The Old Timers....who are your favorites?

[El Kabong]

So who in the pre-modern era of boxing, we'll say Pre-1930 are your favorite fighters? Why do you like them and what about them intrigues you? I know there is usually very little if any film of these guys, but there was a lot written about these guys and not only did they have big personalities, they had the COOLEST nicknames.

A couple of my favorites:

'The Boston Strong Boy' John L. Sullivan

'The Human Windmill'/'The Pittsburgh Windmill'/'The Smoke City Wildcat' Harry Greb

'The Boilermaker' James J. Jeffries

'Gentlemen Jim' Jim Corbett

'The Singular Senegalese' Battling Siki (birth name: Amadou Barik Fall)

'The Boston Tar Baby'/'The Boston Bonecrusher'/'The Boston Terror' Sam Langford

'Old Master' Joe Gans

'The Ghost with the Hammer in His Hand'/'The Mighty Atom'/'The Tylorstown Terror' Jimmy Wilde


So do you guys have any favorites?

[Chris Nagel]

There's a recent biography on Bob Fitzsimmons that I'd like to check out. Fitzsimmon's was an early example of a boxer puncher. Stalking while looking for an opening, and could feint and hit hard with both hands. Interestingly enough, I heard that Joe Gans followed Fitz throughout his exhibitions in the U.S. Gans studied Fitz, which contributed to Gans straight hitting, and intelligent boxing. It might be interesting to read Joe Gan's article that in a newspaper: STRAIGHT HITTING GETS BOXERS PLUMS; Champion Joe Gans Tells Why He Has... - Article Preview - The New York Times

Jack Dempsey is one of my favorites. He was a terrific hitter, and the bobbing and weaving was his signature. By the way you can download his autobiography, Jack Dempsey By the Man Himself, in the Boxing Books thread in the subsection of Ask the Trainer.

Tommy Loughran is another boxer that I like. I've only seen the highlight clips from his Mickey Walker and Jimmy Braddock fights on youtube, but I can say that he was very cunning and methodical fighter. He had that funny pawing left, usually feinting and drawing with it, but damn if anyone could even lay a hand on him. He has very quick and educated footwork. He knew exactly how he appeared to his opponent, and therefore could play both sides of the chess board. There was an interesting interview that he gave in Peter Heller's book, you can read about it here: Tommy Loughran - In This Corner Forty World Champions Tell Their Stories by Peter Heller

Benny Leonard is another cerebral fighter that I greatly admire. You can see an intense portrait of him in my avatar. He was extremely clever, and very sharp. I've only seen parts of his fight with Lew Tendler on youtube, but he shows plenty of intelligence and grit. He had nose like a sundial and fought in a very competitive era against amazing fighters yet came out of it without a crook in his nose or a scar on his face. That alone tells a lot about his skill as a fighter.

That's just a few names of some fighters that I liked from that era, and I'm running a little short on time to talk about the rest. Anyways not so much to pedal my stuff here, but here's an excellent collection of boxing books that stretches throughout many different eras, including the one that this thread is about: http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxingfor...ee-ebooks.html I recommend the books by Georges Carpentier, and Battling Nelson. Very interesting books, Carpentiers books should be adapted into a movie, and Nelson's book in particular was funny.

[rjj tszyu]

Jem Mace. He is actually the great great great and maybe even more great grandfather of my best friend. I have looked up quite a great deal about him and the guy interests me. If you get chance there is a lot of info in old boxing books and if the old guys interest you he has quite an interesting life story.

[DaxxKahn]

Jack Johnson because not only was he so good in the ring but he was ahead of his time all around, he knew how to promote himself, how to draw a crowd......

Jim Corbett- he ushered in the gloved era as HW champion really, he was the first real boxer that did more then just toe the line as far as HWTs go...too bad he was a racist fuck but aside from that he had a lot of influence on boxing

John Sullivan- Boxings first hw superman

Jack Dempsey the non pareil- Won more fights on skill then brute force...

[Andre]

I never have seen him, but going by his record through out nearly all of the weights imaginable and reports of his fights saying he fought heavies from a much lower weight and that he came out unblemished after a solid career, I'd like to see Len Harveys style.

[Andre]

I never have seen him, but going by his record through out nearly all of the weights imaginable and reports of his fights saying he fought heavies from a much lower weight and that he came out unblemished after a solid career, I'd like to see Len Harveys style.

I would love to see Harry Creb the human windmill in action too.

[eleven]

mines would be tyson or hagler a just love watching the 2 of them fight

[Master]

Stanley Ketchel, the Julian Jackson of his era.
Jack Sharkey who fought two greats Joe Louis and Dempsey.

[Jody Lane]

mines would be tyson or hagler a just love watching the 2 of them fight

Umm, eleven. Did you happen to read the beginning of this section. I don't think Tyson or Hagler fought prior to 1930.

[eleven]

mines would be tyson or hagler a just love watching the 2 of them fight

Umm, eleven. Did you happen to read the beginning of this section. I don't think Tyson or Hagler fought prior to 1930.

lol shit sorry ppl must of missed that bit

[X]

Good post Lyle ...... its tough rating these guys as the sport was so very different then. The fighters fought under different rules, with less specialist training, very regularly indeed.

Your list is a good one ....... I have always been fascinated by Stanley Ketchell but there were some fabulously skilled guys around then .... Joe Jeanette, Harry Greb, Tom Cribb, Gunboat Smith, Harry Mendoza, James Figg and as you say, the incomparable Sam Langford.

[X]

If anyone thinks that its only in modern times that fighters have been touched by tradegy .... check out the life story of the great great Tom Molyneoux (apologies for the spelling)

[Master]

Battling Siki seems a character, more eccentric than Eubanks with a tragic death.

[Chris Nagel]

I read that according to James Toney, Siki was one of the fighters that Bill Miller had him study.

[El Kabong]

I for sure thought Andre would have mentioned Sydney's own Young Griffo (Albert Griffiths). He was quite a fellow indeed, he hated training, he loved drinking, and rumor has it he used to go into a bar much like his Heavyweight counterpart John L. Sullivan and challenge anyone in the house....only what Griffo did instead of beating the crap out of some poor working class guy and taking his money to buy booze like a common bully is he'd unfold his hankerchief, lay it on the floor and say "Any man what can knock me off this kerchief I'll buy a drink for, and anyone that can't buys a drink for me!"