Claude "Humphrey" Mcbride

[DaveyMac]

BoBo Bash is even a more mysterious character than McBride. He knocks out the gargantuan McBride in his third pro fight as a small heavyweight, gets obliterated by Terry Krueger in his next fight in 19 seconds and then drops 30 lbs a few months later to fight Middleweight Jimmy Claar in New Castle, Indiana of all places and then disappears from boxing. Keep digging, Duce.

From the newspaper stories at the time it wasn't a real KO of McBride. He shoved McBride who then hit his head on a hard surface and was KO'd. Nobody seemed to think Bash was a real fighter and couldn't have ever beaten McBride otherwise.

[raylawpc]

BoBo Bash is even a more mysterious character than McBride. He knocks out the gargantuan McBride in his third pro fight as a small heavyweight, gets obliterated by Terry Krueger in his next fight in 19 seconds and then drops 30 lbs a few months later to fight Middleweight Jimmy Claar in New Castle, Indiana of all places and then disappears from boxing. Keep digging, Duce.

From the newspaper stories at the time it wasn't a real KO of McBride. He shoved McBride who then hit his head on a hard surface and was KO'd. Nobody seemed to think Bash was a real fighter and couldn't have ever beaten McBride otherwise.

No, that's not true. I was in Humphrey's corner. Bobo won fair and square. Humphrey fought like the was in a fog. He did the same thing in Rhode Island against Dino Denis. Those were the two worst efforts of Humphrey's career. The comment by Duce is first I've ever heard that Bobo was a Marine.

[Dart340]

Raylawpc, you have to tell us about this BoBo Bash guy? He evidently dropped down 30 lbs six months after you saw him to fight at 158 lbs in his final fight. Who the heck was he and what'd he look like?

BoBO Bash's BoxRec entry strangely has his date of birth and lists him as a Marine who was stationed in West Memphis when he started his career. That, I think, is where Il Duce is drawing that info from.

[DaveyMac]

Bo Bo Bash

Was supposedly stationed out of the Marine Corps Base in West Memphis, Arkansas.

And was a 20 year-old Marine Champion. Standing 6' 3 and weighing 188 lbs.

Ray that's the story I was referring too where they said he was shoved. I'm sure you are right as you were there, but the press did report it as a shove and then a fluke fall knockout.

[raylawpc]

Bo Bo Bash

Was supposedly stationed out of the Marine Corps Base in West Memphis, Arkansas.

And was a 20 year-old Marine Champion. Standing 6' 3 and weighing 188 lbs.

You are saying he was an active duty Marine?

[raylawpc]

Bo Bo Bash

Was supposedly stationed out of the Marine Corps Base in West Memphis, Arkansas.

And was a 20 year-old Marine Champion. Standing 6' 3 and weighing 188 lbs.

Ray that's the story I was referring too where they said he was shoved. I'm sure you are right as you were there, but the press did report it as a shove and then a fluke fall knockout.

Yeah, but you don't see a by-line on that story. That's because it was a press release from Pat's office. I can assure you Humphrey did not get shoved to the canvas by Bo Bo Bash and hit his head. Humphrey was my friend; I wish it was the truth. But that's not what happened.

[raylawpc]

Raylawpc, you have to tell us about this BoBo Bash guy? He evidently dropped down 30 lbs six months after you saw him to fight at 158 lbs in his final fight. Who the heck was he and what'd he look like?

BoBO Bash's BoxRec entry strangely has his date of birth and lists him as a Marine who was stationed in West Memphis when he started his career. That, I think, is where Il Duce is drawing that info from.

Hi Dart: I'd actually never heard of him before he fought Humphrey in Oklahoma City, and I never saw him after that.

I don't believe he was the guy in that last fight though. The guy who fought Humphrey was tall and skinny; he had no body fat. The guy I saw in Oklahoma City could never have gotten down below 160. No way.

I don't believe he was a Marine on active or reserve duty. He had collar-length over-his-ears hair. Not exactly in keeping with Marine Corps regulations.

[DaveyMac]

I would bet anything Bash had many more fights than what we have listed on boxrec now. The Arkansas fighters, much like the Oklahoma fighters, are all missing a lot of fights in their records.

And you're right Ray I should have realized The Oklahoman didn't even bother sending a reporter and just printed whatever Pat sent them.

[raylawpc]

Bo Bo Bash

Was a former Marine, not active.

Only if he was 16 when he enlisted . . . because the Marines have a three year minimum service obligation, and it would have taken him nearly a year to grow his hair that long after he got out . . .

[raylawpc]

I would bet anything Bash had many more fights than what we have listed on boxrec now. The Arkansas fighters, much like the Oklahoma fighters, are all missing a lot of fights in their records.

And you're right Ray I should have realized The Oklahoman didn't even bother sending a reporter and just printed whatever Pat sent them.

When you are looking through those old Oklahoman or Journal clippings, and you see a fight card announcement with no by-line, chances are they used a press release supplied by O'Grady. I know; starting in 1974, I wrote all the press releases.

[Dart340]

I'll bet you both are correct about this guy. He probably did have a bunch more fights that no one ever recorded or have added to BoxRec, DaveyMac. I once challenged a bunch of the guys on the ESB forum to help me research an obscure guy who purportedly popped up in Indy and ko'd world-class Gary Guiden named Donnie Meloncon and Il Duce (who else) dug up a whole series of main events the guy had fought and basically compiled a biography about the guy from newspaper clippings and had even seen the guy fight in person in a main event not listed in his records and backed it with a results clipping. . And Raylawpc, I appreciate the firsthand account of Bobo Bash, and you're probably correct in guessing there is a problem with that result with him fighting at 156lbs. Funny thing is I remember Jimmy Claar from my days here and no way would he be fighting much above 160 lbs, so either he gave up 30 lbs or it wasn't Bobo he ko'd in New Castle.