Re: Whatever happened to Thomas Daamgaard ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Jimboogie
I mentioned when Damguaard stated after Gatti he wanted PBF and DLH calling them out clearly....
Okay you mentioned it but would you care to validate this 'actual fact'?
I'm not doubting you... But as they say; 'for the benefit of the record' and all that...
I cant copy and paste it so here is the link
Interview with Thomas Damgaard - Boxing News
For at least one interview, in this one he comes off less assertive but I was at press conferences for the fight where Damgaard almost seemed to be overlooking Gatti....
Now don't get me wrong I am not saying that Damgaard is a guy who was full of himself or is he an arrogant guy but he certainly does not/ did not take himself as a guy who was nothing more then a hometown fighter...He really thought the Gatti fight was his opp to the big time and he had the advantage going in...
Re: Whatever happened to Thomas Daamgaard ?
Damgaard was a popular fighter here in DK due to his style and his heart. I guess, he is one of the closest things to a (poor man's) version of Gatti (!) to come out of Denmark.
I know that he has gotten a lot of crap for being ranked so high (The Ring had him no. 4-7 for years) and for having such a padded record, but, as Dadi mentioned here, few people 'in the know' thought of him as more than he was: A good, watchable European-level fighter.
It should also be mentioned that he had a decent (not great) amateur career and turned professional quite late (age 27). Compared to the expectations at the time, his pro career was actually a surprise achievement. He won the European belt the same year he turned pro (1998), then defended against Khalid Rahilou which was certainly a solid - and surprising - win. Rahilou was less than six months away from being alphabet champ at the time. Given the circumstances, I think most Danish boxing fans would rank this win among the top 20 moments in Danish boxing during the past 20 years (I know, this might say more about Danish boxing than about the fight).
Unfortunately, beating Rahilou in his 12th pro fight was arguably the finest moment of Damgaard's career too. However, you got to give a certain amount of respect to a guy who turns pro at 27, without too much of an amateur pedigree, and without too much boxing talent either, yet manages to beat Rahilou, Greg Haugen and Alessandro Duran (and 18 others) and win EBU titles in 2 weight classes in less than 32 months after turning pro.
Sure, he was exposed against Gatti - he was in well over his head. However, for me, it was just a great fighter (as in: One of those good guys who make the sport worth following, not as in a great talent) getting his major pay day. I find the comparisons with the Bredahl brothers strange, as they were much better fighters to begin with, while Jimmie Bredahl actually did get the shot with De La Hoya that Damgaard is critized for dreaming of (along with every single other boxer in history).
Oh, and as for the question that started this thread? Damgaard is now retired, and works as TV-announcer during Danish boxing events. Unfortunately, he has very clearly been hit too many times to actually be good at this.
Re: Whatever happened to Thomas Daamgaard ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DaxxKahn
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Dadi Astthorsson
Quote:
Originally Posted by
The Rascal
I'ld call him a fraud. Name another half decent fighter he's fought bar Gatti. In like what 40 fights. You're Scandinavian, your bound to be biased, face it he was never any good.
That's ad hominem. You also assume I said Damgaard was good and that I'm biased. You don't know anything about me. I'm about as Scandinavian as your average person from the UK is. I just read a book on Danish boxing history and was dropping information in response to the query of the thread title. A mistake I won't make again, I guess. :)
A fraud is someone trying to be something he's not. Gatti needed an opponent and he got one. Everybody with a shiny record has bums on it. A bum on your record is a bum on your record. I explained how the Danish circuit works. It's very hard to lose when you are never challenged. It's all about filling the fight card. Was I writing that to tell you how great these guys are? Brian Nielsen certainly had NO illusions of grandeur before he fought Mike Tyson. It was just an adventure, the same with the Bredahl brothers, only they managed unexpected success.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DaxxKahn
Yeah but come on really now it is not like the version of Haugen that faced Chavez sr is the one he beat...
I agree though and understand about the fighters happy to be a big name at home and no where else......Why not be a big fish in a small pond..
But disagree with the statement about the mindset of Danish fighters pre Kessler...I mean there have been some quality champions from Denmark over the years..
Johny and Jimmi Bredahl, Battling Nelson, Mange Havnaa was from close by Norway he was a decent cruiserweight in the 80's and early 90's just to name a couple
"I'm just looking at his record now. I can't recognize one damn name apart from Gatti. And the guy he fought right before Gatti was 2-6!"
I simply responded to this blanket statement by providing the names. I even made reference to the fact that they weren't there to win.
I mentioned the Bredahl brothers before. Norway is NOT the same as Denmark and Battling Nelson means nothing to a modern fighter as far as precedent.
How can you "expose" someone who isn't claiming to be anything more than he is?
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It might surprise some people to know that Europe is a continent, not a country...
I never said anything about Norway being the SAME as Denmark...I said clearly Close By Norway...Meaning it is a nearby country...I also mentioned Havnaa as part of Danish fighters from the past who were champions because he fought his career in Denmark...Countries tend to adopt fighters from nearby countries especially after them spending their career there...
Maybe you should read things a bit more clearly and for someone claiming to know so much about the sport would know that...You seem to focus on trying to correct other posters and show some sort of superiority complex...It impresses no one just debate the sport..
As for trying to be more then what he is.....I remember Damgaard stating before the Gatti fights in interview that he was looking for Mayweather and DLH after he was done with Gatti....
In fact he even stated that DLH could not make 147 so he would do him a favor and meet him at a catchweight.......He also stated Gatti had little chance to win due to the fact he was not a real 147lb fighter but would give an exciting fight....
How many guys call our PBF and DLH and not think they were something special....
Daxx, you really come across as being incredibly insufferable in most of your posts, and stoop lower than most good posters on this site on a regular basis when trying to debate something. The guy made some good points, obviously DOES know more than you about the particular fighter and country in question, and never misconstrued anything another poster wrote in this thread. Why get all condescending? That response was textbook hypocrisy.
