..or anyone else who can shed some light on this...
But Terry Downes fight with Dick Tiger, what was the story here? I mean 3rd pro fight and in with a top fighter like Tiger!
Probably never happen these days which is a shame. I think a defeat can be more useful than blowing away an out of condition car park attendant...
Even so, why did this fight happen and what was the thinking behind it?
Probably one for bennie...
Re: Probably one for bennie...
Mickey Duff had seen Tiger fight and thought Downes could take him. Nobody could know Tiger would prove such a great fighter.Ezzard wrote:..or anyone else who can shed some light on this...
But Terry Downes fight with Dick Tiger, what was the story here? I mean 3rd pro fight and in with a top fighter like Tiger!
Probably never happen these days which is a shame. I think a defeat can be more useful than blowing away an out of condition car park attendant...
Even so, why did this fight happen and what was the thinking behind it?
As Duff said in his autobiography: "I had seen Tiger lose to a nobody in Liverpool and thought he was a perfect opponent - one who would make a show but wouldn't be good enough to win.
"Like many other African fighters of the day, Tiger had travelled to Liverpool a couple of years earlier and had not made much impact. He was already 27 years old, only a couple of months younger than me (Duff), and had lost almost as many as he had won in Britain. We had absolutely no idea that he would go on to be first the middleweight champion and then the light-heavyweight champion of the world."
Tiger received £60 for the fight.
Re: Probably one for bennie...
Many thanks bennie, much appreciatedbennie wrote:Mickey Duff had seen Tiger fight and thought Downes could take him. Nobody could know Tiger would prove such a great fighter.Ezzard wrote:..or anyone else who can shed some light on this...
But Terry Downes fight with Dick Tiger, what was the story here? I mean 3rd pro fight and in with a top fighter like Tiger!
Probably never happen these days which is a shame. I think a defeat can be more useful than blowing away an out of condition car park attendant...
Even so, why did this fight happen and what was the thinking behind it?
As Duff said in his autobiography: "I had seen Tiger lose to a nobody in Liverpool and thought he was a perfect opponent - one who would make a show but wouldn't be good enough to win.
"Like many other African fighters of the day, Tiger had travelled to Liverpool a couple of years earlier and had not made much impact. He was already 27 years old, only a couple of months younger than me (Duff), and had lost almost as many as he had won in Britain. We had absolutely no idea that he would go on to be first the middleweight champion and then the light-heavyweight champion of the world."
Tiger received £60 for the fight.