Being a sparing partner is steady income if you are good at it. Who are some guys that have made a living not as a prize fighter, but as a sparing parter?
Or should I ask:
Who has made more money as a sparing partner than as a prizefighter?
Made a good living out of being a sparing partner
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HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Billy Squires is probably the best example I can think of. After making a name for himself in the Outback, he challenged Tommy Burns for the title and lost miserably. After losing, he did manage to get 2-3 other shots at Burns, but were probably done more out of gratitude than anything else; as Burns hired Squires as his sparring partner for the remainder of his career and Squires was essentially done after that.
Bob Armstrong is a real example. He was Jeffries' main sparring partner--and also his trainer and teacher (along with Tommy Ryan).enrique wrote:Jeffries was sp.partner to Corbett. Dempsey was briefly sp. partner for Carl Morris.
A black fighter -Bob Armstrong- was a high paid sp, partner for a number of top fighters, including Jack Johnson.
Amos Lincoln worked with Liston for many fights. Jimmy Ellis was Ali's sparring for quite a while.
Later Dempsey had Big John Tate, very similar to the earlier Armstrong in being a major factor in a heavyweight champion's camp
and more significant for what he did as a sparring partner than for his own career as fighter.
I saw Amos Lincoln fight an old Liston at the Baltimore Civic Center.
They had a live fight card there. Then they showed Frazier's title defense against Bonavena on a closed curcuit screen.
Lincoln was tall, had a long, good jab early on.
After a few rounds Liston hit him with a series of heavy body shots, and then knocked him out with some head shots. Not a nice way to treat a longtime sparring partner.
Jimmy Ellis was barred from fighting in many locations because of trouble with his eyes. Ali used him a lot in his camp after that.
Then Ali "fought" him in Texas, even though Ellis was 100 % shot by that time.
just met Pete Parsons (Price), 80 years of age and part of Leamington Spa's boxing heritage, Parsons a welter himself, ended up as one of R. Turpin's chief sparring partners, havin' grown up with the Turpins, Pete was apart of the same amature team as Randolph.
Pete showed me some wonderful pics of himself and the Turpins as well as other Leamington fighters, both personal and boxing related, great stories and excelent old fella - still in great shape too...don't know what Parsons did for a living in the end, but he marked out a comfortable life for himself and I'm sure some of his boxing earnings contributed to it.
his 'incomplete' record is here on BoxRec.
Pete showed me some wonderful pics of himself and the Turpins as well as other Leamington fighters, both personal and boxing related, great stories and excelent old fella - still in great shape too...don't know what Parsons did for a living in the end, but he marked out a comfortable life for himself and I'm sure some of his boxing earnings contributed to it.
his 'incomplete' record is here on BoxRec.
jimglen,jimglen wrote:just met Pete Parsons (Price), 80 years of age and part of Leamington Spa's boxing heritage, Parsons a welter himself, ended up as one of R. Turpin's chief sparring partners, havin' grown up with the Turpins, Pete was apart of the same amature team as Randolph.
Pete showed me some wonderful pics of himself and the Turpins as well as other Leamington fighters, both personal and boxing related, great stories and excelent old fella - still in great shape too...don't know what Parsons did for a living in the end, but he marked out a comfortable life for himself and I'm sure some of his boxing earnings contributed to it.
his 'incomplete' record is here on BoxRec.
Any comments from Parsons re what Turpin said about his fights with Robinson---and any other opponents?
I'll be speaking to him at the end of the week, I'll ask the question, I can tell you this though, he is the only one of a few people from Leamington whom I've spoke to that 'believe' Turpin killed himself (most say murdered), he sayed Randy was "tired of it" - being broke, preasure from the Taxman, money lenders, sloggin it out just to scape by.
I heard certain Boxing personel loaned him money to chase off the debters and in the end they came collecting too (???). Who knows!
I heard certain Boxing personel loaned him money to chase off the debters and in the end they came collecting too (???). Who knows!
I always liked Turpin. He gave Robinson hell in two fights.jimglen wrote:I'll be speaking to him at the end of the week, I'll ask the question, I can tell you this though, he is the only one of a few people from Leamington whom I've spoke to that 'believe' Turpin killed himself (most say murdered), he sayed Randy was "tired of it" - being broke, preasure from the Taxman, money lenders, sloggin it out just to scape by.
I heard certain Boxing personel loaned him money to chase off the debters and in the end they came collecting too (???). Who knows!
And was robbed in my opinion by US referee Ruby Goldstein in the 2nd Robinson fight.
Your comment on Turpin's possible end rings true to me.
The lie about Liston's death is obvious enough.
Liston irritated gambling people in Vegas, and since he was no longer a significant factor in boxing, they felt free to get rid of him.
The killing of Tyrone Everett was another obvious smear job. I talked to him for close to an hour less than a week before he was killed while we were standing around after a weigh in the day before a fight card he was on. All the supposed info that was let out about how he died stunk to high heavens to anyone who knew him.
The best sparring partners are quality fighters that give a solid workout.
Bob Armstrong had a decent record as did Bill Tate when you consider the quality of their opposition.
Roy Williams was sp.partner for Ali, Holmes and others.
Jose Ribalta has earned a couple of thousand bucks a week very often as a sparring partner for several fighters including Cooney and Tyson.
Another quality that a sp.partner must have is the capacity to imitate a style, be it box southpaw or whatever.
The problem with those who are sp. partners too long is that they lose agressiveness, automatically adapting to what's required of them in sparring, which often makes them lose their edge in a real fight.
Bob Armstrong had a decent record as did Bill Tate when you consider the quality of their opposition.
Roy Williams was sp.partner for Ali, Holmes and others.
Jose Ribalta has earned a couple of thousand bucks a week very often as a sparring partner for several fighters including Cooney and Tyson.
Another quality that a sp.partner must have is the capacity to imitate a style, be it box southpaw or whatever.
The problem with those who are sp. partners too long is that they lose agressiveness, automatically adapting to what's required of them in sparring, which often makes them lose their edge in a real fight.
"enrique" wrote
Jose Ribalta has earned a couple of thousand bucks a week very often as a sparring partner for several fighters including Cooney and Tyson.
That is great. Good for him.
Another quality that a sp.partner must have is the capacity to imitate a style, be it box southpaw or whatever.
The best I ever saw at imitating any style was Georgie Benton, who of course was not a sparring partner type.
Adrian Davis was also great at that.
Gene Tunney hired every sparring partner of Tommy Gibbons and Jack Dempsey he could, and grilled them thoroughly as he was coming up.
Fighters like Dempsey often used two opposite types of sparring partners--smaller fighters (middleweights) for quickness---and then guys who were huge like John Tate for the opposite.
The problem with those who are sp. partners too long is that they lose agressiveness, automatically adapting to what's required of them in sparring, which often makes them lose their edge in a real fight
Very interesting connection there with pianists which act as accompanists for years--either as chamber music players or as accompanists to singers---
and lose any ability to stand out as a soloist.
Jose Ribalta has earned a couple of thousand bucks a week very often as a sparring partner for several fighters including Cooney and Tyson.
That is great. Good for him.
Another quality that a sp.partner must have is the capacity to imitate a style, be it box southpaw or whatever.
The best I ever saw at imitating any style was Georgie Benton, who of course was not a sparring partner type.
Adrian Davis was also great at that.
Gene Tunney hired every sparring partner of Tommy Gibbons and Jack Dempsey he could, and grilled them thoroughly as he was coming up.
Fighters like Dempsey often used two opposite types of sparring partners--smaller fighters (middleweights) for quickness---and then guys who were huge like John Tate for the opposite.
The problem with those who are sp. partners too long is that they lose agressiveness, automatically adapting to what's required of them in sparring, which often makes them lose their edge in a real fight
Very interesting connection there with pianists which act as accompanists for years--either as chamber music players or as accompanists to singers---
and lose any ability to stand out as a soloist.
if i sat here and listed every fighter that beat his wife, i'd probably have to quit my job.granberry wrote:Interesting that you make NO MENTION of Sugar Ray Leonardbjermaine wrote:sugar ray robinson's wife. this isn't really meant to be funny. more to show what a piece of shit robinson was.
who beat up his wife regularly--as came out in their divorce.