BIG BOOK OF BOXING 1983 July magazine- The Young HEAVYWEIGHTS ARTICLE

[funso banjo baby]

July 1983 Big Book of Boxing showcased the heavyweight prospects

It's a great bit of nostalgia

Carl Williams - 9-0 (7) 23 yrs old. Considered one of the finest prospects, decent amateur, unsigned to the big players but concerns over his quality of opponents. Carl's manager argues 'what heavyweights fights guys like Barry Funches and Leroy Boone so early in their careers?'. 6ft 4 225lbs

James Broad - 12-0 (7) 25 yrs old. Bags of potential but concerns over his 'rolls of fat'. Top Rank and ESPN threatens to drop him unless he loses the weight. He's 6ft 4 and 249lbs

Tony Tubbs 14-0 (11) 24 yrs old. 'TNT' is a protege of Ali. Gifted amateur. Promoted by Butch Lewis. Excellent handspeed and ring intelligence. Concerns over his 'baby fat'. Working out on the nautilus machine, the 6ft2 heavyweight tipped by Ali to be a future champ promises to get down to 215lbs.

Dorien Melamed 3-0 (2) a baby at 17 years old! 6ft1 206 lbs. Signed to Top Rank, his team say he's still growing and may end up 6ft 3.

Eddie Gregg 14-0-1 (13) 'im 28 years old and it's time to get going' says the New York Jets reject turned boxer. Biggest win to date bloodying Larry Holmes sparring partner Marvin Stinson (tko9) at the Felt Forum. A national TV appearance has been tentatively set for next summer.

Phillip Brown 21-0-2 (15) 6ft 3 27 yrs old weighs 218lbs. Biggest pro win an easy outpointing of fading contender Jimmy Young. No other notable wins. TV exposure planned. His weakness is lack of aggression.

Mitchell Green 12-0-1 (8) two-time golden gloves champion 6ft 5 with a huge reach advantage. Managed by Don and Carl King. Exceptional skills. Only blip on record is a draw over 6 against unheralded Robert Evans. Late scare against veteran Jumbo Cummings but he has the 'contacts' to make it big in the division.

Tony Fulilangi 21-0 (20) weighs 208 lbs, 6ft. Born in Tonga he's yet to face a meaningful opponent. Everyone is getting knocked out in 1 or 2 rounds. The rawest talent of the crop, wild and sloppy power puncher. Needs to be extended and is not ready for the top 10 yet.

Scott Frank 17-0-1 (14) an enigma. Big body puncher. Didn't know what he wanted at the start of his career left the Duvas for Don King and gained recognition with a nationally televised draw against top heavy Renaldo Snipes. Returned to the Duvas and trained by Johnny Torres he will face Lee Canalito on NBC then possibly Trevor Berbick. 6ft 2 and 210lbs.

David Bey 9-0 (8) another Don King fighter. 26 yrs old 6ft 2. Has lost more than 60lbs in the last year. Boxed as an amateur as heavy as 285lbs. Surprising agility and speed. In just his ninth outing battered cagey veteran George Chaplin stopping him in 4. Has done some high level sparring, will lose the rest of the belly fat and will get opportunities under King.




That's it. What do we think looking back?
Who achieved the most?
Who underachieved?

[Tony1244]

Only one I hadn't heard of was Melamed. He apparently retired at 7(6)-0-0. I've always found it curious when people retire with undefeated records.

It was a long time when being fat was a concern. Article made Frank and Fulilangi sound a lot better than they were, but boxing articles tend to do that.

[funso banjo baby]

Yes, Melamed was a curious addition. 17 is sooo young. We've got a British heavy who has just gone pro at 18 called Moses Itauma, he seems ok. Melamed looked about 12 ! Anyway he's finally listed as 6ft 3 !

[Flump]

Great read! You would have to say Tubbs achieved the most, picking up a title, and much later giving a young Riddick Bowe a very hard time. Carl Williams was very good, but his chin let him down too often.

[funso banjo baby]

Tubbs achieved the most but also probably wasted his talent as well.

Bey and Williams best performances were arguably the wars against Holmes.

[Flump]

Tubbs achieved the most but also probably wasted his talent as well.

Very true, though Tyson was just around the corner, so it's debatable how long his reign would have lasted had he trained harder for Witherspoon anyway.

Eddie Gregg did have the distinction of being the first guy to knock Tex Cobb down, and Phil Brown was only one of two distance fights in Bruno's career, if I'm not mistaken.

I liked watching Bey, his fight with Biggs is a hidden gem.

[hhaehre]

Tubbs achieved the most but also probably wasted his talent as well.

Bey and Williams best performances were arguably the wars against Holmes.

Williams should have won a belt, he kicked Holmes' ass.

[cannonball]

Only one I hadn't heard of was Melamed. He apparently retired at 7(6)-0-0. I've always found it curious when people retire with undefeated records.

It was a long time when being fat was a concern. Article made Frank and Fulilangi sound a lot better than they were, but boxing articles tend to do that.

Frank v Fulilangi would have been a decent scrap

[Ambling Alp II]

Tubbs achieved the most but also probably wasted his talent as well.

Bey and Williams best performances were arguably the wars against Holmes.

Williams should have won a belt, he kicked Holmes' ass.

Good mention. That decision was unbelievable. Williams gets it, and people would think a lot more of him. For whatever reason, this fights usually gets swept under the rug. As it is, everyone is going to pick Tubbs out of this group. For a short period of time, Bey was pretty good. I remember Eddie Gregg fighting on USA fights at Madison Square Garden. They really tried to hype him up.

[funso banjo baby]

Even though Tyson blasts Tubbs away in two in the Tokyo Dome, I love watching the way Tubbs moves in that first round. He's majestic.....didn't last long tho.


Great memories...Tubbs ring entrance to Kool Mo Dee ' how ya like me now'

[Controversial]

Yes, Melamed was a curious addition. 17 is sooo young.

I wonder what happened to him, he went 7-0(6) and then quit boxing

[franciscojavier]

Tubbs achieved the most but also probably wasted his talent as well.

Bey and Williams best performances were arguably the wars against Holmes.

Williams should have won a belt, he kicked Holmes' ass.

Good mention. That decision was unbelievable. Williams gets it, and people would think a lot more of him. For whatever reason, this fights usually gets swept under the rug. As it is, everyone is going to pick Tubbs out of this group. For a short period of time, Bey was pretty good. I remember Eddie Gregg fighting on USA fights at Madison Square Garden. They really tried to hype him up.

Carl Williams got really unlucky, in his second fight after Holmes he gets in there with Mike Weaver, and right when it looks like he’ll stop Weaver in round 2 he gets caught with that famous Hercules left hook.

[franciscojavier]

James Broad had a 1st round KO of Marvis Frazier in the amateurs which is unfortunately not on YouTube as far as I can tell(their professional outing which Frazier won is though).

[Joson]

I remember that article. Melamed especially intrigued me, because he appeared to have come out of nowhere. All the other fighters had an amateur pedigree, but not Melamed.

[Ambling Alp II]

James Broad had a 1st round KO of Marvis Frazier in the amateurs which is unfortunately not on YouTube as far as I can tell(their professional outing which Frazier won is though).

I saw it. I believe it was in the Olympic Trials. (The United States later boycotted the Olympics.) It looked pretty serious. I remember Joe Frazier being interviewed before his son had even left the ring, and he seemed very cavalier about it, which always put me off on him.

Borad and Frazier did of course fight on national TV when they were both prospects. (That kind of fight probably wouldn't happen today.) Frazier fought very well and won pretty clearly.

[Nile4000]

If Williams was rated by the WBA after his loss to Holmes, Tubbs should have taken him on instead of Witherspoon. Probably some contract stuff, but Carl had a good chance of pulling the trick.

[Ambling Alp II]

Williams had some ability. Really good jab, some power. Chin was his biggest weakness, but that wouldn't mattered against Tubbs, who didn't have much power. Always thought that Williams and Snipes were right up there with Tubbs, Witherspoon, Page, Coetzee, Thomas etc. He gets the decision over Holmes, and we would be talking about him a lot more.

[Riddick Bowie]

People always forget Holmes roughing Williams up in the later rounds and knocking him around the ring, and Williams admitting in the post fight interview he didn't think he'd won.

Williams had natural ability but no real boxing IQ. Tyson and Morrison are decking him with the exact same punch Ferguson and Weaver decked him with years earlier. Tubbs was far too clever, nimble and adaptable to lose to Carl Williams. Can you imagine Carl doing to the awesome, violent Riddick Bowe what Tubbs did? Yeah right.

[Ambling Alp II]

No, I don't think Willams would have done as well against Bowe primarily because Williams didn't have as good of a chin as Tubbs. On the other hand, Williams did well against Holmes and Tubbs probably would not have.
You don't really think Holmes deserved the decision against Williams do you?

[pound per pound]

July 1983 Big Book of Boxing showcased the heavyweight prospects

It's a great bit of nostalgia

Carl Williams - 9-0 (7) 23 yrs old. Considered one of the finest prospects, decent amateur, unsigned to the big players but concerns over his quality of opponents. Carl's manager argues 'what heavyweights fights guys like Barry Funches and Leroy Boone so early in their careers?'. 6ft 4 225lbs

James Broad - 12-0 (7) 25 yrs old. Bags of potential but concerns over his 'rolls of fat'. Top Rank and ESPN threatens to drop him unless he loses the weight. He's 6ft 4 and 249lbs

Tony Tubbs 14-0 (11) 24 yrs old. 'TNT' is a protege of Ali. Gifted amateur. Promoted by Butch Lewis. Excellent handspeed and ring intelligence. Concerns over his 'baby fat'. Working out on the nautilus machine, the 6ft2 heavyweight tipped by Ali to be a future champ promises to get down to 215lbs.

Dorien Melamed 3-0 (2) a baby at 17 years old! 6ft1 206 lbs. Signed to Top Rank, his team say he's still growing and may end up 6ft 3.

Eddie Gregg 14-0-1 (13) 'im 28 years old and it's time to get going' says the New York Jets reject turned boxer. Biggest win to date bloodying Larry Holmes sparring partner Marvin Stinson (tko9) at the Felt Forum. A national TV appearance has been tentatively set for next summer.

Phillip Brown 21-0-2 (15) 6ft 3 27 yrs old weighs 218lbs. Biggest pro win an easy outpointing of fading contender Jimmy Young. No other notable wins. TV exposure planned. His weakness is lack of aggression.

Mitchell Green 12-0-1 (8) two-time golden gloves champion 6ft 5 with a huge reach advantage. Managed by Don and Carl King. Exceptional skills. Only blip on record is a draw over 6 against unheralded Robert Evans. Late scare against veteran Jumbo Cummings but he has the 'contacts' to make it big in the division.

Tony Fulilangi 21-0 (20) weighs 208 lbs, 6ft. Born in Tonga he's yet to face a meaningful opponent. Everyone is getting knocked out in 1 or 2 rounds. The rawest talent of the crop, wild and sloppy power puncher. Needs to be extended and is not ready for the top 10 yet.

Scott Frank 17-0-1 (14) an enigma. Big body puncher. Didn't know what he wanted at the start of his career left the Duvas for Don King and gained recognition with a nationally televised draw against top heavy Renaldo Snipes. Returned to the Duvas and trained by Johnny Torres he will face Lee Canalito on NBC then possibly Trevor Berbick. 6ft 2 and 210lbs.

David Bey 9-0 (8) another Don King fighter. 26 yrs old 6ft 2. Has lost more than 60lbs in the last year. Boxed as an amateur as heavy as 285lbs. Surprising agility and speed. In just his ninth outing battered cagey veteran George Chaplin stopping him in 4. Has done some high level sparring, will lose the rest of the belly fat and will get opportunities under King.




That's it. What do we think looking back?
Who achieved the most?
Who underachieved?

Tubbs achieved the most. Williams had a nice career. Holmes fought many on this project list. At one point James Broad was highly thought of, I did not know Eddie Gregg ws a football player. He was knocked out by Broad and Cooney

[Riddick Bowie]

No, I don't think Willams would have done as well against Bowe primarily because Williams didn't have as good of a chin as Tubbs. On the other hand, Williams did well against Holmes and Tubbs probably would not have.
You don't really think Holmes deserved the decision against Williams do you?

I'll have to rewatch it. I vaguely recall last time feeling a Holmes stole it at the end. But then again I thought Spinks narrowly won his rematch with Holmes so my judging has to be brought into question.

Witherspoon certainly beat Holmes.

[hhaehre]

No, I don't think Willams would have done as well against Bowe primarily because Williams didn't have as good of a chin as Tubbs. On the other hand, Williams did well against Holmes and Tubbs probably would not have.
You don't really think Holmes deserved the decision against Williams do you?

I'll have to rewatch it. I vaguely recall last time feeling a Holmes stole it at the end. But then again I thought Spinks narrowly won his rematch with Holmes so my judging has to be brought into question.

Witherspoon certainly beat Holmes.

I have it exactly the other way around. I thought Holmes just pulled it off against Witherspoon, but clearly lost to Williams. I also thought Holmes won the Spinks rematch. In other controversial Holmes fights I had him losing to Mo Harris, I thought the Nielsen decision was fine and I had him two rounds up on Norton.

[Ambling Alp II]

Pretty much how I saw them. Witherspoon fight was really close; I had it even. That fight was when he first started to decline. He clearly lost to Williams. Thought he just did enough in the 2nd spinks fight, which was actually a pretty good fight. I had him beating Norton by a point in a great fight.
The Harris and Nielson fights don't really matter much since he was way over the hill by then.

[Redback Rasta]

Mitchell Green 12-0-1 (8) two-time golden gloves champion 6ft 5 with a huge reach advantage. Managed by Don and Carl King. Exceptional skills. Only blip on record is a draw over 6 against unheralded Robert Evans. Late scare against veteran Jumbo Cummings but he has the 'contacts' to make it big in the division.


Mitch Green I can only remember for his street fight with Mike Tyson.

Looked Green up and he finished with the rather unflattering record of 19-6-1. His first two losses were to Berbick and Tyson though.

[Controversial]

Mitchell Green 12-0-1 (8) two-time golden gloves champion 6ft 5 with a huge reach advantage. Managed by Don and Carl King. Exceptional skills. Only blip on record is a draw over 6 against unheralded Robert Evans. Late scare against veteran Jumbo Cummings but he has the 'contacts' to make it big in the division.


Mitch Green I can only remember for his street fight with Mike Tyson.

Looked Green up and he finished with the rather unflattering record of 19-6-1. His first two losses were to Berbick and Tyson though.

Like so many fighters lack of desire, motivation, dedication or decent support/team around him was probably his downfall.