Name a Boxer and What Was He Most Known For

[elmersalsa]

In the day of the great Wilfredo "Bazooka" Gomez's death, and even before that, Gomez when you mentioned his name in other boxing forums, the majority of the posters for example, known him because of his loss to the great Salvador Sanchez.

I know that night, Gomez got his azz kicked. It was the biggest ass kicking that he ever received in his whole life.

But, damn it! Is he only known for that fight?
What about the 33 fights before that?
The 32 consecutive KO wins.
The 17 title defenses, all won by knockout
The 3 boxing world crowns he achieved in 3 different weight classes.
The beatings that he gave to Carlos Zarate and Lupe Pintor
What about the accolades that he gets as the greatest 122lbs-pounder in boxing history?

Can a man just live? Does he has to be remembered by only one fight?

Give us some more examples.

[gilgamesh]

I don't think most fight fans think of Gomez only as the guy who lost to Salvador Sanchez.

Chuck Wepner is definitely most known for fighting Ali and being the inspiration of the movie Rocky
Gerry Cooney is definitely most known for being a "White Hope" and losing to Larry Holmes
George Foreman is most known as that guy who sells Grills
Mike Tyson is most known as that guy that bit that guys ear

It is amusing that Gomez has a similar victory to the one Sanchez has over him on his record. His win over Carlos Zarate is similar in that Zarate is one of the all time great Bantamweights, but when he went up 4 pounds to meet the All Time great Gomez he couldn't get it done. Gomez of course similarly had the same problem with Sanchez.

In either Zarate or Gomez's case. I think they're better known for their success than their failures. At least as much as they're remembered at all.

[570295]

Casual fans know him for that because they heard about Sanchez on a TikTok reel most likely, and the Gomez match is a big part of his history.

No true boxing fan only knows him as such, though. I remember him for his cocky, mean spirited fighting demeanor. He would box circles around his opponents at 122, seemingly to prolong the inevitable. He just liked the hurt business that much. But man did he have moves, especially in his younger days. Unbelievable footwork, angles, and upper body movement to go with an unrelenting work rate, and stamina for days. Not usually a one punch KO guy, despite his formidable KO%. He liked to take his opponents apart with style.

[elmersalsa]

Most of the casual fans, especially from Mexico, like they only know about Wilfredo Gomez fight with Salvador Sanchez.

It's like what he did before and after that fight like it doesn't count. I have been to many boxing forums, and when Gomez's name appears, all these Mexicans and Sanchez's fans say "Salvador Sanchez"

[Expug]

Let’s go deeper with it.
Charlie ( Devil) Green.
Jose Torres opponent doesn’t show up at the garden
So match maker Teddy Brenner spots Green in the crowd munching on a hot dog.
Green accepts the fight right there, gets on the ring and floors Torres. Darn near knocks him out. Next round Torres knocks him out.

[elmersalsa]

Roberto Duran.

Most casual average fans know him for the No Mas fight than anything else he did in his career. It like his lightweight days never existed.

It's like they know him from 1980 on up.

[elmersalsa]

Roberto Duran.

Most casual average fans know him for the No Mas fight than anything else he did in his career. It like his lightweight days never existed.

It's like they know him from 1980 on up.

And some people forgot that he beat Sugar Ray Leonard the first time around. Like No Mas was more historical.

[gilgamesh]

Most of the casual fans, especially from Mexico, like they only know about Wilfredo Gomez fight with Salvador Sanchez.

It's like what he did before and after that fight like it doesn't count. I have been to many boxing forums, and when Gomez's name appears, all these Mexicans and Sanchez's fans say "Salvador Sanchez"

Like he mentioned above. A lot of people's knowledge of Boxing history these days comes from TikTok clips or Facebook posts.

[gilgamesh]

Oliver McCall - Having an Emotional Breakdown and Crying during a Heavyweight Championship fight
Jorge Paez - Stupid haircuts and Annoying behavior

[gilgamesh]

Emanuel Augustus - Herky Jerky movements with the unusual "Drunken Master" style he sometimes used.

[JC]

Carpentier - people always mention him starting out at flyweight.

Marvis Frazier - For getting KO’d in the first by Tyson despite also losing in the first to Holmes.

Moorer - for the fairytale late loss to Foreman.

Virgil Hill - I think is most known now for that bodyshot off Jones Jr.

Bert Cooper - for having Holyfield in serious trouble.

[gilgamesh]

Micky Ward - His trilogy with Gatti

[tiny_acres]

Roberto Duran.

Most casual average fans know him for the No Mas fight than anything else he did in his career. It like his lightweight days never existed.

It's like they know him from 1980 on up.

Every time I talk to a casual fan that is what they remember about Duran.
They don't care about him beating Leonard the first time or that he is arguably the
greatest lightweight that ever lived.
Frustrating to me

[tiny_acres]

Micky Ward - His trilogy with Gatti

Honestly that is what I think of when Ward is mentioned

[elmersalsa]

Sonny Liston.

Most casual fans only remember him from the two losses to the great Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali. Especially, the second fight in Lewiston, ME that ended in mysterious circumstances.

They forgot how bad ass he was that he ahnilliated Floyd Patterson twice by knockout and that he also cleaned up the whole Heavyweight division before becoming world champion.

That's gotta be very frustrating.

[Expug]

Brings up an interesting angle.
Jake Lamotta most remembered for the fights with Robinson.
Not remembered as much for tanking his fight with Billy Fox.

[gilgamesh]

Roberto Duran.

Most casual average fans know him for the No Mas fight than anything else he did in his career. It like his lightweight days never existed.

It's like they know him from 1980 on up.

Every time I talk to a casual fan that is what they remember about Duran.
They don't care about him beating Leonard the first time or that he is arguably the
greatest lightweight that ever lived.
Frustrating to me

These are the kinds of comments I've gotten from casual fans over the years

About Pacquiao, when he had just recently lost to Tim Bradley within the last few months: "Ahh man Pacquiao is the sh*t. He's knocked out everybody he's ever fought I think!"

"My Dad had a tape of Mike Tyson beating Muhammad Ali." and he continued to insist on this even when I pointed out how and why that is impossible.

So don't take the opinions of Casual fans seriously. They don't know what the f*ck they're talking about.

[elmersalsa]

Marvelous Marvin Hagler

Being Marvelous in his fight with Tommy Hearns

[elmersalsa]

Mike Tyson

First round knockout wins

[elmersalsa]

Mike Tyson

First round knockout wins

Also, as the youngest heavyweight to win a world championship at age of only 20

[elmersalsa]

Wilfred Benitez

Defensive wizard known as the youngest boxer to win a world championship in boxing at the age of 17. Tremendous achievement.

[gilgamesh]

Carmen Basilio

Competed in the Fight of the Year 5 years in a row from 1955-1959. Primarily his battles with Sugar Ray Robinson are what's remembered above all else, but his tremendously entertaining style will always mean he's a fighter fight fans enjoy revisiting and discussing.

[elmersalsa]

Carmen Basilio

Competed in the Fight of the Year 5 years in a row from 1955-1959. Primarily his battles with Sugar Ray Robinson are what's remembered above all else, but his tremendously entertaining style will always mean he's a fighter fight fans enjoy revisiting and discussing.

The great Carmen Basilio was always in añ entertaining scrap. He was the Arturo Gatti of the 1950s

[Expug]

Jack Sharkey.
Hit low by Dempsey turns his head to complain to referee. Gets stretched.

[gilgamesh]

Archie Moore

Being the All time Knockout King, and he was known as that well before he finally retired from the game.