Trevor Berbick W10 Greg Page 1982: impressions, memories?

[kenmore]

It's been years since I saw this fight. I remember Page looked lazy and seemed to allow Berbick to outhustle him. After the fight, though, it came out that Page broke his thumb early and was unable to use his right hand for this reason.

Anyone here have an impressions to share?

[MRBILL]

Yeah.... I wish I had a friggin' copy of that fight and the "Tillis-Shavers" bout also on the card....... "Holmes-Cooney" was the main event........

Page claimed he trained too hard and was drained at his lightest weight of 221 pounds. Still, Trevor Berbick looked strong and bullish in that ring...... Page also injured his left thumb in the bout...... I haven't seen the fight since it aired back in 1982.....

MR.BILL

[kenmore]

Yeah.... I wish I had a friggin' copy of that fight and the "Tillis-Shavers" bout also on the card....... "Holmes-Cooney" was the main event........

Page claimed he trained too hard and was drained at his lightest weight of 221 pounds. Still, Trevor Berbick looked strong and bullish in that ring...... Page also injured his left thumb in the bout...... I haven't seen the fight since it aired back in 1982.....

MR.BILL

How about Page vs. Renaldo Snipes in 1983? Did you see that one?

[MRBILL]

How about Page vs. Renaldo Snipes in 1983? Did you see that one?

NOPE! I need that fight too....... I have the main event of "Holmes-Spoon" and "Weaver-Dokes 2" on tape......

MR.BILL

[MRBILL]

After Page choked and looked a slob in blowing his newly acquired WBA belt to Tony Tubbs in 1985, Page sorta' just went to hell.... Page was washed up in the late 80s, but he made a brief comeback of sorts in the early 90s.....

After Page blew his title to Tubbs, I just stopped paying attention to Page's career... I didn't tape any 'Page' fights again until 1992 when he was clocked and stopped by Razor Ruddock on Showtime......

MR.BILL

[JohnThomas1]

Page also injured his left thumb in the bout

It was his right thumb actually, he broke it. In round 2 i believe. He did claim fighting about 10 pounds lighter than normal drained him.


Berbick did fight a fantastic fight tho, bulling and rushing Page and negating his great jab. It was a good wake up call for Page, but unfortunately he lacked the mental strength and determination to take advantage of his ridiculous talent.

Probably the best he ever was vs a good opponent was vs Snipes, and he was at his most determined vs Coetzee.

[Stevie G]

It's been years since I saw this fight. I remember Page looked lazy and seemed to allow Berbick to outhustle him. After the fight, though, it came out that Page broke his thumb early and was unable to use his right hand for this reason.

Anyone here have an impressions to share?
I remember being quite shocked ! Page was one of those who were being billed as the future dominant heavyweight after Larry Holmes. If only Greg had fulfilled his potential.

[JohnThomas1]

I remember being quite shocked ! Page was one of those who were being billed as the future dominant heavyweight after Larry Holmes. If only Greg had fulfilled his potential.

Indeed, he was actually THEE touted one, with Dokes rated a bit behind him. Niether fulfilled their potential, tho both gave it a very brief fling.

[Stevie G]

Indeed, he was actually THEE touted one, with Dokes rated a bit behind him. Niether fulfilled their potential, tho both gave it a very brief fling.
I can remember reading an issue of Ring Magazine back in '81 where there was an article saying that a Page-Cooney fight would be one of the fights of the 80's.

[he grant]

I remember being quite shocked ! Page was one of those who were being billed as the future dominant heavyweight after Larry Holmes. If only Greg had fulfilled his potential.

Page was being hyped as a future champ but with all respect, I was never sold on him ... even as an amateur when he was highly publicised on USA v.s. The World series, Page managed to never show up for the fights against the Cuban team and it's great amateur heavyweights ... always a Jimmy Clark or someone else would take that bout ...

Berbick has become very underrated because of the way he was blown out by Tyson but Berbick was a very big, strong, well conditioned and funky guyto fight ... similar in a way to a Bonevena ... he simply manhandled Page much like Hamsho did to Czyz ...

I really do not think any injury mattered. Berbick was way too strong and bulled him all over the ring ...it was not even close, Page was thrashed. It was a big upset at he time as Page was undefeated and the undercard fight on such a big night was supposed to be a showcase for him ...

[Unforgiven]

Yeah, Berbick was a bit of a beast really. Not a devastating puncher but just a strong bullish fighter with decent work rate, and fearless.

He was inconsistent though. Funnily enough, he risked his rating against Snipes in his next fight and Snipes actually had him down once or twice and beat him over 10 rounds. Another decent fight, another chapter in the musical chairs of 80s heavyweight contenders and alphabet champs.

[Russell]

Yeah, Berbick was a bit of a beast really. Not a devastating puncher but just a strong bullish fighter with decent work rate, and fearless.

He was inconsistent though. Funnily enough, he risked his rating against Snipes in his next fight and Snipes actually had him down once or twice and beat him over 10 rounds. Another decent fight, another chapter in the musical chairs of 80s heavyweight contenders and alphabet champs.

If I'm remembering correctly those knockdowns were due to Snipes atomic right hand.

Not very many fighters that could stand up to that shot, if it landed clean.

[Unforgiven]

If I'm remembering correctly those knockdowns were due to Snipes atomic right hand.

Not very many fighters that could stand up to that shot, if it landed clean.

Yeah, it was the right hand.
Berbick-Snipes was a heck of a fight. It's actually on youtube.

After Snipes beat Berbick he went and lost 3 in a row. To Greg Page, Alfredo Evangelista and Rickey Parkey.

[Russell]

Well isn't that the name of the game a lot of the time?

Come in mentally prepared, razor sharp focus and in good physical shape. Put on a great winning performance.

Climb the mountain then tumble off like Snipes did.

Takes a lot of mental power to stay on top after climbing that mountain. The likes of Witherspoon could have done it if they had the mental strength of a Holmes.

Page could have as well, shit, Snipes could have potentially been great more then likely.

[Unforgiven]

Well isn't that the name of the game a lot of the time?

Come in mentally prepared, razor sharp focus and in good physical shape. Put on a great winning performance.

Climb the mountain then tumble off like Snipes did.

Takes a lot of mental power to stay on top after climbing that mountain. The likes of Witherspoon could have done it if they had the mental strength of a Holmes.

Page could have as well, shit, Snipes could have potentially been great more then likely.

I agree 100%. Lots of fighters have a night or two when they are operating at the level required. But it takes consistency and some degree of luck (not to mention management) to have the success necessarily to have a truly great career.

[Russell]

Yeah, well said.

Sad thing is when you see guys like Witherspoon/Page/Snipes put it together you know that they could have been greats or near greats if they did that consistently.

It wasn't a minor cause of pissing away potential like say Hamed, whom did almost everything he could have over the course of several years then faded away.

For how long did we truly see the best of Greg Page, you know? :-(

[MRBILL]

I saw the "Snipes-Berbick" fight in circa 1982 / '83 on TV.... Snipes decked Berbick early with a right hand cuz Berbick was screwing around and mocking Snipes.... Snipes came to fight; Berbick came to jive.... Snipes won cuz he was more serious and determined....

That was prolly Snipes' last meaningful win too..... I liked Snipes, but he lost 90% of all his big fights worth a damn..... I finally nailed Snipes' coffin shut after he was decked and out-boxed by Tyrell Biggs at MSG in Dec. 1986.......

The 1993 fight with Jorge Luis Gonzalez was SO BAD I stopped recording mid-way through the fight and backed the tape up to ensure I had more than enough tape for the upcoming "Holy-Bowe 2" fight that night...... Fucking "Fan Man" almost fucked me up with his parachute landing into the friggin' ring..... My tape was running out.......

MR.BILL

[MRBILL]

I have "Spoon-Page 1" and "Ruddock-Page" on tape to this day... OH! I also taped "Spoon-Page 2" from 1999 as well..... Page got his revenge there..... Tim Spoon was pathetic in 1999....

MR.BILL

Note:

I erased "Tubbs-Page" cuz it was so boring it made me ill......... That just might be the worst heavyweight title fight between TWO SOLID contenders of all-time..... Page was blubbery while Tubbs was fit at 229 pounds....... The bout stunk........

[Titan1]

It's been years since I saw this fight. I remember Page looked lazy and seemed to allow Berbick to outhustle him. After the fight, though, it came out that Page broke his thumb early and was unable to use his right hand for this reason.

Anyone here have an impressions to share?

Page may have taken the fight too soon.He had just beaten Jimmy Young in defense of his USBA title just a month before.At 221 1/2, he was definitely the right weight, but he dropped to it too fast.In addition, Greg was never the strongest guy to begin with, and Trevor just outmauled and outbrawled him.In the first round, before the thumb injury, Berbick was causing him problems, but Page rallied in the last half-minute of the fight.Then the round his thumb breaks, Berbick almost dropped him, but Page had that very good chin, he survives.Interestingly, Berbick was yelling at him, telling him "Watch your thumb, Greg! I used to have a tape of the fight, no more.

[MRBILL]

It was good that Page dropped down to 221 pounds, however, he did it quickly and he was fighting in Vegas in June when the friggin' temps were up at 100 degrees..... Plus, as stated, Trevor Berbick was a very strong and bullish type brawler...... Page left his fight game in the gym for that fight with Berbick....... Later on, Page would begin to leave his fight game at Pizza Hut....... ARGH!

MR.BILL

[Titan1]

It was good that Page dropped down to 221 pounds, however, he did it quickly and he was fighting in Vegas in June when the friggin' temps were up at 100 degrees..... Plus, as stated, Trevor Berbick was a very strong and bullish type brawler...... Page left his fight game in the gym for that fight with Berbick....... Later on, Page would begin to leave his fight game at Pizza Hut....... ARGH!

MR.BILL


:good:good

[mr. magoo]

It was good that Page dropped down to 221 pounds, however, he did it quickly and he was fighting in Vegas in June when the friggin' temps were up at 100 degrees..... Plus, as stated, Trevor Berbick was a very strong and bullish type brawler......
MR.BILL

Very true, and I think part of it may also have been an experience thing as well... Berbick had already faced the elite of the division, whereas Page was really just starting off on the scene..

[MRBILL]

Yeah, that was my first time I had ever seen Page fight as a pro......... I never saw Page's earlier fights with George Chaplin, but I read about them in KO mag back then......

Page rebounded from the loss to Berbick by beating the ever lovin' shit outta Jimmy Tills on the undercard of "Holmes-Cobb" in Nov. of '82 down in Texas.......

Come May of '83, Page throughly schooled Snipes on the undercard of "Holmes-Spoon."

1984 was a bad but good year for Page....... Page dropped decisions to "Spoon & Bey," but secured a title shot (Incredible) at Gerrie Coetzee to win the title by 8th round KO in Dec. of that year....... Freaky.....

Come 1985, Page chokes and blows his title to Tony Tubbs in a dreadful affair...... YAWN!

1986 was just plain ugly for Greg Page...... 'Nuff said.......

MR.BILL

[Titan1]

Page had faced Marty Monroe, who was highly ranked at that time, top 4 by the WBC, Stan Ward was top ten, somewhat fringe, and Jimmy Young, despite his decline, was seventh in the world.

[ThinBlack]

Two things stand out about this fight.

1) Page, of course having the broken thumb.
2) Berbick began a brutal body assault in round 2, which afterwards Page couldn't respond to.

Page had his moments, but probably didn't lose his weight right and it showed.Berbick hit him with the more telling shots and pretty much took control from the second round on.Before that, the action was about even, or Page had a very slight edge.