Eugene Hart - Thoughts & Opinions?

[Russell]

For some reason, the man interests me.

Not the best of fighters, but supposedly one of the hardest hitting middlweights of all time.

I hear he hit Antuofermo so hard he fucking lifted him off his feet.

Stories of the guy, things he accomplished, his fight with Hagler... Anything of any interest is welcomed.

[Bummy Davis]

He was in a wheel chair early in his life and his arms developed strength, he had a great double and triple left hook, he rocked Vito early but Vito was tough stood in the trenches and then ko'd Hart

[Russell]

Wow, really?

Any idea why he was in a wheel chair?

[robert ungurean]

I also believe he is lefthanded .

[Russell]

Anyone else?

Anything?

[unitas]

i once read some piece on the great philly middleweights and hart was included in that list.

they interviewed one of his former opponents and he was supposed to discribe the power that hart had. the former opponent then discribed harts power the following way: he said that when some other guy knocked you out, sometimes you would wake up in the dressing room wondering what happened.

but with hart it was like you got hit and the next thing you realize you are standing at the cashier in a supermarked a week later wondering what happened!!
now that sounds scary.

but i guess he lacked the chin to go any higher.

[Doc McCoy]

yeah I've always wondered about this guy as well.

Apparently he & Denny Moyer both fell out of the ring when they fought in 1971 which resulted in a no-contest.
I've heard a lot of stories about his punching power and being from Philly you just know he's gonna be one tough sob.

I have his bouts against Trottman, Dittmar, Briscoe & Hagler if anyone's interested in a trade.

[Manassa]

Tremendous left hooker. On film at least, it looks like the most lethal middleweight hook of all time - both heavy and fast. You had to have either a great chin or some good evasion skills to beat Hart, who wasn't exactly scientific in his approach. If you had some good firepower, you could beat him that way as well; his chin wasn't all that. A dangerous opponent for anyone though.

[Duodenum]

Both Antuofermo and Hagler credited Cyclone Hart's hook as the hardest punch they'd ever been hit with.

Quote Vito: "If he couldn't hurt me, then nobody can. He wrapped his hooks around his whole body, and made my head spin around" (or words to that effect). Hagler's early reputation for an iron chin was established by taking Cyclone's Sunday punch, reportedly just after the bell rang to end a round. (Doc McCoy, since you have the footage, maybe you can confirm this?)

[Manassa]

Both Antuofermo and Hagler credited Cyclone Hart's hook as the hardest punch they'd ever been hit with.

Quote Vito: "If he couldn't hurt me, then nobody can. He wrapped his hooks around his whole body, and made my head spin around" (or words to that effect). Hagler's early reputation for an iron chin was established by taking Cyclone's Sunday punch, reportedly just after the bell rang to end a round. (Doc McCoy, since you have the footage, maybe you can confirm this?)

Yes, it was at the end of the fifth or sixth round. Hagler is hit by a left hook to the ear and, from what I can tell, was hurt by the punch. He closed the distance and weathered a couple more shots from Hart, then the bell rang. From memory, Hagler was slumping against the ropes but that was only because the referee barged him as the bell rang. Hagler walked back to his corner normally and seemed fine.

[Doc McCoy]

End of Rd5 and like Manassa said it was a solid left-hook followed by a grazing right hand then Hart set Hagler up for a crushing over-hand right. Hagler was against the ropes and took another left-hook at the bell before the referee seperated them and Marvin pushed Eugene away disdainfully and sauntered back to his corner.

Hart came out winging to the body at the beginning of rd 6 and was scoring effectively before landing another hard left hook which had Marvin retreating to the ropes and covering up tight. Hagler put some combinations together mid-round however and scored a great straight left which now had Hart backpedalling and Marvin forcing the issue. Good round to follow up the tough ending to rd 5 for Hagler.

Judging by Hagler's reaction to the initial left-hook I wouldn't be surprised if he saw stars for a second or three but he was clear-headed by the time he went back to his corner. Hart could get some good leverage into that left hook.

[Manassa]

I like Hagler's knockdown of Hart, and the preceding moments. Good boxing skills by Hagler, he's evasive and sharp. Going to put the fight on now I think :D

[Duodenum]

Manassa and Doc, thank you both very much for the details! It's greatly appreciated. (I've never had the pleasure of viewing this fabled event, although I've read much ink about it.)

[Doc McCoy]

I can send you a copy on DVD if you like. PM me.

[AREA 53]

Eugene was like a stick of sweating dynamite, you either handled him extemely carefully, or he just might blow up in your face ! I suppose Battling Briscoe to a draw was his best performance, that must of set the Spectrum alight, Bennie Bombed him out in the 1st in the rematch, plus losses to his Philly Rivals "the worm" monroe and "Boogaloo" watts showed Eugene lacked those other skills vital to compliament his humongus left hook, needed in the top flight, but they didnt come much more exciting then cyclone , When you see him Blast out Stan Kitten Hayward in the 1st you could be watching Thomas Hearn's Clone, a real "Dont Blink" Fighter,

[Titan1]

Didn't Hart coldcock Tim Witherspoon in a sparring session?

[Duodenum]

If I were to hire a trainer to teach me the left hook, Cyclone Hart might be one of the first names on my list.

[Russell]

Anyone else have anything on this guy?

He interests me to no end for some weird reason.

[BIG DEE]

BIG DEE HERE= I wrote a comment on Cyclone Hart on a piece that was written by Keith Terciera. What I said was for what I can remember of it as I wrote it back in 2003 so I have a hard time remenbering things from that period sometimes. I was dead on an operating table for 5 hrs with a blood pump keeping me alive. Aortic disection and aortic valve falure at the same time chance of survival 2 to 6% and survive I did. I was told I was the strongest sonuvabitch they`ve ever seen so I forget things from that period sometimes. I can remenber things I did 40 yrs ago like it was yesterday
but where I just laid my wrench becomes a mystery and an expedition just to find the damn thing. Anyway I said the fight crowd at any Eugene ( Cyclone) Hart fight watched with anticipation as they were watching the Wizard of Oz
and waiting for the house to fall on the Wicked Witch of the west and thats
the way a Cyclone Hart fight was waiting for the house to come down on the guy Hart was fighting. His hook was a thing of beauty as in my lifetime there have been several left hooks to be in awe of one was Joe Frazier`s
Two was Rubin Olivares`s Three was Eugene ( Cyclone ) Hart`s. Hart`s was heavy, hard, fast and if he hit you clean with it on the button it was good night you were out before you hit the damn floor. The fans knew it and came to see it the same way the fans were coming to see Tony ( The Baby Bull) Ayala level people when he was coming up and he did level people.
To damn bad a great, great fighter was lost because of stupidity when you look at that man. ANYWAY CYCLONE HART COULD FLAT OUT HIT AND IF HIS CHIN WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BETTER HE COULD HAVE BEEN WORLD
CHAMPION HE WAS THAT GOOD A FIGHTER BUT HIS CHIN JUST WASN`T
UP TO IT.

[Russell]

Didn't Hart coldcock Tim Witherspoon in a sparring session?

Can anyone verify this?

[enquirer]

Janitor!!!!! Is this the mystery man that buggered up terrible tim? :D

[Russell]

Anyone want to verify the Witherspoon thing?

[JohnThomas1]

Anyone want to verify the Witherspoon thing?

Don't hold your breath.

[Russell]

*Holds Breath*

[JohnThomas1]

*Holds Breath*

*Gets pin*

[Russell]

From another board, to anyone who's interested...

"The "Cyclone" was an almost 6' middleweight who had polio and because of it dragged his bag leg a bit. In doing so he had an uncanny way of whipping his left hook around his body and what he lacked in mobility he made up for in concussive and destructive force with the hook.

He started fighting pro in the late 60's and rattled off about 21 straight wins.
He fought guys I knew personally and despite some of their records they were damn tough men. He beat Freddie "Ferenc" Martinovich who trained with me every damn day back then and was a tough 5'5" lightweight who went up to the higher weights at 140-47+ unsuccessfully, after handling himself in the gym with any fighter who boxed with him.

The Cyclone went through Fate Davis a former amateur star who fought Rubin Carter. Hart went through some other guys I knew like Dave Dittmar and Humberto Trottman and Art Kettles.

He finally was handed his first loss by journeyman Nate Collins and my good buddy the spoiler and powerhouse, the toughest fighter EVER to come out of Puerto Rico Jose Monon Gonzalez. Hart had a NC with Denny Moyer when both fell out of the ring with Hart being knocked unconscious and Moyer hurting his leg.

I saw Hart stop Stan "Kitten" Hayward in one round trapping him on the ropes and bombing away with that hook after he jumped on the always dangerous "Kitten" early.

Eugene drew with Bad Bennie Brisoce but also was taken out by Bennie in one, and lost to Eddie Mustapha Muhammad and Vito Antofuermo or if you like AntofuerMIO as Hagler likes to call him. Hart also lost to Philly legend Bobby "Bugaloo" Watts.

He finished with a record of 30 wins, 28 KO's, 9 Losses, 1 Draw and 1 NC."

[Russell]

I forget where I read it, but there was an article on Hart mentioning that he sparred with Ali early in his career.

He landed his left look and supposedly that's when he knew he had what it took to be a boxer.