Fighters who are really, really "fired up"

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:10

Anyone got any classic examples of this?

One recent(ish) memory that pops into my head regularly for some reason is of flyweight Peter Culshaw prowling around the ring before his fight with British champ Ady Lewis. Jesus that lad was absolutely desperate to start throwing leather, how he managed to stand still during the minutes silence for Princess Diana I'll never know. Culshaw gave Lewis such a bloody hammering in that first round but it wasn't quite enough and proved an expensive gamble.

Another is Ivan Robinson in the first fight with Gatti. The big underdog was absolutely red hot from the start.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:14

Evander Holyfield before his bout with Tyson, singing at the top of his voice on the way in, he looked like a man possessed

Carl Thompson before his fight with Haye, he has a look which said 'murderous intent' all over it. I remember Haye refused to make eye contact at the eyeballing bit.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:15

Duran in the first Leonard fight.
Pryor before the first Arguello fight ( almost any fight in fact )
Tyson / Spinks.
Vargas before ODH.
Hagler / Hearns ( both )
Frazier waiting for opening bell of the first Ali fight.

J · Post by J » 18 Jan 2005, 09:17

BENN vs eubank surely no one has hated someone else so much for so long! (well in thier fighting days at least).

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:18

The Ragamuffin man (Honeyghan) brought serious fury to a lot of his fights before the fire eventually went out.

I bet Johnny Bumphus still wonders what he ran in to the night he challenged Lloyd.

knockout · Post by **knockout** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:19

Robin Reid before most fights...... Magee notably and Calzaghe too i recall......

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:20

THEBUTCH wrote:The Ragamuffin man (Honeyghan) brought serious fury to a lot of his fights before the fire eventually went out.

I bet Johnny Bumphus still wonders what he ran in to the night he challenged Lloyd.

Yeah that was something else. During the stare down, poor old Bump seemed to shrink before our eyes.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:30

Tyson before Berbick was fired up, contemptuous even. "You thought Berbick was class!" he barked at Reg Gutteridge after the two-round destruction.

Kilburn · Post by **Kilburn** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:39

Just thought - Roy Jones for the Griffin rematch. The champ was really having problems settling back down after that annihilation.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:48

THEBUTCH wrote:The Ragamuffin man (Honeyghan) brought serious fury to a lot of his fights before the fire eventually went out.

I bet Johnny Bumphus still wonders what he ran in to the night he challenged Lloyd.

I bet Donald Curry felt much the same way.

celticwarrior · Post by **celticwarrior** » 18 Jan 2005, 09:50

Steve Collins before the rematch with Eubank, he charged across the ring and nearly ended up falling out through the ropes

kevin · Post by **kevin** » 18 Jan 2005, 11:30

Chas Symonds was pretty fired up for his battle with Brett James at the York Hall last year

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 18 Jan 2005, 11:49

Benn v Barkley, they both were really fired up, Barkley looked almost mad, i think Benn knew it was do or die straight from the first bell

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 18 Jan 2005, 12:04

Kevin wrote:Chas Symonds was pretty fired up for his battle with Brett James at the York Hall last year

Yeah he rattled James a bit I think too, the crowd were going fornicating bananas that night, cracking show...

kevin · Post by **kevin** » 18 Jan 2005, 12:11

I know when I spoke to Brett he was not happy, he said he felt Symonds was disrespectful to him. He said it did make him lose concentration of his game plan

Kev

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 18 Jan 2005, 12:13

Hadn't they trained together in the past? I think it pissed him off that he was so unpleasant before their bout, and it got in his head.

I think he would have won in the end though James, were it not for the dumb rulings in this country. The cut was caused by a blatant clash of heads, and yet he loses as a direct result of that.

daniel son · Post by **daniel son** » 18 Jan 2005, 12:32

What about Michael Gomez? He looks like he wants to have a fight with everyone, very intense.

J · Post by J » 18 Jan 2005, 12:33

daniel son wrote:What about Michael Gomez? He looks like he wants to have a fight with everyone, very intense.

and thats just when he is sitting ringside!

kevin · Post by **kevin** » 18 Jan 2005, 13:06

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Hadn't they trained together in the past? I think it pissed him off that he was so unpleasant before their bout, and it got in his head.

I think he would have won in the end though James, were it not for the dumb rulings in this country. The cut was caused by a blatant clash of heads, and yet he loses as a direct result of that.

Yes they were training partners and friends

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 18 Jan 2005, 13:13

Farnell walking to the ring to fight Takaloo.

Iran Barkley prowling around the ring like a hungry Wolf before tearing into Darren Vann Horn.

and (for him) Lennox Lewis walking to the ring to meet Golota.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 18 Jan 2005, 13:53

Oliver McCall for many of his fights.

bigped · Post by **bigped** » 18 Jan 2005, 15:37

Gomez vs Arthur................

Gomez was well up for that one,,,

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 18 Jan 2005, 17:51

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:Oliver McCall for many of his fights.

What you mean he fired up his crack pipe....