Classic fights I've watched recently

[oogiebe]

George Foreman vs Ron Lyle

Despite the fact of developing to a great slugfest, the fight started tactical. Foreman was overall better with his jab and more variable combos. He blew the 1st round, cause Lyle caught him with right hand there and dazed him, but then it seemed, that Foreman was in control. In the 4th Lyle began to look tired and probably he was indeed feeling, that he had to do something right then, so he provided more effort. He was countering more to Foreman's attacks and finally was successful. After Foreman went down for the first time he fought back and sent Lyle to a harder knockdown. It was George's mistake though, that he was trying to finish Lyle off in a too reckless way. Lyle caught Foreman with a very hard blow in the end of the round. Foreman fell down flat on his face. He got up, but was saved by the bell. I guess, if this KD happened a bit earlier, Lyle would finish Foreman off. Foreman got lucky in some sense. In the 5th they both were totally exhausted and thus defenceless, but they continued to fight on their toughness and Foreman had a bit more of it.

Did you notice the 'short' round?

[DrDuke]

George Foreman vs Ron Lyle

Despite the fact of developing to a great slugfest, the fight started tactical. Foreman was overall better with his jab and more variable combos. He blew the 1st round, cause Lyle caught him with right hand there and dazed him, but then it seemed, that Foreman was in control. In the 4th Lyle began to look tired and probably he was indeed feeling, that he had to do something right then, so he provided more effort. He was countering more to Foreman's attacks and finally was successful. After Foreman went down for the first time he fought back and sent Lyle to a harder knockdown. It was George's mistake though, that he was trying to finish Lyle off in a too reckless way. Lyle caught Foreman with a very hard blow in the end of the round. Foreman fell down flat on his face. He got up, but was saved by the bell. I guess, if this KD happened a bit earlier, Lyle would finish Foreman off. Foreman got lucky in some sense. In the 5th they both were totally exhausted and thus defenceless, but they continued to fight on their toughness and Foreman had a bit more of it.

Did you notice the 'short' round?

Yeah, and that time it was lucky for Lyle.

[oogiebe]

Did you notice the 'short' round?

Yeah, and that time it was lucky for Lyle.

Exactly. I thought Foreman could've put him away in the second if he had the third minute.

[handsofstone]

Arturo Gatti vs Joey Gamache



Gatti KOs Gamache in the 2nd round of a non title Super Lightweight fight, it was a rout, Gamache down twice and nearly stopped in the opener, first down from a solid Gatti right cross then again from a hard left hook, Gamache both times got up on unsteady legs but somehow managed to make it to the end of the round, Gatti did wobble him with a big shot just after the bell which had Gamache staggering to the wrong corner


No surprise really to see Gatti ice Gamache seconds into the 2nd round, Gatti banged him with a top drawer combination , right uppercut/left hook/right hand, all landing flush, Gamache head battered the canvas, sickener


Gamache suffered brain damage, never fought again and sued the commission for failing to make sure Gatti made weight, apparently he was quick on and off scales

[DrDuke]

Gerrie Coetzee vs Kallie Knoetze

The 2nd and the 9th rounds of this 10-round bout are missing and, from what it's possible to see, it was a fight edged by Coetzee. He had his usual problem there, he a bit faded in the later rounds and Knoetze took some of them, but overall Coetzee made a better impression. In the 3rd he spectaculary sent Knoetze down with the jab - left hook combo. So, it was a decent scrap. South African heavyweights were noticeable at that time, although they were more noticeable a bit later, in the 80s - early 90s, as this fight took place in 1976. South Africans also had a quite some amount of decent wars among each other.

[oogiebe]

Arturo Gatti vs Joey Gamache



Gatti KOs Gamache in the 2nd round of a non title Super Lightweight fight, it was a rout, Gamache down twice and nearly stopped in the opener, first down from a solid Gatti right cross then again from a hard left hook, Gamache both times got up on unsteady legs but somehow managed to make it to the end of the round, Gatti did wobble him with a big shot just after the bell which had Gamache staggering to the wrong corner


No surprise really to see Gatti ice Gamache seconds into the 2nd round, Gatti banged him with a top drawer combination , right uppercut/left hook/right hand, all landing flush, Gamache head battered the canvas, sickener


Gamache suffered brain damage, never fought again and sued the commission for failing to make sure Gatti made weight, apparently he was quick on and off scales

The worst decision by handlers to let Joey go into the ring that night knowing he was fighting a SMW. SMDH.

[DrDuke]

Gerrie Coetzee vs Renaldo Snipes

An awful decision in a great fight. It was all Coetzee, even if to score in by rounds, like it was in the reality, not by 10-9 system. The fight was action packed and Coetzee took the vast majority of the rounds, not only the ones, where he knocked Snipes down. Actually, the first KD was already in the 1 st round. Then Coetzee continued to dominate. In the 4th Coetzee dropped Snipes again. In the 5th Snipes showed, that he wasn't finished, but despite the tendency to fade in the process of the fight Coetzee won the majority of the remaining rounds. Snipes was always trying to fight back, for what he should be given a credit, but Coetzee was a clear winner. A robbery, but a great fight to watch.

[Bodyshot3]

Gerrie Coetzee vs Kallie Knoetze

The 2nd and the 9th rounds of this 10-round bout are missing and, from what it's possible to see, it was a fight edged by Coetzee. He had his usual problem there, he a bit faded in the later rounds and Knoetze took some of them, but overall Coetzee made a better impression. In the 3rd he spectaculary sent Knoetze down with the jab - left hook combo. So, it was a decent scrap. South African heavyweights were noticeable at that time, although they were more noticeable a bit later, in the 80s - early 90s, as this fight took place in 1976. South Africans also had a quite some amount of decent wars among each other.

They had some proper bust-ups mate.....a very healthy scene

The Saffers kind of copied the American casino-resort model - you got a fight-night or maybe a singer and also got to have a tax free gamble - and could let your hair down and got a bit bonkers,

Think a bloke called Sol Kerzner has a lot to do with keeping the sport alive in SA....to keep his hotel/casinos in money.

[DrDuke]

Gerrie Coetzee vs Pinklon Thomas

An intense and exciting slugfest. A competetive and close fight. Yet I clearly see Coetzee edging it. Gerrie started better, he was boxing good. Thomas was quite stationary, he didn't try to trade jabs with Coetzee, he just was picking counters. Pinky had some moments in the early and middle parts of the fight, but still overall it was Gerrie's fight. Thomas activated in the last rounds. However, Coetzee wasn't broken under the sudden pressure, he was fighting back well. So, the slugfest culminated at the ending of the bout. But particularly at the ending it already was Thomas, who was edging. Maybe Thomas would win, if it was a 12-rounder, but in the actual fight I see Coetzee winning. Although calling it a draw isn't that bad.

[margaret thatcher]

I've been watching Don Curry fights lately, mostly from before he got 'Honey'd' . Man was very nice to watch, a nice relaxed fighter who tracked every move of his opponent and knew when precisely to attack and counter, and with what. Just seemed to lack a bit of toughness up at the really high levels

[handsofstone]

Arturo Gatti vs Gianluca Branco


Gatti beats Branco by UD to win vacant World Super Lightweight title, not one of Gatti's most exciting fights but he boxed well, didnt get too involved, he injured the right hand early and barely threw it so boxing Branco was the clever thing to do, Gatti's jab was class throughout

Branco wasnt working enough and Gatti comfortably pulled ahead in the fight, he dropped Branco in the 10th with a left hook, Brando did improve down the stretch and began to try make something happen but even with one hand Gatti was clearly the better busier man

[Bodyshot3]

Gerrie Coetzee vs Pinklon Thomas

It is quite a good reminder as to why Coetzee was largely viewed as one of the handful of credible-legitimate white heavyweights after the likes of Quarry, Bobick, Cooney and Bugner (temporarily) left the scene...…. and how he filled the gap before guys like Morrison and then all the huge Eastern Europeans emerged.

[Nile4000]

I've been watching Don Curry fights lately, mostly from before he got 'Honey'd' . Man was very nice to watch, a nice relaxed fighter who tracked every move of his opponent and knew when precisely to attack and counter, and with what. Just seemed to lack a bit of toughness up at the really high levels

He was fortunate he didn't have to fight Milton McVeigh in early 1983, he would've lost.

[margaret thatcher]

You mean McCrory? What makes you think that?

On another note, what do people think of Curry's HOF status?

[DrDuke]

Tommy Morrison vs Razor Ruddock

Just a one of my all time favorite fights. The bout had everything: good exchanges, knockdowns, the intensity and competition. The stoppage was arguable though. It's especially great to watch the Premiere Sports version, where Bert Sugar comments with some other nice fella. They were making hilarious statements. For example, that fella said about both Tommy and Razor knocking each other down with right uppercuts: "We expected hookers", and Bert Sugar responded: "Watch your language". And when Morrison suddenly knocked Ruddock down hard with a left hook, the fella yelled: "Oh, sh*t!".

[handsofstone]

Arturo Gatti vs Jesse James Leija



Gatti KOs Leija in the 5th to retain his World Super Lightweight title, another excellent boxing showing from Gatti, his jab was first class, just boxing Leija jabbing, moving, patient, Leija got home a few times with his own jab and occasional right hand but it was Gatti who was controlling things


In the 5th Gatti threw the double jab which missed but he came over with a perfect straight right and put Leija down hurt bad, fair play to him he got up and tried to slug it out with Gatti and clipped him with a solid left but Gatti composed himself backed Leija up and picked his shots well before nailing Leija with a big left hook for a second KD and although Leija was pretty early on the knee he never made the count

[DrDuke]

Lennox Lewis vs Tommy Morrison

The fight took place on Oct 7, 1995, but it could be held earlier. It was in the making for early 1994. Lewis defended against Bruno in the late 1993 and the deal for Morrison fight was almost made. Tommy just decided to take a one fight before it, he fought Michael Bentt and was surprisingly KOed in the first. Ironically, Lewis made other defence since then, after what he also was KOed, as we know, by McCall. Morrison had a sort of a crisis after the Bentt loss, as he was appearing out of shape in a one fight after another, but slowly Tommy seemed to rebound his career. Finally Lewis and Morrison met, while both were on the way back to the top. Lewis started the fight cautious, relying on his range and jab. Morrison still got to Lennox with a left hook and then with a right hand in the 1st, but after that Tommy didn't have much success. Lewis calculated Morrison. Tommy was well-prepared to this bout, he had a game plan not to outbox Lewis, but to break through his jab and make it a fight. Morrison was trying to use his head-movement to avoid jabs of Lewis and to get inside. He was trying counter-rights, body punches and combinations with going from body to head, but he was almost always neutralized by Lewis' jab and well-timed power punches. Lewis' performance was stellar that night. That's was reborn near-perfect Lewis. Slowly, but certainly Lewis was breaking Morrison down. Tommy was tireing, his eyes were swelling. After Lewis dropped Tommy for the second time in the 6th round and the 4th time in total, the ref stopped the fight.

[chrisjs1985]

You mean McCrory? What makes you think that?

On another note, what do people think of Curry's HOF status?

I hate to begrudge fighters of accolades they have earned and I am happy for all that get inducted after their glory days but there are about 15-20 guys in the IBHOF that really don't belong and Curry is one of them. If talent and what he looked like at his apex are to go by then he should absolutely be in but his career is quite short IMO. A number of fighters I really, really like are in there that I don't quite feel should be and then you've got a group of guys who absolutely deserve to be there that won't get a sniff.

[Ambling Alp II]

The majority of Hall of Famers are pretty clear cut. Some have little to no case. Some are borderline.
Curry is borderline.
There are fighters not in that are better; there are other HOFers not as deserving.

[margaret thatcher]

Any stronger claim than his daddy Honeyghan?

[Ambling Alp II]

Umm, yes.

[margaret thatcher]

How you rate their top 3 wins? Careers seem similar tbh, both had a brief explosive period and some good wins, then lost and re won titles, then downhill with losses . both beat up the legend Gio Rosi too

[Ambling Alp II]

I rate Curry's top three higher, and then after the gap gets bigger. Curry was better. There are many other fighters not in the HOF that I would put in before Honeyghan. There are some in that weren't as good.
We have sort of hijacked this thread which is supposed to be about Classic Fights. If you want to discuss this more, maybe you should start another thread.

[margaret thatcher]

It's related to some classic fights, including where Honey whooped some prime Curry ass. not gonna list those wins though? I really don't see a big gap at all, though Donny got far more american hype,maybe that's what it was

Very similar careers.

[handsofstone]

Carlos Baldomir vs Arturo Gatti



Baldomir TKOs Gatti in the 9th to retain his World Welterweight title, just too big and strong for the brave as ever Gatti, Gatti was the quicker boxer, better mover and had a good opener but after that Baldomir's size and strength took over, nothing spectacular about his work but he just kept plugging away, walking Gatti down drilling him with solid right hands

Gatti got his tactics wrong and tried to fight it out with the bigger man and although he had success, nothing he landed had an effect on Baldomir who kept coming forward

Finally in the 9th a weary Gatti finally wilted, hurt and backed up on the ropes Baldomir battered him with about 30 unanswered punches, insane heart from Gatti, finally a massive left hook dropped Gatti bad, he bravely got up but a shoe shine combination from Baldomir ending with another left sent Gatti down again when the ref waved it off