Paul Hodkinson

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 17 Aug 2006, 20:01

Anyone seen any of his fights?

What was he like?

Ain't seen none of his fights.

SticknMove · Post by **SticknMove** » 17 Aug 2006, 20:38

Hoko was a quality all action aggressive fighter, very sharp, excellent body puncher with good power. Unfortunately, his star shone brightly but briefly mainly because he got caught too easily on his way in, especially in world class company. His style was very entertaining to watch, but it was inevitable that his career would not be a long one.

I remember seeing a few of his fights, mainly on the t.v., but it is the villasana fights 1 & 2, Steve Cruz, Benichou and the Gregorio Vargas fight that stick out. The Vargas fight was a very bad one for Hoko: he got totally outclassed. Vargas, on that showing, looked an absolute class act, but didn't reach the heights that performance would have suggested.

lutonpete · Post by **lutonpete** » 18 Aug 2006, 00:18

I thought that Vargas was going to dominate the division for a while based upon that performance he really schooled Hoko.

I did hear from a Scouse friend of mine that Hoko is now driving a cab in Liverpool.

I was also surprised that he lost to Robinson.

Woller · Post by **Woller** » 18 Aug 2006, 03:14

I was a huge Paul Hodkinson fan. He was in some really good fights.
If interested I have 9 of his fights on dvd.

Woller
[email protected]

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 18 Aug 2006, 05:31

lutonpete wrote:I thought that Vargas was going to dominate the division for a while based upon that performance he really schooled Hoko.

My thoughts exactly - Vargas put in one of the classiest displays I've ever seen that night. Hoko was a very good fighter indeed. He hardly ever gets mentioned among the greats of British boxing but have a look at his record:

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=5117

Not bad, eh? I also remember winning a few quid when he stopped a shot Steve Cruz in the third.

Good lad, Hoko.

Good luck to him.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 18 Aug 2006, 06:59

In his first title tilt Hodkinson was unluvky to come up against a guy like Villasana, who had one of the best chins in boxing, Villasana had been the distance with Fenech , Nelson and Esparragoza to name a few of the punchers.

Hoskinson fought him full on but suffered badly swollen eyes, Hodkinson was leading on all cards when he was floored in the 7th, he got up but couldn't see out of any eye and the ref stopped it.

In the return fight Hodkinson used his brain a bit more and boxed well on the outside and tied Villasana up when he had to on the inside, avoiding damage to his eyes by doing this.

The Steve Cruz fight was a bit of a let down for his first defense, Cruz had been stopped in his previous fight and hadn't fought in over a year, i think he actually got the fight not by being ranked but the WBC in there wisdom said he could fight because he had been a previous title holder. Anyway he was totally outclassed and stopped in the 3rd.

Hodkinson then had a tough one in France against Fabrice Benichou, who'd give any boxer a hard night, shame this one was in France, I can't remember if it was televised over here.

He then fought Ricardo Cepeda in another low level fight, Cepeda had also been stopped in his previous one to fighting Hodkinson.

Then came the losses to Vargas ( who was brilliant that night) , and Robinson , which was a fight that Hodkinson shouldn't have taken after being out of the ring for over a year, he never really got himself started in that one.

I used to enjoy watching Hodkinson, he was a superb attacking boxer with good power, and he always gave value for money.
Its surprising he never really fought in Liverpool, i don't know the reasons for this, but his title fights were never staged in his home town.

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 18 Aug 2006, 07:50

An excellent boxer and whoever was in front of him he would always use his same uncomprimising pressure tactics. Similar to Barry McGuigan in style. Really enjoyed watching Hoko fight.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 18 Aug 2006, 08:45

Just realised that Hodkinson is 41 next month. doesn't seem that long ago he was boxing.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 19 Aug 2006, 18:16

He licked John Davison and Colin McMillan in a fortnight in the 1986 ABAs.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 20 Aug 2006, 08:40

bennie wrote:He licked John Davison and Colin McMillan in a fortnight in the 1986 ABAs.

Wasn`t it John Davison who stopped Hoko..and beat McMillan on points??

I was led to believe that this was the reason both stayed away from Davison.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 20 Aug 2006, 12:26

tonyevs wrote:
bennie wrote:He licked John Davison and Colin McMillan in a fortnight in the 1986 ABAs.
Wasn`t it John Davison who stopped Hoko..and beat McMillan on points??

I was led to believe that this was the reason both stayed away from Davison.

A little knowledge can get you killed (or an unpaid job as an internet boxing writer). John Davison stopped Hodkinson (and bust his jaw) in the 1985 ABAs. A year later, Hoko gained his revenge, and trounced Colin McMillan, on the way to the ABA featherweight title.
Davison never fought McMillan.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 20 Aug 2006, 14:05

bennie wrote:
tonyevs wrote:
bennie wrote:He licked John Davison and Colin McMillan in a fortnight in the 1986 ABAs.
Wasn`t it John Davison who stopped Hoko..and beat McMillan on points??

I was led to believe that this was the reason both stayed away from Davison.
A little knowledge can get you killed (or an unpaid job as an internet boxing writer). John Davison stopped Hodkinson (and bust his jaw) in the 1985 ABAs. A year later, Hoko gained his revenge, and trounced Colin McMillan, on the way to the ABA featherweight title.
Davison never fought McMillan.

I like that

I know next to nothing of Hoko/McMillan/Davisons amateur records, but just remembered reading in BN an article on John Davison and I thought I remembered it saying he`d beaten both guys...or maybe it was Hoko beating McMillan and Davison beating Hoko...it was back in a 1991 edition

Either way, Hoko v Davison would have been an epic...but wasn`t it Hoko who didn`t want the fight??

SticknMove · Post by **SticknMove** » 20 Aug 2006, 15:09

bennie wrote:
tonyevs wrote:
bennie wrote:He licked John Davison and Colin McMillan in a fortnight in the 1986 ABAs.
Wasn`t it John Davison who stopped Hoko..and beat McMillan on points??

I was led to believe that this was the reason both stayed away from Davison.
A little knowledge can get you killed (or an unpaid job as an internet boxing writer). John Davison stopped Hodkinson (and bust his jaw) in the 1985 ABAs. A year later, Hoko gained his revenge, and trounced Colin McMillan, on the way to the ABA featherweight title.
Davison never fought McMillan.

You're right, I knew Davison stopped a well established amateur back then, but wasn't sure whether it was Hodkinson. Davison, as I recall, came to the sport quite late and made an impact straight away in the amateurs. I remember a couple of England squad members saying how much he impressed them.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 20 Aug 2006, 18:32

He didn`t even lace the gloves on untill his mid 20`s.

I remember Colin Jones saying how Davison, whilst still amateur had sparred Floyd Havard (or Robert Dickie) who at the time was doing well in the pro game...and caused tremendous trouble...giving him a real nightmare.

Davisons style reminds me so much of Michael Hunter, does everything the hard way...I always thought it was a real shame that Davisons time came too late...Steve Robinson would never have beaten the real John Davison.

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 21 Aug 2006, 02:39

tonyevs wrote:He didn`t even lace the gloves on untill his mid 20`s.

I remember Colin Jones saying how Davison, whilst still amateur had sparred Floyd Havard (or Robert Dickie) who at the time was doing well in the pro game...and caused tremendous trouble...giving him a real nightmare.

Davisons style reminds me so much of Michael Hunter, does everything the hard way...I always thought it was a real shame that Davisons time came too late...Steve Robinson would never have beaten the real John Davison.

Don't know about that one, Robinson was only given 48 hrs for the fight , so couldn't have been in peak condition himself, i think he would have had the style over Davidson everytime.

Davidson was a good fighter, i remember watching his wins over the Thai boxers, really exciting.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 21 Aug 2006, 07:45

Much the same situation as when Klitchsko fought Lennox..he too came in at short notice...but was prepared for a fight...Robinson was always in fighting condition...Little Ronnie Rush made sure of that

TheRiverCityHippy · Post by **TheRiverCityHippy** » 22 Aug 2006, 13:35

topper123 wrote: Its surprising he never really fought in Liverpool, i don't know the reasons for this, but his title fights were never staged in his home town.

wasnt he with barney eastwood? a lot of his earlier fights might have been on the undercard of bigger shows in belfast or somewhere else in the country.
back in the early/ mid 90`s liverpool didnt really have a decent arena to stage a decent size fight. kirkby stadium where paul fought a few times, like everton park, is a sports centre first and foremost.
when shea neary fought andy holligan they had to erect a circus tent in stanley park because there was nowhere appropiate to stage the fight.
the footy grounds like anfield were the other extreme - too big, the days of the likes of nel tarleton and peter kane filling up the footy grounds are alas, well gone.