Underappreciated Classics

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 11 Sep 2002, 18:06

There are some fights that stand out to me as truly great, but don't get recognized and don't end up on "best ever" lists. I'd love to hear from the board about fights they consider neglected.

Joichiro Tatsuyoshi vs. Sirimongkol Singmanasak: An all-time classic in every way. I think it's neglected because it was only broadcast in Asia, but there are plenty of excellent, crystal clear copies out there. Go get it.

Bobby Chacon vs. Art Frias: Attention is heaped upon Bobby fourth fight with Limon and second with Boza-Edwards, and for good reason, but this fight is remarkable too. This is one of the most vicious gutter wars I have EVER seen.

saad · Post by **saad** » 11 Sep 2002, 21:14

Thanks for the tips. I just recieved a bunch of Chacon fights today, I'll take a look at the Frias fight. You're right, I've never heard anyone mention it as a particularly good fight.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 12 Sep 2002, 01:26

Definitely not for the roar of the crowd, but I've never forgotten the masterful technical display Harold Johnson gave in his fight against Doug Jones. Every fan, trainer, and boxer should have a tape of that (wish i did) as an example of what the science of boxing is all about.Jones said he learned more in that fight than in his entire career. Johnson was the best I ever saw at using one move to both defend and counter. Johnson did not have a good chin, which to me made him all the more impressive in his ability to beat so many of the excellent fighters of his era.

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 12 Sep 2002, 15:42

Jaclem wrote:Definitely not for the roar of the crowd, but I've never forgotten the masterful technical display Harold Johnson gave in his fight against Doug Jones. Every fan, trainer, and boxer should have a tape of that (wish i did) as an example of what the science of boxing is all about.Jones said he learned more in that fight than in his entire career. Johnson was the best I ever saw at using one move to both defend and counter. Johnson did not have a good chin, which to me made him all the more impressive in his ability to beat so many of the excellent fighters of his era.

Thanks Jaclem. Harold Johnson is a fighter whom I knew NOTHING about, but a quick check of his BoxRec profile reveals an INCREDIBLE career. I'll try to seek out some of his fights.

still smoking · Post by **still smoking** » 12 Sep 2002, 19:06

im dumb.

fatcity · Post by **fatcity** » 13 Sep 2002, 11:14

Interesting question this, when I think about it there are quite a few classic fights that I don't here many people talking about these days.... (perhaps its a sign that I'm getting old eh?...hope not) ...anyway how about Chacon vs Olivares 1 an absolute toe-to-toe classic with both men on top form... one of my favs. Both Chacon and Olivares were exciting every time they went in the ring and I d reccommend every boxing fan to collect their fights... Ive never seen either in a bad fight.
Then theres Saad Muhammad vs Richie Kates what a slugfest ...both men up and down like yoyos... this is a lighthevy weight version of Foreman vs Lyle. At one point Saad is dropped face first onto the canvas, I still find it hard to believe that he got up ....and went on to win too!.
Saad is another who was never in a dull fight... people talk about his world title defence agaist Yakqui Lopez as a thriller but their first fight was also a classic, as was Saads first bout with Marvin Johnson.
Other fights coming to mind are Arguello vs Olivares, Green vs Palomino
Curry vs BRooks, Curry Vs Benitez1, Harada vs Jofre 1 and 2 (great fights) Shavers vs Cobb, Shavers vs Mercadoe, Lyle vs Shavers and
Murphy vs Mutti. How about Murphy vs Mutti, a toe to toe war ending with a double knockdown rocky style?.... I wont say who won but its well worth getting. Also Mccauley vs Bassa 1 was great too, and was the Irishmans finest hour, although he didn't win. You can win when you lose you know.

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 17 Sep 2002, 22:27

One fight that may not be great, but is at least very, very good is Freddie Pendleton vs. Tony Lopez. I've NEVER heard it mentioned on any discussion forum.

Lopez received two BRUTAL knockdowns in the first, another two in the second and then rallied back to drop Pendleton in the middle rounds. Unfortunately, I think those early knockdowns led Mitch Halpern to stop this one a little too soon.

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 22 Mar 2003, 21:16

EVERY fight I've seen from the Boza-Edwards/Bazooka Limon/Bobby Chacon/Rolando Navarette rivalry has been terrific, and we've all seen the classics like Chacon-Limon 4 and Chacon-Boza Edwards 2. But I just got a copy of Limon-Navarette, and it deserves plenty of acclaim too. Great fight, and a tremendous come from behind victory for the winner. Those 3 or 4 years when they kept passing the title among each other were unbelievable.

Thanks to a recommendation on the boxing video classics site, I got a copy of Earl Hargrove vs. Donald King. Check it out; it's quite the war. One of the best first rounds I've ever seen.

Tomato-Can · Post by **Tomato-Can** » 23 Mar 2003, 01:16

Anyone who has not seen Caveman Lee vs John Locicero (sp) should make an attempt to do so.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 23 Mar 2003, 03:05

terap...do you know the weights for the Johnson/Valdes fight. When I watched it I thought it was a classic display of the art of boxing...Valdes looked so huge,a nd he wasn't really bad fighter, but Johnson moved him around the ring at will, moved into harms way and out again and was just brilliant all the way through.

i made an entry in the forum some time ago about Johnson/patterson being one of the fights that should have but never were made, andI think Johnson had more than a better chance of winning being lightheavy/heavyweight champ.

Maybe I exaggerated when I said he had a "bad" chin....nobody with a bad chin goes as far as he did against such top opposition....but it wasn't a particularly good one, and again I think that make his success all the more remarkable....some (A.J. Liebling for one) called him "too cautious," but he was fighting some bombers and he knew better than to go in slugging. A real artist...puncher, boxer, and who never got the prizes or acclaim he deserved.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 23 Mar 2003, 04:00

...which is one of the things that is so frustrating about Liebling...superb writer, but so biased..and so provincially New York...knew very little about fighters, no matter how great, until the came to New York

manager · Post by **manager** » 24 Mar 2003, 19:22

Anyone remember John John Molina v Goyo Vargas?

One of my all time favorite fights, it had everything but knock downs, two classy fighters throwing brilliant combinations.

If somebody who had never seen pro boxing wanted to know what it was all about, this would be the fight i'd show them.

Jaclem · Post by **Jaclem** » 24 Mar 2003, 19:32

Yes, Jack London was a good boxing writer...of fiction. Not so good on the real thing, though.Called out Jeffries to bring the heavyweight crown back to the white race, where he felt it belonged, and to "wipe the smile off the Negro's face." alas, poor Jeffries listened. London did admit he was surprised when "The Negro didn't show the yellow streak."

"The Set-up" is a terrific poem. Assume you've seen the excellent movie of the same title and inspired by it. Unusual the respect that it was told almost in "real time"....extremely rare for pictures of that day, and still is.

zurdo · Post by **zurdo** » 04 Apr 2003, 02:28

gensu3k1 mentioed Freddie Pendelton-Tony Lopez...
Tony Lopez was a real gamer who was in a number of real good fights his first match with Rocky Lockridge (which I was fortunate enough to see in person) and his third fight with John John Molina were also real brawls....

gensu3k1 · Post by **gensu3k1** » 04 May 2003, 15:07

I just got a copy of Limon-Navarrette, and it's pretty great. And when you place it in the Limon/Navarrette/Choi/Chacon/Boza-Edwards rivalry, it has added drama. I think about this a lot; with Limon's victory over Bethelmy a chain of events was set in motion that gave us a series of action fights that culminated in Chacon vs. Boza-Edwards II. Limon vs. Boza-Edwards, Boza-Edwards vs. Chacon I, Navarrette vs. Boza-Edwards, Navarrette vs. Choi, Limon vs. Navarrette, Chacon vs. Limon IV, Chacon vs. Boza-Edwards II. Wow! And outside of the title fights there were 3 other great Chacon-Limon fights (only two of which exist on video).

I haven't seen a bad Limon fight yet.

Underappreciated Classics

Underappreciated Classics

underapreciated classics