Sparring tales and gym legends

[BoxBuzz]

Charlie 'Magri' {flyweight} always KO'd 'Frank' Bruno {'Heavyweight'} whenever they sparred.

Frank 'Bruno',,,,,,,,,,, This lad can really 'hit'.

http://www.chumleywarners.com.au/map.htm

Troo Dat!

[Controversial]

Matt Baranski and Johnny Tocco, trainers who worked with Tyson talking about his sparring for the Douglas fight.

Baranski said "People don't realise it but Tyson took a lot of shots in the gym. I didn't see him train for Douglas but I heard he looked really bad in sparring. I heard Trevor Berbick gave him a hard time and if that's true then Tyson really is gone."

Tocco who had Tyson at his gym training 2 weeks before flying to Japan said "Its the worst I've seen him, he was not in condition when he left here. He was having a rough time with Greg Page and could do nothing with Berbick and even Oliver McCall gave him a bad time one day. Page hadn't looked that good against anyone for years."

[Controversial]

Muhammad Ali made to look like a "bush leaguer" whilst training to face Liston in 1964. Cody Jones repeatedly nailed Ali with left hooks and smashes to the body. One hard left hook to the jaw resulted in a "ooh" from the crowd of 150 spectators.

Ali shrugged off the workout. "I'm tired when I get in the ring after doing 5 miles of road work, wearing 5lb shoes and carrying 2lb weights in my hands"

From the 6th Jan to mid Feb 1964 Ali had sparred 147 rounds.

[Controversial]

Muhammed Ali dropped 3 times in 2 rounds by sparring partner Eddie Brooks whilst training in July 1971 to face Jimmy Ellis. Dropped once in the 1st and twice in the 2nd round. In total Brooks had Ali down 5 times in training. Later that same month Ali fought Ellis so near to being in peak condition.

Brooks said "The first one I hit him with a pretty good right hand. He walked right into it. The other two were left hooks that weren't so hard."

Ali said the training was stopped and he wasn't faking. He said he would have to stop "playing around and tend to business when sparring with Brooks".

After the session Ali retired to his dressing room, took 3 Aspirin and held an ice bag to his head.

"Sgt" Eddie Brooks, a 215lb heavyweight from Milwaukee had a pro record at that time of

13 wins (5 KOS)
4 losses (all by stoppage)

[Controversial]

Joe Louis sparring with George Nicholson in June 1937 preparing to fight Tommy Farr, and was hit with 3 sold right handers that left spectators walking away shaking their heads. Nicholson was hitting him so easily with the right that one observer was heard to say "which one is the sparring partner?".

Nicholson landed a solid right and the crowd went silent and ringside journalists looked at each other. He then landed a long right and finally a huge right that staggered Louis.

There were concerns than Louis just couldn't avoid right hand punches, something that Scheming took advantage of and was a concern to Jack Blackburn

George Nicholson a 200lb heavyweight from Yonkers had a record at the time of -

6 wins (5 KOs)
4 losses (2 by stoppage)

[Controversial]

Welterweight champ Sugar Ray Robinson's fight was postponed due to an injury he received from a sparring partner in December 1948. Whilst training to fight Steve Belloise SRR was hit in the ribs by 170lb Tiger Wade. The punch resulted in a huge lump that was later diagnosed as a separation of the sixth and seventh ribs. Nothing broken but SRR to remain strapped up for a month.

[scallum]

For whatever reasons some guys just cant transfer what they can do in sparring to real fights

[palooka]

This is a good thread; there have been some very rough fighters and hard hitters barely anyone has heard of.

[Bodyshot3]

McGuigan, who was a self-confessed sparring and traning junkie, admits that he got a bad case of the frighteners when training for his fight with Pedroza. Two, top young Panamians flown-in especially for the job and Barry in his book admits that it gave him a major shock and that he did not have it all his own way.

[hhaehre]

Lightweight George Scott knocked out heavyweight Anders Eklund at a hotel bar in 2005. Eklund was knocked through a window and was unconscious for a while.

[elmersalsa]

Ismel Laguna gave the up and coming future great Roberto Duran a nose bleed in a sparring session in Panama City... It turned out to be very violent that it had to be stopped.

[Controversial]

6'1" 1980s middleweight contender "Hard" Darnell Knox preparing for his NABF middleweight fight with Michael Nunn.

Knox trained at the Kronk gym and had a record at that time of

26 wins (20 KOs)
1 loss (SD loss)

Emmanuel Steward wanted a southpaw for Knox to spar with so they bought in a little known 20 year old amateur boxer named Michael Moorer.

On the first day of sparring Moorer knocked Knox out. They sparred the next day and Moorer knocked him out again. This happened four days on the trot. Steward said Moorer "destroyed him" and told Moorer to forget about the Olympics and turn pro.

After Moorer turned pro he was 13-0 when he sparred with former light heavyweight champ Matthew Saad Muhammad. Wearing 16oz gloves he fractured Muhammad's rib. "The doctor thought he had been hit with a hammer, he didn't believe that a fist in a 16oz glove could cause a break like that" said Steward.

[Controversial]

In 1996 when asked if Mike Tyson was the toughest opponent Holyfield had faced Evander's reply was no, it was his sparring partner Gary Bell.

"When I turned up for training he (Bell) was whupping me all the time. Man was I discouraged. In a couple of weeks I was supposed to be fighting the best fighter in the world (Tyson) and here I can't get past 2 or 3 rounds with my sparring partner" said Holyfield.

Gary "Bring The Pain" Bell was a 25 year old 230lb, 6'2" heavyweight from Brooklyn who was unbeaten in 11 fight (8 KOs) at that time.

[Nile4000]

Reportedly, former talk show host Regis Philbin stunned Howard Davis jr. in a sparring session, ! Also, Tony Tubbs floored Gerrie Coetzee.

[Controversial]

Max Baer takes a shellacking from sparring partners in June 1935 in preparation for his fight with James J Braddock.

Many spectators left thinking Baer had better not rely on his boxing skill to keep his crown. Baer went 12 rounds but for 6 rounds he took many head punches. He was an easy target for right hands from Dynamite Jackson and Ed Houghton followed and continued to bounce rights off Baer's chin.

[Nile4000]

Reportedly, former talk show host Regis Philbin stunned Howard Davis jr. in a sparring session, ! Also, Tony Tubbs floored Gerrie Coetzee.

That is true.
Back in September 1977 out in Los Angeles on KABC-TV........ 'AM Los Angeles with Regis Philbin'

Howard was out there to promote his fight Tury 'The Fury' Pineda at the Olympic on September 13, 1977.

They put on '12 Ounce Pillow Gloves', and sparred. Regis 'wobbled' Howard with right-hand to the temple.

Howard {Age; 21 1/2} with a record of 4-0-0 {2 KO's} brought along his Gold Medal from the 1976 Olympics,
and told Regis that 'right now' he could handle WBA Lightweight Champion - Roberto Duran for 8-Rounds.

Howard probably should've given it up right then, after that particular embarrassing scene !

[Dubblechin]

The reigning WBO Junior Welterweight champ Zack Padilla suffered brain damage during a 1994 sparring session with young pro Shane Mosley. Padilla had to retire. Padilla was a very good fighter. He'd already beaten Roger Mayweather, Carlos Gonzales and Juan Laporte.

[palooka]

The reigning WBO Junior Welterweight champ Zack Padilla suffered brain damage during a 1994 sparring session with young pro Shane Mosley. Padilla had to retire. Padilla was a very good fighter. He'd already beaten Roger Mayweather, Carlos Gonzales and Juan Laporte.

I didn't know that Padilla was left in a state; he was a very good fighter, he would throw over 1,000 punches in a 12 round fight. It is a very tough sport.

[Nile4000]

Mark Breland supposedly floored Milton McCrory in a session back in the 80's.

[Controversial]

In May 1949 heavyweight contender Jersey Joe Walcott used middleweight Charley Burley as his sparring partner. After 1.5 rounds Burley quit and headed for home. Burley was given a severe jolting by Walcott and had his nose broken. "That Walcott isn't kidding, he blasted me with a right hand until I was out on my feet. I never thought that would happen first day of camp. I'm heading for home"

[Nile4000]

Gerry Cooney getting his nose bloodied by Tim Witherspoon.

[Nile4000]

Clint Jackson straightening out Michael Dokes around the time of the Pan-Ams.

[energie]

shannon briggs got his ass handed to him in sparring bt bruce seldon and lou savarese.......savarese put briggs down a lot also....

[JC]

Good thread.

Apparently Ken Buchanan and Howard Winstone used to have life and death wars in sparring.

I've also read (on another forum so make of it what you will) that Whittaker KO'd Zab Judah in sparring.

[JC]

I've posted this before but I think it's worth a read if you haven't seen it already. If you read the whole thread the guy seems legit to me.

I sparred with Evander Holyfield, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, David Tua and others
http://www.ajdugger.com/forum.html#nabble-td4090601

Hello everyone. I'm a friend of AJ's from another forum. I used to box professionally from time to time, but nowadays I still spar. I've sparred with many legends. AJ asked to me describe what it is like to be in the ring with them and gauge their punching power. I will not reveal my name for personal reasons, but under anoymousity I feel a bit safer. If you want to know my identity send me an email, but I doubt you've heard of me anyway. I only had three professional fights.

I fought Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe as an amateur.

Riddicks power wasnt memorable to me. It probably got better as he got older, cause he never even remotely buzzed me in either of our contests.

Lennox hit like a fornicating tank. He cowed me; I won the first round, and he literally broke my spirit and took my soul with a right uppercut and straight right hand in the 2nd. I tried to stay away, and forgot to punch. He never got me quite as good again, but I will never forget those two punches. When we sparred years later, he hit very hard. Distinctly unpleasant to be hit by the man.

David Tua was unpleasant. I can't see myself getting stopped by him early, as he never really staggers me, but every shot hurt, and he'd bang. Every other guy I ever sparred would box when I got aggressive, but David would stand his ground and give. I'd get these horrible headaches after sparring with him, and Dave told me once that whenever he knew I was on the dance card, he'd drink extra water for his brain. Nice guy. Hit like a wrecking ball. David Tua hit hard enough to knock my headgear clean around my face. Dude had a pretty limited style, but that left was quick as a cobra when he was sharp, and boy did it have bite. Having sparred them both, Wladimir would school Tua and probably turn out his lights. He just lacks almost any sort of refinement to his violence. Granted, I don't really either unless I'm really, really on that day, but the best heavyweights I've sparred handled me a lot easier than David did.

Feels kinda bad critiquing the dude, though. He's a fun guy, super hospitable and friendly, hit like a truck and put me through plenty of painful paces. I only hope our careers and lives don't end up with me required to face him with 12's and no mask. I can't afford the surgery.

Evander Holyfield was a machine gun. He put me on my butt first round we ever sparred with a 7 or 8 punch volley. He just punched well; He'd move around and when he let them go, they hit, hard and fast and in large numbers. He was the weakest of the group since Bowe, but probably the most dangerous. He never found me difficult to find, and turned me into a bobble head more than once.

George Foreman was tricky. His jab was absolutely numbing-Ive never felt a jab like that, where your whole face would feel like it got novacained after he hit you with it. He'd also throw light punches primarily, almost pitty pat, till he had the opening, and then he'd wallop you. His punches had the most force; They didn't hurt any worse than Tua or Lewis, but I remember how badly they'd screw with my balance. His shots moved me. He also broke my nose with a straight right.

Wladimir Klitschko hit me by far the hardest, though. I couldn't get past the jab, and his right hands hit like thunder. They reminded me of Lewis', but they were quicker and sharper. Wladimir staggered me regularly in sparring. There are literally whole rounds I don't remember. He also knocked me out with a left hook. Not down, out. Only time in my life I've seen canvas and not been able to stand up by 10 seconds.