Honeyghan v Curry questions

[jamesmcdonnell]

I am currently working on a book, one of the chapters of which focuses on the matchup between Curry and Honeyghan.

I wondered if anyone here has any insights to offer, preferably first or second hand information on the buildup, fight itself and aftermath of the fight.

I am particularly intereted in any account of Curry's personal problems, especially the rumours of coke abuse at the time, as well as how Lloyd handled fame etc.

I will be interviewing Mickey Duff soon, but it's always good to have other viewpoints.

Anyone who has anything to offer by way of insights, either post them here, or better still email me at

[email protected]

[MightyWarrior]

Check with Bennie, James, he was there for that one.

Lloyd and Duff both apparently had bets down on a Honey win I remember - let me know the odds if Mickey remembers, cause I'm sure they'd have been longer than Hagler/Leonard!!

Honeyghan had a heroes welcome back in Elephant & Castle - his victory party was at The Blue Elephant in Fulham..

[bennie]

I posted quite a long piece on my trip to the fight on the British Eastside forum, James, under the thread title: "What is the best fight you have seen live", or words to that effect. British Eastside has a typically arrogant and annoying habit of deleting old threads for no reason, but I think it's still there mate (I'm banned, so I don't know).
If it isn't, I will dig it out for you.

[theguvnor]

I met Lloyd just after he won the British title.

I was working in a bar in London when i was called to the front door by the doorman who was having trouble refusing entry to someone who insisted on coming in, even though he was wearing jeans, (inproper dress code). when I arrived, there was Lloyd, with an armful of signed photos.
As one of his girlfriends also worked at the bar, and because he was Lloyd Honyghan, I let him in.

We chatted for a while, he was a very amicable guy, always smilling and joking around. He told me then that he would be World champ one day.

when his time came to challenge Curry, I gave him little chance. I just could not see how Lloyd could pull off what Colin Jones and Milton McCrory could not.

But IMO his fight with Curry, who i think was regarded as the best p4p at the time, was one of the best results ever from a British fighter.

Micky Duff is quoted as saying that Lloyd's performace that night was the closest thing to perfection he has ever seen.

[jamesmcdonnell]

What did you get Banned for Bennie?

Were you actually at the fight did you say? If you were you're a lucky bastard, that's all I can say.

I think it's arguable that that is the best performance ever by a British fighter, turpin beat Robinson, but Lloyd beat Curry up

I saw Lloyd at York Hall one night, and I shouted over, 'Hey, aren't you that guy who kicked the shit out of Don Curry?' His eyes lit up, and he cackled a long cackle.

It surprises me that there appears to be no official biography of Lloyd Honeyghan, not one I can see listed on Amazon anyway.

[bennie]

What did you get Banned for Bennie?

Were you actually at the fight did you say? If you were you're a lucky bastard, that's all I can say.

I think it's arguable that that is the best performance ever by a British fighter, turpin beat Robinson, but Lloyd beat Curry up

I saw Lloyd at York Hall one night, and I shouted over, 'Hey, aren't you that guy who kicked the shit out of Don Curry?' His eyes lit up, and he cackled a long cackle.

It surprises me that there appears to be no official biography of Lloyd Honeyghan, not one I can see listed on Amazon anyway.

I was banned for slagging off Johnny Nelson. I was asked back, but it was getting boring on there and the moderator spends his whole time plugging Hennessy boxing shows (he works for the promoter).
Yes, I was at Honeyghan-Curry in 1986. I reported it for Boxing News. It was a fabulous weekend to be British. Honeyghan destroyed Curry; really broke him up. Curry's lip was badly cut from short right uppercuts in the first round (which, believe me, from ringside were vicious), he was staggered in the second, and it all went downhill from there. It was one of those fights where a cut received by a losing fighter (after a clash of heads in the sixth), allowed Curry's corner to pull him out and save him from getting knocked out. "The Cobra" was going to get absolutely flattened. Okay, he was dead at the weight. He wasn't sweating at all on his way to the ring, but Honeyghan was a far better fighter than anyone could have anticipated up to then (he had been well matched by Duff and Lawless), and proved a fine champion of course. Lloyd bet 5000 dollars on himself at odds of 5/1 before the fight. Mickey Duff bet a lot more. I bet a lot less.

[Bricks]

This should be fascinating.
Although Lloyd profile has risen in recent times with his victory over curry being mentioned every time a brit fights a formidable american in the US , and lloyds punditry for sky sports news at hatton fights, the fact remains this fight remains an enigma as does the career rise and fall of honeyghan.

The performance against curry was incredible. That night honeyghan looked like a furious combination of ricardo mayorga and wilfred benitez!

He was ferocious attacking, yet he was so quick slipping and sliding out of the way of the super quick Curry reflexes and counters.

Often on american boxing forums people call Honeyghan a puncher, but he really was defensively a boxing master when he choose to be. The blocker and curry fights showed his boxing skills at their best.

Im sorry i dont have anything to contribute, but in october 2006 i bumped into mickey duff in selfridges on bond street ( i remember it as i was looking for my wedding suit). we chatted for a minute or so and I asked mickey if he thought lloyd at his best would have taken starling and he said yes.

[Ezzard]

Thanks for that Mugabi... many people seem to forget his skill...

He pulled a very good Mittee apart. But it seemed that after the Blocker win he was fed some smaller ex title belt holders hathcer and Bumphus and then just seemed to believe his own hype. he left the skill at home and just took everyone on in a brawl. Would love to meet him. One of my favourite boxers.

Oh, he couldn't have fought a worse tactical fight against Starling if he'd have tried.

[elmersalsa]

I don't know why the British men in here call Lloyd Honeyghan a "british" when he was born in Jamaica.

Anyway, I was shocked how he destroyed one of the best, or probably the best fighter pound per pound of the time in Donald Curry. Lloyd showed some great boxing skills and also was very confident and poised. He was not intimidated by Curry's status nor reputation. He really put it on him.

[Bricks]

The starling-honeyghan fight i think they could make a modern "when we were kings" about just that fight.
The prologed build up, where the 2 fighters traded insults for 3 years. The pure hatred, and eventually starling fighting the best fight of his life and lloyd the worst conspired to one of the worst beatings i have ever seen in a ring. The BBC cut a killer promo prior to the fight and Harry Carpenters commentary was brilliant.
The magninamity of Honeyghan post fight and starlings aloof arrogance and lack of personality said it all.
Starling destroyed Honeyghans career prematurely.

[dr_devious]

Although Lloyd's win over Curry was startling, I also thought the win over Blocker was very impressive, Blocker was one of the top men at WW in the late 80s. I was surprised that he lost, especially so badly against Starling

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

I am currently working on a book, one of the chapters of which focuses on the matchup between Curry and Honeyghan.

I wondered if anyone here has any insights to offer, preferably first or second hand information on the buildup, fight itself and aftermath of the fight.

I am particularly intereted in any account of Curry's personal problems, especially the rumours of coke abuse at the time, as well as how Lloyd handled fame etc.

--- Good luck on your book mate.

What struck me in the day, I was a young casual fan, was how Curry rose through the ranks so sweetly science like. Then he fired his manager and trainer, taking those duties and cuts of the purse for himself. Shortly afterwards he loses to Honey who was a prime hungry talent, no shame in that.

Have to think hitting the bigtime as the top p4p fighter got to Curry's ego which blew up in his face. There was also talk that Ray Leonard advised him to go ahead and struggle to make the weight rather than move up for a Hagler bout or Ray himself. He seems to have a grudge against Ray.

At any rate, like when Tyson's training fell apart, the finely tuned timepiece that was Curry fell apart and he never regained his mojo. Did very well against McCallum until the giant left hook. Perhaps the most beautiful example of boxer puncher ever created in that short span. Once McCallum laid him out, it was like Ray Arcel used to say, "Once you get hit like that you stay hit forever."

[Bricks]

Yes of all the fight's I've watched the Starling-Honeyghan one is one of the most interesting.
Starling seemingly turned up at his best, Honeyghan seemingly at his worst.

The only time I've seen fights approach it for sheer hatred between the fighters was Mayweather v Corrales and Vargas V De La Hoya.

Corralles took a bad beating against Mayweather but he seemed facially and emotionally together at the end.

The kind of beating Honeyghan took was different, it just seemed like the damage broke him up inside and outside. He just lost his flow totally. Worse than what he himself did to Curry.

i really think the fate of curry and honeyghan were linked in the ring.

Many of the guys Honeyghan beat (curry, bumphus, blocker) were the ones who could beat Starling. But come fight day it was a horrific beating for him.

[Ezzard]

I don't know why the British men in here call Lloyd Honeyghan a "british" when he was born in Jamaica.

Anyway, I was shocked how he destroyed one of the best, or probably the best fighter pound per pound of the time in Donald Curry. Lloyd showed some great boxing skills and also was very confident and poised. He was not intimidated by Curry's status nor reputation. He really put it on him.

He did win the British and Europena titles.

[Ezzard]

Starling was great defensively, had a stout chin and was a great technician. Almost impossible to KO as long as the shot wasn't after the bell. But he could be lazy in the ring.

Honeyghan was never going to KO him. He just had to prepare to go the distance and outwork him. Instead he blindly went for the KO as if riding the Bumphus and Hatcher wins...

A guy who used to post here once told me that Lloyd knew his hands would not last a full bout and so thought his only chance was to win by knockout as early as possible. which is why he went with the strategy.

This was a winnable fight. Definitely one fo the worst strategies ever picked. BUT Honeyghan seemed to have lost something when he lost to Vaca. Mentally he was not the same man.

[Bricks]

Honeyghan was never going to KO him. He just had to prepare to go the distance and outwork him. Instead he blindly went for the KO as if riding the Bumphus and Hatcher wins...

But do you remember how,even with a wild cuffing swing at the very end of the fourth round honeyghan wobbled starling badly? even with the lousy strategy honeyghan was slightly ahead after 4 rounds.
Other big punchers like michael nunn, mark breland, and don curry werent able to wobble the strong chinned starling but lloyd did.

[harrygreb]

lloyds career was an amazing ride. cant wait for this book james.

[Grimm]

Honeyghan was never going to KO him. He just had to prepare to go the distance and outwork him. Instead he blindly went for the KO as if riding the Bumphus and Hatcher wins...

But do you remember how,even with a wild cuffing swing at the very end of the fourth round honeyghan wobbled starling badly? even with the lousy strategy honeyghan was slightly ahead after 4 rounds.
Other big punchers like michael nunn, mark breland, and don curry werent able to wobble the strong chinned starling but lloyd did.

Nunn was a big puncher?

[Evander]

Nothing original to offer here.

I do remember that a Hagler v Curry fight was being spoke off around those times.

Curry was a solid favorite over Lloyd.
At least 4/1 I believe.

No inside info.

For me this ranked as one of the biggest upsets in modern time.
Don Curry was a serious P4P guy at the time ... maybe even NO 1.
Curry was 25-0.
He beat Marlon,Jones and that kick ass KO over McCrory in 2.
Donald had lighting fast hands as I remember.
At the time Don Curry was well respected.

[Evander]

When you look at Honeyghan who was really a South London guy opposed to an East London guy,Lloyd showed all the traits of someone from that side of the river [South].
East and South were both tough no question.

But East was slightly more strategic,South were wild.
That was Honeyghan ... wild.
Hell that's how he beat Curry.

Yeah you had the odd guy from those sides of London that were the same,but for the most part you could see the differences.

I remember Mickey Duff trying to hold back Lloyd from celebrating that victory in the ring and Honeyghan getting pissed off.
It was that memorable.

Huge win for Honeyghan.

[harrygreb]

i'm an east end fella and i kind of agree with you about the east/south styles with notable exceptions (nigel benn, an easterner, being just one).

mugabi - re michael nunn - not a puncher.

[Bricks]

Its probably easier to say with hindsight Nunn wasn't a big puncher and over hos entire career he wasnt,but I stand by my comment that in the 88-90 time frame where the Nunn -Starling fight took place, Nunn had cultivated a rep as a big puncher.
he scored 1989's best One punch kayo over the iron chinned and tactically/defensively superior to Starling, Sumbu Kalambay
He had stopped and brutalised the granite chinned Juan Roldan and Frank Tate.
In 1990 Nunn was considered a puncher

[THEHAMMER321]

First off I don't think there was much buildup to the fight as Curry was a very big favorite but I did see Curry many years later here in Las Vegas walking in a heavy crack area so you can draw your own conclusion