Thread: Who is the GREATEST AUSSIE FIGHTER?

In no particular order.
Kostya Tszyu, Russian born Aussie. Dominated the 140 division for nearly 10 years, unified that division and was rateP4P at his peak
Jef Fenech. Won titles in 3 divisions. COuld have been 4 if he'd got the nod against Azumah Nelson in their first fight.
Jeff Harding. Underrated former World LHW champion.
Lionel Rose. Bantamweight World champ who defeated Fighting Harada in Japan for the title.
Les Darcy. Old time champ who was MW champ and won the Aussie HW title only weighing 162. Tragically died at 22.
Johnny Famechon Former Featherweight wprld champ. Defeated Harada twice.
Jimmy Carruthers. Former world Bantamweight champ. Didi not lose as champ.
Dave Sands. Won the MW, LHW, and HW Aussie titles. Was a top ranked MW.
Anthony Mundine. Rugby player who turned to boxing late and has so far been a 168 champ.
Danny Green. Former 168 contender who just won WBA LHW crown
Tony Mundine. Top MW contender who lost hos one big Title fight against Monzon


Thats a few must be more.

Aside from Tszyu (who I consider Russian) ain't none of them great. Some good fighters there. But I wouldn't call any great.

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Aside from Tszyu (who I consider Russian) ain't none of them great. Some good fighters there. But I wouldn't call any great.

Fenech's record is pretty impressive. If he hadn't been robbed in the first Nelson fight (which he won by five rounds), he could be a great.
But your right Australia has struggled with finding real top noch champs.

Joe Bugner considered an Aussie? He was decent but looked horrible against Ali. Currently Paul Briggs, Soliman, N'dou, and Katsidis are all pretty good IMO. I dont know if they would qualify yet but thats all I got at the moment, you already brought up Famechon, and Fenech, and of course Kostya is number 1 w/o a doubt.

I am inclined to go for Sands, nobody wanted to fight him after his wins against Bobo Olsen (twice) and a 1st round KO of Dick Turpin. I have read about Sands and Robinson knew of him but thought he was to dangerous, sadly he died before a fight could be made. Homesickness was a problem for Sands.
I disagree with VD about Kostya considered Russian, his professional career started in Australia and he is an Australian citizen, without his Australian team i doubt if he would have achieved what he did.
Fenech was good but IMO could have done more, losing to Grove was a blackmark. The Holiday loss was embarrassing.
Both Famechon and Rose were good fighters but not great, Rose beat Harada and Castillo before losing to Olivares and Famechon beat Legra and Harada twice before losing to Saldivar ( Shocking decision) so there is some merit in their careers for sure. Mundine, Green and Briggs have a fair way to go yet.

Originally Posted by Violent Demise

Aside from Tszyu (who I consider Russian) ain't none of them great. Some good fighters there. But I wouldn't call any great.

I would say Rose & Famechon are considered great.

Originally Posted by eagle

In no particular order.
Kostya Tszyu, Russian born Aussie. Dominated the 140 division for nearly 10 years, unified that division and was rateP4P at his peak
Jef Fenech. Won titles in 3 divisions. COuld have been 4 if he'd got the nod against Azumah Nelson in their first fight.
Jeff Harding. Underrated former World LHW champion.
Lionel Rose. Bantamweight World champ who defeated Fighting Harada in Japan for the title.
Les Darcy. Old time champ who was MW champ and won the Aussie HW title only weighing 162. Tragically died at 22.
Johnny Famechon Former Featherweight wprld champ. Defeated Harada twice.
Jimmy Carruthers. Former world Bantamweight champ. Didi not lose as champ.
Dave Sands. Won the MW, LHW, and HW Aussie titles. Was a top ranked MW.
Anthony Mundine. Rugby player who turned to boxing late and has so far been a 168 champ.
Danny Green. Former 168 contender who just won WBA LHW crown
Tony Mundine. Top MW contender who lost hos one big Title fight against Monzon


Thats a few must be more.

Well done eagle

Originally Posted by CutMeMick

Originally Posted by eagle

In no particular order.
Kostya Tszyu, Russian born Aussie. Dominated the 140 division for nearly 10 years, unified that division and was rateP4P at his peak
Jef Fenech. Won titles in 3 divisions. COuld have been 4 if he'd got the nod against Azumah Nelson in their first fight.
Jeff Harding. Underrated former World LHW champion.
Lionel Rose. Bantamweight World champ who defeated Fighting Harada in Japan for the title.
Les Darcy. Old time champ who was MW champ and won the Aussie HW title only weighing 162. Tragically died at 22.
Johnny Famechon Former Featherweight wprld champ. Defeated Harada twice.
Jimmy Carruthers. Former world Bantamweight champ. Didi not lose as champ.
Dave Sands. Won the MW, LHW, and HW Aussie titles. Was a top ranked MW.
Anthony Mundine. Rugby player who turned to boxing late and has so far been a 168 champ.
Danny Green. Former 168 contender who just won WBA LHW crown
Tony Mundine. Top MW contender who lost hos one big Title fight against Monzon


Thats a few must be more.

Well done eagle

Thanks mate. I would like to add that i think some of the earlier Aussie fighters didnt get the title shots they deserved mainly because Australia is so far from the US and Europe. Also there are only about 200 pro fighters in Australia so there just arent the numbers to produce many champs.
Most of our big strong athletic guys who'd make good fighters play Aussie Rules or Rugby.

I think i have to sad click myself, i just looked up Rose and Famechon's career records and Rose fought in an era dominated by big punching Mexicans and Famechon has two wins over arguably the greatest Japanese boxer of them all in Harada, plus he beat Jose Legra who was no bum.
Both lost to Mexican legends so i would say they were both great fighters.
Good post eagle!

Originally Posted by THE THIRD MAN

I think i have to sad click myself, i just looked up Rose and Famechon's career records and Rose fought in an era dominated by big punching Mexicans and Famechon has two wins over arguably the greatest Japanese boxer of them all in Harada, plus he beat Jose Legra who was no bum.
Both lost to Mexican legends so i would say they were both great fighters.
Good post eagle!

Rose's achievment was exceptional. Beating Harada in Tokyo can not have been easy. Especially considering it was on points. I think weight issues, and a lack of drive to keep fighting effected him after that.

Originally Posted by eagle

In no particular order.
Kostya Tszyu, Russian born Aussie. Dominated the 140 division for nearly 10 years, unified that division and was rateP4P at his peak
Jef Fenech. Won titles in 3 divisions. COuld have been 4 if he'd got the nod against Azumah Nelson in their first fight.
Jeff Harding. Underrated former World LHW champion.
Lionel Rose. Bantamweight World champ who defeated Fighting Harada in Japan for the title.
Les Darcy. Old time champ who was MW champ and won the Aussie HW title only weighing 162. Tragically died at 22.
Johnny Famechon Former Featherweight wprld champ. Defeated Harada twice.
Jimmy Carruthers. Former world Bantamweight champ. Didi not lose as champ.
Dave Sands. Won the MW, LHW, and HW Aussie titles. Was a top ranked MW.
Anthony Mundine. Rugby player who turned to boxing late and has so far been a 168 champ.
Danny Green. Former 168 contender who just won WBA LHW crown
Tony Mundine. Top MW contender who lost hos one big Title fight against Monzon


Thats a few must be more.

JOE BUGNER beat numerous world champions and went the distance with ali and frazier

Damn good list.
King Kostya is def tops!

Originally Posted by SEANIE

Originally Posted by eagle

In no particular order.
Kostya Tszyu, Russian born Aussie. Dominated the 140 division for nearly 10 years, unified that division and was rateP4P at his peak
Jef Fenech. Won titles in 3 divisions. COuld have been 4 if he'd got the nod against Azumah Nelson in their first fight.
Jeff Harding. Underrated former World LHW champion.
Lionel Rose. Bantamweight World champ who defeated Fighting Harada in Japan for the title.
Les Darcy. Old time champ who was MW champ and won the Aussie HW title only weighing 162. Tragically died at 22.
Johnny Famechon Former Featherweight wprld champ. Defeated Harada twice.
Jimmy Carruthers. Former world Bantamweight champ. Didi not lose as champ.
Dave Sands. Won the MW, LHW, and HW Aussie titles. Was a top ranked MW.
Anthony Mundine. Rugby player who turned to boxing late and has so far been a 168 champ.
Danny Green. Former 168 contender who just won WBA LHW crown
Tony Mundine. Top MW contender who lost hos one big Title fight against Monzon


Thats a few must be more.

JOE BUGNER beat numerous world champions and went the distance with ali and frazier

Bugner was Hungarian

Les Darcy was special, its a shame what happened.

Guys, guys, guys ....... there is only one answer to this.

The late great Peter Jackson. A world class bareknuckle fighter of the 1880s and 1890s ..... a giant (at the time) at 6'"2", big and athletic, the consummate stylist with a ramrod left and a straight right a bit like Teofilio Stevenson's. Fought everyone he could and like most fighters of the time showed tremendous stamina and guts.

Unfortunately for him, he was black, so the reigning world champ - the great John L. Sullivan, refused to fight him. He travelled the world, winning the Australian heavyweight title, touring the US and defeating all comers before doing the same in England.

Later in his career, he did manage to get Gentleman Jim Corbett into the ring, fighting 61 rounds until the fight was called a draw as both boxers were too close to death to continue (!). He fought and defeated Joe Choynski twice - was was later to become the mentor and teacher of Jack Johnson. he was later stopped in 3 by James Jeffries when he was way past his prime and already suffering from the tuberculosis that would kill him.

This man would undoubtedly have become Australi'a first world heavyweight champion .... he would have dominated the division for years if he had not been born black. Had he been born 20 years later, this guy would have been talked about in the same sentence as Jack Johnson, Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali.

Look him up if you don;t know about him ..... one of the true greats and - with no disrespect to the other names mentioned so far - those guys would not be fit to carry his jockstrap