George Chuvalo vs Earnie Shavers & other signed bouts that never occurred.

[Caractacus]

I know the Joe Louis vrs Billy Conn rematch was set earlier then it happened.
when the war was still on (in the Pacific anyway) in 1944 if i remember correctly to be held in Yankee Stadium.
It was called off because Mike Jacobs wanted to get paid in the contract and no one else was going to I think.

also Joe Louis was suppose to fight "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom in MSG as a tune up before he fought Jim Braddock for the title in 1937,
but Louis's manager's pulled the plug on that.

[Nile4000]

Surprises me that Maxie and Tommy Loughran never signed and fought.

[Caractacus]

Jack Johnson vrs Bombadier Billy Wells in London (England).
Jess Willard vrs Fred Fulton in Minneapolis (title defense).

[sweetsci]

Was reading a couple of old Ring mags today...

In their coverage of Frazier-Quarry I, they reported that Jimmy Ellis vs. Sonny Liston was scheduled for August, 1969.

Another issue reported that Antonio Cervantes had an upcoming defense against Roberto Duran. I think Wilfred Benitez spoiled that plan.

[Philezra]

When was Holmes due to fight Foreman?

[Caractacus]

When was Holmes due to fight Foreman?

January.23.1999 at the Houston Astrodome.

[scartissue]

Was reading a couple of old Ring mags today...

In their coverage of Frazier-Quarry I, they reported that Jimmy Ellis vs. Sonny Liston was scheduled for August, 1969.

Another issue reported that Antonio Cervantes had an upcoming defense against Roberto Duran. I think Wilfred Benitez spoiled that plan.

You reminded me of Benitez' return match with Antonio Cervantes that never materialized. Benitez kept putting it off saying he was injured, but would then sign to fight someone else. The WBA finally stripped him of the crown.

Also, Duran-Buchanan II, which was in the contract but Duran's people reneged on.

[Flump]

Bruno had a few cancellations, other than Mercer and Tyson being rescheduled. He was supposed to fight Alfredo Evangelista but the Spaniard got injured and Peter Mulendwa substituted. He was also scheduled to fight Trevor Berbick and Greg Page around 1988 but both fell through.

[sweetsci]

I just read that Madison Square Garden was trying to put together a Jimmy Ellis - Floyd Patterson rematch for the undercard of Ali-Bonavena.

[RazorKO]

Mark Kaylor vs Frank Animal Fletcher. This fight was meant to happen, but Fletcher pulled out, so Hard rock green took his place....and then he got injured, so Buster Drayton stepped in.
Kaylor vs Fletcher wouldve of been a great fight to watch if it happened.

[sweetviolenturge]

A couple more...

Norton - LeDoux was supposed to happen in San Diego a month or so before their Minneapolis bout. I remember this well because I was a 12-year old staying with family friends in San Diego and I had a ticket. It would have been my first live fight card, but alas, Norton pulled out due to an injury. Gerry Cooney was supposed to box an exhibition on the undercard.

Cooney - Norton was also a part of the February 1981 "This Is It" card promoted by the infamous Harold RossFields Smith. That supercard also included Saad Muhammad vs. Mustafa Muhammad, Hearns vs. Benitez, and Wilfredo Gomez - Mike Ayala.

Holmes - Cooney was supposed to happen in March 1982 but was postponed due to, you guessed it, a Cooney injury.

Larry Holmes was supposed to defend against Alfio Righetti but the TV network vetoed Righetti and green-lighted Alfredo Evangelista instead.

Not ever signed, but an interesting "what if" - Larry Holmes and Jimmy Young were supposed to fight in March 1979. All Jimmy had to do was get past Ossie Ocasio the preceding June. Ocasio of course upset the apple cart. So Jimmy was given another chance against Ocasio in January and once again lost, blowing his shot.

Mike Weaver vs. Tex Cobb for Weaver's WBA title was scheduled and then cancelled a couple of times.

Thanks much, sweetsci, those are beautiful examples of just the sort of info that I was hoping to learn & be reminded of in this thread.
Yep, Ozzie Ocasio sure did screw things up, didn't he?
Or should I say, that Young did by not showing up properly in shape or motivated for their first fight?
All he would have had to do was eek out a decision over the green Puerto Rican & he'd have likely gotten the title shot that went to Alfredo Evangelista in November of '78. And, as you pointed out, he got a second shot at it in January of '79 when he was rematched with him in San Juan. Had he won that he would have gotten the opportunity to fight Holmes in May. But, it wasn't to be as Young, though in better shape, still fought flat & was outworked by Ocasio. Forever sealing his fate when it came to another title shot.

[Caractacus]

Michael Spinks was scheduled to fight Tex Cobb,but that happened around the time of the Sports Illustrated article
that claimed Cobb was involved in fixed fights so Michael Spinks fought Stefan Tangstead instead.

[Caractacus]

Sonny Liston was scheduled to fight Buster Mathis in Minneapolis MN in late 1966 I believe (to have been promoted by Joe Louis)

[Caractacus]

Mac Foster and Lee Mandingo were both supposed to have been part of THE TORONTO FIVE that George Foreman
was going to fight originally.
Duane Bobick was supposed to fight Joe Bugner,after Bobicks win over Randy Nueman.

[sweetviolenturge]

Mac Foster and Lee Mandingo were both supposed to have been part of THE TORONTO FIVE that George Foreman
was going to fight originally.
Duane Bobick was supposed to fight Joe Bugner,after Bobicks win over Randy Nueman.

Yep, I remember the original line up for THE TORONTO FIVE affair was a whole lot more impressive than what finally actually occurred.

[bwu]

Michael Spinks was scheduled to fight Tex Cobb,but that happened around the time of the Sports Illustrated article
that claimed Cobb was involved in fixed fights so Michael Spinks fought Stefan Tangstead instead.

Respectfully I must ask, are you sure about that? That Spinks fight was in '86. I don't think the SI article was printed until '93.

[elmersalsa]

Tyson v Holyfield, Autumn 1991.

This fight would've been probably in the same breath of the Ali vs Frazier I in terms of anticipation. I was so disappointed that it didn't happened then. It had that aura.

[elmersalsa]

Alexis Arguello vs Roberto Duran in 1978. But, Vilomar Fernandez spoiled the showdown when he beat Arguello.

[sweetviolenturge]

Speaking of Duran, he was actually originally scheduled to fight Wilfred Benitez in a 10 round non-title fight at MSG on 11/18/77, but he pulled out of the fight leaving Benitez to fight a replacement opponent in Bruce Curry. Though Curry was unbeaten in 13 pro fights at that point he was a rather green prospect & not yet a contender so Benitez slacked off in his preparation. Which nearly cost him when he showed up in mediocre shape & uninspired. Curry dropped him twice toward the end of the 4th round & then dropped him again early in the fifth. Which would have been enough to earn Curry the decision had in been scored on points but at the time in NYS all fights were scored on the rounds system. So Benitez was able to win a split decision when the referee's score of 5-4-1 for Curry was overruled by the two judge's scores of 5-4-1 & 7-3 for Benitez.
The two met again three months later on 2/4/78 with a better conditioned & focused Benitez winning a majority decision over Curry by scores of 9-1, 7-3 & 5-5.

[Caractacus]

I was reading Ken Norton's autobiography the other day and in it he said he was supposed to fight on the undercard
of THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY (MARCH-1971) but it was cancelled 'at the last minute",but as a result he got a great ringside seat.
Anyone here kinow who Ken Norton was scheduled to fight that day ?
Norton was a sparring partner to Joe Frazier at the time,so I wonder if he was going to face one of Ali's sparring partners.

[HomicideHenry]

In 1981 Tex Cobb was supposed to fight Muhammad Ali, but broke his arm in a bar brawl against a baseball team (true story). In the late 80's and early 90's Cobb put together a string of wins and actually was set to fight WBO Champion Tommy Morrison... Then Sports Illustrated claimed Cobb was winning fixed fights, and Cobb sued them rather than face Morrison.

[sweetviolenturge]

I was reading Ken Norton's autobiography the other day and in it he said he was supposed to fight on the undercard
of THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY (MARCH-1971) but it was cancelled 'at the last minute",but as a result he got a great ringside seat.
Anyone here kinow who Ken Norton was scheduled to fight that day ?
Norton was a sparring partner to Joe Frazier at the time,so I wonder if he was going to face one of Ali's sparring partners.

That's definitely some info that I'd like to know myself.

[sweetviolenturge]

In 1981 Tex Cobb was supposed to fight Muhammad Ali, but broke his arm in a bar brawl against a baseball team (true story). In the late 80's and early 90's Cobb put together a string of wins and actually was set to fight WBO Champion Tommy Morrison... Then Sports Illustrated claimed Cobb was winning fixed fights, and Cobb sued them rather than face Morrison.

Well, SI was only doing their job. That winning streak of Cobb's was basically all fabrication & certainly, Morrison would have gotten an old, faded "Tex" out of there quickly. One only needs to take a look at Cobb's fight here with Sonny Barch to see what sort of nonsense he was up to at that point of his career. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B3-rx0W5fk

[Caractacus]

In 1981 Tex Cobb was supposed to fight Muhammad Ali, but broke his arm in a bar brawl against a baseball team (true story). In the late 80's and early 90's Cobb put together a string of wins and actually was set to fight WBO Champion Tommy Morrison... Then Sports Illustrated claimed Cobb was winning fixed fights, and Cobb sued them rather than face Morrison.

I had heard it was Mike Weaver that Cobb was supposed to fight for his title just before his arm got broken with a baseball bat in trying to save a sportswriter from an unruly mob in a bar in Philadelphia.,
it was Scott LeDoux who Muhammad Ali wanted to fight in his comeback and LaDoux pulled out of a scheduled fight with Gerry Cooney.

[Caractacus]

I was reading Ken Norton's autobiography the other day and in it he said he was supposed to fight on the undercard
of THE FIGHT OF THE CENTURY (MARCH-1971) but it was cancelled 'at the last minute",but as a result he got a great ringside seat.
Anyone here kinow who Ken Norton was scheduled to fight that day ?
Norton was a sparring partner to Joe Frazier at the time,so I wonder if he was going to face one of Ali's sparring partners.

That's definitely some info that I'd like to know myself.

Yes, I wondered my self especially on a card like that probably would'nt have been a pusher over,who you think it may have been ?
Forrest Ward (whom Norton was somewhat bitter about for being bumped off the spot on the Olympic team for him ?
that would have been a good one I think.
maybe Roy "Tiger"Williams ? ( but Norton didn't like going against big punchers)
or maybe it was just Steve Carter whom Norton actually faced a month later in the ring ?
I wonder if Ken Norton and whoever his opponent was to be had weighed-in earlier for it before it was cancelled ?