Biggest Fights in Australian History?

JAHamilton77 · Post by **JAHamilton77** » 04 Nov 2007, 01:50

I think the most significant fight to ever take place in Australia was probably Tommy Burns vs Jack Johnson. What are some of the other major fights that have taken place down under (you can include fights in New Zeland too if you like).

thunderfromdownunder · Post by **thunderfromdownunder** » 04 Nov 2007, 02:02

Nelson - Fenech II
Mundine - Green

those two at least in the last twenty years or so would be the biggest

Grant · Post by **Grant** » 04 Nov 2007, 02:39

have to agree its hard to go past those two.

I remember Rose Vs Gattileri was big and of course Lester and Barry.

fox · Post by **fox** » 04 Nov 2007, 03:12

Burns vs Patrick would have to be up there with them

p4p1 · Post by **p4p1** » 04 Nov 2007, 08:31

tszyu vs leija

Ross · Post by **Ross** » 04 Nov 2007, 19:06

fox wrote:Burns vs Patrick would have to be up there with them

my thoughts exactly

Beltane · Post by **Beltane** » 04 Nov 2007, 20:03

A number of Les Darcy's big fights drew huge crowds during that era and the world title fight Jimmy Curruthers had at the Sydney Sports Ground was a big one at the time.

The question is either: what was the biggest crowd to attend an Australian bout or what was the biggest fight of significance on Australian shores?

The answer to both will be totally different and I cannot cannot give an answer to either at this stage.

Brute · Post by **Brute** » 05 Nov 2007, 03:15

Good fights all of them. But I think the Johnson/Burns fight eclipses them for historical significance. A great-uncle of mine who saw it said that Johnson was "like a big black cat."

Beltane · Post by **Beltane** » 06 Nov 2007, 19:38

The Burns versus Johnson fight was an enormous event in the world of 1908. Johnson was hated by the American press due to his colour and the prejudice was unrelenting as the Canadian Burns became the first "great white hope". The world's "yellow" press did everything in it's power to "beat up" the fight and make it a contest of supremacy of white over black.

The Hearst papers sent out correspondents and the famous Damon Runyon was a scribe at the fight. The old barn (aka the Sydney Stadium) was overflowing with 25,000 spectators, who saw Johnson toy with Burns and make him look second rate before the bout was stopped.

The bout co-incided with the world tour of Teddy Roosevelt's great white fleet, which was on a world tour.

Brute · Post by **Brute** » 17 Nov 2007, 21:45

Jack London was sitting at ringside yelling "Kill the person, Tommy!"

It did not take much to be considered as tolerant then.

luke.91 · Post by **luke.91** » 18 Nov 2007, 04:35

green vs choc would have to be 1 of if not the biggest lests see number 2

thunderfromdownunder · Post by **thunderfromdownunder** » 18 Nov 2007, 05:02

i think Green V Drews is going to be massive.
even though danny has lost some of the auora that he had pre Beyer II, he is still probaly our most loved fighter, and many consider him "reborn" at 175 pounds.
add to this that the fight will be in perth, were danny has a massive fan base. also because its in perth it will probaly be on around 5-6 pm in the eastern states .so people will acctually want to watch it, instead of sitting up till 11 o'cock on a wednesday night watching shittly undercard fights the main event may come on at a resonable time. and also its a legitamate world tite fight. so yeah i think its gonna be a pretty big event