Interesting Journeymen

[Master]

Glen Johnson is probably my favorite. He fought everyone and was ripped off numerous times. What a solid pro he turned out to be. Emmanuel Augustus/Burton is another favorite of mine. Loved his war with Mickey Ward (another solid journeyman).

Bronco McKart was a bit of a journeyman, as was Winky Wright (early in his career). Winky would go anywhere and fight anyone and had some debatable/tough losses early. I would take any of those guys over Canelo by the way. Shows you how unfair the sport we love can be...

It is funny/sad that I think winky would have probably shut out canelo and was never anywhere near as big of a draw.

Winky beat our best domestic fighters with ease and when he was going to fight Shane, I knew he would be too good and big for Mosely.

[greynotsoold]

There was something dodgy about Buck.


Most journeymen will fight under different aliases.

I don't have the quality eyesight to count them but he must have fought Verdell Smith and Bleakley 10 times each. Its like scrolling a record from early century ffs...at one point 4 fights in one week? Not even sure that's legal . I remember seeing him lose to Chavez and it looked like a definite 'flop'.

He was fighting on the mid-America club circuit, like the Jakubowski brothers. There are guys out there now, fighting out of Oklahoma, that have 60-70 fights, all 4,6 rounds, all in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri. There is one guy, from Indiana, that I came across last year and he was 14-0 in four months as a pro. Fighting weekly from Indiana to Arizona.

Was this Buck Smith a good fighter and contender level?

Surely, he must have been at one point.

I believe he broke the top ten after he stopped Robert Wangila. That was a big upset at the time.

[Mr140]

Glen Johnson is probably my favorite. He fought everyone and was ripped off numerous times. What a solid pro he turned out to be. Emmanuel Augustus/Burton is another favorite of mine. Loved his war with Mickey Ward (another solid journeyman).

Bronco McKart was a bit of a journeyman, as was Winky Wright (early in his career). Winky would go anywhere and fight anyone and had some debatable/tough losses early. I would take any of those guys over Canelo by the way. Shows you how unfair the sport we love can be...

It is funny/sad that I think winky would have probably shut out canelo and was never anywhere near as big of a draw.

Winky beat our best domestic fighters with ease and when he was going to fight Shane, I knew he would be too good and big for Mosely.

To be honest i really do not think that Shane was that great at 154 he was not big enough for that weight class and gave up speed at that weight. He was atg at lw and hof at ww but lmw was a weight class i felt was never good for him. Wright was a great fighter but at times his style was hard to judge for me when it came to decision. Wright was a great fighter though when he destroyed Tito it was one of the most one sided fights i think i have ever seen atg to to another. It sucks because i think history will not give Wright the dues he does deserve was a great fighter.

[Master]

Winky lost his title to Harry Simon who could throw hundreds of punches in a round which was the way to swarm and beat Winky. It was controversial and I think Winky got a draw in the ring but lost it is the dressing room because they counted it wrong.

Harry Simon then went on to beat a lot of our dometic fighters.

Winky ended up earning respect and fighting the big fights in USA losing to Vargas etc.

[Spicoli]

There was something dodgy about Buck.


Most journeymen will fight under different aliases.

I don't have the quality eyesight to count them but he must have fought Verdell Smith and Bleakley 10 times each. Its like scrolling a record from early century ffs...at one point 4 fights in one week? Not even sure that's legal . I remember seeing him lose to Chavez and it looked like a definite 'flop'.

He was fighting on the mid-America club circuit, like the Jakubowski brothers. There are guys out there now, fighting out of Oklahoma, that have 60-70 fights, all 4,6 rounds, all in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri. There is one guy, from Indiana, that I came across last year and he was 14-0 in four months as a pro. Fighting weekly from Indiana to Arizona.

Was this Buck Smith a good fighter and contender level?

Surely, he must have been at one point.

I believe he broke the top ten after he stopped Robert Wangila. That was a big upset at the time.

Hadn't even realized Wangila beat him on Hearns-Leonard II undercard. Smith dropped him but lost close. Closest I've seen him ranked was #13. It's weird really, he had offers and Arum wanting to match him but almost seemed like he didn't want it. Preferred the 'road warrior' roaming state to state? Man..he went on to fight Brazier who was top ten a couple times but all ended in NCs.
*Smith and Brazier were the last men to fight in a non-title 15 rounder Wondering if that's accurate.

[Master]

Buck Smith beat Kirkland Laing who beat Roberto Duran.

Smith also lost to Buddy McGirt

[greynotsoold]

There was something dodgy about Buck.


Most journeymen will fight under different aliases.

I don't have the quality eyesight to count them but he must have fought Verdell Smith and Bleakley 10 times each. Its like scrolling a record from early century ffs...at one point 4 fights in one week? Not even sure that's legal . I remember seeing him lose to Chavez and it looked like a definite 'flop'.

He was fighting on the mid-America club circuit, like the Jakubowski brothers. There are guys out there now, fighting out of Oklahoma, that have 60-70 fights, all 4,6 rounds, all in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri. There is one guy, from Indiana, that I came across last year and he was 14-0 in four months as a pro. Fighting weekly from Indiana to Arizona.

Was this Buck Smith a good fighter and contender level?

Surely, he must have been at one point.

I believe he broke the top ten after he stopped Robert Wangila. That was a big upset at the time.

Hadn't even realized Wangila beat him on Hearns-Leonard II undercard. Smith dropped him but lost close. Closest I've seen him ranked was #13. It's weird really, he had offers and Arum wanting to match him but almost seemed like he didn't want it. Preferred the 'road warrior' roaming state to state? Man..he went on to fight Brazier who was top ten a couple times but all ended in NCs.
*Smith and Brazier were the last men to fight in a non-title 15 rounder Wondering if that's accurate.

I didn't know he fought Wangila twice; 30 months and 73 fights apart. I met him last March in OKC when he was setting up chairs and tables for a fight card where I was building the ring.

[Hulk]

There was something dodgy about Buck.


Most journeymen will fight under different aliases.

I don't have the quality eyesight to count them but he must have fought Verdell Smith and Bleakley 10 times each. Its like scrolling a record from early century ffs...at one point 4 fights in one week? Not even sure that's legal . I remember seeing him lose to Chavez and it looked like a definite 'flop'.

He was fighting on the mid-America club circuit, like the Jakubowski brothers. There are guys out there now, fighting out of Oklahoma, that have 60-70 fights, all 4,6 rounds, all in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri. There is one guy, from Indiana, that I came across last year and he was 14-0 in four months as a pro. Fighting weekly from Indiana to Arizona.

Was this Buck Smith a good fighter and contender level?

Surely, he must have been at one point.

I believe he broke the top ten after he stopped Robert Wangila. That was a big upset at the time.

Hadn't even realized Wangila beat him on Hearns-Leonard II undercard. Smith dropped him but lost close. Closest I've seen him ranked was #13. It's weird really, he had offers and Arum wanting to match him but almost seemed like he didn't want it. Preferred the 'road warrior' roaming state to state? Man..he went on to fight Brazier who was top ten a couple times but all ended in NCs.
*Smith and Brazier were the last men to fight in a non-title 15 rounder Wondering if that's accurate.

I didn't know he fought Wangila twice; 30 months and 73 fights apart. I met him last March in OKC when he was setting up chairs and tables for a fight card where I was building the ring.

You the man.

Thanks for sharing.

[Dart340]

Great include on Buck Smith, one of my favorite all-time fighters.

How can any thread on journeymen not reference Bruce "The Mouse" Strauss at least once? He was actually pretty talented in the ring and his performance on Letterman was above average as well.

One vote for Tony "KO King" Gardner from the 70's, although he did well enough with a string of 22 kos to warrant a title shot against then-dominant Elisha Obed. He was truly a road warrior and a raconteur.