Howard Eastman

[sucracristo]

who really boxes for
the money?

I would say a lot of people do.

who would get up in the dark and run 8 miles and do hundreds of pushups and
situps and pullups and everything else, go to work so you can actually pay your bills,
then go to the gym at night and take beatings, for $100-$200/round every few months?
that doesn't even cover expenses. what sense does that make? this is after the amateurs
when you got nothing for it. i'm sure in a lot of countries pros are fighting for $10/round.
practically anybody who shows up to an unskilled manual labor job everyday could make
A LOT more than a club boxer gets paid BEFORE expenses, and after expenses it becomes
an expensive hobby where you get hit a lot.

in order for there to be a lot of people doing it for the money, there would have to be a
lot of people making enough money at it for it to be worth doing for the money, and there aren't.
the very few good enough to make a decent living at it had to put their souls into it for
years to get to that point with nothing in return before then. are there people who would
get off their bar stool and take a beating for a few hundred? probably lots of THEM, but not
real professionals who actually train.

[mickey1975]

I doubt Eastman is up at all hours training his bollocks off. I have no doubt though, that he is doing it for the money.

[Dixonian]

Not these days but the former FA Cup Winner Mickey Gynn is a postie these days. The large majority of that team have normal jobs now[/quote]

All hail Micky Gynn. My first memories as a Coventry fan were when Gynn was playing and popping up with the odd goal. (post 87 mind you). These days we're losing to the likes of Crawley Town... C'mon Micky give us a wave!!!

[sucracristo]

I doubt Eastman is up at all hours training his bollocks off. I have no doubt though, that he is doing it for the money.

his last 3 fights were 8, 10, and 12 rounds against guys with good records
so of course he trains.
if he even got a couple thousand per fight i would be shocked X 2 fights per year.
he could do virtually ANYTHING else and make more money and not get hit
at all and not have to train at all. i would guess the guy still loves boxing
because it's probably the only thing he has ever had in life that made him
feel alive and worthwhile and he probably doesn't make enough fighting,
sparring, giving lessons, and anything else he gets paid for boxingwise, to even
come close to supporting himself, never mind after expenses, and he could do
virtually ANYTHING else for a living and do better moneywise.

[Craig14]

I saw Howard and his brother Gilbert box alot live, always entertaining both clever boxers. Ofcoarse it's time for Howard to stop now but I'm only a fan and I think about boxing alot, can only imagine how a guy whose fought in the ring all his life would think.

[Old bones Ian]

Just watched Howards last fight from April 2013, he lost over 12 to Sakima Mullings. And Eastman actually gave a decent showing for his age etc, Mulling wouldn't of lasted 8 rounds if he's fought Eastman in his prime.

[polecateddy]

Just watched Howards last fight from April 2013, he lost over 12 to Sakima Mullings. And Eastman actually gave a decent showing for his age etc, Mulling wouldn't of lasted 8 rounds if he's fought Eastman in his prime.

He's a bit of a mirage now. Still kind of looks the same, but ageing has stripped him of all the abilities that made him a special fighter in the UK.

[Old bones Ian]

Just watched Howards last fight from April 2013, he lost over 12 to Sakima Mullings. And Eastman actually gave a decent showing for his age etc, Mulling wouldn't of lasted 8 rounds if he's fought Eastman in his prime.

He's a bit of a mirage now. Still kind of looks the same, but ageing has stripped him of all the abilities that made him a special fighter in the UK.

Yes, he obviously keeps himself in decent shape, but the punchers are pushed out and he has to think what to throw rather than it coming naturally. He's like all old boxers , but he has that pride not to take the easy way out.

[polecateddy]

Just watched Howards last fight from April 2013, he lost over 12 to Sakima Mullings. And Eastman actually gave a decent showing for his age etc, Mulling wouldn't of lasted 8 rounds if he's fought Eastman in his prime.

He's a bit of a mirage now. Still kind of looks the same, but ageing has stripped him of all the abilities that made him a special fighter in the UK.

Yes, he obviously keeps himself in decent shape, but the punchers are pushed out and he has to think what to throw rather than it coming naturally. He's like all old boxers , but he has that pride not to take the easy way out.

There's old and there's old. Hopkins is a bit of a freak. Most boxers in their 40's are slow and beatable, which is just normal I suppose. There can't actually be that many pro or amateur boxers over 40 really.

[Old bones Ian]

Thats true, now i'm in my 40's i still think i can bust a move on the dancefloor, but i just end up doing the Dad dance.

[polecateddy]

I think it's just the speed endurance that tails right off. You can be similarly strong, maybe even stronger. Endurance can be fine too. But that speed endurance just goes to pot! Lol

[Counter-puncher]

I can't help thinking of Eastman as a wasted talent, when you look at his overall skillset; big-ish frame, he had a good punch (especially the right hand), seemed very relaxed (sometimes too relaxed?) in the ring, good jab, decent punch variety. he seemed to merc euro level boxers for fun, in a way that suggested he should make some kind of impact at a higher level.

[polecateddy]

It certainly cost him against Joppy. It was a shame he didn't push harder in that fight. Hopkins was obviously a bridge too far, but if he'd beaten Joppy and avoided people such as Keith Holmes, he could have made a couple of defences.

[orbtastic]

He was endlessly frustrating for me to watch, clearly had talent but always seemed to be fighting within himself almost like he had a self governed limiter that kicked in.

Lackadaisical is how I would describe him. Or Lacksadaisy, as Johnny Nelson consistently pronounces it.

[polecateddy]

For years I recall Sam Soliman used to say in interviews Eastman was by far the most talented fighter he ever shared a ring with. Possibly that pre-dated his fight with Winky Wright though.

[Counter-puncher]

I'm just thinking, if you look at say an Arthur Abraham or Sturm, I'd give Eastman a decent shot at the likes of them (not least because neither of them were exactly workrate-warriors), in fact I wonder if Eastman could lead Abraham a bit of a merry dance. say the likes of Geale, he'd outwork Howard, guaranteed.

like you say eddy, natural/unteachable talent. and like you say Matt, almost like a self-regulator kicked in. infinitely frustrating.

how would Howard do against Barker/Murray/macklin, do you think? Macklin could probably outwork him but those big right hands from Howard could spell trouble in terms of swelling or hurting Macklin.

[polecateddy]

I think Macklin's hard charging style would have walked him into trouble in the late rounds. And Howard defused Robert McCracken after all. So Barker with his classical style is no sure thing either!

[Counter-puncher]

I think Macklin's hard charging style would have walked him into trouble in the late rounds. And Howard defused Robert McCracken after all. So Barker with his classical style is no sure thing either!

agreed, and:


indeed, I'd see Barker-Eastman as a bit of a chessmatch, and with eastman punching clearly harder I'd say Barker would have to dominate a lot of rounds to win. if they are just exchanging single shots from the outside Eastman's favourite there.

[orbtastic]

I always thought the stoppage against Miranda was slightly dodgy but I think he could have out-boxed AA, as you say, workrate not an issue here.

I see Murray having a lot of movement and high output against him, could be a slightly controversial pts win but I'd favour him over the other two. Macklin's power could make it interesting but he think he soaks up the pressure early and comes back late to stop him. Barker's a tough one, in some scenarios I see a similar outcome to the Richard Williams fight with him counterpunching and forcing his physicality into the fight late on, other times he never really gets going and Barker jabs him and frustrates him with speed.

[london]

Howard is also alot older than his Boxrecs 42 id put him nearer 50 but he was very talented .