Boxers who had to leave Britain due to being unpopular

[leejonesjnr]

It's interesting how Michael Conlan is making a popular career in the USA. His next outing is at the MSG.
The cheers he got from the crowd last time out was a pleasant surprise, given how early he is in his career.

New York loves the Irish, Duddy had a great following there

[Deno1986]

It's interesting how Michael Conlan is making a popular career in the USA. His next outing is at the MSG.
The cheers he got from the crowd last time out was a pleasant surprise, given how early he is in his career.

Really playing off the Irish-American market over there. Much the same way Andy Lee and John Duddy did in the past. Promoters love it.

[KiwiRider]

It's interesting how Michael Conlan is making a popular career in the USA. His next outing is at the MSG.
The cheers he got from the crowd last time out was a pleasant surprise, given how early he is in his career.

Really playing off the Irish-American market over there. Much the same way Andy Lee and John Duddy did in the past. Promoters love it.

Plus he is humble, good looking and entertaining- add that to the mix and you have a highly marketable prospect. All the best to him

[bennie]

Cornelius Boza-Edwards was never popular here, despite an explosive amateur career in the UK after he fled his native Uganda at the height of Idi Amin's brutal reign of terror in the 1970s. He turned pro in London in 1976 with the influential Mickey Duff and continued to destroy his opposition before suffering a cuts defeat to Birmingham's Des Gwilliam at Wembley in September 1977. Undeterred, Boza bounced back with another string of impressive wins (18 of them) until he had nowhere to go in Britain, where there was no super-featherweight division and where the fans continued to remain surprisingly indifferent, so Duff took a chance and threw him in with the formidable Alexis Arguello in a 10-rounder in the States in 1980, and Boza really impressed the American boxing public with a strong, competitive, gutsy display, even though Arguello won through in the end. Duff's big gamble had paid off.
Two wins later, Boza found himself challenging fellow southpaw Rafael “Bazooka” Limon for the WBC super-featherweight title in Stockton in California, where he gave a quite brilliant display to floor and unanimously outpoint Limon over 15 memorable rounds, despite some terrible fouls from the Mexican who tried everything to turn the tide of the fight, the kind of bruising, draining marathon of a fight that you just don't see today (and that's no bad thing). Unwisely, Boza made a quick first defence against the cute and dangerous Bobby Chacon in Las Vegas in another marathon and swallowed an awful lot of Chacon's heavy counters before his great fighting spirit and legendary fitness took over from the middle rounds. Chacon was pulled out at the end of the 13th, punched to a standstill but still defiant.
Bizarrely, Boza made yet another quick defence against southpaw Filipino Rolando Navarette (a late replacement for Limon) on a beautiful night in Italy in August 1981 and struggled from the opening bell with a man who found him remarkably easy to hit with big right hooks to the head, often doubling up on them. Boza soaked up the hooks with no real response and even waved at Navarette from his stool between rounds (a perplexed Navarette waved back) but he did hurt the challenger in the fourth and then picked up a horrible cut in the follow-up attack as heads clashed. This spelt his doom. Blood ran into his eyes and Navarette nailed him freely and heavily, dropping Boza three times before a brutal encounter was all over in five rounds.
Belatedly, Boza took a few months off and started the rebuilding process by winning the European super-featherweight title on a strange night in London in 1982 when the seasoned Carlos Hernandez suddenly turned and quit in the fourth round, hardly in any sort of trouble – even the Spaniard's corner were confused. Nevertheless, it was a big win for Boza and a month later he registered one of the biggest of his entire career when he crushed the world title hopes of previously unbeaten New Yorker John Verderosa in three one-sided rounds in Atlantic City, dumping the cocky Verderosa twice with vicious left uppercuts. Boza was still an attraction in the States and he cemented his reputation with thrilling victories over Roberto Elizondo, Blaine Dickson and Pedro Laza - all in Las Vegas, where Boza now lived - leading up to a world title rematch with the ageless Chacon (nicknamed “Schoolboy”), who had come back from their marvellous first fight to dethrone Limon in a gut-wrenching, toe-to-toe battle for the WBC title in Sacramento, after Limon had deposed Navarette.
Amazingly, Chacon dumped Boza in each of the first two rounds with sharp right hands but Boza rallied to drop Chacon in the third and his slashing hooks and uppercuts opened cuts over both of Chacon's eyes and it looked grim for the defending champion but he kept fighting back under intense pressure and just wouldn't be denied in the closing rounds. He sealed an incredible win by flooring Boza in the 12th and final round of an unforgettable spectacle in Las Vegas, voted Fight of the Year for 1983 by Ring magazine.
Boza was never quite the same again, losing to Rocky Lockridge a fight later (though he had the American down) before moving up to lightweight and winning enough to secure world title shots at Hector Camacho (who was pathetic in winning a decision) and Jose Luis Ramirez, who stopped him in five painful rounds. Duff retired him after Ramirez but Boza is not lost to the game, training fighters out of Las Vegas, still the politest, happiest man you could ever wish to meet.

[Fray Bentos]

There you go Bennie - I was going to say Boza-Edwards, great minds think alike!

I don't think people go abroad because of unpopularity - they might not sell tickets at home but not because they're hated but down to lifestyle changes and better training and opportunities - lemsee - Dennis Andries went to America, Bunny Johnson went to Australia, Silky Jones had a few fights in Canada.

A lot of Scottish fighters in the lighter weights went to Australia in the sixties and seventies as the small hall scene was in a lot better shape in those days than it was in the UK. Jim Watt spent a year in South Africa in 1973 and boxed their main lightweights because the money they were offering him was far better than back home.

[roy]

I think audley moved abroad because of stick he was getting. Bugner also said he had to leave after the Cooper fight. Any others?

Bugner beat Cooper in 1971 and fought mostly in the UK until 1977.

[Stuarty]

He didn't leave, but I'd have happily seen Anthony Small bundled in to the back of a van, tied up and airdropped right in the middle of fuckin Raqqa! Odious cùnt!

[Coco]

Bennie

[afcpaul]

I think audley moved abroad because of stick he was getting. Bugner also said he had to leave after the Cooper fight. Any others?

Bugner beat Cooper in 1971 and fought mostly in the UK until 1977.

"Ossie" joe Bugner. Seem to remember he started to rant on about not being appreciated in England.

[TheLeprechaun]

I think audley moved abroad because of stick he was getting. Bugner also said he had to leave after the Cooper fight. Any others?

Bugner beat Cooper in 1971 and fought mostly in the UK until 1977.

"Ossie" joe Bugner. Seem to remember he started to rant on about not being appreciated in England.

It was on the show that he did a sit down with Cooper. Cooper came across as a right pr*ck in that show to be honest but I guess it's just the nature of the competitiveness of fighters. It was something like 40 years after their fight and he still hadn't let anything go whereas Bugner seemed to be really laid back about it all but if I recall correctly he did say that he had to leave the country as a result of the fight

[bennie]

Bugner was always a better businessman than a fighter. He learned quickly that a white heavyweight with decent boxing skills, a great chin and plenty of chat could earn remarkably well so he went out there and soaked it up or flattered to deceive or plain disappointed but occasionally, just occasionally, he put it together and afterwards they threw even more money at him and the circle started all over again.
Big Joe earned plenty in his peak years of the 1970s and long after his peak years, he came back and earned plenty again. Promoter Mickey Duff always had a soft spot for Joe because they were both refugees (Mickey from Poland, Joe from Hungary) so he tolerated the Bedford man's drab displays after his gritty upset win over Henry Cooper in 1971 for British, Commonwealth and European titles and there were many: a shocking loss to Jack Bodell which cost him the three belts, a points defeat to American Larry Middleton, who floored Joe and broke his jaw, and several boring decisions over fat Italians who were crying out to be knocked out. Ultimately, Duff did remarkably well to secure Bugner big fights with Muhammad Ali (twice) and Joe Frazier and a later one in Las Vegas against Ron Lyle, after Bugner had flattened Richard Dunn the first round in 1977 for one of the few explosive wins of his career.
Bugner left Britain after Lyle (who beat him on points) and tried to make it as a movie star in Hollywood but still found the time for a couple of fights in the States, one of them at the brutal hands of Earnie Shavers, who floored him and stopped him in two rounds in Dallas (cuts); Bugner also got his ribs busted in sparring with Gerry Cooney in New York. Then a young London promoter by the name of F rank Warren brought him home in an attempt to force a showdown with an unbeaten Frank Bruno (shades of Tyson Fury with Anthony Joshua today), promoted by that man Duff, and the two fighters contested bragging rights against the same opponents, with Bruno doing the better job, but the showdown still didn't happen (when it should have happened) and Bugner settled for a payday against Marvis Frazier in Atlantic City in 1983, making him one of the few men in boxing history to have fought both father and son. He lost to them both.
Bugner tried his luck in Denmark for a while, lured by the generous wallet of promoter Mogens Palle, before he moved to Australia with his Australian wife Marlene and reinvented himself as “Aussie” Joe with a few decision wins over washed-up Americans until the evergreen Duff and a new kid on the block by the name of Barry Hearn coughed up a fortune for Bugner, who was now 37, to face Bruno at White Hart Lane in October 1987 in front of a huge crowd, and Bruno outclassed blubbery Joe on the way to a merciful stoppage in eight rounds.
Amazingly, it wasn't the last of Bugner, who returned in the mid-1990s and got his rubs busted again by Scott Welch but he did win a few and even tried to call himself a world heavyweight champion after a farcical win over James “Bonecrusher” Smith in Oz in 1998, still talking a great fight, still earning too much, still the same old Joe.

[Mimmy]

Prince Patel?

[Ruthless-RKO]

Prince Patel?

He was already mentioned. To be honest, I had never heard of him. I doubt he was unpopular.. He was hardly known.

[Old bones Ian]

Odd story of Eric Pleasents, he was an amateur boxer, when the channel islands got took over by the Germans in WW2, Eric joined them as part of a group of British fighting for the Germans.
He went on to spar a lot of exhibitions with Max Schmeling, and due to never defending the title was the reigning middleweight champion of the Waffen-SS till he died in 1997.

[gp.]

Considering he made a few million he doesn't seem to be living extravagently

From what my mate says he's just a nice suburban neighbourhood bloke.

Does a fair bit of charity work too. Lives 20 minutes from Malibu beach. He lives a nice life (til the earthquake that's coming any day now hits)

He comes across as a nice guy all said and done. It would be great to have him as a neighbour.

"Hey Audley, come over and grab a beer from the cooler!"

Audley's only problem was that he was opposed to violence in all its forms. Hated hitting people and certainly hated being hit.

[oogiebe]

Audley's only problem was that he was opposed to violence in all its forms. Hated hitting people and certainly hated being hit.
[/quote]

Audley't problem was that he had a small glass bulb stuck inside his chin.

[Coco]

Didn't Bugner go bankrupt too?

[Bigdogsnose]

Where a strange lot us brits. Being unpopular is probably a good seller, theres alot of talented fighters who dont quite catch on, but i'd say thats different to being unpopular. See tony bellew, the eubanks, haye, ohara davies to see how being a bit of a knob can put bums on seats. Christ, even prince patel has got a 4 page and counting thread about him. The amount of money we spent on ppvs wanting to see mayweather get sparked over the years!

[Taansend]

Bugner was always a better businessman than a fighter. He learned quickly that a white heavyweight with decent boxing skills, a great chin and plenty of chat could earn remarkably well so he went out there and soaked it up or flattered to deceive or plain disappointed but occasionally, just occasionally, he put it together and afterwards they threw even more money at him and the circle started all over again.
Big Joe earned plenty in his peak years of the 1970s and long after his peak years, he came back and earned plenty again. Promoter Mickey Duff always had a soft spot for Joe because they were both refugees (Mickey from Poland, Joe from Hungary) so he tolerated the Bedford man's drab displays after his gritty upset win over Henry Cooper in 1971 for British, Commonwealth and European titles and there were many: a shocking loss to Jack Bodell which cost him the three belts, a points defeat to American Larry Middleton, who floored Joe and broke his jaw, and several boring decisions over fat Italians who were crying out to be knocked out. Ultimately, Duff did remarkably well to secure Bugner big fights with Muhammad Ali (twice) and Joe Frazier and a later one in Las Vegas against Ron Lyle, after Bugner had flattened Richard Dunn the first round in 1977 for one of the few explosive wins of his career.
Bugner left Britain after Lyle (who beat him on points) and tried to make it as a movie star in Hollywood but still found the time for a couple of fights in the States, one of them at the brutal hands of Earnie Shavers, who floored him and stopped him in two rounds in Dallas (cuts); Bugner also got his ribs busted in sparring with Gerry Cooney in New York. Then a young London promoter by the name of F rank Warren brought him home in an attempt to force a showdown with an unbeaten Frank Bruno (shades of Tyson Fury with Anthony Joshua today), promoted by that man Duff, and the two fighters contested bragging rights against the same opponents, with Bruno doing the better job, but the showdown still didn't happen (when it should have happened) and Bugner settled for a payday against Marvis Frazier in Atlantic City in 1983, making him one of the few men in boxing history to have fought both father and son. He lost to them both.
Bugner tried his luck in Denmark for a while, lured by the generous wallet of promoter Mogens Palle, before he moved to Australia with his Australian wife Marlene and reinvented himself as “Aussie” Joe with a few decision wins over washed-up Americans until the evergreen Duff and a new kid on the block by the name of Barry Hearn coughed up a fortune for Bugner, who was now 37, to face Bruno at White Hart Lane in October 1987 in front of a huge crowd, and Bruno outclassed blubbery Joe on the way to a merciful stoppage in eight rounds.
Amazingly, it wasn't the last of Bugner, who returned in the mid-1990s and got his rubs busted again by Scott Welch but he did win a few and even tried to call himself a world heavyweight champion after a farcical win over James “Bonecrusher” Smith in Oz in 1998, still talking a great fight, still earning too much, still the same old Joe.

There's a documentary about Barry Hearn in which he talks about this fight. He went to TV people & said "Give me 200k & I'll get you Bruno v Bugner"

The TV bloke replied "I'll give you 250k for that"

Fight made

[Ruthless-RKO]

It's interesting how Michael Conlan is making a popular career in the USA. His next outing is at the MSG.
The cheers he got from the crowd last time out was a pleasant surprise, given how early he is in his career.
Edit: I'm not saying he is unpopular, nor British.

He fights on the right dates in the US.. Irish fans are around NY and also McGregor walked him out once too.

[JamesPhilips]

Lee Tonks went and fought in the US. Not a popularity thing, I guess a career move.

[dookus]

AJ and Fury, who had the misfortune to come from a piffling island of only 70 million people which could not possibly raise enough money to pay them their worth

[Ruthless-RKO]

Why did Nigel Benn fight in the States for a period of time?

[mickey1975]

Why did Nigel Benn fight in the States for a period of time?

Because he ripped up his license live on ITV!

[banjo]

Was something to do with the British Boxing Board of Control not recognising Ambrose Mendy as his manager I think.