John L Gardner revisited

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:35

Carlos-Wigan wrote:
silkov wrote:
Carlos-Wigan wrote:Talking of Royal Marines, didn't John L Gardners son had
to quit the Royal marines because the NCOs kept picking on
him for having a famous fighting dad. Coming out with comical
crap such as...

"Your dad might have been british heavyeight champion but he never
won a green beret"

If it wasn't for the fact that Gardners son had to quit because of the
bullying off these arseholes then what they said would be laughable.
It just gets worse doesnt it... I'm sure there are plenty of 'brave men' in the army and Marines etc but I've always thought that the vast majority are simply dimwitted bullies... how many green berets have won a British title??.... not many I'd say....
As a former soldier there are too many of the type who are insecure with their masculinity and see someone like a boxing champion or a son of a boxing champion as an affront to their hardness. There wouldn't have been one man in 42/45 commando who would have gone 3 rounds with
John L Gardner in his prime, because someone can jump out of a plane
or scale a mountain means they can fight. Never mind a fighter who is a world class pugilist.

There will be US marines whose claim to fame and you can bet your life they will brag about it to anyone that will listen, that they made Riddick Bowe quit training after 10 days and these dipsticks will think they are tougher than Riddick bowe!

Exactly... perhaps the difference between a soldier and a boxer (aside from the weapons) is that boxers are basically alone while soldiers are part of a group/gang... it takes a really strong character to be a boxer.

el_grande_mauro_mina · Post by **el_grande_mauro_mina** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:35

Michael Hunter was in the royal logistics corps. Neville Meade
was in the RAF, Shea neary was in the Kings and dazzo williams was RRF. Can't think of many latter days fighters who were
in the services.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:43

How many of John Louis Gardner fights were televised?

I know these were

Michael Dokes.
Ossie Ocasio.
Paul Sykes.

Surely there were a few more?

Billy Aird?
Lorenzo Zanon?
Noel Quarless, maybe?

el_grande_mauro_mina · Post by **el_grande_mauro_mina** » 24 Mar 2007, 14:55

KOJOE90 wrote:How many of John Louis Gardner fights were televised?

I know these were

Michael Dokes.
Ossie Ocasio.
Paul Sykes.

Surely there were a few more?

Billy Aird?
Lorenzo Zanon?
Noel Quarless, maybe?

I remember reading the Sailor Arrington KO of Gardner was shown on grandstand. it was in BN.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 24 Mar 2007, 16:48

I've got the Quarless fight, to be fair I think Gardner was past it by then, coming off a 2 year lay off and he just didnt have the conditionaing that carried him through earlier in his career... against Sykes he looked pretty impressive... nice crowd pleasing style and loads of bottle...

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 24 Mar 2007, 16:49

KOJOE90 wrote:
silkov wrote:
KOJOE90 wrote: Terry Marsh won the European and IBF World Title.
Indeed, the exception that proves my point... really it is puzzeling that there are not more champion boxers coming out of the services... aside from Benn and Marsh I cant think of many top fighters that came out of the services...
There must be a lot more. I assume you are not including active fighters who served in WW1&2.

Oh yeah, I'm not talking about those that served in the wars...

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 25 Mar 2007, 08:10

mercman wrote:
I've got the Quarless fight, to be fair I think Gardner was past it by then, coming off a 2 year lay off and he just didnt have the conditionaing that carried him through earlier in his career... against Sykes he looked pretty impressive... nice crowd pleasing style and loads of bottle...
I think Gardner basically retired after the Doakes loss - which was pretty comprehensive. He came back a couple of years later and won a couple of fights before running into Quarless. Like you Silkov, I remember Gardner looked quite out of shape and even though he was only about 30 seemed quite old and past it. It was still the days when post-fight interviews took place in the ring and I remember Gardner announcing there and then that he was packing it in for good.

It's funny how back in the 70s fighters were often seen as veterans in their early 30s whereas nowadays 30 is quite young - particularly for a heavyweight, domestically or at world level. Who was the last heavyweight champion we had in their 20s?

I think its because fighters fight much less these days... 2 or 3 times a year usually... Gardner was the sort of fighter who relied on his fitness and pressure wearing down his opponents, so every fight for him was a war really, also he probably trained like mad to reach his peak fitness and after a 2 year break just couldnt reach that point again... probably his heart was no longer in it either... I also remember him saying that he'd gone up to over 18 stone during his lay off so having to lose so much weight probably left its mark...
Quarless was an entertaining fighter... good speed and power but extremely erratic... anyone know what he's doing now?....

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 25 Mar 2007, 08:14

silkov wrote:Quarless was an entertaining fighter... good speed and power but extremely erratic... anyone know what he's doing now?....

Didn't he get involved in promoting or managing fighters for a while? Not sure.

Did anyone here see his fight against the shell of John Tate? I haven't, but heard it was pretty grim.

I can't believe that fight was even sanctioned.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:58

KOJOE90 wrote:
silkov wrote:Quarless was an entertaining fighter... good speed and power but extremely erratic... anyone know what he's doing now?....
Didn't he get involved in promoting or managing fighters for a while? Not sure.

Did anyone here see his fight against the shell of John Tate? I haven't, but heard it was pretty grim.

I can't believe that fight was even sanctioned.

I remember watching it, Tates was a sad story indeed, ...the ironic thing is that against Quarless he didnt look as bad as you'd think, despite being around 20 stone, he still moved quite well and had a decent jab and Quarless seemed wary of being tagged by him.... I regret not taping that fight now as it'd be interesting to watch again...

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 26 Mar 2007, 06:42

KOJOE90 wrote:
bennie wrote:But he was floored and exposed by a fat Jimmy Young when they tried to move him up.
bennie, do you know why there is no film of this fight doing the rounds?

It was definitely televised by the Beeb. I remember watching it.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 26 Mar 2007, 07:16

I have Quarless/Tate on tape. Its extremely dull, once you get over the perverse fascination factor that Quarless looks to be boxing with a mammoth shaven gorilla.

Tate is morbidly obese and plods slowly forward all night and deserved the nod but the local boy got it. Tate however was in no condition to return to the top 10.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 26 Mar 2007, 07:29

overhand_right wrote:I have Quarless/Tate on tape. Its extremely dull, once you get over the perverse fascination factor that Quarless looks to be boxing with a mammoth shaven gorilla.

Tate is morbidly obese and plods slowly forward all night and deserved the nod but the local boy got it. Tate however was in no condition to return to the top 10.

Any chance of doing a swap for it?.... have yoo got any other Quarless bouts, especially against Mike Lee or Eklund??....

funso banjo baby · Post by **funso banjo baby** » 26 Mar 2007, 07:45

Mark lee had 3 gr8 fights in the uk.... an exciting points loss to trevor berbick........then he made quarless look awful closing his eye and winning on points........... Quarless was set for revenge on the bruno bonecrusher undercard........ he came out for the first popping the slaps and making his usual 'whup whup' noise.........then Lee got him with a killer body shot...and u could hear quarless scream 'eeeergh' in the back seats...! out in round 1 !!

Bruno of course got ko'd in the 10th......and mark Kaylor was beaten up by the lt middle american buster drayton....

british boxings worst day...............

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 26 Mar 2007, 08:00

If anyone has those fights... Lee vs Quarless 1 and 2 and Lee vs Berbick I'd be happy to do a swap for them... I have Berbick vs Tate which was a very good fight... Berbick was in quite a few good fights...

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 26 Mar 2007, 13:36

bennie wrote:
KOJOE90 wrote:
bennie wrote:But he was floored and exposed by a fat Jimmy Young when they tried to move him up.
bennie, do you know why there is no film of this fight doing the rounds?
It was definitely televised by the Beeb. I remember watching it.

Thanks Bennie, I've never seen any trader advertise that fight but it's usefull if not fustrating to know it's outhere (somewhere).

Looks like it's time once again to storm the BBC video vaults.

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 27 Mar 2007, 05:23

silkov wrote:If anyone has those fights... Lee vs Quarless 1 and 2 and Lee vs Berbick I'd be happy to do a swap for them... I have Berbick vs Tate which was a very good fight... Berbick was in quite a few good fights...

Silkov, the Tate/Quarless fight is filmed from ringside. I also have Berbick/Lee, which was broadcast by the BBC, only the last 2 rds, highlight form. Why on earth whatshisname would say it was "exciting" is beyond me. Berbick just cuffs him around with ease and Lee stays in his shell and only in the last 30 seconds does Berbick throw a flurry. Harry Carpenter says "can you believe this man? he could have done this all night but is only doing it now"

I have probably all Trevor Berbick fights that were broadcast.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 27 Mar 2007, 05:58

I was in the hall for the Quarless/Tate fight....can't recall why I bothered going though - Eric Guy filmed it from ringside.

Quarless was a part time bouncer who hit his stride by shocking that big lump Eklund on live TV...think he was just as shocked as Eklund to see him keel over like that. Then poor John L was on the end of another blitz one month later.

He looked the goods after that one, but he didn't like getting hit back too much, and that was pretty much it for Quarless..

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 27 Mar 2007, 06:03

John L Gardner is a regular down at Charlie Magri's pub the Victoria in Mile End I believe.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 27 Mar 2007, 06:30

jamesmcdonnell wrote:John L Gardner is a regular down at Charlie Magri's pub the Victoria in Mile End I believe.

Sounds a good pub that one....

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 27 Mar 2007, 06:31

It's got lots of boxing nights on. Jimmy Batten runs a Karaoke night down there as well, quite a few characters in there an' all.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 Mar 2007, 06:35

overhand_right wrote:
silkov wrote:If anyone has those fights... Lee vs Quarless 1 and 2 and Lee vs Berbick I'd be happy to do a swap for them... I have Berbick vs Tate which was a very good fight... Berbick was in quite a few good fights...
Silkov, the Tate/Quarless fight is filmed from ringside. I also have Berbick/Lee, which was broadcast by the BBC, only the last 2 rds, highlight form. Why on earth whatshisname would say it was "exciting" is beyond me. Berbick just cuffs him around with ease and Lee stays in his shell and only in the last 30 seconds does Berbick throw a flurry. Harry Carpenter says "can you believe this man? he could have done this all night but is only doing it now"

I have probably all Trevor Berbick fights that were broadcast.

I'd like that Quarless vs Tate bout... I quite like fights filmed from ringside!... do you have Berbick vs Snipes?... thats supposed to be a good one!...

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 27 Mar 2007, 06:52

Yeah i also have Berbick/Snipes, 10 rds of 2 brick shit houses trying to knock each others block off! Very entertaining!

Old bones Ian · Post by **Old bones Ian** » 27 Mar 2007, 09:07

One of Gardners opponents Paul Sykes wrote a book called 'Sweet Agony' whilst he was in prison, andyone know if its any good?

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 27 Mar 2007, 09:21

Sykes died earlier month!!?!

overhand_right · Post by **overhand_right** » 27 Mar 2007, 10:42

Well hes dead now, luckily.