Herbie Hide circa early 2000s

[jameswilson]

Managed to watch some of Herbie fights that were on the bbc around the time Audley, Haye, Froch and Pickering we’re regulars on there in the early 2000s. Both his fights with Chingangu and that one where he lost on a cut.

He managed to make it through that period without fighting Audley, Williams, Skelton etc or any of those domestic guys which is frustrating. How would he have done?

Either Mick Hennessy or Barry Hearn won a purse bid for him to fight Danny Williams for the EU title that doubled as a final eliminator for the European title. I think Luan Krasniqui was champion at that time. The fight fell through because Hide lost on that cut and we were robbed of what would have been a memorable fight and potentially 2 memorable fights with the winner facing Krasniqui.

What are people’s thoughts on him during that period?

[Bleak]

Wasn’t Mindaugas Kulikauskas a cut defeat early 2000s , I remember him about 2010 on prizefighter too

[dookus]

I suspect the Chingagu fight ruined what was left of his confidence in his chin - he'd never been stopped by anyone at that low a level before. I'm speculating here, but it may also have been hard to accept taking low purses in rebuilding fights after he'd been paid so well in the 90s, which perhaps explains the inactivity.

[asmund]

He lost clearly every time he stepped up (Bowe and then Klitschko). Looked scared, and lost those fights before they even started.
Should have stayed at cruiser all through his career.
Too small to compete against the best in heavyweight.

[polecateddy]

He was a very dynamic puncher. To give it a tiny bit more credit, I suspect the Tony Tucker he demolished wasn’t far removed in ageing ability from the Tony Thompson that burst David Price’s bubble. Although he was wiped out by Vitali, he actually out boxed and almost played with the big guy in that first round. Even said it was easy back in the corner. He had some heavyweight ability.

[Wales]

He was floating around 215-220 as a heavyweight when the cruiser limit was 190. Had the limit have been 200lbs at that time Hide would’ve undoubtedly been operating at Cruiserweight and would’ve had far more success than he did giving away 25lbs , and big height and reach advantages against likes of Bowe and Vitali

[margaret thatcher]

Had a decent 14-0 run at cw to finish his career, would've been interesting for sure if he was in his prime as a cruiser

[Wales]

Plenty of potential fights out there for him when he was on that run too, just never came off. Suspect he was a risk both in the ring and to the TV companies at the time.

Mad as a box of frogs, volatile and uncontrollable.

[dookus]

He was floating around 215-220 as a heavyweight when the cruiser limit was 190. Had the limit have been 200lbs at that time Hide would’ve undoubtedly been operating at Cruiserweight and would’ve had far more success than he did giving away 25lbs , and big height and reach advantages against likes of Bowe and Vitali

If I remember correctly, as a HW Hide would often drink protein shakes and put weights in his pockets before weighins - so I suspect he could always have made 190. No money in the cruisers back then, though.

[mickey1975]

Wouldn’t have got Bowe money in ten cruiser defences.

[Foggy]

I believe he’s now training his son who is now in the amateurs, anyone have any more info on this?

[Muttley]

He was a very dynamic puncher. To give it a tiny bit more credit, I suspect the Tony Tucker he demolished wasn’t far removed in ageing ability from the Tony Thompson that burst David Price’s bubble. Although he was wiped out by Vitali, he actually out boxed and almost played with the big guy in that first round. Even said it was easy back in the corner. He had some heavyweight ability.

I was ringside for both the Tucker and Klitschko fights and let me tell you, Vitali just stalked and walked Hide down. Herbie could not put a dent in Vitali. As soon as Vitali went up a gear he hurt Hide and took him out. As for Tucker, he was past his sell by date. That was the day i heard (not confirmed) a certain American MC was getting paid more for messing up the ring announcments than some lower weight world champs were getting paid to defend their titles.

[polecateddy]

Cruiser-weight was always a bit of dead zone while Hide was at his peak. Respectable champions like Afred 'Ice' Cole couldn't wait to get away from it after toiling away in obscurity for years. With Hide, people might think of him more fondly if he'd been awarded the opportunity to chomp through Julius Francis, Danny Williams, Michael Sprott and Audley Harrison like a shark chowing down a bucket of chum.

[Coco]

He was a very dynamic puncher. To give it a tiny bit more credit, I suspect the Tony Tucker he demolished wasn’t far removed in ageing ability from the Tony Thompson that burst David Price’s bubble. Although he was wiped out by Vitali, he actually out boxed and almost played with the big guy in that first round. Even said it was easy back in the corner. He had some heavyweight ability.

I was ringside for both the Tucker and Klitschko fights and let me tell you, Vitali just stalked and walked Hide down. Herbie could not put a dent in Vitali. As soon as Vitali went up a gear he hurt Hide and took him out. As for Tucker, he was past his sell by date. That was the day i heard (not confirmed) a certain American MC was getting paid more for messing up the ring announcments than some lower weight world champs were getting paid to defend their titles.

Has Tuckers dressing room behaviour ever been confirmed?

[cormack]

he was crap

[Roco]

Plenty of potential fights out there for him when he was on that run too, just never came off. Suspect he was a risk both in the ring and to the TV companies at the time.

Mad as a box of frogs, volatile and uncontrollable.

True, but no worse than Chisora.

Weren't there decent fights to be made at cruiser for hide? Weren't Enzo mac, Carl Thompson and Mark Hobson + Haye at cruiser or did they come along after?

[margaret thatcher]

Jirov, Mormeck, Hill, Bell, Braithwaite, etc was cruiser champ in late 90s and/or early 2000s, a very fun group and wouldve been a good fights,. Hide really had nothing notable at HW after Klit and could've moved down right then instead of having those meaningless hw fights he had after. There were initeresting fights starting to gather in the cw division well before he retired and Hide did well enough in his actual late career cw run of 15 fights or so (though vs limited opp), was even nearing contender status as late as the late 2000s

[Grilling Machine]

My memory could be off, but he seemed well past it by the 2000s. P4P I really rated him in the '90s, but he wasn't quite good enough for the best heavies, and then his size and age (for a reflex fighter) were too much of a handicap in the Klitschko's era.

Ask me to compare him to Haye and I'll change my mind from one week to the next. Maybe more often than not I'll pick Hide. For sure I rate '95 Bowe above 2011 Wlad.

[SticknMove]

Terrific fighter with fast hands and power, liked the way he moved too....but too small for the heavies of that time. Haye and Hide at Cruiser at the same time would have been great to see.

[Grilling Machine]

I think Hide was altogether stronger, with the exception of a leakier defence. Haye's defensive weaknesses were at their most obvious when he attacked, whereas Hide was sometimes vulnerable in neutral.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Terrific fighter with fast hands and power, liked the way he moved too....but too small for the heavies of that time. Haye and Hide at Cruiser at the same time would have been great to see.

Yeah, that would have been a cracker.

[Stobbo]

Hide would win for me. Bigger on the night most likely and more stamina. Close though.

[jamesmcdonnell]

Hide was pretty chinny though, and Haye could bang.

Hide was the faster of the two, and a bit more mobile too, he could well have caught Haye cold, but Haye also had the edge in boxing skills, and may well have avoided the early KO to annihilate Hide.

Haye could certainly bang, he's still the only guy to demolish chisora.

[Verdi]

To me Hide is one of the most underrated British boxers. He was seriously skilled and carried immense power in both hands. If only he had a granite chin, he could've been an ATG.

[Flump]

Hide was pretty chinny though, and Haye could bang.

Hide was the faster of the two, and a bit more mobile too, he could well have caught Haye cold, but Haye also had the edge in boxing skills, and may well have avoided the early KO to annihilate Hide.

Haye could certainly bang, he's still the only guy to demolish chisora.

I'd favour Haye all day long. Hide was fine until someone hit him back. Classic flat track bully.