The Great White Hope(s)?

[thealfa]

how many heavyweight boxers in the 70's fought under the label "The Great White Hope"?

I understand there have been some who were labeled as such. List them...

[Jaywheel]

I tought Tye Fields was the first.

[Robinson]

'Irish' Terry Conklin.

[bjermaine]

'Irish' Terry Conklin.

"he's gonna kiss the donkey"

[Collins2000]

"Irish" Leroy Haley

[oliverfennell]

'Irish' Terry Conklin.

"he's gonna kiss the donkey"

"What? I'm not Irish!"

"Shut up, it just means you're white!"

[thealfa]

I asked specifically someone from the 70's and heavyweight division...oh well didn't get answers I need.

[Robinson]

I suppose
Jerry Quarry
Duane Bobick
and some of the South African lads are the main ones that
come to mind. Coetzee and Knotes.

I guess Boone Kirkman for a while..
Joe Bugner
Jack Bodell.

Richard Dunn, Chuck Wepner, Lorenzo Zannon, Scott Ledoux ?:P

[yancey]

I suppose
Jerry Quarry
Duane Bobick
and some of the South African lads are the main ones that
come to mind. Coetzee and Knotes.

I guess Boone Kirkman for a while..
Joe Bugner
Jack Bodell.

Richard Dunn, Chuck Wepner, Lorenzo Zannon, Scott Ledoux ?:P

That probably pretty much covers it. I would mention the name Tony Doyle, who showed some early promise because he beat Joe Frazier when they were amateurs. They met again around '67 in the pros and Joe took him out pretty quickly. I think Doyle soldiered on until 1975. He beat Thad Spencer by decision a couple of times in the very early '70s, but lost to Bugner and to Quarry. He did have a draw with Quarry when they were both very early on in their pro careers. I wonder whatever happened to "Irish" Tony Doyle?

Bodell had a quick experience with Irish Jerry Quarry, didn't he?

[Robinson]

Bodell certainly did. But he also managed to do well in the Empire and
Europe.

[Djanders]

how many heavyweight boxers in the 70's fought under the label "The Great White Hope"?

I understand there have been some who were labeled as such. List them...

Actually, as crazy as it sounds, I heard many people refer to Joe Frazier that way...in 1971...right before the FOTC against Ali.

[Mr E]

White Heavyweights of the 1970s:

1-Jerry Quarry
2-Gerry Cooney (he'd gotten a pretty good start by 12/31/79)
3-Gerrie Coetzee
4-Joe Bugner
5-Oscar Bonavena
6-George Chuvalo
7-Gregorio Peralta
8-Boone Kirkman
9-Kallie Knoetze
10-Duane Bobick
12-Scott LeDoux
13-Jack Bodell
14-Alfredo Evangilista
15-Jose Manuel Urtain
16-John Dino Dennis
17-Lorenzo Zanon
18-Chuck Wepner
19-Richard Dunn
20-Jurgen Blin

H/M: Jean-Pierre Coopman, Ron Stander, Tony Doyle, Jack O'Halleran, Terry Daniels, Rodney Bobick

[actjac]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

[raylawpc]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

Understood by whom? I was alive and active in the game in the 1970s, and that's the first I've heard of it.

[actjac]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

Understood by whom? I was alive and active in the game in the 1970s, and that's the first I've heard of it.

The rest of us.

[Collins2000]

[Mr E]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

Even accepting your particular definition of "Great White Hope" to mean "Great White English-Speaking Hope," why would it rule out LeDoux and Wepner? Unless you think they're respective Minnesota and New Jersey accents don't constitute "English," in which case you better remove the South Africans (Coetzee, Knoetze), the Brit (Bugner), and the Canadian (Chuvalo) from your list as well. Come to think of it, you'll also have to remove LeDoux's fellow Minnestoan, Bobick.

[raylawpc]

[actjac]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

Even accepting your particular definition of "Great White Hope" to mean "Great White English-Speaking Hope," why would it rule out LeDoux and Wepner? Unless you think they're respective Minnesota and New Jersey accents don't constitute "English," in which case you better remove the South Africans (Coetzee, Knoetze), the Brit (Bugner), and the Canadian (Chuvalo) from your list as well. Come to think of it, you'll also have to remove LeDoux's fellow Minnestoan, Bobick.

The other part of the criteria says LEGITIMATE CONTENDERS. Wepner and LeDoux were not considered legitimate threats to the title. They were just tough journeymen.

[Mr E]

During the era Great White Hopes had to be English speaking as well as legitimate contenders. It was just something that was understood. That ruled out South Americans, Scott LeDoux and Chuck Wepner.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

Even accepting your particular definition of "Great White Hope" to mean "Great White English-Speaking Hope," why would it rule out LeDoux and Wepner? Unless you think they're respective Minnesota and New Jersey accents don't constitute "English," in which case you better remove the South Africans (Coetzee, Knoetze), the Brit (Bugner), and the Canadian (Chuvalo) from your list as well. Come to think of it, you'll also have to remove LeDoux's fellow Minnestoan, Bobick.

The other part of the criteria says LEGITIMATE CONTENDERS. Wepner and LeDoux were not considered legitimate threats to the title. They were just tough journeymen.

That was your criteria, perhaps. My particular list was titled 'white heavies of the 70s.' Note, however, that there is a difference between being a 'legitimate contender,' which LeDoux most certainly was, and a legitimate threat to win the title, which none of these guys, except Quarry and Cooney, were.

Also, I suppose that, by 'English-speaking' you really mean 'English as a 1st language,' hmm? Of the people on my list who were not born in English-speaking countries, I think they could all, nevertheless, speak English.

[actjac]

Your quote was "how many heavyweight boxers in the 70's fought under the label "The Great White Hope"?....only those I listed would be considered at that time. The rest were not for various reasons.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

[Mr E]

Your quote was "how many heavyweight boxers in the 70's fought under the label "The Great White Hope"?....only those I listed would be considered at that time. The rest were not for various reasons.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

As people commonly do on public message boards, I expanded the initial inquiry somewhat and, thus, answered a slightly different question, carefully titling my list "White Heavyweights of the 1970s" so that there would be no confusion concerning the subject of that list.

Given your definintion, though, I think you have identified the right people. However, I think it is fundamentally inaccurate to limit "Great White Hope" to "Great White English-As-A-First-Language Hope." As one example, there was a time early in his career when Jose Manuel Urtain looked like monster and a lot of pretty knowledgeable people thought he was a real comer. Turned out, he was more Mac Foster than he was George Foreman and his career faded out, but you better believe plenty of people considered him to be a white hope.

[actjac]

Your quote was "how many heavyweight boxers in the 70's fought under the label "The Great White Hope"?....only those I listed would be considered at that time. The rest were not for various reasons.

-Jerry Quarry
-Gerry Cooney
-Gerrie Coetzee
-Joe Bugner
-George Chuvalo
-Boone Kirkman
-Kallie Knoetze
-Duane Bobick

As people commonly do on public message boards, I expanded the initial inquiry somewhat and, thus, answered a slightly different question, carefully titling my list "White Heavyweights of the 1970s" so that there would be no confusion concerning the subject of that list.

Given your definintion, though, I think you have identified the right people. However, I think it is fundamentally inaccurate to limit "Great White Hope" to "Great White English-As-A-First-Language Hope." As one example, there was a time early in his career when Jose Manuel Urtain looked like monster and a lot of pretty knowledgeable people thought he was a real comer. Turned out, he was more Mac Foster than he was George Foreman and his career faded out, but you better believe plenty of people considered him to be a white hope.

The two who were considered the best "Great White Hope" prospects were busts...Bobick and Cooney and then out of nowhere comes Gerrie Coetzee to win a title.

[Martin Sosa Cameron]

White Heavyweights of the 1970s:

1-Jerry Quarry
2-Gerry Cooney (he'd gotten a pretty good start by 12/31/79)
3-Gerrie Coetzee
4-Joe Bugner
5-Oscar Bonavena
6-George Chuvalo
7-Gregorio Peralta
8-Boone Kirkman
9-Kallie Knoetze
10-Duane Bobick
12-Scott LeDoux
13-Jack Bodell
14-Alfredo Evangilista
15-Jose Manuel Urtain
16-John Dino Dennis
17-Lorenzo Zanon
18-Chuck Wepner
19-Richard Dunn
20-Jurgen Blin

H/M: Jean-Pierre Coopman, Ron Stander, Tony Doyle, Jack O'Halleran, Terry Daniels, Rodney Bobick

I don't see the numbers, and, with the name of fighters, is a good list... Remember any others, between them Randall (Tex) Cobb