Did Glenn McCrory deserve to be a world champion ???

Foggy · Post by **Foggy** » 17 Dec 2005, 06:30

I've never seen Glenn fight i've only seen clips of him on sky etc, but looking through his record i have to say that he had it lucky, fights for a vacant world title against a poor opponent then like wise in his first defence of the title he fights a nobody.

Nobody can take it away from Glenn becuase he did hold the belt and his name will be in the record books forever, but come on fella's did he really deserve it ???

Any info on Glenn would be appreciated, i'm guessing he must have started off an heavyweight then after various losses went to Cruiserweight, got lucky, then tried his efforts at heavyweight again. Looks like he also had a suspect chin.

Don't want to be to critical of Glenn cos he seems a decent fella but looking through his record he dosn't seem someone who was world class.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 17 Dec 2005, 06:56

I'll say this for Glenn, he's got bollocks, he went around winding Lennox Lewis up calling him a pussy to his face at various dinner functions until he got a fight with him. He knew he wasn't going to win, but also knew he'd get a very nice payday out of it.

There's plenty of undeserving champs out there...define deserve....?

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 17 Dec 2005, 08:56

Well it was in the fledging days of the WBO and no other spurious organisations. He got his shot and took it.

He had very good power and while certainly limited, he made up for it in fighting heart and spirit. Watching Harrison and even Roman Greenberg these last two weeks flaff about and not sustain attacks must have been painful for him.

Skillwise he was probably a little bit foturnate, but his never say die heart and his ability to finish off hurt guys means he deserved it. If Bruno can be called a deserving champ, then so can Glenn. I don't know much about Glenn outside of the ropes (when he was fighting) but inside in terms of fitness etc - he potrayed himself as a proffesional.

There was talk in late 89 of McCory vs Tyson - that would have been as horrible as McCory vs Lewis was.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:24

He was IBF champ.

They hadn't been going that long and cruiser wasn't fully established as a division.

Glenn COULD fight though. Don't think he would have got a major title today though.

Goz · Post by **Goz** » 17 Dec 2005, 09:35

I remember reading that Mcrory sparred with Tyson in the US quite a lot, and said that Tyson was so hard his stubble cut Glenn's shoulder!

I met Glenn breifly at the Duke Mckenzie - Dave Mcauley fight in the 80's, he signed my programme and seemed like a nice bloke.

stujones · Post by **stujones** » 17 Dec 2005, 11:19

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:He was IBF champ.

They hadn't been going that long and cruiser wasn't fully established as a division.

Glenn COULD fight though. Don't think he would have got a major title today though.

I did know that he won the IBF belt, that line of mine does sound a bit wrong. What I meant was that there was only 3 champions in those days, with the WBO just starting. It was back in the days when if you won a world title you were considered a world champion, unlike now.

theguru · Post by **theguru** » 17 Dec 2005, 12:44

No thats is why he got beat in his first defence

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 17 Dec 2005, 13:25

He started out as a heavyweight with Alan Minter's old manager, Doug Bidwell, and within a year was voted as Box News prospect of the year ( I think ).
Then Glen came unstuck when he was badly ko'd in a big upset by fellow Geordie John Westgarth ( now a promoter I think? ). Went of the rails after that, finaly getting flattened by ex Brit heavy champ Hughroy Currie.

Went off to the States to rebuild, and did some sparring with Mike Tyson while over there I believe. Came back to the UK and scaled down to cruiser, deciding he just wasn't big enough for the big boys.

Good decision: reeled off some good wins before claiming the IBF cruiser title. His first defence was an absolute war, and Glen showed real courage to get through that one. But weight making problems caught up with him as he was ko'd by a body shot in his 2nd defence.

dandantheweatherman · Post by **dandantheweatherman** » 17 Dec 2005, 17:21

At the time I was surprised being British/Commonwealth champion was enough to qualify for a world title shot, but as Holyfield had just vacated the undisputed titles the powers that were needed 6 contenders. Not sure who Lumumba had beaten to be so highly ranked (I seem to remember he was high in all the governing bodies rankings, and in rankings in KO and The Ring at the time). http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=018396.

Anyway, McCrory looked cracking in beating Lumumba. Nearly did him in the first. And his come from behind win against Makathani was a good win as will I thought. Exciting fight that one.

Actually, it sort of surprises me that Sky have never done a feature showing long highlights of their ex-boxer pundits (ie Watt and McCrory now) so that younger viewers can get an idea how good they were, and get some sort of context as to how good they were.

cybox · Post by **cybox** » 17 Dec 2005, 17:42

yup, Glenn used to spar with TYson and I remember after a sparring session, Quick Tillis called Glenn the toughest white boy he's ever seen

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 17 Dec 2005, 17:52

stujones wrote:Well it was in the fledging days of the WBO and no other spurious organisations. He got his shot and took it.

He had very good power and while certainly limited, he made up for it in fighting heart and spirit. Watching Harrison and even Roman Greenberg these last two weeks flaff about and not sustain attacks must have been painful for him.

Skillwise he was probably a little bit foturnate, but his never say die heart and his ability to finish off hurt guys means he deserved it. If Bruno can be called a deserving champ, then so can Glenn. I don't know much about Glenn outside of the ropes (when he was fighting) but inside in terms of fitness etc - he potrayed himself as a proffesional.

There was talk in late 89 of McCory vs Tyson - that would have been as horrible as McCory vs Lewis was.

I think you are very harsh on Greenberg, I thought it was a good fight and enjoyed it from ringside. A good techinical fight.

As for McCrory v Tyson in 89, it would have been worse than McCrory v Lewis.

McCrory would have been lucky to last 2 minutes with Tyson in 89

Wales · Post by **Wales** » 17 Dec 2005, 18:20

mcory v lewis was the only glen fight i saw, he took a tonking there... fair doos for stepping up to the plate tho!!

Wrists · Post by **Wrists** » 18 Dec 2005, 09:52

As a geordie who happens to like boxing I can only respect what Glenn did.

Seems a good lad - funny story, have seen him in the flesh twice, both in men's toliets, once at Calzaghe v Reid and once in Uno's restaraunt.

Took the time to speak to me on both occassions although must have thought I was a weirdo wanting to talk whilst having a piss!!

Had some interesting thoughts on Naz I seem to remember!!

Top man

regards

Kevin (wrists)

Foggy · Post by **Foggy** » 18 Dec 2005, 18:28

Wrists wrote:
Took the time to speak to me on both occassions although must have thought I was a weirdo wanting to talk whilst having a piss!!

Kevin (wrists)

Quality

bollox · Post by **bollox** » 18 Dec 2005, 19:02

cybox wrote:yup, Glenn used to spar with TYson and I remember after a sparring session, Quick Tillis called Glenn the toughest white boy he's ever seen

It was not long after these Tyson sparring sessions that Glenn started talking of fighting him. Such a decent fellow was Glenn, I for one would not have watched this Tyson fight. Glenn would still be flying through the air today, had it happened

Razor · Post by **Razor** » 18 Dec 2005, 19:35

Glenn got beat by my friend Dave Garside, Michael Hunters manager

Autobarn · Post by **Autobarn** » 20 Dec 2005, 03:54

didn't McCrory have a cracking fight in his first (and only successful) IBF title defense?