Jeff Harding question

[goose 5]

Is it true that Harding was/is a bully and tavern brawler ?

[amwsnw]

No idea but he’s one of my favourites of all time

[Les Norton]

Is it true that Harding was/is a bully and tavern brawler ?

I’ve never heard stories about him being a thug or a brawler. If he were I imagine we’d know because he’d have really hurt some people and the media would have been all over it.
He has always had a serious problem with alcohol though. It’s cost him money, family and respect.

[goose 5]

I'm going through the Australian newspapers now that I have some time. Harding did have an assault case . On another site there's a thread about his brawling in taverns and that's what made me curious.

[Les Norton]

I'm going through the Australian newspapers now that I have some time. Harding did have an assault case . On another site there's a thread about his brawling in taverns and that's what made me curious.

Okay mate, fair enough I guess.
Where there is smoke there is generally fire.
It just seems to be a sad and unfulfilled story with Jeff.
While he’s not going to be mentioned along great fighters, he was a really honest and hard working fighter who achieved good things.
He struggled to get regular fights as champion and his post career life has presented different fights for him.
Our sport does produce a few, but I only wish the best for him and his family and that they have some quality of connection.
He was the epitome of hard working fighter with sheer heart, grit and guts.

[Tinnie]

Purely anecdotal,

Years ago i was down my local watching a fight and struck up a conversation with an older fella, who was one of the few there actually watching the fights. Had a good chinwag about local fighters, during which he mentioned at one point he'd been on friendly terms with Jeff in a casual sense. Jeff use to frequent a couple of the pubs that he was a regular. Spoke about Jeff, as a person, in very glowing terms. But also said that boozed up clowns that recognized him would often stir up trouble at his expense.

Not an unfamiliar story if true. Jeff was a wholehearted fighter, who dished out and absorbed plenty in his relatively short career. Given what we know about CTE these days, i find it hard to be judgemental about his post career struggles. Hope he is doing well in life now.

[coneye]

Was always a big fan of Hardings , his toughness and guts were second too non , on a profesional level he always sort of sat in the back seat while Fenech ws in the front , shame really he deserved to be up the front with Fenech .

On a personal level , i never met him , never spoke to him and obviously did'nt know him . However i was at a show / function once where he was brought i has a guest , i don't know if he actually got paid for it , but i do know his airfare , accomadation ,ect were paid for , Lots of people were excited he was gonna be there , especielly the young boxers all gonna be hopeful to get there pic with him ,,

What they got , was a guy pissed up who was insulting to most people around him , taking the piss out of people and just a very unfreindly , semi aggresive sort of guy , no one was impressed he ended up spending most the night on his own .

But he's not the only one , who was like that , i recall a few years ago being in a conversation with 3-4 others sort of just standing in a circle talking , there was a scottish guy he was the father of a boxer we were all discussing his fight that had been on earlier , anyway up walked and joined in the convo , another former world champ who was pissed , instead of adding anything sensible to the conversation he just started imitating the scotsmans accent , and taking the piss out of him He really embarressed himself and lost a big fan , the scotsman very quickly went from being a BIG FAN who was elated to be in the company of a world champ , to a disgusted fan who hates him to probably this day . .

Sometime , fame , booze and ego just change personalaties . But on the other hand , Jeff Fenech i recall having breakfast once a couple tables away from Jeff , and was suprised at the paitence he shown has fans were coming up for pics and not one got turned away , he did'nt get to eat his brecky either it went cold ,

[goose 5]

In American English, what does "taking the piss out of him" mean ?

[Beltane]

Taking the piss out of, is an expression meaning to mock, tease, joke, ridicule, scoff and making fun of someone.

[goose 5]

Thanks for the definition.

[coneye]

Thanks for the definition.

Think i need to learn to speak American LOL

[Brute]

He had some domestic problems.

[fox]

I fought in a tournament in 1994 at Tweed Heads and one of Jeff’s teammates was fighting. He had a few to drink and kept approaching the ring and shouting instructions to his mate. The referee sent him away from ringside on numerous occasions till they ended up kicking him out of the tournament. Great fighter who had a problem with alcohol. That was the only time I’d seen anything with Jeff and he wasn’t fighting anyone but had a few too many.