Duane Bobick

[Caractacus]

When was Duane Bobick ever over rated?
After he had won the Olympic Boxing Trials
and was on his way to Munich to compeat for the Gold Medal in 1972?

They publized every American athlete on the Olympic Team who was going for the gold back then.

[Ambling Alp II]

He was rated as the #4 contender at the end of 1976. He should not have been that high; not that other have not been more overrated.

[Caractacus]

Not even from the sheer number of his opponents?
Volume,Volume,Volume.
He was must had almost 40 wins and no loses at the end of 1976.

Who was rated #3 and #5?

[sweetsci]

I've been doing a project off and on where I've been averaging heavyweight ratings from various sources (Ring, World & International Boxing, Boxing Illustrated) to try to find a consensus for every month. Here's what I've got for the end of 1976:

January 1, 1977

World Champion:
Muhammad Ali

1. George Foreman
2. Ken Norton
3. Jimmy Young
4. Duane Bobick
5. Larry Holmes
6. Ron Lyle
7. Howard Smith
8. Joe Bugner
9. Earnie Shavers
10. Stan Ward
11. Alfredo Evangelista
12. Johnny Boudreaux
13. John ‘Dino’ Denis
14. Leroy Jones
15. Chuck Wepner
16. Bernardo Mercado

[Tony1244]

Not even from the sheer number of his opponents?
Volume,Volume,Volume.
He was must had almost 40 wins and no loses at the end of 1976.

Who was rated #3 and #5?

I'll take a shot at that as I was becoming a boxing/HW addict around then. Bobick got to 38-0 before Norton dismantled him in 54 seconds, or 58 seconds depending upon who you believe. His best wins to that point were Wepner, Fred Sanford Houpe, Larry Middleton, Bunny Johnson, LeDoux, and Randy Neuman, not the singer, the ref.

The ratings were something like, depending on the month:
Ali-Champ
1. Foreman
2. Norton
3. Young
4. Bobick
5. Bugner
6. Lyle
7. Shavers
8. Wepner
9. Holmes
10. LeDoux

[Tony1244]

Another interesting point on Duane Bobick is that he could have been World Heavyweight Champion.

Before the reader starts thinking Tony is losing it again, here is the scenario.

On Jan. 1, 1977, Bobick was 38(32)-0-0, I believe. If Bobick had NOT signed to fight Norton, he could have hung around and possibly have been in Leon Spink's place in February, 1978. Ali was so washed up by 1978, that it's possible Duane could have done to Ali what Leon did.

[Caractacus]

I dont think it was Bobick's idea but his manager Joe Frazier idea to fight Norton.
Also werent Frazier and Norton good pals who agreed never to fight one another in the ring?
sounds like there may have been a conflict of interest to me.

[Tony1244]

I dont think it was Bobick's idea but his manager Joe Frazier idea to fight Norton.
Also werent Frazier and Norton good pals who agreed never to fight one another in the ring?
sounds like there may have been a conflict of interest to me.

I remember it as Eddie Futch wanted Bobick to fight Norton, and Frazier was skeptical about Duane's ability to beat Norton. At least that's what Bobick said. Of course, Frazier ended up being right.

Too bad for Bobick, as his style could have caused problems for Leon Spinks and a very aging Ali.

[Caractacus]

Just thought I would bump this thread.
Perhaps Bob can add to it.

[Bob]

My amateur record for Duane Bobick:

12/27/66 - Nat Erckenback - W 3 - Brainerd, MN

01/07/67 - Tom Uselman - KO 1 - Little Falls, MN
01/28/67 - Ray Uselman - W 3 - Little Falls
02/11/67 - Ray Uselman - W 3 - Wadena, MN (N.Minn. Sectional GG finals)
02/17/67 - Bob Sullivan - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG quarters)
02/19/67 - Tom Runnels - L 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG semis)
08/19/67 - Jerry Latourneau - L 3 - Madison, WI
11/18/67 - Duane Geslin - exh. 3 - Little Falls
12/02/67 - Jim Herron - W 3 - Brainerd
12/09/67 - Jim Herron - W 3 - Little Falls

01/06/68 - Walt Burkhart - W 3 - Little Falls
02/10/68 - Rich Bailey - TKO 2 - Wadena (N.Minn. Sectional GG finals)
02/16/68 - Mark Hans - L 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG semis)
***prior to now Duane was fighting as a light heavyweight
03/21/68 - Frank Bellomy - W 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG 1st round)
03/21/68 - Tony Land - W 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG 2nd round)
03/22/68 - Charles Durham - TKO by 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG quarters)
04/05/68 - Dave Matthews - W 3 - Toledo (National AAU 1st round)
04/05/68 - Houston Williams - L 3 - Toledo (National AAU quarters)
12/28/68 - Walt Burkhart - W 3 - Little Falls

03/05/69 - Gregory Gibson - KO 2 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney)
03/06/69 - Estus Bledsoe - KO 2 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney semis)
03/07/69 - Charles Elder - L 3 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney finals)
***article stated his record was 30-5 after this fight

01/10/70 - Aaron Eastling - exh. 3 - Little Falls
01/24/70 - Louie Hall - W 3 - Little Falls
03/xx/70 - unknown - W x - Honolulu (Navy GG finals)
03/17/70 - Larry Podesta - L 3 - Las Vegas (National GG 1st round)
04/02/70 - Joe Freeman - KO 2 - San Diego (West Coast Navy tourney semis)
04/03/70 - Rodney Harris - W 3 - San Diego (West Coast Navy tourney finals)
04/08/70 - John Hunter - W 3 - Orlando (All Navy Championships finals)
04/22/70 - Joe Thomas - KO 2 - Fort Dix (Interservice Championships semis)
04/23/70 - Percy Price - L 3 - Fort Dix (Interservice Championships finals)
04/30/70 - John Hunter - W 3 - Trenton (National AAU 1st round)
05/01/70 - Ron Lyle - KO by 2 - Trenton (National AAU 2nd round)
07/27/70 - Oseni Young - W 3 - Abidjan (World Military CISM Championships semis)
07/28/70 - Eugenio Martinelli - TKO 1 - Abidjan (World Military CISM Championships finals)

01/16/71 - Ron Lyle - KO by 2 - Fort Carson (USA Boxing elimination bout)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (North Carolina AAU championships)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (Georgia AAU championships)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (Camp Lajeune championships)
03/30/71 - James Winfield - TKO 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU semis)
04/01/71 - Rodney Elam - TKO 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU finals)
04/08/71 - Salazor McGill - KO 1 - Bainbridge (Maryland AAU finals)
04/15/71 - Rick Harris - KO 2 - Vallejo (All Navy Championships finals)
04/20/71 - Kenneth Hassan - KO 1 - Vallejo (Interservice Championships semis)
04/22/71 - Louis Slaughter - W 3 - Vallejo (Interservice Championships finals)
04/28/71 - William Anderson - KO 2 - New Orleans (National AAU 1st round)
04/29/71 - Mike Weaver - KO 1 - New Orleans (National AAU 2nd round)
04/29/71 - Donald Nelson - KO 1 - New Orleans (National AAU quarters)
04/30/71 - Fred Houpe - KO 2 - New Orleans (National AAU semis)
05/01/71 - Ron Draper - W 3 - New Orleans (National AAU finals)
06/01/71 - Jack Meda - KO 2 - Troy, NY (North American Championships finals)
06/19/71 - Nick Wells - W 3 - Fort Bragg
08/03/71 - Wesley Zulueta - KO 1 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games quarters)
08/07/71 - Teofilo Stevenson - W 3 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games semis)
08/09/71 - Joaquin Rocha - TKO 2 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games finals)
08/26/71 - Fred Houpe - W 3 - Minneapolis
09/04/71 - Ion Alexe - W 3 - Lake Geneva (USA vs. Romania)
10/22/71 - Mostafi Rostami - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships quarters)
10/23/71 - Valentin Stoekl - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships semis)
10/25/71 - Alex Schmidt - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships finals)
***article stated record was 65-9 with 28 straight wins
12/18/71 - Donald Nelson - W 3 - Denver

02/03/72 - Dave McCann - W 3 - London (USA vs. Great Britain)
02/08/72 - Vladimir Chernyshev - TKO 2 - Moscow (USA vs. Russia)
02/11/72 - Valeri Inyatkin - W 3 - Zhdanov (USA vs. Russia)
02/14/72 - Kamo Saroyan - TKO 3 - Erevan (USA vs. Russia)
02/28/72 - Bob Culbertson - W 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest Golden Gloves finals)
03/07/72 - unknown - W x - Richmond (Virginia AAU quarters)
03/07/72 - unknown - W x - Richmond (Virginia AAU semis)
03/08/72 - Rodney Elam - W 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU finals)
03/17/72 - Fred Houpe - W 3 - Minneapolis (National GG 1st round)
03/17/72 - John 'Dino' Dennis - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (National GG quarters)
03/20/72 - Nick Wells - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (National GG semis)
03/20/72 - Steve Williams - TKO 2 - Minneapolis (National GG finals)
03/29/72 - Rich Harris - KO 1 - Norfolk (All Navy Championships finals)
04/xx/72 - Nick Wells - W 3 - unknown (Interservice Championships finals)
07/10/72 - Barnell Stidham - KO 2 - Denver
07/19/72 - John 'Dino' Dennis - KO 2 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials 1st round)
07/19/72 - Clifford Stephens - KO 1 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials quarters)
07/21/72 - Leroy Jones - W 3 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials semis)
07/22/72 - Nick Wells - TKO 2 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials finals)
08/05/72 - Larry Holmes - WDisq 3 - West Point, NY (Olympic Box-Offs)
09/03/72 - Yuri Nesterov - W 3 - Munich, GER (Olympic Games 1st round)
09/05/72 - Teofilo Stevenson - TKO by 3 - Munich, GER (Olympic Games quarters)

Let me know if you have any questions...Bob

[dempseyfire]

Another interesting point on Duane Bobick is that he could have been World Heavyweight Champion.

Before the reader starts thinking Tony is losing it again, here is the scenario.

On Jan. 1, 1977, Bobick was 38(32)-0-0, I believe. If Bobick had NOT signed to fight Norton, he could have hung around and possibly have been in Leon Spink's place in February, 1978. Ali was so washed up by 1978, that it's possible Duane could have done to Ali what Leon did.

Bobick did not have that whirlwind hurricane pace Spinks did. I think Bobick would've slowed down enough in the middle rounds that Ali could've won another close, controversial decision. Really, come to think of it, the only think I'd say Bobick had over Spinks was size and a bigger punch.

[Tony1244]

My amateur record for Duane Bobick:

12/27/66 - Nat Erckenback - W 3 - Brainerd, MN

01/07/67 - Tom Uselman - KO 1 - Little Falls, MN
01/28/67 - Ray Uselman - W 3 - Little Falls
02/11/67 - Ray Uselman - W 3 - Wadena, MN (N.Minn. Sectional GG finals)
02/17/67 - Bob Sullivan - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG quarters)
02/19/67 - Tom Runnels - L 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG semis)
08/19/67 - Jerry Latourneau - L 3 - Madison, WI
11/18/67 - Duane Geslin - exh. 3 - Little Falls
12/02/67 - Jim Herron - W 3 - Brainerd
12/09/67 - Jim Herron - W 3 - Little Falls

01/06/68 - Walt Burkhart - W 3 - Little Falls
02/10/68 - Rich Bailey - TKO 2 - Wadena (N.Minn. Sectional GG finals)
02/16/68 - Mark Hans - L 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest GG semis)
***prior to now Duane was fighting as a light heavyweight
03/21/68 - Frank Bellomy - W 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG 1st round)
03/21/68 - Tony Land - W 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG 2nd round)
03/22/68 - Charles Durham - TKO by 3 - Salt Lake City (National GG quarters)
04/05/68 - Dave Matthews - W 3 - Toledo (National AAU 1st round)
04/05/68 - Houston Williams - L 3 - Toledo (National AAU quarters)
12/28/68 - Walt Burkhart - W 3 - Little Falls

03/05/69 - Gregory Gibson - KO 2 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney)
03/06/69 - Estus Bledsoe - KO 2 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney semis)
03/07/69 - Charles Elder - L 3 - San Diego (11th Naval District tourney finals)
***article stated his record was 30-5 after this fight

01/10/70 - Aaron Eastling - exh. 3 - Little Falls
01/24/70 - Louie Hall - W 3 - Little Falls
03/xx/70 - unknown - W x - Honolulu (Navy GG finals)
03/17/70 - Larry Podesta - L 3 - Las Vegas (National GG 1st round)
04/02/70 - Joe Freeman - KO 2 - San Diego (West Coast Navy tourney semis)
04/03/70 - Rodney Harris - W 3 - San Diego (West Coast Navy tourney finals)
04/08/70 - John Hunter - W 3 - Orlando (All Navy Championships finals)
04/22/70 - Joe Thomas - KO 2 - Fort Dix (Interservice Championships semis)
04/23/70 - Percy Price - L 3 - Fort Dix (Interservice Championships finals)
04/30/70 - John Hunter - W 3 - Trenton (National AAU 1st round)
05/01/70 - Ron Lyle - KO by 2 - Trenton (National AAU 2nd round)
07/27/70 - Oseni Young - W 3 - Abidjan (World Military CISM Championships semis)
07/28/70 - Eugenio Martinelli - TKO 1 - Abidjan (World Military CISM Championships finals)

01/16/71 - Ron Lyle - KO by 2 - Fort Carson (USA Boxing elimination bout)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (North Carolina AAU championships)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (Georgia AAU championships)
xx/xx/71 - unknown - W x - unknown (Camp Lajeune championships)
03/30/71 - James Winfield - TKO 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU semis)
04/01/71 - Rodney Elam - TKO 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU finals)
04/08/71 - Salazor McGill - KO 1 - Bainbridge (Maryland AAU finals)
04/15/71 - Rick Harris - KO 2 - Vallejo (All Navy Championships finals)
04/20/71 - Kenneth Hassan - KO 1 - Vallejo (Interservice Championships semis)
04/22/71 - Louis Slaughter - W 3 - Vallejo (Interservice Championships finals)
04/28/71 - William Anderson - KO 2 - New Orleans (National AAU 1st round)
04/29/71 - Mike Weaver - KO 1 - New Orleans (National AAU 2nd round)
04/29/71 - Donald Nelson - KO 1 - New Orleans (National AAU quarters)
04/30/71 - Fred Houpe - KO 2 - New Orleans (National AAU semis)
05/01/71 - Ron Draper - W 3 - New Orleans (National AAU finals)
06/01/71 - Jack Meda - KO 2 - Troy, NY (North American Championships finals)
06/19/71 - Nick Wells - W 3 - Fort Bragg
08/03/71 - Wesley Zulueta - KO 1 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games quarters)
08/07/71 - Teofilo Stevenson - W 3 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games semis)
08/09/71 - Joaquin Rocha - TKO 2 - Cali, COL (Pan-Am Games finals)
08/26/71 - Fred Houpe - W 3 - Minneapolis
09/04/71 - Ion Alexe - W 3 - Lake Geneva (USA vs. Romania)
10/22/71 - Mostafi Rostami - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships quarters)
10/23/71 - Valentin Stoekl - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships semis)
10/25/71 - Alex Schmidt - KO 1 - Rotterdam, HOL (World Military CISM Championships finals)
***article stated record was 65-9 with 28 straight wins
12/18/71 - Donald Nelson - W 3 - Denver

02/03/72 - Dave McCann - W 3 - London (USA vs. Great Britain)
02/08/72 - Vladimir Chernyshev - TKO 2 - Moscow (USA vs. Russia)
02/11/72 - Valeri Inyatkin - W 3 - Zhdanov (USA vs. Russia)
02/14/72 - Kamo Saroyan - TKO 3 - Erevan (USA vs. Russia)
02/28/72 - Bob Culbertson - W 3 - Minneapolis (Upper Midwest Golden Gloves finals)
03/07/72 - unknown - W x - Richmond (Virginia AAU quarters)
03/07/72 - unknown - W x - Richmond (Virginia AAU semis)
03/08/72 - Rodney Elam - W 3 - Richmond (Virginia AAU finals)
03/17/72 - Fred Houpe - W 3 - Minneapolis (National GG 1st round)
03/17/72 - John 'Dino' Dennis - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (National GG quarters)
03/20/72 - Nick Wells - TKO 3 - Minneapolis (National GG semis)
03/20/72 - Steve Williams - TKO 2 - Minneapolis (National GG finals)
03/29/72 - Rich Harris - KO 1 - Norfolk (All Navy Championships finals)
04/xx/72 - Nick Wells - W 3 - unknown (Interservice Championships finals)
07/10/72 - Barnell Stidham - KO 2 - Denver
07/19/72 - John 'Dino' Dennis - KO 2 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials 1st round)
07/19/72 - Clifford Stephens - KO 1 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials quarters)
07/21/72 - Leroy Jones - W 3 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials semis)
07/22/72 - Nick Wells - TKO 2 - Fort Worth (Olympic Trials finals)
08/05/72 - Larry Holmes - WDisq 3 - West Point, NY (Olympic Box-Offs)
09/03/72 - Yuri Nesterov - W 3 - Munich, GER (Olympic Games 1st round)
09/05/72 - Teofilo Stevenson - TKO by 3 - Munich, GER (Olympic Games quarters)

Let me know if you have any questions...Bob

Thank You for that. Love Lists, especially very hard to find stuff like that.

[Caractacus]

What if Rodney Bobick had taken Duane's place to fight Ken Norton on the original scheduled date.
How to you think he would have fared ?

[Kalan]

A lot of fans put down Bobick because they remember the blowout by Norton, but he did have a career that a lot of fighters would envy. He won over Holmes and Stevenson in the amateurs, won all-navy titles and participated in Pan Am and Olympic games and as pro had a winning record and was considered a hot prospect until the Norton fight. He could box and punch but lacked speed.

Bobick couldn't box or punch.. He was not only slow, but he was very clumsy.. He was big for his day, 6'3" X 215, but he couldn't perform.

Nobody would envy Bobick's career because he got hit too much, beat up too much, and knocked out too much... It's not that Duane didn't have trainers who were good and tried to teach him... He just wasn't smart enough, quick enough, or athletic enough to grasp the basic concepts and skills of pugilism... He went 38-0 and rode high on Great White Hope Hype...but everybody knew he was headed for a train wreck because he couldn't fight.

Ken Norton was insulted at being matched with Bobick.. He was close friends with Bobick's manager and trainer, Joe Frazier and Eddie Futch,.. The fact they wanted Duane to fight Norton, and mentioned his chin and whatnot.. Norton was very pissed off, and extremely confident he would abolish Bobick.

Later, when Marvis Frazier went to 10-0 by beating the clumsy and hittable Joe Bugner---who was just as good as Bobick at ducking an slipping punches, but absorbed punishment much better---Joe Frazier had the bright idea to match Marvis with the 44-0 Larry Holmes... Often a boxer doesn't destroy his career on his own... He has help from his managers and trainers -- and their inability to evaluate who their boxer is ready for or who they will do well against.

[Kalan]

He was probably a greater prospect than any American "White Hope" since the 50's until now given his impressive amateur credentials and long undefeated record but he is an example of how some fighters change once they are knocked out.The loss to Kallie Knoetzee probably did more to shake his confidence and he never recovered it after that.

America doesn't produce white Heavyweights...for what reason??? I'm not exactly sure... But try listing the top-10 American Caucasian boxers who are presently fighting... I want to see your list... Knoetzee was a white South African Heavyweight couldn't box a lick -- but he could do 2 things Duane Bobick couldn't do... He could absorb a hard punch and he could throw hard... That combination of talents quickly destroyed Duane Bobick.

[actjac]

He was probably a greater prospect than any American "White Hope" since the 50's until now given his impressive amateur credentials and long undefeated record but he is an example of how some fighters change once they are knocked out.The loss to Kallie Knoetzee probably did more to shake his confidence and he never recovered it after that.

America doesn't produce white Heavyweights...for what reason??? I'm not exactly sure... But try listing the top-10 American Caucasian boxers who are presently fighting... I want to see your list... Knoetzee was a white South African Heavyweight couldn't box a lick -- but he could do 2 things Duane Bobick couldn't do... He could absorb a hard punch and he could throw hard... That combination of talents quickly destroyed Duane Bobick.

There are too many other sports that good, big United States athletes can make instant money in without toiling for years waiting in line.
There is not a top 10 list of white American heavyweights.
The closest are Trey Lippe, Travis Kaufman and Mike Wilson (former national amateur super heavyweight champion) now an undefeated cruiserweight.

[Caractacus]

My guess would be because today most Boxing gyms are located in the Inner cities,
and you aint particularly welcomed around there if your intials happen to be "W.T".