Foreman versus the Toronto FIve

[goose 5]

Did anyone here enjoy that exhibition ? I hadn't seen it in years, but I re-watched it yesterday and found it entertaining.

[HomicideHenry]

Yeah it was good fun. Cosell's commentary was so biased and ugly though that it kinda ruined the event imho. He was so pro-Ali that it was sickening.

[Caractacus]

yeah, Howard Cossell just being there , made it into a mockery.
that was serious buisness for Foreman and not easy

[HomicideHenry]

yeah, Howard Cossell just being there , made it into a mockery.
that was serious buisness for Foreman and not easy

There is something of a hypocrisy because Muhammad Ali more than once did exhibitions against more than one opponent at the same time, or multiple opponents on the same day. But he receives zero criticism.

[Caractacus]

exhibitions ? didnt those five fightsall count on Foreman's pro boxing record ?
( they used to anyway)

[evrenb]

exhibitions ? didnt those five fightsall count on Foreman's pro boxing record ?
( they used to anyway)

No they didn't...they were exhibitions

[Joson]

yeah, Howard Cossell just being there , made it into a mockery.
that was serious buisness for Foreman and not easy

Yeah, I agree. Cossell's involvement tended to degrade the quality of the broadcast. His boxing knowledge was rudimentary, and his personality - voice tone, manner, and tendency toward hysteria - was obnoxious. Distracting as hell.

I didn't realize any of this during the 1970s, when Cossell was ABC's boxing broadcaster, because I was just a kid and had not yet been exposed to superior boxing commentators. But then came in the 1980s, with the appearance of ESPN's Al Bernstein, NBC's Ferdie Pacheco, CBS's Gil Clancy/Angelo Dundee duo, in addition to many more excellent announcers. That's when I realized I couldn't tolerate another moment of Cossell.

Cossell retired from boxing in 1982 (after bungling commentary on Tex Cobb's loss to Larry Holmes). It was good that he left the sport. But, unfortunately, if any of us want to watch films of classic televised fights from the 1960s and 1970s, we're frequently stuck with him as announcer.

As for the Holmes-Cobb fight, my judgment is that Tex was technically and athletically outclassed, in addition to getting shut-out on the scorecards, but never once hurt and, at all times, vigorously fighting back. For these reasons Cossell had no justification for demanding that the fight should have been stopped. The guy was a boxing ignoramus and egotistical weirdo.

[Caractacus]

Howard Cossell quit, because they made him work on the Thanksgiving Day weeked for Holmes vrs Cobb,
and he didn't want to.

[Ambling Alp II]

That isn't why he quit doing boxing. He had gradually been getting tired of some of the bad aspects of the sport and the Holmes-Cobb fight was the last straw for him. He certainly could be annoying. On the other hand, he didn't sugarcoat things like most do. If the fight wasn't good, he would say so.

[hhaehre]

As for the Holmes-Cobb fight, my judgment is that Tex was technically and athletically outclassed, in addition to getting shut-out on the scorecards, but never once hurt and, at all times, vigorously fighting back. For these reasons Cossell had no justification for demanding that the fight should have been stopped.

Cobb lost all 15 rounds and took a massive beating in the process. The only round where he didn't take a solid beating was the first and he was hurt many times. I didn't care for Cossell at all, but he was right about the Holmes-Cobb fight.

[Caractacus]

But he really didn't 'loose" the 15th round, because
"He went the Distance" with a great HW Champion
who did not take it easy on Cobb the entire fight.

[Joson]

(duplicate message....must be deleted)

[Joson]

That isn't why he quit doing boxing. He had gradually been getting tired of some of the bad aspects of the sport and the Holmes-Cobb fight was the last straw for him. He certainly could be annoying. On the other hand, he didn't sugarcoat things like most do. If the fight wasn't good, he would say so.

The only legitimate gripe about Holmes vs Cobb is that the promoters and TV executives erred in picking it for a prime-time, live telecast.

They should have known Cobb had no chance of landing a clean punch, and Holmes stood no chance of hurting Cobb. Put two and two together. It adds up to an incredibly, boring, uncompetitive, 15 rounds followed by a predictable shut out decision. Not prime-time TV fare. Of course boxing's public appeal would be dampened as a result.

Cossell's claim - that Cobb was in danger of being seriously hurt, maimed, or killed - was total BS.

The guy was a mega-narcissist, eager to capitalize on the nationwide alarm about the Mancini-Kim tragedy, which occurred only two weeks prior. By lying and claiming Cobb might have turned out like Kim, Cossell seized a cheap opportunity to turn himself into an SJW "boxing reform" star.

[Caractacus]

I dunno, Tex Cobb's ring record was pretty good going into that fight.
He looked good fighting Earnie Shavers ,Ken Norton and Michael Dokes.
Cobb had scheduled to fight Mike Weaver before that fight with Holmes ,for Weaver's title belt, but that fight fell thru when Tex Cobb's
arm was broken by a tire iron in a bar in Philadelphia.
i'm sure Ho;mes fought in the largest ring available to him for that fight.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Ali was hilarious commentating

[Ambling Alp II]

He usually was!

[Ambling Alp II]

I dunno, Tex Cobb's ring record was pretty good going into that fight.
He looked good fighting Earnie Shavers ,Ken Norton and Michael Dokes.
Cobb had scheduled to fight Mike Weaver before that fight with Holmes ,for Weaver's title belt, but that fight fell thru when Tex Cobb's
arm was broken by a tire iron in a bar in Philadelphia.
i'm sure Ho;mes fought in the largest ring available to him for that fight.

Cobb looked awful against Shavers and Norton. Both were shot by the time Cobb fought them. Shavers punched himself out. A younger Shavers would have went the distance and won the decision. Norton actually beat him. The fight was a mismatch. everyone knew that this was a complete mismatch going in.

It was an incredibly boring fight as it was expected to be. Long term, these kinds of fights can do a lot of damage to a fighter's health.

[Caractacus]

Muhammad Ali vrs The Boston Six
( here is video of three of em at least on the card)
-January 1977-

[goose 5]

Man, this is gold ! Never saw it before; thanks for posting.