Sparring tales and gym legends

[dr_devious]

Didnt a journeyman break Marvin Haglers nose (one of a pair of boxing twins) in sparring, I think it was before the Mugabi fight, caused a delay to the fight?

Yep with a headbutt, Zack Hewitt was the culprit.

Thought it was one of the Weaver twins

[Controversial]

Didnt a journeyman break Marvin Haglers nose (one of a pair of boxing twins) in sparring, I think it was before the Mugabi fight, caused a delay to the fight?

Yep with a headbutt, Zack Hewitt was the culprit.

Thought it was one of the Weaver twins

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 16,5209354

[beaujack]

I may be old (90), but my friend, journeyman heavyweight, Henry Cooper from Brownsville, Brooklyn, was fired from sparring with Max Schmeling while preparing for the 1936 fight with Joe Louis. The reporters could not tell who was who in the ring. Cooper gave Schmeling a real going over.

murray,we are from the same generation, and I remember Henry Cooper, and Bummy Davis,
Harold Green, Morris Reif and others from Brownsville....If you read my post please reply...

[punkpet]

Jimmy Cerello is my dad. He swore he knocked down Marciano to the day he died.
Marciano just did want to admit it. :)

[Controversial]

Jimmy Cerello is my dad. He swore he knocked down Marciano to the day he died.
Marciano just did want to admit it. :)

Did you see below? What did your dad say about Marciano?

Link to newspaper clip http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 07,3030115

Marciano was reportedly dropped to one knee by light heavyweight Jimmy Cerello 28(9)-2-2 in the 2nd round of sparring by an overhand right. He was training for Harry Matthews, Marciano claimed he slipped but he was the only one who thought that was true. It was said to be the first time Marciano had ever been floored in his life.

Al Weill said "Cerello never knocked Rocky down, if he did I'd tell you"

Cerello said "I think I caught him off balance but he made me box him another round afterwards"

[Othro]

A fighter named Erskine Wade whipping Hector Camacho

[doug.ie]

Sonny Liston

* Ray Patterson 'dropping' Sonny in a session in Sweden {June 1966}.

All of whom would have been totally smashed up by a peak Sonny, if indeed they are any more than rumours

1966...former world champion Sonny Liston, was now living and boxing in Sweden, and was preparing for a fight when a new sparring partner was brought in...none other than the lesser-known, lesser-talented younger brother of Floyd Patterson....Ray Patterson......Ray never did that much as a boxer at world level....but that day, behind closed doors, the younger brother of the man who was beaten twice in one round in world heavyweight title fights by Liston, did this...

[palooka]

Ray looks as proud as punch.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Michael Bentt would always get the better of Riddick Bowe in their spars, according to Adrian Dodson.

Some boxers are brilliant at spars, other boxers save their competitive edge for the real thing and turn it on when
it matters. That is why boxers who look 'brilliant' in sparring cannot produce their form in the ring, it isn't that they
can't - it is the fighter they face is also 100% up for it also which isn't always the case in a spar.

[syberchick70]

Hi! 'Punkpet' is my sister. Jimmy Cerello was my dad as well, of course.

I've done some research on his boxing career. He is credited as being the first person to knock Marciano off his feet, though there is some controversy. There are quite a few stories on the event, including a large article that I haven't been able to get a good copy of in The Jersey Journal - July 5th, 1952

Marciano denied it, but Marciano's trainer, Charlie Goldman is quoted as saying "Quit kidding, Rocky. It was a definite knockdown".

My dad continued to be a regular sparring partner for Marciano over the next year or so. I guess he never managed to catch Rocky 'off guard' again. He was also a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Leonard. We believe that he dropped his boxing career when he joined the Army.

His boxing record is: won 27 (9 ko's) - lost 4 - drawn 2 - tot 33

Thanks for the interest.

Jimmy Cerello is my dad. He swore he knocked down Marciano to the day he died.
Marciano just did want to admit it. :)

Did you see below? What did your dad say about Marciano?

Link to newspaper clip http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 07,3030115

Marciano was reportedly dropped to one knee by light heavyweight Jimmy Cerello 28(9)-2-2 in the 2nd round of sparring by an overhand right. He was training for Harry Matthews, Marciano claimed he slipped but he was the only one who thought that was true. It was said to be the first time Marciano had ever been floored in his life.

Al Weill said "Cerello never knocked Rocky down, if he did I'd tell you"

Cerello said "I think I caught him off balance but he made me box him another round afterwards"

[ClivePatrickLyons]

I may be old (90), but my friend, journeyman heavyweight, Henry Cooper from Brownsville, Brooklyn, was fired from sparring with Max Schmeling while preparing for the 1936 fight with Joe Louis. The reporters could not tell who was who in the ring. Cooper gave Schmeling a real going over.

murray,we are from the same generation, and I remember Henry Cooper, and Bummy Davis,
Harold Green, Morris Reif and others from Brownsville....If you read my post please reply...

Your guy's I could listen all day the storie's you's must have

[Controversial]

Hi! 'Punkpet' is my sister. Jimmy Cerello was my dad as well, of course.

I've done some research on his boxing career. He is credited as being the first person to knock Marciano off his feet, though there is some controversy. There are quite a few stories on the event, including a large article that I haven't been able to get a good copy of in The Jersey Journal - July 5th, 1952

Marciano denied it, but Marciano's trainer, Charlie Goldman is quoted as saying "Quit kidding, Rocky. It was a definite knockdown".

My dad continued to be a regular sparring partner for Marciano over the next year or so. I guess he never managed to catch Rocky 'off guard' again. He was also a sparring partner for Sugar Ray Leonard. We believe that he dropped his boxing career when he joined the Army.

His boxing record is: won 27 (9 ko's) - lost 4 - drawn 2 - tot 33

Thanks for the interest.

Jimmy Cerello is my dad. He swore he knocked down Marciano to the day he died.
Marciano just did want to admit it. :)

Did you see below? What did your dad say about Marciano?

Link to newspaper clip http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1 ... 07,3030115

Marciano was reportedly dropped to one knee by light heavyweight Jimmy Cerello 28(9)-2-2 in the 2nd round of sparring by an overhand right. He was training for Harry Matthews, Marciano claimed he slipped but he was the only one who thought that was true. It was said to be the first time Marciano had ever been floored in his life.

Al Weill said "Cerello never knocked Rocky down, if he did I'd tell you"

Cerello said "I think I caught him off balance but he made me box him another round afterwards"

Thank you Did he have any other stories about Marciano?

PS I assume you meant Sugar Ray Robinson, not Leonard?

[Tony1244]

Jimmy Cerello is my dad. He swore he knocked down Marciano to the day he died.
Marciano just did want to admit it. :)

Do you remember who your Dad's manager was?

[Caractacus]

People scoffed ,but I once suggested someone do a book about sparring partners to famous Boxers.
Interview them them and get their stories.
anyone know what sparring partners are left that had once sparred or did an exhibition with Joe Louis ?

[Crease]

The memorable one for me is Carl Frampton.

Frampton openly tells the story of himself sparring Stevie Bell (British Lightweight) - he always tends to spar heavier & bigger guys to prepare him better for his bouts.

Carl said that Bell hit him with a left hook to the ribs, putting him down & knocking all the wind out of him.

He's repeatedly described it as the hardest he was ever hit.

And that he has a lot of respect for him as a fighter.

[Controversial]

Thread bump, quite an interesting one I think, any other stories?

[Kalan]

If you've been out of action for a year or more with no training, it may be wise to get tune-up fights against guys who can give you rounds before doing a tough match-up.

Boxers often look terrible in training and sparring because of ring rust... A lack of activity and actual rounds of fighting builds rust... If you're a big puncher you might not get many rounds in... You need rounds because a fighter who goes the distance in all his fights gets many more than you get.

Cooney was out of action for over a year before he fought Holmes... He looked great in his previous fight against Norton but that fight lasted 54 seconds.. From 1979 to June of '82 he had 3 fights and the last 2 of them were 1-round jobs. He did get beaten up in sparring for Holmes and he bitched, "I can't throw. I can't get any boost." Versus Michael Spinks he was out for over a year -- and versus Foreman he was out for over 2 and a half years. He looked like a sitting duck.

Sonny Liston only had 3 one-round fights in the 3 years previous to getting upset by Cassius Clay.. He did look poor in sparring at times and got tagged up, but he was such a fearsome figure spar-mates wouldn't take advantage of that. He would come back at them.

Dempsey took a lot of time off... He took 2 and 3 years off between fights when he was champ... He was one of the most natural fighters ever, but wrote in his autobiography "I almost got knocked out twice in sparring" while training for Gibbons.. He scared Doc Kearns to death.. "Are you okay Jack? We better take a break. That's all for today." He said he never intended to be so derelict about his career, but he was so well off financially that weeks stretched into months -- and months stretched into years.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

One time this guy, named only as kalan, used to bench press 500 pounds in between rounds( when his sparring partner saw the bell, if not after the ko) all the while barking instructions to his hundreds of pupils. If a guy lasted 3 rounds sparring kalan would reward said fighter to matinee's at the local theater of great former fights like greb/walker & Sam Langford day. All for a NICKEL!

[punchoutsb]

One time this guy, named only as kalan, used to bench press 500 pounds in between rounds( when his sparring partner saw the bell, if not after the ko) all the while barking instructions to his hundreds of pupils. If a guy lasted 3 rounds sparring kalan would reward said fighter to matinee's at the local theater of great former fights like greb/walker & Sam Langford day. All for a NICKEL!

[Caractacus]

In Mike Tyson's new autobiography THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH.
He mention's that early into training at the camp at Orwell Ohio
when he was preparing to fight Peter McNeeley.
He sparred with a young amateur who hurt him with punches.
The punches hurt so much ,Mike Tyson was concerned he would be knocked out.
So he had his trainer stop the scheduled 5 rounds of sparring
after the second round.
Tyson saying"THat's enough for today,we will begin again tomorrow".
However he did not disclose the name of the"Young Amateur"
in his book.
do any of you have any idea who it may have been?

The amateur heavyweight your talking about who give a rusty not long out of jail Tyson a hard time was reigning 1996 golden gloves champion Davarryl touch of sleep Williamson

Hey Controversial ,was "Michael Bent" your source ?

[badkatt]

Holyfield said he own sparring partners were beating him up a week before fighting Tyson for the first time.

ya gary bell was beating on holy before the 1st tyson bout

[badkatt]

riddick bowe getting man handled by razor ruddock in 89 ...bowe was ruddocks sparring partner for ruddocks fight with the bonecrusher

[Controversial]

In Mike Tyson's new autobiography THE UNDISPUTED TRUTH.
He mention's that early into training at the camp at Orwell Ohio
when he was preparing to fight Peter McNeeley.
He sparred with a young amateur who hurt him with punches.
The punches hurt so much ,Mike Tyson was concerned he would be knocked out.
So he had his trainer stop the scheduled 5 rounds of sparring
after the second round.
Tyson saying"THat's enough for today,we will begin again tomorrow".
However he did not disclose the name of the"Young Amateur"
in his book.
do any of you have any idea who it may have been?

The amateur heavyweight your talking about who give a rusty not long out of jail Tyson a hard time was reigning 1996 golden gloves champion Davarryl touch of sleep Williamson

Hey Controversial ,was "Michael Bent" your source ?

Yes I quoted his post in my original reply

[Controversial]

Holyfield said he own sparring partners were beating him up a week before fighting Tyson for the first time.

ya gary bell was beating on holy before the 1st tyson bout

Yes I posted this earlier....

In 1996 when asked if Mike Tyson was the toughest opponent Holyfield had faced Evander's reply was no, it was his sparring partner Gary Bell.

"When I turned up for training he (Bell) was whupping me all the time. Man was I discouraged. In a couple of weeks I was supposed to be fighting the best fighter in the world (Tyson) and here I can't get past 2 or 3 rounds with my sparring partner" said Holyfield.

Gary "Bring The Pain" Bell was a 25 year old 230lb, 6'2" heavyweight from Brooklyn who was unbeaten in 11 fight (8 KOs) at that time.

[Cutman Scabbers]

riddick bowe getting man handled by razor ruddock in 89 ...bowe was ruddocks sparring partner for ruddocks fight with the bonecrusher

Ruddock was in top form back then