Printable View
In this thread I intend to research hero's of the Ring whom I feel are under appreciated or not dedicated the great legacies they earned with Blood, sweat and tears inside the squared circle.
I will add fighters one at a time and should any of you guys wish me to do a write up on any of your heroes just PM me and I'll do my best.
I hope you don't mind if I start with an old favourite:
NINO BENEVENUTI. (82-7-1 (35))
Born in Italy in Isola d’Istria on 26th of April 1938 Nino Benvenuti although not commonly known today, was destined to become one of very few Europeans to transcend boxing’s borders and enthral the world. The famous commentator Jim Amato was quoted, “Nino captured the American fans with his suave, arrogant demeanour…” However it is fair to assume that his boxing skills and sportsmanlike conduct also had a part to play in this man’s rise to fame and glory.
He embarked on hi highly successful amateur trek at the age of 11 and proved his mettle seizing two European light middleweight titles which was accompanied by nan Olympic gold medal. If further proof of his quality was needed he was awarded the Val Barker trophy for BEST STYLIST following Olympic win. (One must realise that he was awarded this in front of America’s Cassius Clay!)
The inevitable professional debut came in 1961 against an opponent named Ben Ali Allala. This win was the first of fourteen in his first year and he quickly moved on to face quality international opposition in the pursuing years. In these fights he showed not only style and flash, but also heart when getting of the floor to beat Lou Gutierrez, breaking his jaw in the 7th.
Nino’s rise to prominence was crowned by a victory in his first title fight when he beat another Italian (in just six rounds,) Sandro Mazzinghi for the world light middle weight title in 1965. The defences piled up after he seized the title and Benvenuti secured a record of 65-0, only to be handed his first defeat in a controversial fashion at the hands of Ki-So Kim, a forme4r amateur opponent who Benvenuti had previously dispatched.
This turn of fortune saw Nino climb weight to the middleweight division where he would complete his career. His career was more colourful at this weight as he did not enjoy the saw advantage in terms of the power which aided his exploits at 154. On the 17th of April 1967 he challenged the great Emile Griffith for the World Middleweight title. The chemical reaction which occurred between Griffith and Benvenuti was best described as explosive, but Nino walked away with the Middleweight crown on a unanimous decision. The encore occurred months later with Griffith avenging his previous loss.
A less than wise man once said “All good trilogies come in threes,” and so the rubber match was set, with Nino dominating more than in their previous battles and surviving a late Griffith onslaught to regain the middleweight title.
Benvenuti was an active champion defending 5 times in 1968 nand also taking part in a film entitled “Alive or preferably dead.”
Benvenuti dropped a decision over ten rounds to Dick Tiger but Nino rebounded with a last gasp KO win over Luis Manuel Rodriguez. Benvenuti’s career then entered a period of turmoil, with Nino quitting to Ted Bethea but comprehensively outboxing the same opponent in a rematch.
In 1970 he signed to fight a relatively unknown fighter from Argentina. Unfortunately for Nino the fighter was the late great Carlos Monzon. Monzon handed Benvenuti a ferocious beating and stopped him in the twelfth. Upon losing a comeback fight with another Argentine, fighter Jose Roberto Chirino, Nino prepared for a comeback against Monzon. However the machine that was Carlos Monzon had reached full effect and Benvenuti was dispatched in three, helpless on the ropes.
He never boxed again, successfully tried his hand at politics and television and in 1995 turned his back on everything to work as a volunteer in India. Nino Benvenuti was one of those boxers whose life outside the Ring glitters just as much as his career inside them ring did and he certainly deserves to be remembered.
Good stuff Donny Boy, CC. Keep em' coming. Check your PM.
CC great info
Nicolino Locche
117 wins 14 KO 4 losses
One of the greatest Defensive fighters of all time and even Roy Jones copied some moves from Nicolino Locche the only stoppage loss he ever had was cut loss to Antonio Cervantes great fighter and definetly under appreciated imo.
But there's plenty.
Gene Tunney
Ezzard Charles
Charles Burley
Pancho Villa :)
Got a special one coming up next! Itl be on tonight
Give 'em credit, tose old timers.
good work hitmandonny :appl:
Donny is really working for those votes for 'poster of the year'.
Your a legend Donny. CC mate!
HaHa CC in 24, nah i don't wanna be poster of the year, i'm just me and still finding my niche in the forum, but i got some good ones coming!
Donny you don't need a niche fella...Your already a Saddo HOF! I agree with you on almost everything on here!
Now don't go growing a Big B-Hop styled head ;D ;D O0
.
Harry Greb (264-23-12)
Greb is not mentioned too often in casual conversation between the average boxing fans. However menbtion his name to a survivor of that era or to a knowledgable boxing enthusiast and a smile will tweak at the lips at the mention of his name. "prize fighting ain't the noblest of arts and I ain't it's noblest artist," was how Greb alluded to his "colourful" fighting style. 299 fights, an average of 22 fights per year, flabergasting, no? A middleweight by nature, it was not uncommon for Greb to challenge men that today would be classed as super Middle's light heavies and cruisers!!!
A fighter bwho had the repuatation for being three things. First, quick as lightning, secondly tough as steel nails and thirdly; possessing a mentality which allowed his conscience to sway enough to allow him win by any means necessary. Anyone that may have been privy to Mr.Grebs fights will know that whilst in the ring should he have felt the referee was opposing him, the referee would receive the same treatment as the opposing fighter.
One of my personal favourite boxing writers David Rayvern Allen depicted him mas a "fox behind leather paws," however please do not mistake the representation of Greb as a wily sly fighter as being in any way demenaing. The quality of this fighter can not be denied. Anyone who is interested to explore his career record will discover victories over none other than Gene Tunney,Mickey Walker and uality opposition such as Kid Norfolk (whom he simply demolished!!!) It must be added that the Tunney fight was Tunneys only defeat and that Tunney (stopped by Greb) four years later went on to defeat the main man at heavyweight Jack Dempsey!!!
Like Jake LaMotta and Sandy Saddler in his day Greb was unpopular on his way to the Ring, but he was essential viewing and the public watched (in grudged admiration) hoping he would fall. However as I have said he was tough as old boots and when he fell he was usually up within moments....This was the case after a car crash in 1926 which he miraculously walked out of. He underwent surgery to repair a broken nose he sustained in this accident only to die under anaesthtic.
He ruled the Middleweight division from 1923 to1926. He will always be remembered by the purist and forever grudgingly admired.
CC Donny. What about Sam Langford ?
Thanks Bubble! Thats high praise from you!!!
Hey JJS, ya il get to Langford, he was a great fighter and it's a pity that he was avoided so much in his era, he was an excellent fighter and if he were of another ethnicity he may have been much more widely known, I'm also going to approach the topics of Ezzard Charles, Bob Fostrer and Anorther of my own favourites in the next number of days.
Yea and also about Greb he beat up Dempsey in a sparing exhibition and I think people forget that even though he lost 3 times to Tunney all were closer then the Dempsey fights and he had over 20 pounds on Greb and was the heavyweight champion. Also a lot of people think he was cheated out of his fights with Tiger Flowers Pluse with 299 fights and winning 260 of them is i think a record not sure though also CC for taking the time.
ESPN had a GREAT article on Langford. At least I think it was Langford, I'll try to find it. It's amazing how he was a guy who walked around at like 150 pounds in real life could have been the greatest heavyweight there never was.Quote:
Originally Posted by JJS
Locche is one of my grandpa's favorites and has always been one of mine.
Ike Williams is another great that because of that ugly match-fixing scandal towards the end of his career in which he was completely scapegoated for by our Congress is almost completely forgotten today. One of the greatest lightweights of all time.
Also if you are not to busy if you could make a thing about Gene Tunney that would be great.
Yeah man, i'm working on a Tunney one! But theres a lot to write on him, iv got like ten books on him so il get all the nicest and what i find rarest bits!
Impressive topic donny
Thanks Mar, iv got a few comin...Anyone here heard of John Caldwell? I'm doin a piece on him after Tunney and jack "non-parraleil" Dempsey
Hitman i saw you on right now and you seem to know alot of Tunney you know another place to get some fights of his youtube used to have more but now they only have the Dempsey fight i think there might be a copyright on Tunneys fights but i am not sure.
Ummm...Tunney fights.
I've got a fair few on dvd but their copyrighted so i can't post them!
Megaupload will surely have some!
And another place you can't go wrong is asking El Gamo.
What is the name of DVD did you get the name i mean i look it up and buy it or something if you can not post them i guess i might just buy them.
Did you write those articles yourself? Very interesting to read,have a well earned CC on me bro.
Yeah I wrote them, Have three main sources, books, Video footage and least reliably my own memory
Good stuff,CC man. I'd love to see one on Locche,I have 2 of his fights-one with Fujiwara and one with Antonio Pambele Cervantes. I've never seen someone make another fighter miss so much! I'd love to his losses,I'm guessing they were because ge got outworked,he threw very few punches!
Well i'm in the same situation, iv only ever seen two or three of his fights so i am no expert on him!, but after i do Tunney, Non paraleil Dempsey and Maybe Caldwell il certainly give him a look!Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gamo
I'll do one on him i actually started it on the first page if you see but i will definetly put some thought into it and it should be done in few days.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Gamo
Gene Tunney
The fighting Marine was born on the 25th of May 1898. Originally named Jim in Greenwich Village at 11 Bank Street, He received his name from his younger brother who was unable to pronounce Jim and instead donned him Gene. From an early age Tunney became accustomed with street fighting, but was renowned for his sense of fair play and good manners. His first pay day arrived far from the prize ring as he took a job as a stenographer. However, it was at this time that Gene began to drop into the Greenwich Village Evening Recreation Centre. Of his initial encounter with pugilism Gene was quoted “Actually, I was less interested in hitting somebody than I was in not being hit. I was eager to learn how to protect myself.” It is clear from these early indicators that the attributes that Tunney was most applauded for outside of the ring, his gentlemanly demeanour and articulate mind were instilled in the man at a young age.
Upon investigation, it appears the attribute associated with Tunney inside the ring was also instilled early. Tunney badly lost his debut amateur fight against another young man by the name of Willie Green.They fought a further four times. Tunney won the rubber match in their fifth fight in which he punished Green badly. This unrivalled courage was demonstrated for a second time in the professional ranks. Tunney met with the notorious Harry Greb and received a savage beating at the hands of the windmill. Tunney’ trainers, friends and family implored him never to step foot in the ring again with the Devil man. Four fights followed between these two opposites and Greb did not come out on top again! The loss to Greb was the only loss of his career.
It is common knowledge that Tunney began his professional career in the marines, this is in fact untrue. Entering the marines Gene already had five professional bouts. Billy Jacobs persuaded Gene to enter the Sharkey Athletic Club in New York and the journey began. His skill began to gain him a reputation, but his fighting courage and heart was confirmed in a fight where he represented the Marines against the US armies Sergeant Wuehrle whom Tunney came from behind to force the referee to declare a dubious uncompleted contest! It was whilst in the Marines Tunney began to believe. On tour in Germany with the German expeditionary forces he predicted “When Dempsey loses it won’t be because he’s outfought, it will be because he’s outboxed,” and at a later debate “You may or may not agree with me, I’m not asking you, but I have the speed, the defence and the scientific fighting to beat Jack Dempsey someday.”
In 1922 following a string of successful bouts Tunney entered the ring against Harry in what was to be an absolute bloodbath. For fifteen rounds Tunney took a systematic, brutal and damaging barrage of hateful punches in what turned out to be his first and solitary defeat. Rumour had it Tunney considered quitting boxing, yet records show that within two days Gene approached the boxing commission with a sum of $2,500 in search of a rematch. This rematch occurred in February and Tunney miraculously reversed the result. A year later he outfoxed and stopped Georges Carpentier and stopped Tommy Gibbons, the man who had forced Dempsey the distance.
. Tommy Reilly refereed what was seen to be another routine Dempsey exhibition of violence. Dempsey exploded from his corner, in typical Dempsey style he drove Tunney back and landed a good left, yet surprisingly Tunney seemed to like boxing off the back foot and the next scoring blow was a hard counter right landed flush by Tunney. At the end of the first video evidence shows Tunney pursuing a dazed Dempsey and the rest is history. The next day Tunney went to visit the ex-champion to find him in a darkened room, alone and inconsolable.
21 July 1927 Dempseyy met the ever popular Jack Sharkey (whose real name was Joseph Paul Zukauskas) and although Sharkey fought gallantly and attempted to outbox Dempsey he was viscerally dispatched with the left hook. With this demonstration Jack Dempsey was back in the mix and Tunney’s reputation rose, the battle of the Long count was in fruition. There has been so much written and debated on this subject that it does not need to be retold here. Tunney retained his title in indefinitely the most debated fight of the era. Tunney only defended the Title once more as before the fight he engaged to wed. In what is remembered as a masterful exhibition of skill and wit Tunney stopped Tom Heeny of New Zealand with 11 seconds remaining in Round 11. The fight was simply artistic and Tunney moved on afterward to Hollywood.
There is a second motive behind Tunneys retirement, having witnessed his close friend Gene Delmont blinded in an exhibition Tunney felt he could not willingly inflict damage upon another man and retired.
Tunney remains one of the most under rated and least remembered heavyweight fighters of all time. His defensive brilliance was decades ahead of his time, his training was carefully considered and calculated and his approach to the sweet science was entirely emotionless and professional. In short he was a fighter we would worship in our own era, so why not remember The fighting Marine.
Very nice Donny Boy; makes for good reading. CC
CC returned my man legion
CC form me to Hitman i happy you made the Tunney story i been waiting nice job.
Returned mr.140!
O yea why you are on go to my best heavies form 1900's and 1950's post and give me a list you seem to be very well informed on older fighters. I would like to see some from you if you have the time i like to see who you think is the best.
Ok Dude, il set about that task this evening!!!
The reason i undertook this thread is because i share little tidbits i know myself AND learn more by researching these fighters, so im more than wiling!
Give this a bump, I'll update it soon.
:appl: Great Read Donny.We need much more of this to keep the past Era's and great memories alive.Sometimes we get caught up In a "seeing is believing " mentality and set aside history and old time greats as untouchable entity's and or uncertain facts . Its all there to be disected,explored and obtained.Boxing did not start with us and god willing it will outlive every one of us so the next generations of fans can read and 'live' ,with todays technology,what we witnessed with todays greats.Quote:
Originally Posted by hitmandonny
Crazy thing I read was that shortly after Tiger Flowers 2nd victory over Greb He went In for facial surgery and died at 32,Same tragedy as Greb (in surgery) And the same age as well.I really wish there was actual fight footage of him,No Dvd's or u-tube then Lol.All we can do is have some faith in the eye-witness accounts,newspaper writers and historians.
CC to you....or um Rep point to you .
Thanks Spicoli dude. I would return the rep stuff, but I'm just arrived here and I'm feelin daunted by the flashy lights and shiny stuff.
I'm like a welshmen in Vegas!
Anyway, I've gotten very interested in boxing writing as of late and have been asked by a third party to write for their publication, so I thought I'd try some stuff in front of the equivalent of a boxing writer Coliseum, Saddo's.
So far seems I'm getting thre thumbs up!
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?????