Inexperienced boxers winning ABA titles

[Deserter]

Rutherford's the obvious one, but didn't John Davison also do pretty well in terms of progression? I think he only laced up the gloves in his early 20s and was competing at the top level within a year or two (don't think he actually won an ABA title though).
With these guys it always makes me wonder how far they could have gone if they'd started when they were in their early teens rather than early 20s...

[TerribleTerry]

Rutherford holds the all-time record for winning an ABA title in the least number of fights: it is 10. Roy could fight and had the kind of head you did not want to run into, but it was a sad day for the amateur game when a kid could be crowned ABA champ in his 10th bout (in 1995 at lightweight). The introduction of headguards in the early 1980s had finally done their dire job.

Roy’s record will be very hard for anyone to better – I think he only had 3 or 4 contests before entering and winning the ABAs at his first attempt.

I don’t buy this nonsense that head guards played a part in his run to the championship: the lad was a phenomenal talent.

Roy studied martial arts from a young age and was the prodigy of former World Full Contact Kickboxing Middleweight champion Dev Barrett fighting out of Coventry.

http://www.ecka.co.uk/dev-barrett.php

Whilst Roy took to boxing like a duck to water he was already a phenom within the contact karate scene with a wealth of competitive experience.

Roy Rutherford lived the life; he was dedicated, super fit with great athletic ability.

As Coco has already stated, to win the British title without the backing of a major promoter is a highly commendable achievement in itself – Roy Rutherford could have gone further still with the right management/promotional team behind him from early in his career IMO.

[TerribleTerry]

In fairness Roy could really fight, the fact he won a British pro title without any real backing from promoters proved that

Just had a quick look at Roy's record and noticed that you boxed him back to back Coco - how did you find him?

How did he rate in comparison to the other lads you boxed?

[bennie]

In fairness Roy could really fight, the fact he won a British pro title without any real backing from promoters proved that

Just had a quick look at Roy's record and noticed that you boxed him back to back Coco - how did you find him?

How did he rate in comparison to the other lads you boxed?

F ucking hell, Rutherford must have been shit.

[TerribleTerry]

In fairness Roy could really fight, the fact he won a British pro title without any real backing from promoters proved that

Just had a quick look at Roy's record and noticed that you boxed him back to back Coco - how did you find him?

How did he rate in comparison to the other lads you boxed?

F ucking hell, Rutherford must have been shit.

eh?

[Coco]

In fairness Roy could really fight, the fact he won a British pro title without any real backing from promoters proved that

Just had a quick look at Roy's record and noticed that you boxed him back to back Coco - how did you find him?

How did he rate in comparison to the other lads you boxed?

I thought he was one of the best, perhaps he just had my number, a good bit smaller then me, not a banger but very accurate and hurtful, perhaps a little bit chin, but I was never gonna get to him.
Sometimes against prospects you could negate them by pushing them back or conversely getting on your bike.
I tried both and just walked onto shots when I went forward and was a sitting duck when I went back. I was usually pretty good at slipping shots by moving sise to side but he was too accurate.
Perhaps Bennie would have been in a better position to comment if Roy broke his nose too!

[TerribleTerry]

In fairness Roy could really fight, the fact he won a British pro title without any real backing from promoters proved that

Just had a quick look at Roy's record and noticed that you boxed him back to back Coco - how did you find him?

How did he rate in comparison to the other lads you boxed?

I thought he was one of the best, perhaps he just had my number, a good bit smaller then me, not a banger but very accurate and hurtful, perhaps a little bit chin, but I was never gonna get to him.
Sometimes against prospects you could negate them by pushing them back or conversely getting on your bike.
I tried both and just walked onto shots when I went forward and was a sitting duck when I went back. I was usually pretty good at slipping shots by moving sise to side but he was too accurate.
Perhaps Bennie would have been in a better position to comment if Roy broke his nose too!

Nice one Coco - great insight there. Really good to have the perspective of someone who has faced him in competition.

Don't worry about Bennie - he is a bitter, old curmudgeon these days. Never has a good word for anyone any more it seems to me..

[Coco]

This was me the morning after our second fight, and my face had swelled up far more by the day after!
He may have fought me back to back but I had had a couple of fights inbetween. The reason was he was very difficult to match as he did not have the promotional backing to pay the money for people to fight him. This is why as a featherweight he was forced to fight light and light welters.
They probably came back to me as I was always too greedy to turn work down!

[ERIC GUY]

Horace is a good friend of mine, he had to retire with bad eyes, he was udefeated and was the next challenger to the European title held by Damiani,but had to retire, Married Jaqui Gordan-Lawrence, who played Etta in eastenders, 'CELESTINE'!!!!!

[Counter-puncher]

Nice one Coco - great insight there. Really good to have the perspective of someone who has faced him in competition.

Don't worry about Bennie - he is a bitter, old curmudgeon these days. Never has a good word for anyone any more it seems to me..

aye, great insight thanks coco

[Bomber 1]

I won Novice Under10's 81kg in my 9th fight

Novive under 20's @ 81kg in 12th fight

ABA heavyweight title @ 91kg in my 16th fight (8 to 12 weeks after winning Under 20's @81kg)

4 Nations Gold in my 17th fight..

I never really got much chance on club shows and only boxed on about 4 of the top of my head..I ended up having about 47 am bouts and stopping 30 so I was really happy with that in the end.Winning 5 national titles and a few nice medals too.. Not bad for a fat lazy kid (which I was lablled all through my am career)....

[$wifty]

I won Novice Under10's 81kg in my 9th fight

Novive under 20's @ 81kg in 12th fight

ABA heavyweight title @ 91kg in my 16th fight (8 to 12 weeks after winning Under 20's @81kg)

4 Nations Gold in my 17th fight..

I never really got much chance on club shows and only boxed on about 4 of the top of my head..I ended up having about 47 am bouts and stopping 30 so I was really happy with that in the end.Winning 5 national titles and a few nice medals too.. Not bad for a fat lazy kid (which I was lablled all through my am career)....

Labelled??? YOU WAS!!! All turned out well in the end though mate

[jBacca]

I won Novice Under10's 81kg in my 9th fight

Novive under 20's @ 81kg in 12th fight

ABA heavyweight title @ 91kg in my 16th fight (8 to 12 weeks after winning Under 20's @81kg)

4 Nations Gold in my 17th fight..

I never really got much chance on club shows and only boxed on about 4 of the top of my head..I ended up having about 47 am bouts and stopping 30 so I was really happy with that in the end.Winning 5 national titles and a few nice medals too.. Not bad for a fat lazy kid (which I was lablled all through my am career)....

Haha saw you in the ABA final against Danny Price (i think?) and i'd have to go with the general consesus...