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What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 16:44
by FLINT ISLAND
One obvious one that immediately comes to my mind is

Frank Bruno V Mike Tyson in the 2nd fight

Bruno talked a good game - really talked bold about what he was going to do in that fight

Come fight night that big talk turned to dust

He sh#t himself during the ring walk

And then just tried to hold on for dear life - until Tyson put him out of his misery

Bruno froze

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 16:46
by FLINT ISLAND
Michael Spinks as well - totally sh#t himself - until Tyson quickly put him out of his misery too.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 16:47
by liamlion
Bruce Seldon...

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 16:48
by FLINT ISLAND
Andrew Golota was hiding in the mens toilets when he should have been warming up for the Lennox Lewis fight he went "missing"

There was a panic - as no Golota = no fight

They eventually found him in the toilets and persuaded him to come out and go through with the fight

And he froze in the ring

And Lennox Lewis qucikly got rid of him

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 16:50
by FLINT ISLAND
liamlion wrote:Bruce Seldon...

100 % agree

As Colin Hart said after that fight he had with Tyson

"At least our man (Frank Bruno) took his lumps"

Bruno froze - but was brave enough to get punched and tried to hold on until he could no longer take it

Seldon just was looking for a safe place to lay down on the canvas at the first excuse he had.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 17:08
by n1ebf
Enzo Maccarinelli against Haye

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 17:09
by n1ebf
now get some Kleenex and clean that up boy.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 19:21
by Deserter
Surely nothing compares to Johnny Nelson's outings against Carlos De Leon and James Warring? They'd almost hold up in court as evidence that boxing wasn't a combat sport :wink:

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 19:38
by stujones
Scott Welch vs Henry Akinwande.

Danny Williams vs Julius Francis 1

Danny Williams vs Vitali Klitchsko. (took his lumps vs Bruno, but no way was that his game plan).

Henry Wharton vs Nigel Benn

David Starie vs Joe Calzaghe

And I still don't know what Robin Reid was playing at vs Sugar Boy Malinga.

Aint sure if it was Bonecrusher Smith's tactics to showboat, hug and dance (literally doing the tango at some stages) vs Tyson. That was a very well hyped fight - people gave Bonecrusher a chance.

Joe Bugner vs Ali.

Michael Murray vs Herbie Hide.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 08 Oct 2009, 23:08
by Graham Houston
Johnny Paychek against Joe Louis. :)

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 02:30
by bynino
woods when he fought tarver

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 02:37
by crusader
Molitor was scared shit less against Caballero and never came close to mounting any sort of resistance.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 03:41
by bigjack
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Enzo Maccarinelli against Haye
I don't think he froze, he did have a go but just wasn't good enough, simple as

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 03:44
by jimglen
Kessler against Joe, shoud have beat him and Eastman against Bhop, on at least 2 ocassions Eastman hurt Bhop and never followed up, once fairly early if I remember. Both these guys I think were overawed by the magnitude of the fight and froze!

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 03:44
by Wales
bigjack wrote:
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Enzo Maccarinelli against Haye
I don't think he froze, he did have a go but just wasn't good enough, simple as
I think he completley bottled it, could tell on the way to the ring his arse had gone.


Not sure about Kessler freezing, not at all.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 03:53
by Deserter
jimglen wrote:Kessler against Joe, shoud have beat him and Eastman against Bhop, on at least 2 ocassions Eastman hurt Bhop and never followed up, once fairly early if I remember. Both these guys I think were overawed by the magnitude of the fight and froze!
Can't agree with either of those. Eastman has always fought in that 'could do better' manner, regardless of the level of the opponent, and Kessler was buzzing Joe with some huge straight rights and was winning the fight until Joe made adjustments - the body shot Joe hit him with (I think it was in the 8th round) that nearly floored Kessler (by Kessler's own admission in post-fight interviews) was the 'watershed' point of the fight and made Kessler far more cautious. He didn't actually freeze at any point in the conventional sense.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:01
by Matt W
Not sure if I'd go so far as to say he froze but Tyson was clearly very intimidated by Holyfield in their rematch. He looked scared during the instructions and was very muted in the opening rounds. He had a go to start the 3rd but Holy came right back at him and you all know the rest.

Seldon would be my top pick. You can see the moment of realization hitting him during the ref's instructions after all of his silly posturing and dancing on the way into the ring. Terrible.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:04
by Adamj1987
deffo seldon

froch did he even admitted it vs taylor

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:39
by Captain Hook
Seldon v Tyson
Mac v Haye
Lawal v Naz
Starie v JC

To a point I think Robinson froze against Naz, he looked shell shocked throughout though he kept going bless him.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:45
by forcefraser
Witter v Judah

I want to say Enzo, but I fear the consequences.

Poor Enzo, every time I think of him now, I picture a guy trussed up and gagged in a garden shed, waiting for the inevitable soilage from Flint Island.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:48
by Chambers2
Henry Akinwande Vs Lennox Lewis
Bone Crusher Smith Vs Tyson

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 04:49
by Chambers2
jimglen wrote:Kessler against Joe, shoud have beat him and Eastman against Bhop, on at least 2 ocassions Eastman hurt Bhop and never followed up, once fairly early if I remember. Both these guys I think were overawed by the magnitude of the fight and froze!
You bin on the crackpipe Jim?

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 05:09
by telboy66
Most of you guys won't have been born when this fight took place but I was there to see Brian London absolutely freeze when he climbed in the ring with Ali he spent the first two rounds looking for a soft spot & found it in round three luck for us that were watching this embarrassment of a fight

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 05:10
by jimglen
No Kessler fought a very cautious fight with only a handful of serious advances and he missed the one where he hurt Joe and Eastman was a bit stale and didn't follow up, twice.

Re: What fighters do you feel "froze" in big fights ?

Posted: 09 Oct 2009, 05:52
by Autobarn
NorthEastBoxingFan wrote:Enzo Maccarinelli against Haye
surely, this was always where the thread was going.