mike Tyson is being knockd down......in black shorts.

Greg Page was pretty legendary in the gym.

[ticar]

magnanasakki awesome experience:smoke
great to have a person like you on forum,who actually sparred with atg and some of the hardest hitting hw's:happy:rasta

[Primadonna Kool]

Greg Page was pretty legendary in the gym.

[Only registered and activated users can see links]


Here's the second time somebody, i thought it was Greg Page at first....but it does not look like Greg Page.

Whoever this guy is, he puts Tyson down..!!!!

At the 3min 12sec mark....just keep watching from that point onwards.


edit: for some reason, they don't show the knock down. I have seen footage from that sparring session, way back on my days on Tysontalk.com.

That guy puts him down..!!!

[MagnaNasakki]

magnanasakki awesome experience:smoke
great to have a person like you on forum,who actually sparred with atg and some of the hardest hitting hw's:happy:rasta

As long as nobody gets the impression I'm exceptionally talented. I'm average, but durable and left-handed. Guys my size will always get great sparring in boxing because of these attributes.

[Primadonna Kool]

I've seen footage of Mike Tyson before th Razor Ruddock fight, going sick on one of his sparring partners.

He hits this guy with that double, body shot then uppercut with the right hand.

And his trainers have to jump in and stop it, but he still hits this guy with a left hook....!!!

[Johnstown]

Dempsey smashing Two tones...also dempsey getting smashed in his prime by Greb...who knows if one or both or neither is true..

[Johnstown]

actually the greb sessions where exhibitions that where seen..so i guess they are true.....who is Magna by the way?

[werety]

Fat mayweather versus spadafora

[Johnstown]

Always wondered why casual fans gave such importance to sparring sessions. To the best fighters, they were work sessions, constantly being hit or looking awkward trying to perfect a move or correct a defensive flaw.

The gym fighters looked a house-a-fire sparring, drawing OOOHs 'N AAAHs from spectators. But they never got any better.


true..i have had sparring sessions with decent pros where i looked like beast because they where working on certain moves.....and neglacting everything else. Also I have sparred green guys and looked bad because i was working on a single thing....

[Russell]

A very young Roy Jones dropping Charles Williams with a bodyshot? I think I heard that on here once.

[young griffo]

A young Jones handling then Super Middleweight champ Lindell Holmes in '91 (footage available).
[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Jones looks the much better fighter even back then.

[Squire]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

:thumbsup

Great to hear this sort of thing from a guy whos been in with the best. How'd it feel when you were first offered sparring with an elite fighter?

[MagnaNasakki]

:thumbsup

Great to hear this sort of thing from a guy whos been in with the best. How'd it feel when you were first offered sparring with an elite fighter?

First time I ever sparred a big name was when George Foreman came to the gym I helped run with my father-in-law. After failing to make the 88 Olympic team, I neglected some nice offers to turn pro(I was not the most talented fighter, but I hit like a motherfucker) to try to start my family right, and just never got around to it. Years and years later I'm no longer fighting but training 6 days a week operating a facility, and George Foreman came in wanting to work out. We let him, but he wanted to spar, and we had nothing but kids 185 and below. Big George looks at me and says,

"You're a very large fella, friend, would you work with me?"

We sparred a couple rounds, he signed me as a partner for 3 straight camps, which allowed me to leap frog to other camps and get work.

It's always exciting to spar the best. I always got mess for never having turned pro, but I fought Lennox Lewis in the amateurs, as well as Riddick Bowe as we were both NY boys, and could box a bit, and bang alot. I was a pretty popular fella throughout the 90's in the gym. Even got to go oversea's in the new millenium and work.

I'm an older guy now, but I love boxing, been doing it forever. Being born with large enough genes to share the ring with history is always a fond, if painful memory.

[Trixie]

This rumour about Monzon dropping Frasier stemmed from a short sound byte in a documentary and was stated by Antuofermo. One of our boardmembers... I don't remember which one, had the chance to speak to and ask Antuofermo about it and he said himself that it was something he had heard from someone in his team but had not actually witnessed it personally. I would lean towards it not having happened, but who knows...

[Kalasinn]

An aging 35 year old Trevor Berbick was schooling Tyson in sparing for the Douglas fight.

World heavyweight champion Mike Tyson resumed sparring in Tokyo. Tyson, who has been having trouble with balance and timing since he arrived in Japan Jan. 16, returned to the ring for six rounds after a five-day break. Though Tyson threw a lot of hard punches, he had difficulty setting up combinations and was repeatedly tagged by Trevor Berbick. Tyson has sparred only 30 rounds in the past two weeks, and was knocked down last Wednesday by Greg Page, though Tyson's trainers called it a slip. Tyson's opponent, Buster Douglas, also was unimpressive in training. But manager John Johnson isn't worried, saying he expected Douglas to knock Tyson out early.[Only registered and activated users can see links]

At the time I bet readers chuckled at the notion of Douglas upsetting Tyson at all, let alone knocking him out early, in reality Douglas had to practically punch Tyson into the canvas for 10 rounds, subjecting him to a sustained & hellacious beating before he eventually dropped; James "Buster" Douglas had shocked the world.

[Bokaj]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

Thanks for sharing.:good Great read!

[Bokaj]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

Jones looks the much better fighter even back then.

Wow! What strikes me is how technically skilled Jones is here, and shows it off against a very good opponent. He looks like a true, slick technician in there. No real unorthodoxy showing.

[lefthook31]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.
Did you come down to Palm Beach to work with Tua? I was in the gym during alot of his sessions. How about Lewis, were you with Butler and Harris working in?

[johnmaff36]

This rumour about Monzon dropping Frasier stemmed from a short sound byte in a documentary and was stated by Antuofermo. One of our boardmembers... I don't remember which one, had the chance to speak to and ask Antuofermo about it and he said himself that it was something he had heard from someone in his team but had not actually witnessed it personally. I would lean towards it not having happened, but who knows...
I think AlFrancis was going to ask Frazier or Antuofermo,if joe sparred Monzon, at a boxing do in Wales over the summer. Whatever happened, it didnt come to fruition due to one or the other not showing up therefore saving Al from a potentially awkward moment. I wouldnt have fancied asking either:D. I personally think its bollox

[john garfield]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

Riveting reading your first-person account, 'n candor, sparring with top-notch fighters, MN. Your insider impressions -- 'n how well you write about it -- is a welcome addition to the board.

[Manassa]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

Good stuff :good

[johnmaff36]

First time I ever sparred a big name was when George Foreman came to the gym I helped run with my father-in-law. After failing to make the 88 Olympic team, I neglected some nice offers to turn pro(I was not the most talented fighter, but I hit like a motherfucker) to try to start my family right, and just never got around to it. Years and years later I'm no longer fighting but training 6 days a week operating a facility, and George Foreman came in wanting to work out. We let him, but he wanted to spar, and we had nothing but kids 185 and below. Big George looks at me and says,

"You're a very large fella, friend, would you work with me?"

We sparred a couple rounds, he signed me as a partner for 3 straight camps, which allowed me to leap frog to other camps and get work.

It's always exciting to spar the best. I always got mess for never having turned pro, but I fought Lennox Lewis in the amateurs, as well as Riddick Bowe as we were both NY boys, and could box a bit, and bang alot. I was a pretty popular fella throughout the 90's in the gym. Even got to go oversea's in the new millenium and work.

I'm an older guy now, but I love boxing, been doing it forever. Being born with large enough genes to share the ring with history is always a fond, if painful memory.
Great story Magna. Love hearing these first hand :good:good

[Monte Fisto]

on the Monzon/Frazier debate. someone posted a video a while back of some guy saying that monzon did do just that. no video eveidence so far though

[kinski]

Mayweather vs Paul Spadafora Tyson supposedly dropped by Mcall?!

[MagnaNasakki]

Did you come down to Palm Beach to work with Tua? I was in the gym during alot of his sessions. How about Lewis, were you with Butler and Harris working in?

Sparred David back at his home in NZ. Got to go with Chauncy Welliver too on that trip.
And I sparred Lennox more as a return for our amateur match than anything else. One time thing, never went into camp with him. Thank God for my brain.

[mattdonnellon]

Jeff Merrit broke Earnie Shaver's jaw in training,
Denver Ed Smith schooled Gus Ruhlin
Corbett dropped Jeffries....

[Sakura]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.


Fine reminiscing .. of this increase. thanks:good

[Kalasinn]

I will tell you, once you reach the level of power most of those guys has, it all hurts. :lol:.

Different types. George wouldn't daze but would make your whole face or body quake with pain. He never buzzed or staggered me, but I'd feel our rounds for days. And our styles were incredibly similar(Slow, ponderous, strong and heavy-handed), and often when we'd trade connects, we'd both joke about how they hurt right there in the ring. I was just a sucker for a great jab, still am, and whenever George felt the need to take over he'd just start drowning me with his.

Lennox and Klitschko, the sharp, heavy jolt that took your legs. I equate them to gunshots; The pain wasnt awful, but the impact was, and both men put me down. Klitschko was faster and smarter than Lewis, but Lennox didn't take any shit, and the harder you hit him, the harder he'd come back at you.

Tua would knock my headgear clear to the other side of my head alot. He was the easiest to deal with from a boxing perspective, but everytime he'd land, I'd lose sight of him, which made the next punch or two sustained unpleasant.

Evander just brought it. He didn't have the heaviest shots persay, but he was in your ass every second and I could never be bothered to get into similar condition. He'd just grind me down and beat my ass till I waved the white flag.

Superb vivid recollections. :good

Do you mean Wlad Klitschko?

[JohnThomas1]

Greg Page was pretty legendary in the gym.

Tell me more :D

[JohnThomas1]

Superb vivid recollections. :good

Do you mean Wlad Klitschko?

See post 56 ;)

[MagnaNasakki]

Tell me more :D

Just stuff I heard. People would tell me he was a gym stallion-Rarely did anything but amazing training and sparring.

Kind of similar to Andrew Golota, who absolutely terrorized punching bags, mitts, and sparring partners when he wasn't under the bright lights.

[Bigcat]

Holyfield used to kick Bowes butt in sparring. Little did he know what would show up in the ring when they fought for real.


Tyrell Biggs used to beat Bowe up in sparring and dropped him heavily with a body shot before Bowe turned pro proper which put Duva off signing Bowe as a pro...

[TheOld1-2]

"Sugar"Shane Mosley getting the upper hand against, Zack Padilla and Genaro "Chicanito" Hernandez.

[Kalasinn]

See post 56 ;)

Thanks.

I was thinking, no way is Vitali faster than Lewis, so it must have been Wlad.

[kenmore]

Here's what I've heard, and I don''t know if any of it is true.

1. Jimmy Ellis allegedly put Muhammad Ali down for a ten count in 1977.
2. Mike Spinks reportedly badly battered Saad Muhammad, while Spinks was still an amateur and Muhammad was a top contender. The year was 1976 or 1977.
3. Vitali was supposedly knocked down or kayod by Alonzo Butler or Travis Walker in 2004.
4. Greg Page supposedly kayoed Mike Spinks while Spinks was heavyweight champion in the 1980s.
5. Page is also alleged to have floored Mike Tyson twice, in 1988 or 1989.
6. Timur Ibragimov allegedly floored or kayoed Shannon Briggs in 2004 or 2005.
7. While still an amateur in 1960, Muhammad Ali supposedly gave a one sided beatdown to Ingomar Johannson.
8. Monte Barrett allegedly knocked out Andrew Golota a few years ago. Golota supposedly retaliated by trying to run Barrett over with a car in the parking lot outside the gym. For what it's worth, Golota supposedly demanded to spar with Barrett in subsequent days, trying hard but unsuccessfully to kayo Barrett in revenge.
9. Vladimir is rumored to have kayoed Eddie Chambers in sparring a few years ago.

[JohnThomas1]

4. Greg Page supposedly kayoed Mike Spinks while Spinks was heavyweight champion in the 1980s.
5. Page is also alleged to have floored Mike Tyson twice, in 1988 or 1989.


Page definitely dropped him once as we have on film, and a second time now seems likely via another poster in this thread.

Page may have dropped Spinks, i know he was whooping his arse in sparring and giving him second thoughts about rising in weight.

[Seamus]

7. While still an amateur in 1960, Muhammad Ali supposedly gave a one sided beatdown to Ingomar Johannson.


It's on film. I would hardly call it a beatdown. He looks good for a round, throwing flurries, staying on his toes. Hardly indicative of what would have occurred over 15 rounds of an actual fight at the time.

[young griffo]

It's on film. I would hardly call it a beatdown. He looks good for a round, throwing flurries, staying on his toes. Hardly indicative of what would have occurred over 15 rounds of an actual fight at the time.
Stop using logic, it has no place when it comes to sparring stories/fables.

[Titan1]

Hector Camacho got the best of Hilmer Kenty a couple of times, sparring in Detroit.

[Russell]

3. Vitali was supposedly knocked down or kayod by Alonzo Butler or Travis Walker in 2004.


I've also heard it say Vitali's knee gave up against Walker, ending the sparring session. May of been one of the things that prompted the Rahman fight delays. :think

[Russell]

Anyone want to explain the Jimmy Young/Ali 10 count knockout thing from a few posts back? Supposedly from 1977', which would put it a year after their 1976' match up...

So if I had to imagine the way that one went it'd be a very heated sparring match resulting in a potential "stoppage".

If this sparring match took place in late 1977' after Ali had the final nail put in his coffin from Shaver's it sounds slightly more legitimate. :think

[kenmore]

Anyone want to explain the Jimmy Young/Ali 10 count knockout thing from a few posts back? Supposedly from 1977', which would put it a year after their 1976' match up...

So if I had to imagine the way that one went it'd be a very heated sparring match resulting in a potential "stoppage".

If this sparring match took place in late 1977' after Ali had the final nail put in his coffin from Shaver's it sounds slightly more legitimate. :think

It was Jimmy Ellis, not Jimmy Young. The incident was widely reported in the newspapers. It allegedly took place during Ali's training camp for the Shavers fight, in August or September 1977.


According to reports, Ellis clipped Ali with a heavy right hand (Ellis could hit with this hand, despite his small size), and Ali went down. Ali got up, but was so wobbly that the sparring session was ended right there. I said "ten count" because, if it had been a real fight, the referee would have counted out Ali as he regained his feet, or stopped the fight upon seeing Ali's wobbly legs.

But is the story true? Who knows. I remember one sports writer reporting that Ali faked the knockdown/knockout, in order to build Ellis's ego. Ellis and Ali were old friends. Also, it's possible that Ali faked the incident in order to drum up more interest in the Shavers fight.

Check old copies of the New York Daily News and New York Post for more details.