Glorify a fighter

[teeto]

Please give an assessment of any fighter of your choosing. Just break down their fighting style and glorify them in the process if you wish.

This thread is just for fun so if a fighter is being over-hyped or wrongly glorified a little please dont bite!

I always do my Duran and Robinson ones because they pop in so many subjects on this forum, so i'll get the ball rolling with a different fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez-



I believe his best range when he was in full flow and found his rythm was mid-range. Once he got going and he would just tense up his body and plant his feet in front of a fighter (after cutting off the ring with subtle, masterful movement), he would just fire that pin-point straight right to the head (his best punch i believe), and the left downstairs. This would normally be the pattern of the bout until the other guy caved. You could hit him back all you want, but the shots would normally be stopped by either his glove, or a piece of iron he called his chin, either one was just as effective a shield as the other.

Not a tremendous ko puncher, but one of the strongest men his weight divisions have ever seen, and a heavy-hooker with good enough power to wear down his guys and stop them, even some of the better class opponents. He never really seemed to let his punches fly in bunches too often, it was more THUD, THUD, THUD, one at a time. Although i do believe he exhibited some good combination work, especially to the body, in a losing effort (and it WAS) to Pernell Whitaker, a fight he should have lost by a land-slide, but was still competitive throughout in, and contested almost every round to make his master work. His boxing skills may be slightly underrated, he did display some good movement at times, and a good jab, but his best performances were the typical Julio, standing right there, finding his range and hammering away with a quality offence that rendered men helpless.





See what i mean, just totally glorified Chavez!!! Anyway, i'd like to see some classic posters do a bit of this, just for fun!!

[Holmes' Jab]

Pea is just so slick it's sick. :p

[JohnThomas1]

Pea is just so slick it's sick. :p

:blood

:rofl

[teeto]

Pea is just so slick it's sick. :p
Hahaha

[Holmes' Jab]

In all seriousness, though good original post mate. Chavez was a fine fighter just not one of my fave boxers 'personality' wise. Plus Whitaker is amongst my top 5 faves.

[teeto]

In all seriousness, though good original post mate. Chavez was a fine fighter just not one of my fave boxers 'personality' wise. Plus Whitaker is amongst my top 5 faves.
Thanks, both were great you're certainly right, elites imo. Especially Sweet Pea. Im not too much of a Chavez fan personally either, just thinking about him and his style earlier and got the urge to write up on him!

[mr. magoo]

I happen to think that a very forgotten and underrated fighter is Simon Brown. Though he did not retire with the prettiest of records, he was certainly a great force to be reckoned with. I grew up enjoying most of his best moments in the 80's and early 90's. At one point, he may very well have been the best welterweight of the lot. I'll never forget the time he rose up in weight to utterly destroy Terry Norris. The media was hyping Terry as pound for pound one of the best in the world, and Simon handed him a very bad loss. Brown possesed ferocious power for a smaller fighter, and a good chin and speed to compliment it.

[teeto]

I happen to think that a very forgotten and underrated fighter is Simon Brown. Though he did not retire with the prettiest of records, he was certainly a great force to be reckoned with. I grew up enjoying most of his best moments in the 80's and early 90's. At one point, he may very well have been the best welterweight of the lot. I'll never forget the time he rose up in weight to utterly destroy Terry Norris. The media was hyping Terry as pound for pound one of the best in the world, and Simon handed him a very bad loss. Brown possesed ferocious power for a smaller fighter, and a good chin and speed to compliment it.
You're right there, he's very forgotten seemingly, hardly ever gets brought up here. The Norris win was upset of the year i think.

[PhillyPhan69]

El Tigre Colonense...Beautiful footwork, brilliant jab, super fluid boxer who looks as natural in a ring as BB King with a guitar. Panamanian featherweight champ from 62-63 won World LW championship from carlos Ortiz in 65'...lost it back to him months later. Regained the LW championship in 1970 and would lose to Highland silk in a controversial SD (I scored it the other way)...but silk would go on to control the rematch a year later. Again a very skilled boxer, fast with a good jab, not the greatest power but defended himself well. He defeated such men as Carlos Ortiz, Lloyd marshall, Antonio Harrera, Carlos Hernandez, Rafiu King, Erubey "Chango" Carmona, Armando "Mando" Ramos, "Guts" Ishmatsu (Suzuki), Euginio Espinoza, Angel Robinson garcia, Jaun ramirez, Auburn Copeland, and Frankie Narvaez.

[mr. magoo]

You're right there, he's very forgotten seemingly, hardly ever gets brought up here. The Norris win was upset of the year i think.

I think I'll also ad that the whole crue of welterweights during that period were forgotten greats. Marlon Starling, Maurice Blocker, Mark Breland, Glenwood Brown and James McGirt were all extremely talented fighters who rarely get mentioned on chat forums or even during the commentary of boxing broadcasts today. This was a sadly lost generation of quality welterweights and frankly I'm not sure why. The welter picture of the 1980's was probably the best thing that boxing had going on during the decade, when you consider that it began with the like of Leonard, Duran and Hearns, then continued through Curry, Honeyghan, Starling, Brown, Mcgirt, Blocker, Breland, Davis and a few others. Can we honestly say that any other division was more talent packed at anytime during the 80's?

[prime]

A legend must have a firm foundation of fundamentals. And the voice of the people is sometimes akin to the voice of God.

Before media-contrived freak shows and boxing gloves coming into association with a million dollars, Jack Dempsey rose up and became a mainstream legend, and rightfully so.

In those dark days before 24/7 worldwide personal electronic entertainment,
most Americans knew of the exploits of the strong ring gladiator by the name of Jack Dempsey, though probably not much about just why he was great.

The grainy photo or newsreel was enough to convey the magic fighter's charisma of this giant-killing ferocity of the ring, who for good measure had the knack for the perfect quip.

True legends are grounded in reality. To the uninitiated, Dempsey was simply an unbridled force of nature. To connoisseurs, he was greatness incarnate and the template for future stars 60 years after his best fight.

Perfectly proportioned, wearing that cropped hair, scowl and sockless shoes, he went straight to his work with measured intensity translated into a smooth bob and weave that suddenly exploded into two-fisted mayhem from all angles and directions. He was a true master of the Sweet Science, the rare combination of raw power and polished technique.

You can't keep a good man down and true greatness cannot be denied. I see Jack Dempsey's name continuing to rise to the top as the decades continue to roll by.

[Thread Stealer]

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a god in boxing trunks. Watching the smoothness of his moves is like listening to vintage Miles Davis. He moves with the grace of Pierina Legnani.

Undefeated, top 5 p4p fighter, never-been-down before Diego Corrales was shut down and shut out and dropped 5 times. I wonder if this type of beating and humiliation made his future prison sentence easier. Undefeated top 10 p4p fighter Ricky Hatton, who probably outweighed Mayweather on fight night, ran face first into a left hook as beautiful as the magical one Ray Robinson landed on Gene Fullmer. Then he ran into the ring post as a result of it.

Genaro Hernandez's only loss was at a higher weight class. He stepped in with the mighty Mayweather, all two years and 17 fights of pro experience, and was dominated in 8 rounds before surrendering.

Trying to catch Mayweather with a clean shot is like trying to hit a half-court shot with Tim Duncan's hand in your face. He rolls like Cheech and Chong. He slips like Bob Dole off the podium. Punches slide off him like Rickey Henderson on the basepath. The much larger Oscar De La Hoya, with 6 years experience at junior middleweight and a substantial size advantage, missed repeatedly against Mayweather.

When you try to rough Mayweather up with fouls, he is adept at fouling back with effectiveness. Hatton is still crying about the fouls and the ref from his beatdown.

Let's just take the words of two men: the longest reigning middleweight champion of all-time, and a "Sugary" champion regarded as the best of the 80s.

"The best fighter of our era -- my era -- is Pretty Boy Floyd," Hopkins said. "There's no doubt."

Sugar Ray Leonard, one of the best fighters to ever step foot in a boxing ring, also told the paper Mayweather is the best of his time. Mayweather is often compared to Leonard.

"He's an amazing fighter," Leonard said. "Very economical. It's all about the eyes. He's one of the few fighters I've ever seen, like Muhammad Ali, he watches every move his opponent makes, and capitalizes on those mistakes. That's a gift. You can't teach that. Floyd's number one this era. He's proved that, against Oscar, now against Ricky Hatton. He's fought the best fighters of his era, so that puts him up there. There's a few more fights left in Floyd, and bigger and better things to come."

[teeto]

Thanks to Mr. Magoo, Phillyphan ( i like how you never mentioned Laguna's name!, great post), Prime, Wealthy Elite, and Thread Stealer.

All great posts! This thread is looking good!!

[salsanchezfan]

.................This fighter brought glory to many other fighters. He always showed up to the arena for his fights, and were it not for the comparative talents of others, would definitely have been the greatest of all time.



Carlton Sparrow, legend...........

[Thread Stealer]

I happen to think that a very forgotten and underrated fighter is Simon Brown. Though he did not retire with the prettiest of records, he was certainly a great force to be reckoned with. I grew up enjoying most of his best moments in the 80's and early 90's. At one point, he may very well have been the best welterweight of the lot. I'll never forget the time he rose up in weight to utterly destroy Terry Norris. The media was hyping Terry as pound for pound one of the best in the world, and Simon handed him a very bad loss. Brown possesed ferocious power for a smaller fighter, and a good chin and speed to compliment it.

Brown was a pretty fun fighter to watch. His fights with Trice were entertaining, especially the first one.

His beating of Vaca was just sick. What was Rudy Battle waiting for?

[teeto]

.................This fighter brought glory to many other fighters. He always showed up to the arena for his fights, and were it not for the comparative talents of others, would definitely have been the greatest of all time.



Carlton Sparrow, legend...........
Is that Carlton Sparrow the 130 pounder from the 80s Sal? Never saw him fight.

[salsanchezfan]

Is that Carlton Sparrow the 130 pounder from the 80s Sal? Never saw him fight.


.............Of course; he's a legend. :bart

[teeto]

.............Of course; he's a legend. :bart
Feel as though ive offended you cos i never saw him!!! Haha, just typed him into youtube but couldnt get anything.

[salsanchezfan]

Feel as though ive offended you cos i never saw him!!! Haha, just typed him into youtube but couldnt get anything.


..............I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that. :rofl :rofl

[teeto]

..............I wouldn't hold your breath waiting for that. :rofl :rofl
Do u wanna educate your fellow poster a bit Sal? Im like a retard here on this guy, dont know much!!!!

[salsanchezfan]

Do u wanna educate your fellow poster a bit Sal? Im like a retard here on this guy, dont know much!!!!


.............I don't know anything about him really, only that he lost to some top-flighters. :D

[teeto]

.............I don't know anything about him really, only that he lost to some top-flighters. :D
Haha , Prankster, i like it!!!

[PhillyPhan69]

Thanks to Mr. Magoo, Phillyphan ( i like how you never mentioned Laguna's name!, great post), Prime, Wealthy Elite, and Thread Stealer.

All great posts! This thread is looking good!!

I wanted to know if anyone remembered him...he gets little to no recognition anymore!

[amhlilhaus]

a truely fearless warrior, standing an impressive 6 feet 2 inches, this former world champion has one of the ring's best nicknames, he is of course 'the white buffalo' frans botha. botha combined his never say die attitude, remarkable sense of timing and suspect conditioning to turn most of his major fights into can't miss spectacles.

he started off his career impressively, winning the traansvaal title in only 10 fights, and 8 fights after that beating future wbo title challenger mike hunter, who had already beaten oliver mccall, pinklon thomas, and ossie occasio, and after losing to botha defeat contenders tyrell biggs, buster mathis jr and title challenger alexander zolkin. beating well known trial horse ken lakusta earned botha a shot at the ibf title against axel shulz which botha won in shulz's home country of germany, but a failed post fight drug test stripped him of his well earned title.

no longer considered a champion, botha had arrived however and had tremendous fights against some of the top guys in the division, losing a tough bout against a prime michael moorer for the ibf title, and outboxing mike tyson before growing careless and walking into a crushing right hand. botha's next big fight, a tremendous all action brawl with shannon briggs which was controversially scored a draw along with a solid win over the tough steve pannell earned botha a chance against lennox lewis. botha did well the first round but was hit so hard by one of the heavyweight divisions' hardest hitters ever that he was literally knocked through the air and went down to defeat. a four fight winning streak, including one over the dangerous david bostice led to botha's last chance at a world title, against the larger, faster, younger, and harder hitting wladimir klitschko. botha fought well, but klitschko's physical advantages, along with a illness by botha that sapped his strength led to his falling valiently in the 7th round. botha's last major fight came against the young aggressive clifford ettienne, where the 'white buffalo' knocked down the 'black rhino' twice but was shafted with a draw.

botha retired for five years afte this bout where he fought in kickboxing and mma but his true legacy as a fighter was as a defrocked former world heavyweight champion. frans botha never had the most skill, power or stamina, but he was incredibly well managed and had a very solid career. botha would use his incredible sense of timing to continually land his thunderous right hand, and made a name for himself despite a somewhat basic style of a jab and right hand, although as the tyson fight showed he was capable of stick and move boxing, he was more comfortable brawling with his opponents and he went much farther than most observors ever thought possible.

[SuzieQ49]

I remember watching Botha vs Lennox Live.......July 2000 right? I was down in cape cod, 13 years old watched it with my grandad and father. I remember being Very Very unimpressed with Botha.

[McGrain]

II remember being Very Very unimpressed with Botha.

:rofl

Q,where is your heart?!

[teeto]

I remember watching Botha vs Lennox Live.......July 2000 right? I was down in cape cod, 13 years old watched it with my grandad and father. I remember being Very Very unimpressed with Botha.
Come on man, this thread's not about that!

[teeto]

I wanted to know if anyone remembered him...he gets little to no recognition anymore!
Yea , i knew who you meant quite early on in your post! One of history's better 135ers for sure!

[amhlilhaus]

Come on man, this thread's not about that!

I know, I thought the idea was to glorify a fighter, and even I couldn't put a positive spin on that fight for my 'white buffalo'

[teeto]

I'd luv to see a Harry Greb one done in detail if any1 thinks they could do it justice? Or post on the warrior aspect of Arguello

[JohnThomas1]

This thread is simply MADE for Magoo and Wepner!!!!!!

[janitor]

Joe Frazier

"You can hide but you cant run"

[teeto]

Joe Frazier

"You can hide but you cant run"
Short but sweet Janitor, good post! Was gunna ask you to break him down but you just did to perfection!!!

[teeto]

Kid Gavilan- a man who truly excelled in every department and aspect of boxing, and one who was blessed with godly attributes. His combination punching was maybe the very finest ever exhibited in a ring. After pushing Robinson to the brink twice, the greatest vacated the division and Gavilan emerged as the best welter of that, great post-Sugar welterweight era. He could box and move with a pin-point accurate jab combined with top-class footwork. He could brawl, and was maybe at his best when doing so, he would overwhelm men with his sweet combinations which utilized every punch in the book, he was comfortable at any range, and then there was the bolo, oh the bolo. An underrated hitter, Gavilan wclearly looked as though he thoroughly enjoyed being on the front-foot in a tear-up.

Oscar DeLaHoya is not a poor man's Gavilan, but a poverty stricken man's version.

EDIT= AND OH WHAT A CHIN

[PATRICKBOXING]

ike quartey- a beatiful jab solid and fast the hardest hitter at welter at the time very good at long range wearing you down with the jab then throwing in the right hand lethal at his best against vivian harris

[Nick Balsamo]

1987 MegaTyson™ is the most perfect fighting machine in history. He was the best combination puncher in the history of the division, with the fastest hands in the history of the division and the hardest punch in the history of the division. He had 12 round stamina and an iron chin. His footwork always kept him in punching position and his defense was air tight. He had all time great head movement and catlike reflexes. He was perfection realized. A peak in boxing that has never been equaled before or after.

Tyson did all that, against title contenders which is pretty impressive. Nobody destroyed good competition with such ease.

However there's a letdown. No all-time great HW had so much difficulty to respond to adversity, show some grit and come back to win against true A-1 competition.

[teeto]

Tyson did all that, against title contenders which is pretty impressive. Nobody destroyed good competition with such ease.

However there's a letdown. No all-time great HW had so much difficulty to respond to adversity, show some grit and come back to win against true A-1 competition.

We know this, but its GLORIFY A FIGHTER so its all-good!!!:lol: :lol: :deal

[teeto]

Tyson never fought steak sauce.
Glorify someone for us man!! Im luvin this thread, no1 seems to e interested at the mo though!!!

[mr. magoo]

This thread is simply MADE for Magoo and Wepner!!!!!!

That's what this thread should be about in all honesty, and you're absolutely correct.

Of all of history's greatest wonders, none were more mystical or sublime as the almighty Chuck Wepner. He defeated former champ Earnie Terrell, beat prospect Randy Neuman, taught a green Foreman everything he knew about boxing, floored and thrashed Muhammad Ali, gave a boxing lesson to Sonny Liston, and won the ever prestigous New Jersey state athletic title. It's no coincidence that he also inspired one of the greatest boxing cult films of all time in Rocky.

The title of this thread is " Glorify a fighter ". Wepner needs no glorifying, as his glory speaks for itself.....Period.......


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

[teeto]

That's what this thread should be about in all honesty, and you're absolutely correct.

Of all of history's greatest wonders, none were more mystical or sublime as the almighty Chuck Wepner. He defeated former champ Earnie Terrell, beat prospect Randy Neuman, taught a green Foreman everything he knew about boxing, floored and thrashed Muhammad Ali, gave a boxing lesson to Sonny Liston, and won the ever prestigous New Jersey state athletic title. It's no coincidence that he also inspired one of the greatest boxing cult films of all time in Rocky.

The title of this thread is " Glorify a fighter ". Wepner needs no glorifying, as his glory speaks for itself.....Period.......


[Only registered and activated users can see links]
Good post!!!

[teeto]

They dont have to be underrated or not elite/ATGs here, just any1, your fave fighter, just break them down and make them sound amazing in the process!! Just for fun! Come on guys!

[PhillyPhan69]

Meldrick Taylor....TNT.....Philly through and through. Excellant and sound amatuer boxer who would go on to win the 84 Gold (Pitching a shutout in the process!)!!! He was well managed and in less than 4 years and only 20 fights became the IBF LWW champ, by a dominating near flawless performance over Buddy McGirt. Then in 90 he would engage in one of the best and most controversial matches ever!!! The undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez and Meldrick would square off in Vegas. In what would be a carear defining fight for both of them...Meldrick's toughness and warrior spirit...Chavez's warrior spirit and ability to come from behind...Meldrick clearly outboxed JCC in the eye's of most observers. But JCC would battle back and score the huge KD and meldrick's seeming to not respond to the ref, led to KO ruling with mere seconds left in the match (since this thread is not about controversial decision I will stay away from debates). In hind sight many people feel that this was the end of Meldrick...But Meldrick was not done yet!!!!!! Less than a year after this fight Meldrick put on perhaps his best display as a pro in outboxing the unbeaten Aaron Davis!! More than a year later he would similarly outbox Glenwood Brown....Meldrick desperately wanted to fight JCC, but Meldrick had already moved up to WW and even the lure of meldrick's WW belts did not lure Chavez to move to that weight class...a shame meldrick seemed to be at a perfect fighting weight! With no big matches out there he sought to move up again in weight. I believe a bad move, as his power was not great at WW to begin w/ let alone another weight up. But Terrible Terry who was the biggest name meldrick could find...proved to be to much and to terrible for Meldrick. Watch meldrick in the first round and you can still see his blistering speed. If he could have carried more power here, he may have been unstopable. But it was obvious he could not hurt Terry, and terry becoming increasingly bolder after the first began to land the telling blows...This fight in my mind is what ended the prime of Meldrick and not JCC as most say!!!!!!

meldrick a very nice guy, very humble....blazing speed on par with anyone. Great boxing skill....his desire to be found a man and a warrior or "Philly" overshadowed a need to protect himself. He would mix it up even when he could clearly out box you...Perhaps he could have prolonged his carear, by improving defense and avoiding wars when not necesary...But then we would not know and love him like we do!!!! Thanks Meldrick...You are Philly through and through!

[teeto]

Meldrick Taylor....TNT.....Philly through and through. Excellant and sound amatuer boxer who would go on to win the 84 Gold (Pitching a shutout in the process!)!!! He was well managed and in less than 4 years and only 20 fights became the IBF LWW champ, by a dominating near flawless performance over Buddy McGirt. Then in 90 he would engage in one of the best and most controversial matches ever!!! The undefeated Julio Cesar Chavez and Meldrick would square off in Vegas. In what would be a carear defining fight for both of them...Meldrick's toughness and warrior spirit...Chavez's warrior spirit and ability to come from behind...Meldrick clearly outboxed JCC in the eye's of most observers. But JCC would battle back and score the huge KD and meldrick's seeming to not respond to the ref, led to KO ruling with mere seconds left in the match (since this thread is not about controversial decision I will stay away from debates). In hind sight many people feel that this was the end of Meldrick...But Meldrick was not done yet!!!!!! Less than a year after this fight Meldrick put on perhaps his best display as a pro in outboxing the unbeaten Aaron Davis!! More than a year later he would similarly outbox Glenwood Brown....Meldrick desperately wanted to fight JCC, but Meldrick had already moved up to WW and even the lure of meldrick's WW belts did not lure Chavez to move to that weight class...a shame meldrick seemed to be at a perfect fighting weight! With no big matches out there he sought to move up again in weight. I believe a bad move, as his power was not great at WW to begin w/ let alone another weight up. But Terrible Terry who was the biggest name meldrick could find...proved to be to much and to terrible for Meldrick. Watch meldrick in the first round and you can still see his blistering speed. If he could have carried more power here, he may have been unstopable. But it was obvious he could not hurt Terry, and terry becoming increasingly bolder after the first began to land the telling blows...This fight in my mind is what ended the prime of Meldrick and not JCC as most say!!!!!!

meldrick a very nice guy, very humble....blazing speed on par with anyone. Great boxing skill....his desire to be found a man and a warrior or "Philly" overshadowed a need to protect himself. He would mix it up even when he could clearly out box you...Perhaps he could have prolonged his carear, by improving defense and avoiding wars when not necesary...But then we would not know and love him like we do!!!! Thanks Meldrick...You are Philly through and through!
Philly through and through!

[JohnThomas1]

That's what this thread should be about in all honesty, and you're absolutely correct.

Of all of history's greatest wonders, none were more mystical or sublime as the almighty Chuck Wepner. He defeated former champ Earnie Terrell, beat prospect Randy Neuman, taught a green Foreman everything he knew about boxing, floored and thrashed Muhammad Ali, gave a boxing lesson to Sonny Liston, and won the ever prestigous New Jersey state athletic title. It's no coincidence that he also inspired one of the greatest boxing cult films of all time in Rocky.

The title of this thread is " Glorify a fighter ". Wepner needs no glorifying, as his glory speaks for itself.....Period.......


[Only registered and activated users can see links]

:happy

[fists of fury]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I did one on Cooper once, so if you don't mind I just retrieved it. (I'm a tad lazy today.)

The man Joe Frazier once called a 'pure hitting machine'. How far could he have gone without being a crack head for over half his career? It's kind of sad to think of the talent he wasted, because Coop had some good raw ability.

I'll never forget his fight with Evander Holyfield, which ranks as one of my favourite heavyweight fights. Coop came in as a substitute for a substitiute, Damiani, who was supposed to replace Tyson, the original opponent.
Anyway, suffice to say Cooper was given short notice, while Evander had been preparing for months and was damned if all that effort in the gym was going to be wasted. He was fighting someone, and Cooper would do.

Of course, Bert was given less chance than the proverbial snowball in hell, despite winning his last 4 fights. He was seen as a quitter, a crack head, and a nice, easy opponent for Commander 'Vander.
For one and a half rounds, Coop played by the rules. He went down from a body shot in the first, and it looked only a matter of time until he was overwhelmed.
Then, towards the end of round two, Cooper landed a right hand. It was a good shot, but it didn't budge Evander. However, it was only a taste of the hell Evander would endure in the next round.

In the third, Coop caught Evander with a hard, short right hand. Suddenly, Evander's legs turned to jelly and he tried vainly to grab Cooper and hold on. "Holyfield is hurt! Holyfield is hurt!" screamed Michael Marley at ringside.
Indeed, Evander was hurt. Badly.
Cooper followed up with a barrage of thudding punches, and Holyfield sagged lifelessly into the ropes.
Mills Lane, the vastly experienced ref, suddenly made a highly contentious call. He gave Evander a standing eight count, and denied Cooper the chance to finish off the fight.
The reasoning was that Holy was only being held up by the ropes. However, there was no standing 8 count allowed under the rules of the fight.
Had that been a Mike Tyson, a Lennox Lewis or a Riddick Bowe, Lady Luck may have smiled on them and Lane would not have stepped in. But heavyweight champions are not meant to be some squat, gnomish-faced fighter with a history of drug abuse. Heavyweight champions are not called Bertram Cooper.

So Coop's window of chance was gone. Evander waded into Cooper like a man possessed. Coop's head swiveled up, left and right in it's mother socket. Punches rained down on him. But he fought back and landed his own clubbing blows. Suddenly,he looked every bit a heavyweight challenger. Not some 3rd string substitite, but a real, legitimate threat. For an entire round, he was more than equal to the Real Deal.

In the 4th and 5th rounds, the fight resembled more a mugging, as Holyfield, now fully recovered, made Cooper pay for his earlier petulance. Cooper's head resembled a cork caught in a violent sea storm as it was repeatedly snapped back by vicious uppercuts.
His face seemed to be made of putty as it slowly began to change shape.
But would he fall? Hell, no!
He smiled impishly on occasion, wiping blood and sweat away. He stood there and took everything the world's best heavyweight had to give, and then spat back sporadic punches of his own.
He could not win, but he could show the world that the smoke was no joke. He defied Evander by merely staying on his feet.

At the end of the fifth, Holyfield was exhausted. He had hit Coop with every punch he could muster, but he could not knock Cooper down. His short, squat tormentor was still there, smiling thinly behind a curtain of lumps and bumps.
Not for the first time Evander was given a repreive, this time in the shape of a cut glove. It took ages for them to replace it, and by the time they did, Holyfield had recovered.

He ended up stopping (not knocking out) Bert in the 7th. In the end, the racehorse had triumphed over the trial horse. Rocky wins only in the movies.
But nobody, save for maybe Riddick Bowe, can claim to have hurt Evander more. Not Lennox Lewis. Not Mike Tyson. Not George Foreman. Not Michael Moorer. None of them did to Holy what Cooper did in that third round.
He was but a punch or maybe two of becoming the heavyweight champion of the whole wide world. Nobody can take that away from him.
People talk of the heart of Rocky Marciano, of Evander Holyfield. Few gush over Coop's heart. Yet, in that fight, Cooper showed more heart than any man has a right to.
Heart is not just about taking punches in the ring, but taking punches outside of it too. It seems so easy when you're winning. But it takes heart to get up and train your heart out, knowing that in all likelihood you will lose anyway.
It takes heart to stand in your corner and know your the fodder for the evening and not want to run.
Lastly, it takes heart to take everything the best fighter in the world has to offer, yet fight back. Yes, it takes a whole lot of heart.

His later brawl with up-and-coming Michael Moorer was just as dramatic. You could even agrue that it was the best heavyweight slugfest since Foreman-Lyle.
Cooper bashed Moorer. Moorer got up. Moorer bashed Cooper. Cooper got up. Rinse and repeat. It was a heavyweight classic, one that sadly is rarely talked about today. In the end, poor Coop once again fell just short of the mark. But once again, a talented heavyweight walked away with a new respect for the man they called Smokin'.

I could also include Ray Mercer in that category. In that fight, Coop once again proved what a stubborn, resilient fighter he was. Sure, he lost, but he made Ray work damn hard for the win.

I'd like to believe Cooper could have been a champion, maybe at cruiserweight. Hell, he was not really even a heavyweight. He was a little man fighting in a big man's world.
Few believed in Bert Cooper. I wonder sometimes if Coop even believed in himself. Even his one-time mentor, Joe Frazier, evetually distanced himself from Bert. Those pesky drug habits are hard to break. It eventually derailed Coop's career. His weight fluctuated by 30, 40 pounds sometimes. A svelt 215 against Evander, he'd weigh 240 or more against the likes of Corrie sanders and George Foreman. By then, Cooper was done.

Guys, as much as we (righly) applaud the skills and heart of the greats of the game, the heart and soul of boxing resides in the Bert Coopers of this world. Only so many can become the elite. It's the hard luck stories like Cooper's that shape boxing and give it life. It's the 'woulda, coulda, shoulda' fighters like Coop that give boxing it's unique flavour and character.

Wherever you are in the world Bert, may God bless you.

[teeto]

The time has come -

Roberto Duran's fighting style in his prime is what i believe to be as close to the perfect style as has ever been. Hitting without being hit, he could walk straight forward, standing upright, blocking punches, slipping punches, and landing his own not just counters, but powerful hooks and uppercuts all the while. He could stand right in front of a guy, both would throw a combination of natsily intented blows, one guy would miss every shot, ROBERTO would land every shot. Im not talking about a guy who would simply use angles to perfection in an effort to counter (which is great also), Roberto could end the fight whilst doing this. His right hand was a thing of absolute perfection, it was so accurate from distance, it was never telegraphed, when both guys would be standing off one another, Duran's always cocked right-hand would slip forward rapidly and his body would turn and follow it in, where body shots that came from under, and from the sides would follow. He could cut off the ring, but its astonishing that his main tactic used to trap an opponent was simply to either smash their body in when they got close, or to fire a pin-point right over the top. He COULD box, had a fast jab aswell, but when he got into a fighting rythm he was simply immense. There IS a difference between an aggressive and a vicious fighter, Duran was maybe the most vicious ever, my fave ko is the Cuevas one, but the Bizzaro one may be the best exponent of vicious boxing that has ever been witnessed.

Roberto Duran is, was, and always will be unique, as a man, and most definitely as a pugilist.

[PhillyPhan69]

Joltin' Jeff Chandler...Perhaps the best Bantam weight Champ in US history...And one of the best Philly boxers ever!!!

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Jeff was not your stereotypical Philly brawler...He certainly didn't go toe to toe and pound you into submission with left hooks. He was a sound technical boxer...He had very good heigh for a Bantam weight and used it to his advantage. He made great use of his reach and movement for getting out of the way. His money punch was that steady right jab, in your face all night. When he was not concerned with your power he moved in and attacked the body. A tireless counter puncher, and fearless champion. He only wanted to fight the best, was upset when his managers trie to schedule a fight w/ Jose resendea...who is he, can't you get me somebody better..I want the best!
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Only 2 amatuer fights and would lsoe one of them (although he would get revenge as a pro!). Only an 8 year carear, but 4 of that was speant as the dominant fixture of the BW division. Beat Baby Kid Chocolate, Solis X's 2, Lujan, Murata X's 3 (no way was 1 a draw!!!!), Johnny Carter, Gaby Canizales, Oscar muniz (I don't believe he lost the first to SD either) He was finally stopped by sandoval and ended his carear as he needed cataract surgery (the only time he was ever droped as well).

Great chin, expert use of his physical size and tools, great defencs and counter puncher, brilliant jab, intelligent use of discerning when to engage in up close battle...Willing to fight any one!!!
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[teeto]

Great posts, thanks everyone, keep them coming

[teeto]

Whenever Erik Morales fought, he always 'left it all in the ring', great phrase and so true of Morales, one of history's greatest warriors of the highest order

[PhillyPhan69]

This thread just seems to be made for JT and Page!

[teeto]

This is great, Phillyphan, you keep posting Phillfighters, i'll do what i can with my Latin fighters, and we got a mini-HOF goin on here!!! Haha

[teeto]

Felix Trinidad was one of history's finest finishers, maybe secnd to Joe Louis in that respect. He seemingly never wasted a shot, as he seemed to be so accurate with every one. His chin is very underrated, he may have been 'chinny' , but he was never hurt until fighting up at 160 against one of that division's finest ever- the great Bernard Hopkins. Larry Merchant once said (something to the effect of) 'it never ceases to amaze me how fighters think they are able to trade with Trinidad', for a guy who talks a lot of disrespect, he was never more on the money imo. Trinidad had one of the hardest left-hooks in welterweight (and maybe p4p) history, and when he was floored, he would get up and exact revenge fairly quickly usually.

People think he was easy to outbox, but you had to be a tremendous, world-class mover to achieve this, a simply good or average footwork would be ultimately gotten to.

I personally dont think (in essence) that patriotism has any place in this sport, not when it is taken to extreme one sided lengths anyhow, but the relationship Trinidad had with his fans was beautiiful. He had the whole of Puerto Rico on his back whenever he fought, and he always was a warrior.

[PhillyPhan69]

This is great, Phillyphan, you keep posting Phillfighters, i'll do what i can with my Latin fighters, and we got a mini-HOF goin on here!!! Haha

Then lets keep this rollin'...

Miracle Matthew (Franklin) Saad Muhammad....From the toughest of hardluck stories, Matt would rise from the streets of Philadelphia and become "King of the World". Here was one of the toughest guys ever to get into a ring..no matter how badly he had been hurt (Marvin Johnson) no matter how many times he had been hit (Yaqui Lopez) Knockdown..no problem...matt always seemed to rise from the canvas, or find a way to turn defeat into victory. He would not allow himself to lose and would find a way to snatch victory when it seemed impossible for a man to do so. Never say die!!!
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[Azania]

:happy Bravo fellas!!!What a thread!!Never thought a thread like this would be so popular.Great work homies..

Here's mine:

Thomas Hearns was and will always be my most favourite puglist of all-time.Bar none.Gifted with uncanny upper body strength....spindly legs that let him down him down a few times in his unbelievable career...incredible leverage on his hands...particularly the right hand....but most of all,the heart of an African lion to go with all that...Opponents did'nt know whether they were going out or not with Tommy.He was that special breed of fighter...who puts it on the line...no quarter asked or given.You either take him out or he takes you out.Graceful in that ring...like in giving Leonard(another HOF) a boxing lesson for 13 rnds...A killa in the ring when he wanted to be....like when he blew Roberto Duran(a legendary HOFer) in two rounds..

Tommy Hearns was the fighter who got me hooked on boxing.Too bad they don't make them like Tommy anymore.

All Hail The Hitman!!!

[PhillyPhan69]

:happy Bravo fellas!!!What a thread!!Never thought a thread like this would be so popular.Great work homies..

Here's mine:

Thomas Hearns was and will always be my most favourite puglist of all-time.Bar none.Gifted with uncanny upper body strength....spindly legs that let him down him down a few times in his unbelievable career...incredible leverage on his hands...particularly the right hand....but most of all,the heart of an African lion to go with all that...Opponents did'nt know whether they were going out or not with Tommy.He was that special breed of fighter...who puts it on the line...no quarter asked or given.You either take him out or he takes you out.Graceful in that ring...like in giving Leonard(another HOF) a boxing lesson for 13 rnds...A killa in the ring when he wanted to be....like when he blew Roberto Duran(a legendary HOFer) in two rounds..

Tommy Hearns was the fighter who got me hooked on boxing.Too bad they don't make them like Tommy anymore.

All Hail The Hitman!!!

One of my favorite non-Philly boxers..good post!

[JohnThomas1]

This thread just seems to be made for JT and Page!

I'm getting enough enjoyment out of your promoting of Chandler. Brilliant fighter.

[PhillyPhan69]

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My absolute favorite NON-PHILLY BOXER EVER!!! The warrior..the professor..Azumah Nelson...My wife hates him!!! All of my children from the time they could talk would run around the house chanting "Zuma, Zuma, Zuma"...next to E-A-G-L-E-S it is among the first things that I taught them!!! "Good Dad, huh?" Many remember him as the professor and rightly so, this amazing boxer was able to box the sockx of nearly every one. He was always looking for the next student to get in the ring with him, so he could teach them all about his craft. Rebounding from a loss to Salvador Sanchez early in his carear qualified him to teach the painful lessons his subjects needed. Watching him stalk, counter, attack, block was a thing of art...some of his students also fell asleep and missed the lesson...For this was no ordinary professor...rather a warrior and the ring was his classroom...Pat Cowdell would be treated to one of the greatest first round KO's ever. When looking for a devastating KO look no further...But if you do, you might just see Wilfredo Gomez who had destroyed so many, needing his own lesson. Zuma was only happy to oblige..his KO of Gomez (whom I also like) remains one my favorites ever...While I believe he lost the first fight to Fenech, it clearly shows us a man who could take a barage of punishment and still stand tall, making Sanchez's KO of Nelson even that much more impressive.
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In the words of my kids...ZUMA...ZUMA...ZUMA!!!

[teeto]

[Only registered and activated users can see links]

My absolute favorite NON-PHILLY BOXER EVER!!! The warrior..the professor..Azumah Nelson...My wife hates him!!! All of my children from the time they could talk would run around the house chanting "Zuma, Zuma, Zuma"...next to E-A-G-L-E-S it is among the first things that I taught them!!! "Good Dad, huh?" Many remember him as the professor and rightly so, this amazing boxer was able to box the sockx of nearly every one. He was always looking for the next student to get in the ring with him, so he could teach them all about his craft. Rebounding from a loss to Salvador Sanchez early in his carear qualified him to teach the painful lessons his subjects needed. Watching him stalk, counter, attack, block was a thing of art...some of his students also fell asleep and missed the lesson...For this was no ordinary professor...rather a warrior and the ring was his classroom...Pat Cowdell would be treated to one of the greatest first round KO's ever. When looking for a devastating KO look no further...But if you do, you might just see Wilfredo Gomez who had destroyed so many, needing his own lesson. Zuma was only happy to oblige..his KO of Gomez (whom I also like) remains one my favorites ever...While I believe he lost the first fight to Fenech, it clearly shows us a man who could take a barage of punishment and still stand tall, making Sanchez's KO of Nelson even that much more impressive.
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In the words of my kids...ZUMA...ZUMA...ZUMA!!!
Great post

[teeto]

Ricardo Lopez is technical brilliance, a textbook of boxing could aptly be renamed 'The Ricardo Lopez book', now that he has retired. One of the very finest boxers of all-time, immaculate balance, guard always up, he used his great jab to dominating effect and would not waste his big right when he stepped in with it. He could lay a man out with one shot, he could mix it up on the inside, his ring-generalship was so great that he could move in, mix it up with hooks to body and head, and then be out of range when his opponent found theirs, using simple subtle movements.

Above all of that, he dominated his era with the air of a king, retired undefeated and is very likely the greatest straw-weight of all-time.

[teeto]

If someone could do Willie Pep that would be a great addition here,,,,,,,,,,