Tony Sibson and Alan Minter

[MightyWarrior]

A young Tony Sibson stepping up to take on the fearsome Frankie Lucas was one of the great British middleweight fights

[margaret thatcher]

mw is in a shitty state today, surely theyd each go far

[pat123]

Sibson was just turning 21 wasn't he?

[margaret thatcher]

and already over 30 fights by then

[revporl]

When they fought each other it was a huge domestic fight and the BBC refused to show it because Minter had a DAF logo on his shorts and the BBC wouldn't allow advertising. I only got to see that fight last year, although I remember it happening really clearly. So ironic given the extent of sponsorship/advertising etc we see these days.

[SeanBrennan]

When they fought each other it was a huge domestic fight and the BBC refused to show it because Minter had a DAF logo on his shorts and the BBC wouldn't allow advertising. I only got to see that fight last year, although I remember it happening really clearly. So ironic given the extent of sponsorship/advertising etc we see these days.

Reminds me of some of the early random footy tshirt sponsors. Man United made me want a Sharp Viewcam. No idea what it was. Also still think Crown Paints are brilliant.

[THEBUTCH]

Lucas was a proper hard nut...but just look at the bollocks on Sibson, along with his power, aggression and self belief.

That fact that Sibbo didn't win a world title but is still revered by those who watched him during his career speaks volumes.

[Coco]

Lucas was ABA champ but politics got in the way of him going to the Commonwealth games.
It was then suggested to him that he represented somewhere like Guyana where his parents were from.
Anyway he went, beat the same fella he beat in the ABAs, who went in his place, and ended up with gold.
I think we was with Sir Philip Game

[margaret thatcher]

judging by his record, lucas's skin was as thin as minter's. sucks for all those guys who lost fights under the sh!tty old rule that you're tko'd even if the cut is from a foul. gawd that was such an awful rule.

[CaptainSpacerod]

A young Tony Sibson stepping up to take on the fearsome Frankie Lucas was one of the great British middleweight fights

I really enjoyed that, what a fight

[funso banjo baby]

I always maintain (and it's a measure of how good Hagler was) that the majority of Marvin`s title opponents would have won the title on the day if they'd faced anyone else rather than the marvelous one.

[forcefraser]

Who were Sibson`s best wins?

Kaylor, Collins? There are not many great names that he beat. Tough as nails and could punch, but he didn`t beat many top top guys, if any at all

[Coco]

Who were Sibson`s best wins?

Kaylor, Collins? There are not many great names that he beat. Tough as nails and could punch, but he didn`t beat many top top guys, if any at all

Won and defended the Euro title many times.

At that time wasn't good enough to win the world title.

[Controversial]

Hagler gave an interview for Ring magazine and mentioned Minter and Sibson

BEST CHIN
Alan Minter: Believe it or not, I have to give it to Alan Minter because he was champion and he didn’t want to lose. I hit this guy with a lot of punches and he took a couple on the chin. I was amazed. I knew this was what I wanted, and I wasn’t going to stop. Unfortunately he bled early. I was still trying to knock him out with every shot. He took a lot of punishment.


STRONGEST
Mugabi and Tony Sibson: I remember seeing Tony Sibson at the weigh-in. This guy was strong. I remember when he hit me on the chest, he looked much stronger and bigger than me, and he’s supposed to be a middleweight. Mugabi, I believe he put on more weight before the fight. I could feel his body against me. He felt like a light heavyweight, he didn’t feel like a middleweight. When he threw punches, they were all deadly, very hard punches. This guy felt like a light heavyweight to me, so I had to wear him down, to take away some of that strength.

[MightyWarrior]

I’d not read that. That’s such high praise from Hagler, Mugabi was a destroyer, it took one of the greatest of all time to finally take him down in his prime.

Sibsons best wins, you gotta put Minter up there, he was still a top 5 force at middle and prob favourite to get another crack at Hagler, but Sibson caught him with an absolute howitzer. The Collins win was excellent, seen as America’s big white hope, Sibbo was brought in as the opponent and shockingly obliterated him on prime time American TV .

[pat123]

It is amazing when you look at fighters records of this era. Minter fought 7 times in 13 months, Finnegan twice, Billy Knight, Trevor Francis, Sugar Ray Seales USA Olympic gold medalist. Minter never fought a fighter with a losing record, I don't think? Compared to the garbage we are up served up now. Depressing

[SeanBrennan]

Enjoying this thread, it's caused me to read up on both and watch some of both too. What a career Sibson had!

[forcefraser]

Minter was labelled a racist for saying he would not lose to "that black man"

Hopkins and Direll said worse in my opinion. Minter was specific in that he would not lose to Hagler "That black man" Hopkins and Dirrell said "I'd never let a white boy beat me"

Minter seems to get the label though

[Coco]

Minter did a lot of after dinner speaking in his retirement, and got a bit of a reputation for upsetting folk after a few drinks.

[SeanBrennan]

Minter did a lot of after dinner speaking in his retirement, and got a bit of a reputation for upsetting folk after a few drinks.

in what way?

[Controversial]

I think Minter had quite a bad drink problem

[Coco]

Minter did a lot of after dinner speaking in his retirement, and got a bit of a reputation for upsetting folk after a few drinks.

in what way?

Apparently would get a bit abusive and aggressive after a few drinks, certainly wouldn't suffer fools mildly.

[si7dog7]

Minter did a lot of after dinner speaking in his retirement, and got a bit of a reputation for upsetting folk after a few drinks.

in what way?

Apparently would get a bit abusive and aggressive after a few drinks, certainly wouldn't suffer fools mildly.

To be completely fair he got dogs abuse from local arseholes wanting to be the “tough guy”
Alan did like a drink and sometimes did bite. And I don’t blame him coz many people tried to take a few “liberties”. Couple of guys I know stood up for Alan.
Always a gentleman whenever I saw him.

[THEBUTCH]

When Minter lived in the Redhill area I've heard first hand accounts from friends that are mixed.

I walked past Minter in a cafe as he was leaving and didn't realise it was him for a few seconds. He was on his own and cut up a bit of a sad figure at that time.

One mate was in a pub in Reigate and didn't even realise that he was talking to Minter at the bar until Alan said something along the lines of "when I fought Hagler". It was only then it suddenly dawned on my mate it was Minter !
Alan was looking quite different at that point, I think because of drinking.

When his son, Ross Minter, had a decent run in the pros I think that gave Alan a new lease of life for some time.

[margaret thatcher]

like many an alcoholic sounds like you needed him under the right circumstances, ie not drunk