Johnny Bumphus

[Swedish81]

I saw a thread in the General Forum about the most popular boxers in the history, and somebody answered Johnny Bumphus. I realize he's not the most popular but was he ironic.

I looked him up and he had a pretty good record alhough he didn't have the best opposition. George Benton was his trainer and he was a fairly tall guy for the light welterweight division, plus he was a southpaw.

Please fill me in about this guy. Was he like Arturo Gatti is now, a B-level fighter who is everbodys favourite, I'm thinking about that popular-thread.

[Sonny's jab]

I think they must have been joking.

I cant remember Bumphus being particularly exciting.
I remember Lloyd Honeyghan knocking him off his stool and Lou Duva going crazy, that was funny as hell.

:lol:

[Boro chris]

Not sure how good he was. But I remember him getting caught cold against Lloyd Honeyghan in contraversial fashion.

[Titan1]

I just remember him being one of Tomorrow's Champions, beating Willie Rodriguez on NBC, and losing the title to Gene Hatcher.Actually wanted to see him fight Aaron Pryor for some reason.

[unitas]

he was jab and move guy if i remember correctly. and i think he got dropped by some featherfisted argie when he won the vacant belt.

[salsanchezfan]

Bumphus was perhaps the most physically frail boxer I have ever seen. A stiff wind would make him collapse.

Through his connections with the Duvas, he was very carefully guided, and as Unitas mentioned, decked by featherfisted Lorenzo Gacia in a bout for the vacant WBA 140 pound crown. In his first defense, was stopped in the 11th by limited Gene Hatcher, and went up to 147, where he Honeyghan treated him like a baby treats a diaper.

I met him in the gym once. Wasn't impressed with him as a person.

[Mantequilla]

he also got a gift against Starling that showed why open scoring is never a good thing.

[redrooster]

I saw a thread in the General Forum about the most popular boxers in the history, and somebody answered Johnny Bumphus. I realize he's not the most popular but was he ironic.

I looked him up and he had a pretty good record alhough he didn't have the best opposition. George Benton was his trainer and he was a fairly tall guy for the light welterweight division, plus he was a southpaw.

Please fill me in about this guy. Was he like Arturo Gatti is now, a B-level fighter who is everbodys favourite, I'm thinking about that popular-thread.

more like nobody's favorite.

there are a few ways to describe him. boring. impotent. glass jawed. a protected media darling whose gloves were filled with air. physically waek. no punch whatsoever. don't even know why someone like him would become a fighter just like i don't know why pryor would side step him unless he was paid off which he probably was so they could split up the title even more and give him a better chance of winning some kind of title. thankfully, hatcher & Lloyd exposed him for what he was and is now nothing more than a bad memory.

[TBooze]

Well to misquote the late Jerry Quarry

People (Carpenter) said he was going to be awkward for Honeyghan... and he did kind of fall awkwardly when he was decked by the ragga muffin man on his stool!

[Raggamuffin]

I remember his fight with Honeygan very well.
Bumphus had no change at all even had he not been knocked of his seat

[JohnThomas1]

Fragile and overhyped comes directly to mind.

[My dinner with Conteh]

A chin worse than Roger Mayweather's. :yep

[Swedish81]

So he was crap then. Thanks, I will save it in my PC.
The one between my shoulders.

[Cobra33]

No.Bumphus was one of the most accomplished Ameteur boxers in the history of USA Ameteur boxing.
He had dazzling hand and foot speed and could throw fluid combinations.
The problem was he was fragile and didn't take well to the pro game as expected.
By the time the Honeyghan bout took place Bumphus was basically a full blown addict.They said they had to help him up the ring steps during the Honeyghan bout.
Gene Hatcher was dominated the entire bout against Bumphus until bumphus mocked him/made him mad and the Hatcher stormed out and tko'ed Bumphus.Until then Hatcher had been dominated EASILY.

[salsanchezfan]

No.Bumphus was one of the most accomplished Ameteur boxers in the history of USA Ameteur boxing.
He had dazzling hand and foot speed and could throw fluid combinations.
The problem was he was fragile and didn't take well to the pro game as expected.
By the time the Honeyghan bout took place Bumphus was basically a full blown addict.They said they had to help him up the ring steps during the Honeyghan bout.
Gene Hatcher was dominated the entire bout against Bumphus until bumphus mocked him/made him mad and the Hatcher stormed out and tko'ed Bumphus.Until then Hatcher had been dominated EASILY.


...............Actually Hatcher did win a couple rounds. Even so, he wasn't exactly a world beater. That's like saying he dominated Lorenzo Garcia.

[Cobra33]

True enough.You know who els wasn't as good as everyone thought they were going to be?Bernard Taylor.Won just about everything you could ask for in the ameteurs.Turned pro and just for whatever reason couldn't hanlde it.

[Titan1]

True enough.You know who els wasn't as good as everyone thought they were going to be?Bernard Taylor.Won just about everything you could ask for in the ameteurs.Turned pro and just for whatever reason couldn't hanlde it.

Didn't fight enough of the quality competition once he turned pro.It would've helped vs Pedroza and McGuigan.Another one to come to mind was Tony "TNT" Tucker and Alex Ramos.:good

[Sonny Carson]

He was a great amateur but a bad pro.

[ron u.k.]

Did Honeyghan then knock Hatcher cold in about 40 seconds or something?

[AREA 53]

Agaist Honeygan i remember thinging that johnnys legs didnt look too sturdy - Even before the first bell ! and when Honeygan put his face right into Johnny's during the instructions Johnny looked like he know some writing was on the wall ...and it wasnt compliamentary ! I think Johnny was already in the grip of a less than spartan lifestyle by this stage, having said that, Lloyd would have probably of Blasted Johnny aside in any situation, Johnny was at his best as a Jr Welter, even then if you could pressure him and drag him into a dog-fight chances are his lack of ruggedness would let him down, as the Hatcher fight showed

A classy Boxer if left alone to compose and execute ....but take him into the trenches ...

[Flea Man]

Honeyghan destroyed him.

[booradley]

Fragile and overhyped comes directly to mind.

He got tons of hype.

[Cobra33]

Bumphus just didn't have the durability to be a good pro.He had everything else.He won over 400 AM bouts.Also remember that
Bumphus was sarting to get into drugs heavily when he turned pro.

[ThinBlack]

Johnny probably stayed in the amateur game tool long.Was a decent fighter for a couple of years, just didn't pan out.

[I am Legion]

Bumphus had a diagnosed medical condition that affected his balance, you can see it in the Honeyghan fight. After Hatcher he had to call it day. Shame becuase he was a good fighter despite what some in this thread have said.
:huh

[Senor Pepe']

'Bump City' Bumphus,,,,,,,,,,

Lou Duva got him a great contract with NBC

Biggest downfall,,,,,,,,,,way too many amateur bouts,,,,,which caught up to him in the 'Pro Ranks.'