Henry Akinwande v Herbie Hide

[polecateddy]

Henry got occasionally bang a little against smaller, chinny-type dudes. Henry in 3?

[Datsue]

I remember reading Hide banging on about Akwinwande just before Herbie won the British title, dissing him left, right & centre because Henry had beaten him in the amateurs.

I remember reading the article from Boxing Monthly to my uncle (who was blind, hence my involvement) who listened with grave concentration (he always liked to hear of a new heavyweight prospect). When I'd finished, he sat with his hands folded in his lap for about five minutes, then he raised his head as if to look at me & said:

"Chavi, if this tall fella couldn't box, couldn't fight, didn't have no heart & couldn't take a punch, how in the name of fvck did this little mush lose to him in the amateurs, then?"

I share my uncle's scepticism.

Akinwande either chins him like he did Williams or pokes, spoils & hugs Hide to near-death (possibly through boredom) for a late-round stoppage or a wiiiiiiide win on points.

[Syntax Error]

Akinwande would have gripped onto Hide like Herbie was his new girlfriend, then he would have stopped a tired Hide around about the 6th round.

[Rover]

I agree with everyone; Akinwande for me.

[polecateddy]

Reckon Akinwande v Bruno would have been good. Definitely a fight of two harves, with Bruno's power and strength running away with the first half, before Akinwande's superior stamina slowly turning the tables. Could have ended up an exciting distance fight.

[-KOKid-]

Akinwande was actually quite good up until the Lewis fight in 1997 - some writers were actually picking him to beat Lewis.

Anyway, I think the Akinwande that flattened Jeremy Williams and stopped Alexander Zolkin would have beaten Hide with litttle problem.
Hide was useless when he fought scared against good big men.

[loaded_gloves]

Hard to choose between these guys, neither had the stomach or chin for a fight with a live body.

Akinwande fought two A class men in Lewis and McCall and both made him quit. In fact as soon as McCall rattled him in the 3rd he lost all composure and ability to box and spent the rest of the fight grabbing, holding, falling forward, running backwards, until McCall mercifully left him facedown unconscious.

Akinwande gets too much credit for his boxing - he did his boxing against way overmatched men. Williams was a late sub and C class anyway, Zolkin and an ancient Tucker stung him, he held a waning Norris all night... Two A class men, two ignominious defeats. There would have been a third humiliation had he got his undeserved Holyfield shot in 98.

Hide... tough guy against journeyman and washed up old men. Cataclysmic defeats against two A class guys, quivering on the floor crying.

Honestly, I'd root for a double KO. Realistically it would probably be a 12 rd snoozer, like their 3 rd amateur bore, maybe even a draw.

[loaded_gloves]

Reckon Akinwande v Bruno would have been good. Definitely a fight of two harves, with Bruno's power and strength running away with the first half, before Akinwande's superior stamina slowly turning the tables. Could have ended up an exciting distance fight.

Akinwande had stamina? All the energy drained from his body when Lewis and McCall made him fight.

The then-obscure Akinwande was offered big money to fight Bruno on terrestrial TV in 94 and turned it down for vague and concerning reasons. He continued to box in obscurity for years after.

Bruno loved a guy holding him, it meant he could club them at close. Bruno's strength and aggression would turn Henry into jelly pretty quickly. Have a look at Bruno overcoming a reigning champ McCall in 95, then Akinwande pissing himself against an ageing, inactive McCall in 01.

Bruno would KO Akinwande clean or win by DQ.

[Rover]

Akinwande was actually quite good up until the Lewis fight in 1997 - some writers were actually picking him to beat Lewis.

Anyway, I think the Akinwande that flattened Jeremy Williams and stopped Alexander Zolkin would have beaten Hide with litttle problem.
Hide was useless when he fought scared against good big men.

I feel sorry for those writers given Akinwande's pathetic display that night.

[Rover]

Hard to choose between these guys, neither had the stomach or chin for a fight with a live body.

Akinwande fought two A class men in Lewis and McCall and both made him quit. In fact as soon as McCall rattled him in the 3rd he lost all composure and ability to box and spent the rest of the fight grabbing, holding, falling forward, running backwards, until McCall mercifully left him facedown unconscious.

Akinwande gets too much credit for his boxing - he did his boxing against way overmatched men. Williams was a late sub and C class anyway, Zolkin and an ancient Tucker stung him, he held a waning Norris all night... Two A class men, two ignominious defeats. There would have been a third humiliation had he got his undeserved Holyfield shot in 98.

Hide... tough guy against journeyman and washed up old men. Cataclysmic defeats against two A class guys, quivering on the floor crying.

Honestly, I'd root for a double KO. Realistically it would probably be a 12 rd snoozer, like their 3 rd amateur bore, maybe even a draw.

In fairness, Akinwande was past it when he fought McCall (as was McCall).

[loaded_gloves]

Interesting, what do you base that on? In 2001 Akinwande looked as good as he ever did, bombing out Maurice Harris in 1 and showing his finest ever boxing against McCall - until he was hit back hard.

Having watched Akinwande from his early fights, including the Thunder and Schulz period and his WBO days, I'd sadly consider myself a good authority on his style and form and he looked the same old Henry in 2001 to me.

[polecateddy]

I'm pretty sure Henry would have outpointed Holyfield if their fight hadn't been cancelled, after all tall, rangy Larry Donald managed to turn that trick easily enough. It could have given a little spark to his career for sure.

...also, admittedly there weren't too many positives to take away from his performance against Lewis. Henry did score a flash knock-down though, which wasn't counted. Not too shabby against an all-time great.

[loaded_gloves]

The Evander Holyfield of 2004 doesn't compare in any way to the Evander Holyfield of 1998. Surely you know this?

The Holyfield of 1998 still had the two Lennox Lewis fights in him - the momentous effort in the rematch beating/nearly beating Lewis, depending on your opinion. He still had the easy win over Rahman. He was washed up, injured and inactive by the time he fought Larry Donald.

Holyfield was still the best or second best heavyweight in the world in 1998. To say someone like Henry Akinwande, who disgraced himself when seriously challenged, would somehow have gutted it out against Holyfield is to imagine a Henry Akinwande that never existed.

[Vladimir5555]

Akinwande will clinch him to death

[Giancarlo]

Crikey, glad we were spared this one.

[polecateddy]

I think Hide would join the 3 round stoppage loss group of decent fringe type fighters.

[polecateddy]

Henry is probably up there with Haye and Lewis. Sort of like a British Larry Donald, with a bit more reach, awkwardness and power (occasionally).