Remembering what a great prospect Henry Wharton was

[Coco]

He'd already had a stadium fight at Elland Road.

Not quite the same as coming to London for a big fight, with the chimes of Big Ben to face your hero.

I wouldn't have thought that somebody with the life experiences of Henry Wharton would be intimidated by a tall clock.

It's been said that some travelling folk are very superstitious of big clocks.

[Coco]

It's easy for you keyboard warriors to rubbish the impact of big clocks but until you have stood outside Big Ben you have no idea of the nerves and fear it brings.

[Counter-puncher]

[coghaugen11]

Point being, London is where it’s at. No offence to Northerners.

[coghaugen11]

THE BIG SMOKE

[Jimmy2020]

Point being, London is where it’s at. No offence to Northerners.

Who is the best Londoner fighter at the moment? Lawrence Okolie?

[coghaugen11]

Point being, London is where it’s at. No offence to Northerners.

Who is the best Londoner fighter at the moment? Lawrence Okolie?

Saunders if he beats Canelo I guess.

[TheGoods]

Any other era he’d of been world champion. Think what he’d do to Lucian Bute or Chong Pal Park.

Saying that, Benn, Eubank and Reid all managed to outpoint him in relatively comfortable fights - each had to raise their game a bit from their average performance level. I’d see Wharton more of a win and lose European titles type level.

Benn will tell you how tough that fight was. If Wharton had got going a bit sooner (he started very slowly) he wins that fight. It’s wasn’t Henry p**sing bloods for days afterwards either.

Eubank put on one of his last great displays v Wharton. Yeah he won well but he’s on record saying how hard the fight was.

Henry had lost something by the Reid fight. But in terms of his career he was definitely world class, and would have won another title had he not been around in a truly elite era.

[Jimmy2020]

Point being, London is where it’s at. No offence to Northerners.

Who is the best Londoner fighter at the moment? Lawrence Okolie?

Saunders if he beats Canelo I guess.

He's not a Londoner.

[coghaugen11]

He was actually outboxing Reid when he chose to box at times. A very young Ricky Hatton ringside watching Henry Wharton. May of been Rick’s debut on Reid’s undercard?

I don’t think Benn trained like he should’ve v Wharton, partying in Tenerife before the fight and that. Whereas he was superhuman in the Eubank II and McClellan camps DeFreitas says.

[coghaugen11]

Who is the best Londoner fighter at the moment? Lawrence Okolie?

Saunders if he beats Canelo I guess.

He's not a Londoner.

Only has a cockney accent, just puts it on I guess.

[Jimmy2020]

Your post got me thinking. I genuinely can't think of a better born Londoner than Okolie. Who else is there?

[mickey1975]

The Benn fight, the crowd was very pro Wharton.

[mickey1975]

ya, i know you love dropping names mate

Does it hurt you I actually know these people?

[mickey1975]

He did take out former and future world champions Galvano and Nardiello. Both spoiler specialists.

Both after Eubank, too. And Storey so he was far from shot.

[johnty1888]

I think during the training camp in Florida for the Benn fight Henry was held up at gunpoint whilst skipping in the gym. The gunman robbed Henry’s trainers and told Henry “keep skipping”

Mickey1975 might remember better than me

[mickey1975]

I think during the training camp in Florida for the Benn fight Henry was held up at gunpoint whilst skipping in the gym. The gunman robbed Henry’s trainers and told Henry “keep skipping”

Mickey1975 might remember better than me

Yes, Mickey Duff moved them to Marbella.

[cormack]

Point being, London is where it’s at. No offence to Northerners.

Josh Taylor would perhaps contest that

As would The Smiths from Scouseland ..

Fury ..

Yes I am a Northerner

[knockout]

Bennie : great post on the 1989 ABA finals ! What a stacked competition that was.

Okolie best London born fighter currently I guess followed by Joe Joyce.

Anthony Joshua and BJ both born in Hertfordshire.

I do always like to remind my Welsh mates where Joe Calzaghe was born hehehe

[mickey1975]

Saying that, Benn, Eubank and Reid all managed to outpoint him in relatively comfortable fights - each had to raise their game a bit from their average performance level. I’d see Wharton more of a win and lose European titles type level.

And Fidel Smith (Slugger O'Toole) at British level. The fight was shown on BBC and will be remembered for Frank Bruno's "home cooking" comment.

He struggled a bit because he was still a young novice about 22 and shouldn’t of been near 12 rounders that soon. Slugger had been sparring Bomber Graham every day for years and years and been around.

He’d already done a really tough 12 with Rod Carr for the Comonwealth. His hand went through the glove, wraps and Carr’s gumshield! Carr went through the ropes so got twenty seconds. Dennie Mancini was pushing the lads celebrating out of the way because he had to make his way back in to the ring under his own steam.

[THEBUTCH]

Not sure I agree that Wharton would have been a world champion in any other era.

I rated Henry but when push come to shove he couldn't quite cut it at world level.

Personally, I don't think Benn, Eubank and especially Reid were particularly great champions....as if Wharton came up against unbeatable champions. He was lucky he wasn't around in Hagler's day, unlike Sibbo.

Wharton would of stood a greater chance of beating Benn/Eubank/Reid than Nunn, Toney, Kalambay, McCallum, Tate, Froch, Bute, Kessler, Calzaghe, Beyer, Ward for example.

[tonyevs]

Wharton was a solid fighter. I cant say I have watched his fights against Eubank or Benn since they originally fought, but memory seems to remember they being predictable and comfortable wins.

Henry Wharton had a very fan friendly fighting style and fan friendly attitude; he always came across as a genuinely nice fella on interviews.

I agree that he may have been able to pick up a world title in other eras; there have certainly been world champions inferior to Wharton, but despite coghaugen11 stating things from back then that make me question if he is discussing a completely different Henry Wharton to the one I used to enjoy watching - my own opinion was that Wharton was solid British title level at that time, and just less than true world class in that era.

I am very happy to hear he still living a good life.

[mickey1975]

Not sure I agree that Wharton would have been a world champion in any other era.

I rated Henry but when push come to shove he couldn't quite cut it at world level.

Personally, I don't think Benn, Eubank and especially Reid were particularly great champions....as if Wharton came up against unbeatable champions. He was lucky he wasn't around in Hagler's day, unlike Sibbo.

Wharton would of stood a greater chance of beating Benn/Eubank/Reid than Nunn, Toney, Kalambay, McCallum, Tate, Froch, Bute, Kessler, Calzaghe, Beyer, Ward for example.

In some eras. He already knocked out Galvano a lot better than anyone.

[coghaugen11]

Not sure I agree that Wharton would have been a world champion in any other era.

I rated Henry but when push come to shove he couldn't quite cut it at world level.

Personally, I don't think Benn, Eubank and especially Reid were particularly great champions....as if Wharton came up against unbeatable champions. He was lucky he wasn't around in Hagler's day, unlike Sibbo.

Wharton would of stood a greater chance of beating Benn/Eubank/Reid than Nunn, Toney, Kalambay, McCallum, Tate, Froch, Bute, Kessler, Calzaghe, Beyer, Ward for example.

Froch, Bute, Kessler and Beyer stick out like sore thumbs in that list. Like leagues below. Blimey.

[mickey1975]

Yes, Mickey Duff moved them to Marbella.

Bizarrely his chief sparring partner was Marvin O'Brien/David Powell, no disrespect to David who was much better than his record indicates, but I really don't see how he could help Wharton prepare for Benn ?

Marvin was his pal. He used Andy Flute and Lester Jacobs a bit later on.