Late 80s/mid 90s: 122-126

[Rover]

Jacob, who beat Zaragoza and had two tough fights with Vazquez.

[Rover]

Fabrice Benichou!

When has there been another title fight in Israel?

[Datsue]

Fabrice Benichou!

When has there been another title fight in Israel?

Damn straight.

& what was he? Roma? Corsican? French? Jewish? All of the above? I think I've seen all of those thing claimed, at some point...

Strong guy with a bazzing pony-tail, a cool somersault, heavy hands & a solid chin.

[Rover]

Surprised Sanabria beat him.
Oh my, that reminds me of Lee!!

[Rover]

Does Smoke fit in? He had that war with Kelley in 96.

[Datsue]

I've created a monster. I'm going to be stuck watching Fabrice Benichou DVDs & downloading Louie (Luis?) Espinoza (Espinosa?) fights all night, now.

Also, did those last two fight? That would've been wicked-cool.

Phonetically, imagine the following sentence: "Espinosa lands a shot! Oh, but Louie counters! Big right hand from Luis! Huge left hook from Espinoza! Espinosa is out on his feet! It's all Espinoza now!" A fight made for radio, that one.

Please don't mention Derrick. Not unless it's in the sentence "Wasn't it great when Kevin Kelley knocked him the fvck out?"

[Rover]

I've created a monster. I'm going to be stuck watching Fabrice Benichou DVDs & downloading Louie (Luis?) Espinoza (Espinosa?) fights all night, now.

Also, did those last two fight? That would've been wicked-cool.

Phonetically, imagine the following sentence: "Espinosa lands a shot! Oh, but Louie counters! Big right hand from Luis! Huge left hook from Espinoza! Espinosa is out on his feet! It's all Espinoza now!" A fight made for radio, that one.

Please don't mention Derrick. Not unless it's in the sentence "Wasn't it great when Kevin Kelley knocked him the fvck out?"

No, Espinoza never fought Espinosa.:)
Gainer KTFO'd Medina. That Kelley fight was a classic on the undercard of the Jones/Lucas farce.
Hey, let's mention Robinson, Hamed's victim who came from nowhere to win a title and defend it several times.

[Datsue]

I've created a monster. I'm going to be stuck watching Fabrice Benichou DVDs & downloading Louie (Luis?) Espinoza (Espinosa?) fights all night, now.

Also, did those last two fight? That would've been wicked-cool.

Phonetically, imagine the following sentence: "Espinosa lands a shot! Oh, but Louie counters! Big right hand from Luis! Huge left hook from Espinoza! Espinosa is out on his feet! It's all Espinoza now!" A fight made for radio, that one.

Please don't mention Derrick. Not unless it's in the sentence "Wasn't it great when Kevin Kelley knocked him the fvck out?"

No, Espinoza never fought Espinosa.:)
Gainer KTFO'd Medina. That Kelley fight was a classic on the undercard of the Jones/Lucas farce.
Hey, let's mention Robinson, Hamed's victim who came from nowhere to win a title and defend it several times.

Shame. I'll see your Steve Robinson & raise you a Colin McMillan. & a Maurizio Stecca (but now I'm getting near the bottom of the barrel - he says, dissing an Olympic Gold medallist!)

Kelley went down more times than a ten-dollar whore. Great fighter. Used to love his screaming trainer as well, Phil... Borgia? Compassionate guy, knew his fighter.

[Rover]

Yep; that was his trainer. Kelley was down less than Gainer, though. As awful as Kelley's eye was, he was even on one card and down by 1 and 2 on the others.
And you want Maurizio Stecca? I'll raise you a Bernardo Pinango!

[Datsue]

Yep; that was his trainer. Kelley was down less than Gainer, though. As awful as Kelley's eye was, he was even on one card and down by 1 and 2 on the others.
And you want Maurizio Stecca? I'll raise you a Bernardo Pinango!

Bloody Hell. Bernardo Pinango. That's a name to conjure with.

Rudy Zavala.

[Rover]

But he got annihilated when he got his shot.
But if we want to go that deep...Kiyoshi Hatanaka!

[Datsue]

But he got annihilated when he got his shot.
But if we want to go that deep...Kiyoshi Hatanaka!

Ever seen the Decima fight, mate? Truly one for the ages. I'll see if I can dig it out & upload it...

PS: His name always begged to be shouted out, in a Marlon Brando in Streetcar... stylee: "HATANA-KAAAAAAAA!"

[Rover]

Boy, if we included 118 in this thread...
Julio, Contreras, Rabanales, Cook, Johnson, Konadu, Chuvatana, G. Canizales, Del Valle, Kotey, Lora, Davila...

[Rover]

But he got annihilated when he got his shot.
But if we want to go that deep...Kiyoshi Hatanaka!

Ever seen the Decima fight, mate? Truly one for the ages. I'll see if I can dig it out & upload it...

PS: His name always begged to be shouted out, in a Marlon Brando in Streetcar... stylee: "HATANA-KAAAAAAAA!"

Never seen it, and my Internet connection's not great.

[Datsue]

Boy, if we included 118 in this thread...
Julio, Rabanales, Cook, Johnson, Konadu, Chuvatana, G. Canizales, Del Valle, Kotey, Lora, Davila...

YES!

YES!

& & & &... Duke McKenzie!

Er. On second thought...

I'm off to watch Decima vs Hatanaka now. I'm feeling old.

Hmm. Let me know when/if the Internet connection recovers & I'll PM you something.

[Rover]

Almost forgot Eloy Rojas!

[Expug]

I fought on the same card with a guy named Jackie Beard in Chicago in 1983.
I had high hopes for him. He was a decorated amateur and went on to win the NABF title I think.
Looks like he slid at the end but he was talented. That night he fought a kid named Victor Flores who in only like his seventh or eight fight hung in there and went ten with Beard. Real gutsy performance.
Beard was from Detroit back when MannySteward was running his Kronk program. Those guys were squared away.

[Rover]

He got two shots at Mitchell. Not a bad career.

[palooka]

Jesus Salud could really fight, I'm sure he was around that weight!

[Rover]

Jesus Salud could really fight, I'm sure he was around that weight!

Already accounted for here.

[Counter-puncher]

I used to really enjoy watching McKinney and Jones because both were well schooled boxers with sharp jabs and heavy right hands. Both enjoyed a tear-up and both could be a touch fragile so you never really knew what to expect other than fireworks.

Two big names missing off the list there are Morales and MAB!

Acero-Sanchez was good too, slick and slippery but off most peoples' radars due to being less than fashionable. There was talk of Hamed facing him at 122 due to him being WBC champ and Hamed holding the international title (although I'd have to check exact times/dates). Another name they were linking him with was the Puerto Rican, Jiminez which could have been interesting. I think Alf Kotey was linked, briefly, but that may have been @ 118.

Zaragoza ended up fighting Acero- Sanchez twice didn't he?

[palooka]

Jesus Salud could really fight, I'm sure he was around that weight!

Already accounted for here.

Good call

[Rover]

I used to really enjoy watching McKinney and Jones because both were well schooled boxers with sharp jabs and heavy right hands. Both enjoyed a tear-up and both could be a touch fragile so you never really knew what to expect other than fireworks.

Two big names missing off the list there are Morales and MAB!

Acero-Sanchez was good too, slick and slippery but off most peoples' radars due to being less than fashionable. There was talk of Hamed facing him at 122 due to him being WBC champ and Hamed holding the international title (although I'd have to check exact times/dates). Another name they were linking him with was the Puerto Rican, Jiminez which could have been interesting. I think Alf Kotey was linked, briefly, but that may have been @ 118.

Zaragoza ended up fighting Acero- Sanchez twice didn't he?

Yep. Got a BS draw the first time, which Zaragoza should've won, and took care of business in the rematch.