Fighters Who Have Turned You Around

[marbleheadmaui]

I have successfully despised/rooted against some fighters for their whole careers. Some because of in-ring behavior, some because of what they say, some because of outside the ring behavior and some because I find their styles appalling.

Men like Victor Galindez, Mr. Ronald Wright, Antonio Tarver and Naseem Hamed are on my "loathed for their boxing life" list.

But other guys I beagn rooting against and over time thay simply wore me down to where I became, if not a fan, at least grudgingly respectful. Here are some of them.

George Foreman-I know it's hard for you younguns to believe, but Young George was a real douchebag. Surly, snippy and he liked being nasty. It took him 2-3 years into his comeback to realize he was genuine about it and had become a nicer guy. He still had his moments, but the douchebag element had shrunk considerably. His courage against Evander and his post-fight interview made it impossible not to root for him from that point on.

Eusabio Pedroza-He was just so unbelievably nasty in the ring that it seemed like the ref could have legitimately DQ'd him almost every time out. But over time I came to realize that El Alacran was truly tough, greatly skilled and a real gentleman outside the ring. I began to look at his in-ring indiscretions with a blind eye

Marvin Hagler-I grew up outside Boston but in 1972-1974 (when I was ten or so) one of my favorite fighters was Tacoma, Washington's Sugar Ray Seales. An Olympic Gold medalist and classy guy he was unbeatn in 20 or so fights when he came to Boston and fought in a local TV studio against a young local guy named Hagler. I only knew Marvin's name at this point. Marvin took Seales "O" by decision and I held a grudge for several years. About six months later they fought to a draw and Ray earned some redemption. I began following Hagler, rooting against him, and getting my Dad to take me to a couple of his fights at the Garden or the Heinz Auditorium. We moved to Phliiy in 1977 as Marvin was going to finishing school on the great Philly middleweights of that time. By then he had grown on me because he kept working hard, getting better and going into the Lion's Den. By the time he drilled Ray Seales in one round in 1979, Hagler had me thoroughly persuaded he was the example of what I wanted fighters to be.

Wladimir Klitschko-This one was hard for me. I was, and remain, persuaded that Wlad is not really a great fighter. I think some of his success comes from the dearth of quality heavyweights in the past decade. But only some of it. The guy has made massive improvements in his technique, he fights with great intelligence, he is always in shape and he'll fight anybody as near as I can figure. In other words he has dealt in an impressive fashion with eveything that is in his control. Given that I can't blame him for things beyond his control. Is he a great fighter? I'd say no. Is he a great champion, acting the way I want to see champions act? he is surely becoming one.

Those are some of mine. Who ya got?

[chinchekked]

Marco Antonio Barrera is one who comes to mind for me. I always thought he was a great fighter but the McKinney fight really pissed me off. I thought he got away with a lot of low blows during that fight and because I was like 12 years old when that happened I couldn't stand him and rooted against him for a while. One of the happiest moments as being a boxing fan was when Poison crushed him but then Barrera slammed Hamed's head into the turnbuckle enroute to pulling off a great upset and I couldn't stop smiling.

[Pavlik]

the 140 lb Miguel Angel Cotto, I thought of him as a big 140 pounder the same way I look at Vic Ortiz. But when he moved to 147 pounds and saw that he was undersized in that division and was quite vulnerable I started rooting for him to the point of fanaticism. The man is genuine and humble and will always be one of my all time faves. Someday when I visit PR hopefully I could meet him in person and shake his hands

[Spicoli]

Watching him hop, leap, clown and resist fortitude vs Azumah Nelson made me loath Whitaker. Then watching him get battered and walk in on Tito made me salute him. Long process but he's one I've come around on.

Shane Mosley

Roy Jones jr. He earned it after Calzaghe blood letting and needing to struggle on, ride his name etc but his self absorbed delusional hypocritical rants during Williams vs Lara make me yearn for a rematch.

[marbleheadmaui]

Watching him hop, leap, clown and resist fortitude vs Azumah Nelson made me loath Whitaker. Then watching him get battered and walk in on Tito made me salute him. Long process but he's one I've come around on.
Shane Mosley

Roy Jones jr. He earned it after Calzaghe blood letting and needing to struggle on, ride his name etc but his self absorbed delusional hypocritical rants during Williams vs Lara make me yearn for a rematch.

I gotta admit that I was a Sweet Pea fanboy from the word go and never stopped.

Shane I just never really got. A good fighter of course, but I never saw the great one others did.

[marbleheadmaui]

the 140 lb Miguel Angel Cotto, I thought of him as a big 140 pounder the same way I look at Vic Ortiz. But when he moved to 147 pounds and saw that he was undersized in that division and was quite vulnerable I started rooting for him to the point of fanaticism. The man is genuine and humble and will always be one of my all time faves. Someday when I visit PR hopefully I could meet him in person and shake his hands

It is easier to see now as he nears his end, but looking back hasn't Cotto been what we want out of our fighters? Fit, tough, daring in the fights he took and highly skilled?

[marbleheadmaui]

Marco Antonio Barrera is one who comes to mind for me. I always thought he was a great fighter but the McKinney fight really pissed me off. I thought he got away with a lot of low blows during that fight and because I was like 12 years old when that happened I couldn't stand him and rooted against him for a while. One of the happiest moments as being a boxing fan was when Poison crushed him but then Barrera slammed Hamed's head into the turnbuckle enroute to pulling off a great upset and I couldn't stop smiling.

[laughing]

Exactly what I'm talking about!

[Nameless]

Eric Lucas: He wasn't the most gifted boxer but he had a heart large as a river, was working very hard and by his perseverance, became champion. He's also the one who is at the origins of the boxing explosion in Quebec, without him, the youngest generations wouldn't have had a front figure to look for and to "believe it was possible". Determination, the will to fight, hard worker and a top notch personality, many qualities we don'T find so often by these days.

Willie Pep: As he belongs to another era, I never saw him fight personally but when I stumbled upon his videos it has been a revelation to me, he was so swift with movements so smooth, like a moving shadow in a ballroom dancing hall. Possibly my favorite boxer of all time, a guy who didn't have that much power but who did sure find out how to compensate it brillantly. I think that there has never been a more fluid boxer than him, a defensive and mobility genius.

Roy Jones Jr: Need I say more? During his best years, he got it all, from excitement, speed, power and ring generalship. Hell, even his showboating and "big mouth" were entertaining in the good way. Now, for the past 3 years, I only wish he'd get the message and stop making a fool of himself though.

Erik Morrales: I have been quite overwhelmed by El' Terrible too, he had an iron chin, very fast and strong and he sure was coming to fight, I don't recall a fight where Erik didn't try his very best and didn't come to exchange as much leather as possible.

[marbleheadmaui]

Eric Lucas: He wasn't the most gifted boxer but he had a heart large as a river, was working very hard and by his perseverance, became champion. He's also the one who is at the origins of the boxing explosion in Quebec, without him, the youngest generations wouldn't have had a front figure to look for and to "believe it was possible". Determination, the will to fight, hard worker and a top notch personality, many qualities we don'T find so often by these days.

Willie Pep: As he belongs to another era, I never saw him fight personally but when I stumbled upon his videos it has been a revelation to me, he was so swift with movements so smooth, like a moving shadow in a ballroom dancing hall. Possibly my favorite boxer of all time, a guy who didn't have that much power but who did sure find out how to compensate it brillantly. I think that there has never been a more fluid boxer than him, a defensive and mobility genius.

Roy Jones Jr: Need I say more? During his best years, he got it all, from excitement, speed, power and ring generalship. Hell, even his showboating and "big mouth" were entertaining in the good way. Now, for the past 3 years, I only wish he'd get the message and stop making a fool of himself though.

Erik Morrales: I have been quite overwhelmed by El' Terrible too, he had an iron chin, very fast and strong and he sure was coming to fight, I don't recall a fight where Erik didn't try his very best and didn't come to exchange as much leather as possible.

Pep is like a being from another planet. I've stopped counting the number of times I've seen him move so swiflty and efficiently he ended up behind the foe.

Now here is the REALLY scary part. I'll bet all the footage you've seen of him is AFTER the plane crash when by all accountsm, he'd lost half a step.

[Mark TKO]

Eubank - loved him at end of his career (when he had started to lose !) Went to his last three fights and cheered him on


Hagler - never really appreciated him when I first got into the sport. Saw the tasche and shaved head and immediately had him labelled as a bad guy as opposed to pretty boy Leonard. I was only 12 or so though and he was coming to end of career. Only when I learned more about the game did I realise just what he had had to come through to get where he was. That guy did it the hard way ! Became a big fan after he had retired really. Would love to meet the guy.

[marbleheadmaui]

Eubank - loved him at end of his career (when he had started to lose !) Went to his last three fights and cheered him on


Hagler - never really appreciated him when I first got into the sport. Saw the tasche and shaved head and immediately had him labelled as a bad guy as opposed to pretty boy Leonard. I was only 12 or so though and he was coming to end of career. Only when I learned more about the game did I realise just what he had had to come through to get where he was. That guy did it the hard way ! Became a big fan after he had retired really. Would love to meet the guy.

Niiiiice

[Master]

Fighters that turn me around are the ones that beat my favourite fighters. When Mike McCallum beat Herol Graham, I looked at McCallums career and thought he is a good fighter and followed him.

Same with Tito when he beat Campus, and Oba Carr, then beating Vargas, by which time I was converted. As was I when B Hop beat Tito.

Manny Pacquia is the latest, no way did I think he could beat ODH, Hatton, and Cotto.

[BIG H]

Fighters that turn me around are the ones that beat my favourite fighters. When Mike McCallum beat Herol Graham, I looked at McCallums career and thought he is a good fighter and followed him.

Same with Tito when he beat Campus, and Oba Carr, then beating Vargas, by which time I was converted. As was I when B Hop beat Tito.

Manny Pacquia is the latest, no way did I think he could beat ODH, Hatton, and Cotto.

In 2004 if you had've said that a few years later Pac would maul ODH you would've been laughed at. ODH was fighting Hopkins at Middle and Manny was a Featherweight!!

[JazMerkin]

In 2004 if you had've said that a few years later Pac would maul ODH you would've been laughed at. ODH was fighting Hopkins at Middle and Manny was a Featherweight!!

In 2001, after Floyd Mayweather beat (I think) Jesus Chavez, in the post-fight he talked about moving up to Lightweight with the eventual goal of fighting De La Hoya & Mosley at Welter or Light-Middle. In his closing thoughts Larry Merchant said something along the lines of 'I don't think Mayweather is big enough to handle the Lightweights, to talk of Oscar or Mosley is laughable. If he ever was in a ring with one of those he would likely not make it out of a round'.

Then again, he'll never top saying 'I think the myth of Foreman's power has been exposed in this fight' at the end of the 7th round of the Moorer fight

[generalbulldog]

Carl Froch. I didn't like him because of his poor technique and some of the funny stuff he talks about like losing his bike, but the man has been in some tough competition in his last few fights and seems to be willing to take anyone on anywhere. That I have to respect.