Thread: The Fiery Ones

Ferocity and Passion just drips off these men. They don't just want to win, they want the other guy so defeated he never wants to fight again. For these men boxing is not sport, it is bloodsport. Their entire mindset is offense and tearing at the other man. They can be skilled enough not to take punches, but if that's what it takes? So be it. They aren't necessarily huge punchers but they never stop coming and never stop throwing. They weren't always the best boxers, but the kind of guys you'd like on your side as you walked into a dark alley. Who am I looking for? Think of Joe Louis...and then find his exact opposite.

Let's do it by division

105-Rosendo Alvarez is the only name that hits me.

108-Passionate, fiery, the Little Hands of Stone Michael Carbajal.

112-Francisco Guilledo. A tiny Jack Dempsey. A tornado of action. One thing that sets him apart from others in this class? He was scrupulously sportsmanlike, especially once he knocked someone down. We know him better as Pancho Villa.

115- Vic Darchinyan is the kind of guy I'm talking about. Khaosai Galaxy was too metronomic and emotionless.

118-The bantamweights are absolutely loaded in this category. Terrible Terry McGovern, Eddie Cannonball Martin, Masahiko Fighting Harada, Ruben Olivares and Jeff Fenech all deserve a mention. But I'm going to go with a lesser quality fighter. The Pocket Rocket Wayne McCullough fought with as much verve and passion and drive as one could ask for.

122-I am just going to throw up my hand on this one. Given my criteria? Picking between Bazooka Gomez and Erik Morales would just be criminal. It says something when Israel Vasquez finishes a distant third.

126-Another division that is simply loaded with these kinds of men. Young Corbett II was notorious for his trash talking before and during fights. Most notably he out nastied Terry McGovern. THAT takes some doing. Kid Kaplan never stopped bringing it. Danny Lopez was a nice guy, except in the ring. Eusabio Pedroza never understood that rules actually existed in the ring. But the runaway winner in this category is Sandy Saddler. Brutal puncher who would do, and did WHATEVER it took to win. Even George Foreman called him a nasty man.

130-I am going to put two fighters who fought one another four times and offered each other absolutely no quarter in any of them. Cuts, knockdowns and guys smiling as they got up. The Schoolboy and Bazooka. Bobby Chacon and Bazooka Limon.

135-The easiest pick on the board as he was the guy I was first thinking of. Roberto Duran.

140-It says something that even fighters as passionate and fiery as Ricky Hatton and Julio Cesar Chavez and Jackie Kid Berg aren't really in the running here. What time is it? HAWK TIME. Aaron Pryor in a walk.

147-Men like Mickey Walker and Henry Armstrong fought with undeniable spirit and fire. Ray Robinson considered himself a gladiator. But did anybody ever want it more than Carmen Basilio?

154-He only spent a very short time here, but how many fighters ever went after it the way Felix Trinidad did? I think both John Mugabi and Fernando Vargas also deserve a mention here.

160-As much as I want to give this to Marvin Hagler? I think he belongs no higher than fifth or sixth. Rocky Graziano's scowl is all one needs to see to know he belongs. If graziano gets a mention so does the Man of Steel Tony Zale. From the way Ray Robinson described his pre-fight feelings when The Bronx Bull Jake LaMotta was in the other corner and the way he saved his title against Laurent Dauthuille, he gets a nod. But the winner has to be Stanley Ketchell. I have never read anything about the guy that doesn't describe him the same way. A relentless, nasty, vicious human whirlwind.

168-A division of um, er, gentlemen. Bleh. I gotta give it to someone I guess. The Dark Destroyer himself, Nigel Benn.

175-Another just loaded division in this area. Battling Siki, Paul Berlanbach, Bob Foster, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Marvin Johnson, Freddie Mills. But the whole James Scott fighting out of Rahway State Prison has got to deserve this, doesn't it?

Cruiserweight-Evander Holyfield. Any questions?

Heavyweight-I think there are five possible names here. The Great John L, Jack Dempsey, Young George Foreman, Smokin' Joe Frazier and Mike Tyson. I'll go with Dempsey over Tyson only because Tyson was modeled on Dempsey and not the other way around.

Where am I wrong and who have I left out?

What about Nigel Benn ?

Or Ricardo Mayorga in his prime at 147 when he was starving for a world title and a real pay day ?

Originally Posted by Hulk

What about Nigel Benn ?

Or Ricardo Mayorga in his prime at 147 when he was starving for a world title and a real pay day ?

Mr. Benn is absolutely the kind of guy I was thinking of. Mayaorga I think of as a clown (probably unfair).

In terms of relatively new additions, guys like Alfredo Angulo & Brandon Rios give off that vibe that they will do anything to beat the guy they're in the ring with who is usually more athletically gifted. Angulo did this to a point in the Alcine fight. Rios really sums it up for me though, I remember when he was getting low-blowed, he just smiled & gave some back below the belt himself. Only one I disagree with is Trinidad, a beast of a puncher, but I don't know if he gave off that vibe. I'd give it to Vargas.

Originally Posted by JazMerkin

In terms of relatively new additions, guys like Alfredo Angulo & Brandon Rios give off that vibe that they will do anything to beat the guy they're in the ring with who is usually more athletically gifted. Angulo did this to a point in the Alcine fight. Rios really sums it up for me though, I remember when he was getting low-blowed, he just smiled & gave some back below the belt himself. Only one I disagree with is Trinidad, a beast of a puncher, but I don't know if he gave off that vibe. I'd give it to Vargas.

Rios is precisely that kind of guy. I got no problem with Vargas, or for that matter Ayala Jr at 154.

A fiery champion implies that they could lose their head to emotions so agree with Ayala who spat at his opponents and Vargas taunted them when they were down. Benn also exhausted himself against Watson.

So to that regard ones not mentioned would be Foreman early in his career, similarly Julian Jackson against Mike McCallum, Kevin Mitchell against Katasidis, Tommy Hearns,

What about Holyfield v Bowe winning the first fight but loses his head to a couple of low blows and starts mixing it with Bowe who was the bigger man.

Originally Posted by Master

A fiery champion implies that they could lose their head to emotions so agree with Ayala who spat at his opponents and Vargas taunted them when they were down. Benn also exhausted himself against Watson.

So to that regard ones not mentioned would be Foreman early in his career, similarly Julian Jackson against Mike McCallum, Kevin Mitchell against Katasidis, Tommy Hearns,

What about Holyfield v Bowe winning the first fight but loses his head to a couple of low blows and starts mixing it with Bowe who was the bigger man.

Very nice! Thanks!

Originally Posted by JazMerkin

In terms of relatively new additions, guys like Alfredo Angulo & Brandon Rios give off that vibe that they will do anything to beat the guy they're in the ring with who is usually more athletically gifted. Angulo did this to a point in the Alcine fight. Rios really sums it up for me though, I remember when he was getting low-blowed, he just smiled & gave some back below the belt himself. Only one I disagree with is Trinidad, a beast of a puncher, but I don't know if he gave off that vibe. I'd give it to Vargas.

The category is "fiery", so it's hard to argue either for, or against, a certain fighter. I'll put my own spin on it and say that, Tito always came in smiling from ear to ear... enjoying the moment. He reveled in the pre-fight scene. While it doesn't fit the traditional meaning of "fiery", when you think about it, it's even scarier. Here was a guy who thoroughly enjoyed fighting, and looked like a kid at Disneyland during pre-fight intros. Then the bell rang and the smile was gone.

Oh, Tito was passionate alright. He just expressed it in an altogether different way.

Originally Posted by TitoFan

Originally Posted by JazMerkin

In terms of relatively new additions, guys like Alfredo Angulo & Brandon Rios give off that vibe that they will do anything to beat the guy they're in the ring with who is usually more athletically gifted. Angulo did this to a point in the Alcine fight. Rios really sums it up for me though, I remember when he was getting low-blowed, he just smiled & gave some back below the belt himself. Only one I disagree with is Trinidad, a beast of a puncher, but I don't know if he gave off that vibe. I'd give it to Vargas.

The category is "fiery", so it's hard to argue either for, or against, a certain fighter. I'll put my own spin on it and say that, Tito always came in smiling from ear to ear... enjoying the moment. He reveled in the pre-fight scene. While it doesn't fit the traditional meaning of "fiery", when you think about it, it's even scarier. Here was a guy who thoroughly enjoyed fighting, and looked like a kid at Disneyland during pre-fight intros. Then the bell rang and the smile was gone.

Oh, Tito was passionate alright. He just expressed it in an altogether different way.

Oustanding post!

I'll throw some names out that quickly come to mind;

"Chico" Corrales
Mando Ramos
G-Man
Arce
Monzon
Ike Williams
Gatti
Dick Tiger
Valero
Yaqui Lopez
Glencoffee

... JuanMa, Barrios, Michael Gomez, Andrade, Margarito.

Yes G Man, how I could forget, had a lot of fire and venom in his punches and overall demeanour.