Sparring sessions I wish I could have seen.

[elmersalsa]

Former Lightweight World Champion Ismael Laguna bloodied young Roberto Duran in an sparring session in Panama City, Panama. That was when Duran was just an upcoming and rising prospect, challenged the veteran 2-time world champion Laguna.

The people that were there said that Laguna gave young Duran a boxing lesson. I also heard from Cincinnatians that Aaron Pryor dropped Sugar Ray Leonard in the late 70s and that Leonard did not want any part of him in the future.

[KOJOE90]

I also heard from Cincinnatians that Aaron Pryor dropped Sugar Ray Leonard in the late 70s and that Leonard did not want any part of him in the future.

I heard that it was Leonard who dropped Pryor a number of times during various sparring sessions. Pryor was dropped a number of times as a pro so it's a good possibility that a fast sharp shooter like Leonard could drop the more reckless Pryor.

I understand that they sparred often as young fighters so maybe they dropped each other at various times?

Would have loved to see these sessions though.

[The Scranton Assassin]

Harry Greb - Jack Dempsey

Hell yea. Apparently Greb totaly outclassed him for 4 rounds. However I forget what year this took place. If it was during Dempsey's little film fiascoe it would be understandable that he was outboxed. However for some reason I seem to recall hearing that it was during his training for a title fight. Does anyone else remember.

[KOJOE90]

Veteran Middlewight Eugene Hart's KO over a young Tim Witherspoon during a Philly gym sparring session.

[JC]

Apparently Corbett and Tunney sparred and Tunney was impressed by the old guy's skills. Would have liked to have seen that.

[cybox]

some great sparring sessions to have seen would have been when Tony Tubbs took Lennox Lewis to school. Tubbs would give Lewis a boxing lesson everytime out. I remember one time after Lewis was dogging Mike Weaver, Tubbs got in the ring next and gave Lewis a complete overhaul on the technique of how to outbox someone. He made Lennox look silly.

Tubbs and Larry Holmes had some great sessions back when Larry was champ. Tubbs was not allowed to spar Holmes on medi days due to not wanting to make Larry look bad

[warrior]

back in the 70s art hafey/bobby chacon put on some sessions that would be world main events. these two tore each other up.

[evanr00]

What about in 1984 when Holyfield and Tyson were both training for the olympic trials? I heard that Evander had an easy time with him when they sparred.

[Chopping Right]

For those who haven't seen it yet. This pic was posted a while back

Are they sparring with no gloves at all there or is it a staged photo? Doesn't look quite right somehow.

[Nile4000]

Curtis Parker supposedly handling Thomas Hearns, Michael Spinks, and Dwight Qawi back in the late 70's.

[Expug]

Duran came to Chicago in 88 I think it was and came to The Fuller pk gym. Juan Nazario was with him as they were both fighting on a card here. They sparred and Nazario slapped him around.I watched it close up. I wonder if Duran was that way in the gym early in his career. We tend to think of the guy as ferocious all the time.

Yeah, I could picture Curtis Parker as a helluva gym fighter for some reason.

[Bricks]

How about

Nigel Benn - Roberto Duran

I've got this one on tape. Duran was grossly out of shape, he looked like an egg-on-legs. Benn was lean, hungry and looked like he could have taken Duran's head off.

Yet, six months or so later Duran beat Barkley for the Middleweight title!

Well benn was going pretty much all out, and Duran although taking a reasonable intense pounding was almost at the same time toying with Benn, letting him fire off all these fast crazy shots while Duran occasionally pulled off a slick defensive move or pivot to counter Benn and make him look rash. The Benn of 88 had a proclivity towards going all out in the early rounds firing like his life depended on it, its what made him such an exciting fighter at 22-0 (22kayoes) but his loss to Watson at the same time as Duran beat Barkley, is exactly what would have happened to him in this sparring session if it was fought to a conclusion.....Duran would have soaked it all up and than knocked a tired Benn out around 7-8.

[klompton]

Some of the sparring session Ive seen from those listed above:

Duran-Benn
Briscoe-Saad Muhammad
Frazier-Norton
Ali-Holmes
Ali-Johannson
Frazier-Jimmy Young
Tyson-McCall
Toney-Mclellan
McCallum-Hearns
DLH-Hernandez
I think I have a short clip of Frazier-Holmes
Mosley-Chavez
Corbett-Tunney
Holyfield-Tua


Ive got hours and hours of sparring footage going back to the turn of the century. Im fascinated by the stuff. Ive gots tons of footage of famous fighters sparring but I cant identify the sparring partner.

Some other interesting sparring sessions:
Dave Shade-Jack Renault
Liston-Amos Lincoln
Emile Griffith-Rodrigo Valdez
Monzon-Tonna sparring for Bouttier I believe
Billy Papke-Jeff Smith
Mike Gibbons-Tommy Gibbons
Mike ODowd-Jimmy Delaney
Willie Pep-Emile Griffith
Jerry Quarry-Mike Quarry
Jack Dempsey-Max Schmeling
Jack Dempsey-Max Baer
Jack Dempsey-Arturo Godoy
Ali-Vicente Rondon
Spadafora-Mayweather
Spadafora-Dorrin
Jimmy Ellis-Jeff Merritt
Ali-Alonzo Johnson
Jimmy Clabby-Ray Bronson

[Bricks]

Thats a mighty impressive list klompton. Im in awe of guys like yourself and some of the older members here.

How much footage do you have of Ali-Holmes?

I have Ali-Dokes...and Mclellan-Hearns and snippets of Williams-Tyson which I uploaded both to youtube many years ago before i took them down due to the abusive comments of some of the posters.

[klompton]

Not a whole lot of Ali-Holmes. A few short clips from the Zaire training camp.

[Giancarlo]

[Rocky Balboa]

Ali vs Holmes -Yeah, they fought as pros, but I heard they had better sparring sessions.

Foreman vs. Liston

Carl "The Truth" Williams vs. Mike Tyson -Again, I heard their sparring sessions, only two, were better than their fight as pros.

I have some footage of Tyson-Williams sparring. Mike is 16, in in the first quarter of 1983. Williams, you can tell is the more experienced fighter, but the flashes of skill, speed, power & brilliance are there fromn Tyson, who does not wear a head guard in this one.

[Counter-puncher]

nice find

[Nile4000]

Would love to have seen Michael Dokes sparring with Larry Holmes, also Tim Witherspoon's session with Gerry Cooney where he bloodied Gerry's nose.Also would have loved to have seen Greg PaGe sparring With Muhammad Ali when he was around 15/16.

[Brutu]

Sonny Liston and Mac Foster at Dick Sadler's Oakland gym
in 1968,reportedly Foster had Ko'd Liston and they had to post pone the fight
with Henry Clark for about 2 weeks later.


Sonny Liston and Joe Bugner sparring in NYC June 1970
(probably at Gil Clancey's gym)

Earnie Shavers and Mac Foster at the Main Street Gym in LA California in 1971.
(it apparently almost got out of hand and Foster left town)

Jerry Quarry and Joe Bugner around 1970-71 in England(?)
Quarry started getting rough with Bugner in front of the news press
that came to watch it,Bugner had opened some kind of a cut on Quarry,
that may or may not have cancelled or post poned whomever Quarry
was training to fight .

Jerry Quarry and George Foreman.
that was around 1970 in NYC I believe.

[The 1bangkid]

Supposedly Tyson and Lewis sparred at D'Amato's when they were kids.
I would have loved to have been there.

I was also gonna pick that

[keithmoonhangover]

Nigel Benn - Roberto Duran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZtTnBo61fM