Your top ten Australian fighters

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 23 Mar 2008, 11:00

Hey guys following on the theme of the eytie thread,

what are your top ten Aussie fighters.

Kym

scartissue · Post by **scartissue** » 23 Mar 2008, 12:35

Robinson wrote:Hey guys following on the theme of the eytie thread,

what are your top ten Aussie fighters.

Kym

Kym, difficult to rank them. In no apparent order I would name Lionel Rose, Jeff Fenech, Jimmy Carruthers, Johnny Famechon, Hector Thompson, George Barnes, Dave Sands, Tony Mundine, Anthony Mundine and Les Darcy. Just outside the top ten would be Vic Patrick, Jeff Harding, Charkey Ramon and Barry Michael. Didn't rank Mattiolli cuz I just can't get past him being Italian. But my #1 is definitely Hector Thompson.

Scartissue

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 23 Mar 2008, 12:40

I would have Paul Ferreri in and around.

dr_devious · Post by **dr_devious** » 23 Mar 2008, 13:03

In no particular order: -
Les Darcy
Dave Sands
Jeff Fenech
Hector Thompson
Lionel Rose
Kostya Tsyzu
Jimmy Carruthers
Johnny Famechon
Peter Jackson
Bob Fitzsimmons (if you count him as an Aussie?)

scartissue · Post by **scartissue** » 23 Mar 2008, 13:16

bennie wrote:I would have Paul Ferreri in and around.

I knew I forgot a few and Ferrari is definitely one of them.

Scartissue

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 23 Mar 2008, 17:34

The ignorance on display here is absolutely breathtaking.

Or should I say absolutely expected.

No mention of Young Griffo.

Apparently he never existed.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 23 Mar 2008, 17:40

1.Les Darcy
2.Young Griffo

After that I'd have to do some thinking, maybe Fenech at 3.

m1kee50 · Post by **m1kee50** » 23 Mar 2008, 17:41

why not bring it up as a matter of enlightening people?

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

Grant · Post by **Grant** » 25 Mar 2008, 02:05

Seamus wrote:1.Les Darcy
2.Young Griffo

After that I'd have to do some thinking, maybe Fenech at 3.

I always think of Lionel Rose around here, He beat Harada who was a great and lost to Olivares who was a great. From what I have read Harada wouldn't even fly over Mexico.

Yes Fenech was terrific but you know what? he never stayed around in a division long enough IMO.
Kostya was a fairdinkum prize fighter
Mundine? Not as good as his Dad
Hector Thompson fought Roberto Duran at his best.
Ferarri went well against Zarate
Fammo fought everywhere and earnt world respect

Darcy and Griffo well, you just have to look at their records.

Harding acheived more than he should have on courage alone
Dave sands???? Look up who he fought, he could have given Sugar Ray a good fight.

Its pretty hard to compare fighters sometimes, a good performance against a great in their prime is worth far more than some of these bullshit titles.

dr_devious · Post by **dr_devious** » 25 Mar 2008, 12:53

granberry wrote:The ignorance on display here is absolutely breathtaking.

Or should I say absolutely expected.

No mention of Young Griffo.

Apparently he never existed.

If we are so ignorant, why do you bother logging onto the boxrec forum, reading our posts, and replying to them?

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 25 Mar 2008, 13:12

dr_devious wrote:
granberry wrote:The ignorance on display here is absolutely breathtaking.

Or should I say absolutely expected.

No mention of Young Griffo.

Apparently he never existed.
If we are so ignorant, why do you bother logging onto the boxrec forum, reading our posts, and replying to them?

It's cheaper than chartering a boat and buying a license?

grevan · Post by **grevan** » 26 Mar 2008, 08:21

I haven't posted here in a long time but this has got my interest. I've left Bob Fitzsimmons out of the list because I don't think he's really seen as an Aussie.

1. Les Darcy (46-4) - Australian Middleweight and Heavyweight Champ (though he never weighed over 162); held a version of the World Middleweight Title; beat world class US fighters George Chip (KO9), Jimmy Clabby (W20, W20), Buck Crouse (KO2), Eddie McGoorty (TKO8, TKO15), Jeff Smith (DQ2) all before his 22nd birthday. If you're not sure who some of these fighters are most of them fought and some beat the likes of Greb, Dillon and Gibbons.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

2. Jeff Fenech (28-3) - IBF Bantamweight, WBC Super Bantamweight and WBC Featherweight champion; beat world rated fighters like Daniel Zaragoza (UD10), Samart Payakaroon (KO4), Greg Richardson (KO5), Victor Callejas (TKO10), Marcos Villasana (UD12), Mario Martinez (UD12) and had the infamous draw with Azumah Nelson, fighting a lot of the time with broken hands. A lot of these guys won "world" titles before and after fighting Fenech.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

3. Young Griffo (77-10-45) - World Featherweight Champion; beat Torpedo Billy Murphy 3 times, fought Joe Gans and George Dixon 3 times each (for a loss to Gans and 5 draws), fought draws with Kid Lavigne and Solly Smith and lost a disputed decision to Jack McAuliffe, all world champions.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... r&pageID=1

4. Kostya Tszyu (31-2) - World Junior Welterweight champion; fought and beat a host of world rated fighters and former world champions including veterans Livingstone Bramble (UD10), Roger Mayweather (UD12) and Julio Cesar Chavez (TKO6) and Sharmba Mitchell (TKO7, TKO3), Zab Judah (TKO2), Miguel Angel Gonzalez (TKO10) etc. Fought in 17 world title fights against opponents with a combined record of 651-38-13.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

5. Dave Sands (97-10) - Like Darcy, Australian Middleweight and Heavyweight champ without weighing much above 160; ranked no.2 or 3 in the early 50's behind the like of LaMotta and Robinson; beat world rated figters Robert Villemain (W10), Dick Turpin (KO1) and Carl "Bobo" Olson (W12, UD10)
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

6. Lionel Rose (42-11) - World Bantamweight champion; beat Fighting Harada for the title (MD15), Chucho Castillo (SD15), Alan Rudkin (SD15) as well as Australian World Flyweight challenger Rocky Gattellari (KO13). Lost Bantamweight title to Ruben Olivares (KO5). Fought Yoshiaki Numata for the WBC Super Featherweight title.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

7. Jack Carroll (90-10) - No. 1 World Welterweight contender for Barney Ross's title in 1936; beat Australian world middleweight contenders Fred Henneberry and Ron Richards, world rated welterweights Bep van Klaveren (W15, W15), Jimmy Leto (W15, W15, W12) and Izzy Jannazzo (W10)
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

8. Peter Jackson (46-3) - World "coloured" Heavyweight champion; beat George "Old Chocolate" Godfrey (TKO19), Frank Slavin (KO10) and fought Gentleman Jim Corbett for 61 rounds in 1891 to a NC. Was thought by many to be the best heavyweight in the world but couldn't get a title shot because he was black. 16 months after fighting Jackson, Corbett beat John L. Sullivan for the world title
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

9. Vic Patrick (52-4) - World rated lightweight in the late 1940's; he might not have some of the big names on his record but all the old timers in Australia will swear that he was one of, if not the best ever. Fought the former world champion Tod Morgan at the end of Morgans career for 3 wins and a loss, beat champion Australian welterweight Tommy Burns (KO9) and famously lost his biggest fight to Freddie Dawson by KO12 after putting Dawson through the ropes in round 11.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

10. Jimmy Carruthers (21-4) - World Bantamweight champion; won title against Vic Toweel (KO1) and again (KO10), beat Chamroen Songkitrat in a rainstorm in Thailand (W12), "Pappy" Gault (W15), Luis Castillo (W12) and legend has it fellow Australian Ray Coleman twice in one night, in the ring (W12) and in a park across the street later on. Australia's first universally recognised world champion in the 20th century.
http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

With very honourable mentions to Hector Thompson, Ambrose Palmer, Ron Richards, Johnny Famechon, Tony Mundine, Charkey Ramon, George Barnes, Tommy Burns, Paul Ferreri, Fred Henneberry, Jeff Harding, Lester Ellis, Barry Michael.

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 26 Mar 2008, 19:09

What amazes me about darcy is how much he accomplished at such a young age, one can only wonder what would have been had he not died so young.

I do not know of one Aussie over 45 or so who does not say Les Darcy's name with pride and admiration.

p4p1 · Post by **p4p1** » 26 Mar 2008, 19:18

Robinson wrote:What amazes me about darcy is how much he accomplished at such a young age, one can only wonder what would have been had he not died so young.

I do not know of one Aussie over 45 or so who does not say Les Darcy's name with pride and admiration.

completeley agree with you it is a great wonder on what could of been or how highly he may have been rated in an all time sense it was very unfortunate for aussie boxing

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 26 Mar 2008, 20:43

what amazes me about Darcy IS,
when you look at HIS & other fighters who either took up residency in America or had a good few fights there and campaigned very well there, then why in the hell didn't more top fighters from Boxing's Top Nations also not go to the States and prove their mettle(?).

Henneberry ran to Britain to get a British or Commonwealth Title shot in the same manner that Darcy and others ran to the States.

Fred never got his shot though , top fighter that he was.

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 26 Mar 2008, 22:39

I suppose its a complicated period as most of the talent was focused on another sort of fight.

Hence Darcy's criticism...which he got even afte he enlisted in the US Army air corp.

One thing for certain is that our early century men helped define our national identity. When you consider how small a nation we were(are) and especially considering how new a nation we were at that time, we still managed to produce a lot of credible fighters...as well as host one of the sports and social histories biggest events (Burns-Johnson).

p4p1 · Post by **p4p1** » 26 Mar 2008, 22:53

^^^ i think its suprising how well australia does in all sports when u consider we have a population of just over 20million people now

granberry · Post by **granberry** » 27 Mar 2008, 02:49

What is lucky is that there are films of two Darcy fights.

p4p1 · Post by **p4p1** » 27 Mar 2008, 02:52

granberry wrote:What is lucky is that there are films of two Darcy fights.

where can i get them? i would love to see him in action!

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 27 Mar 2008, 03:48

I have also seen footage of him sparring and training as well.
I had a doco on him as well as some old beta tape my grand dad had.

sadly when my mum moved house they were 'misplaced'. Still searching.

He was fast and explosve, I guess very much like a Sam Langford, atleast that is how I remember his fighthing style.

Aggressive he certainly was.

grevan · Post by **grevan** » 27 Mar 2008, 06:25

If you can track down a copy of either "Les Darcy-The Maitland Wonder" or "That's Boxing" a documentary made in the 90's about the history of Australian boxing there's footage there of Darcy.

The first 20 minutes of "That's Boxing" shows snippets of his fights with McGoorty, Clabby, George KO Brown and Chip. He was incredibly strong and fast, kept walking forward and had a great chin. At one stage he drops McGoorty with about four left hooks in a row. I have copies of both but the quality isn't that great.

They also show footage of Darcy's funeral which over 250,000 people turned out for. Heartbreaking stuff.

Your top ten Australian fighters

Your top ten Australian fighters

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