Does anyone remember this clown?

[reggaereggae]

Joe Savage - he was meant to take part in the elimination tournament (the predecessor to Prizefighter) and pulled out; then got ironed out by Bert Cooper in a predictable mismatch.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF79w3ASXS4

Poor quality video, but makes it clear about Savage's worth.

Was he just an invention? He was touted as having 42 fights, 42 Kos, all in the first round.....obviously BS unless he fought old ladies.

Unlike some of the hyped 'bareknuckle' brawlers of the past - does anyone know if he really had a fight? Did anyone witness it? He seemed to emerge then disappear without trace.....

[TerribleTerry]

From reading the thread title, I thought that this was going to be about Jorge Paez..
Cant tell you too much more about this mystery man Savage than what you already know.
Got to say though, if it was his first fight with gloves on, Smoking Bert, even the version partial to the crack pipe, was a real baptism of fire. He could really whack!

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Who knows - I know one thing - Bert Cooper would have done the same to Lenny McLean.

[TerribleTerry]

Who knows - I know one thing - Bert Cooper would have done the same to Lenny McLean.

In a ring with gloves on?
Absolutely no doubt whatsoever. His record was patchy but Smoking Bert, when in the mood, was one dangerous hombre. He would have torn the McLeans of this world a new arsehole.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Who knows - I know one thing - Bert Cooper would have done the same to Lenny McLean.

In a ring with gloves on?
Absolutely no doubt whatsoever. His record was patchy but Smoking Bert, when in the mood, was one dangerous hombre. He would have torn the McLeans of this world a new arsehole.

With or without gloves - to quite Joe Fraizer on his protoge 'Smokin' Bert Cooper was an ass kicking machine - he was born to beat people up'

[freddie boswell]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

[ERIC GUY]

I wrote about this before, I was at the tournament when Derek williams boxed there, Joe Savage was in the tournament, then fell out after watching Tubbs and Bonecrusher sparring!!!

[reggaereggae]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

jaysus....what a load of sh1te

[reggaereggae]

I wrote about this before, I was at the tournament when Derek williams boxed there, Joe Savage was in the tournament, then fell out after watching Tubbs and Bonecrusher sparring!!!

Oh interesting! did you see Savage shape up?

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

I wrote about this before,

Oh Sorry Eric - did you copyright the topic then?

[TerribleTerry]

Who knows - I know one thing - Bert Cooper would have done the same to Lenny McLean.

In a ring with gloves on?
Absolutely no doubt whatsoever. His record was patchy but Smoking Bert, when in the mood, was one dangerous hombre. He would have torn the McLeans of this world a new arsehole.

With or without gloves - to quite Joe Fraizer on his protoge 'Smokin' Bert Cooper was an ass kicking machine - he was born to beat people up'

Very true - Bert Cooper, if he had stayed off the drugs, could have been a monster at cruiserweight. Even at heavy Bert had to be respected due to his fearlessness and weight of dig.

Check out the right hook to the body-right uppercut to the head that Cooper cuts Coffee down with in the fight below. A badly cut/broken nose was Coffee's reward for trying to stand toe to toe with Cooper:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tA22XVAtpxs

[ERIC GUY]

I wrote about this before, I was at the tournament when Derek williams boxed there, Joe Savage was in the tournament, then fell out after watching Tubbs and Bonecrusher sparring!!!

Oh interesting! did you see Savage shape up?

No I did not, he was not there when I went to watch, he pulled out after watching a sparring session, not realising how hard these guys sparred, and pulled out with a 'Hand Injury'
I have the TV unedited master tapes, but they was on NTSC, I gave them to Barry Hearn before he started to do Prizefighter as he wanted to know the format, I am still waiting to get them converted back to PAL on DVD, its the whole tournament, as it was shown live, I got it from the TV Broadcast trucks at the Casino...

[MightyWarrior]

Interesting to see that, that's a helluva brutal matchup for your pro debut. And a career ending knockout, poor bloke. He gave it a real go though.
At first I thought it was about that other much hyped HW from NY called Richie the bull Melito, who our Bertram also made a believer, icing The Bull inside a round. There were a lot of rumours apparently, about the opponents Melito had "knocked out" previously...

This from the Independant 1999, presumably the same Joe

`People say it is barbaric, but you have a choice'

HE MAY have dainty china figurines on his windowsill but Joe Savage is a man to make a prospective father-in-law turn pale, writes Sophie Goodchild.

Weighing 19.5 stone and with a 54in chest, he is the veteran of 42 bare- knuckle fights and self-proclaimed champion of the sport.

His hands bear testament to his pugilistic career, which has taken him all over Britain as well as the world. They are covered with scars and one of his knuckles is missing - it was smashed to fragments in a particularly savage bout.

Then there was the time his ear was left hanging off by an opponent and on the side of his mouth is a scar where he was bitten.

Mr Savage, his real name, has now been forced to retire from the game, so spends his time as a celebrity bodyguard and training young hopefuls to appear in bare-knuckle events in the US.

But the 6ft former fighter still speaks with a passion about the adrenaline rush which is so intense that it dulls out the pain of injuries until after the match. "Once you throw your first punch the adrenaline is racing," he said. "You live off the adoration and the fact everyone has come to see you. It's only afterwards that you feel the pain."

With the addition of a few rules, he believes the bare-knuckle boxing should be a licensed sport. "People say its barbaric but you have a choice," he said. "Fox-hunting is barbaric because the fox does not have a choice. There are probably more people killed by bee-stings and in car crashes than in bare-knuckle."

He says he has been asked to stage fights at stately homes. "People think it's about fat-bellied working-class people, but I've seen police, doctors and lawyers go and watch. These are pillars of society who are earning pounds 250,000 a year," he added.

"I don't drink or do drugs and I'm the first to walk away from a fight at a pub - I believe it's better to fight with your mind and your tongue. But-bare knuckle boxing is different. It's an art-form."

[hurlock]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

yeah that is ridiculous DD

boxing is a controlled environment & a sport, but ive known lads that can really fight that have never boxed or been remotely intrested, unlicensed are fella's that aint good enough or dedicated.

[banjo]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

Some bloke who I knew used to say exactly the same thing and I used to kick a kitten to death everytime he did.

[Londonirish]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

yeah that is ridiculous DD

It is, Roy would of Won Easy

Iv seen People thats ment to be Hard and got a name for them selfs on the street put on the Gloves, after 30 seconds there spent..

[hurlock]

I remember on another forum somebody arguing that although mike tyson would have beaten roy shaw in a boxing ring he would have stood no chance against roy on the ''cobbles''

yeah that is ridiculous DD

It is, Roy would of Won Easy

Iv seen People thats ment to be Hard and got a name for them selfs on the street put on the Gloves, after 30 seconds there spent..

that's because they been chasing after ya

[TerribleTerry]

Here is ex-pro Dave Radford beating up some out of shape guy called "Bulldog".

Dunno the story behind this (the period dress etc) but it shows how I would expect most pro boxer vs bare knuckle hard man encounters to end:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcGjUDtX7hA

[Coco]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF79w3ASXS4

Poor Joe was really iced

[bennie]

Here is ex-pro Dave Radford beating up some out of shape guy called "Bulldog".

Dunno the story behind this (the period dress etc) but it shows how I would expect most pro boxer vs bare knuckle hard man encounters to end:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcGjUDtX7hA

I'm pretty sure Radford fought Duran.

[mickey1975]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jF79w3ASXS4

Poor Joe was really iced

It just shows you how dangerous a sport it is.Joe could have been killed.Some people need protecting from themselves.Did Joe really think he was going to "chin" Bert Cooper?Crazy.He even tried rushing him like a bareknuckle boxer would.

[TerribleTerry]

Here is ex-pro Dave Radford beating up some out of shape guy called "Bulldog".

Dunno the story behind this (the period dress etc) but it shows how I would expect most pro boxer vs bare knuckle hard man encounters to end:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcGjUDtX7hA

I'm pretty sure Radford fought Duran.

Spot on Bennie, he did
That said, I am pretty sure that Duran hit him a hell of a lot harder and more often than 'Bulldog' ever did..

[bennie]

Here is ex-pro Dave Radford beating up some out of shape guy called "Bulldog".

Dunno the story behind this (the period dress etc) but it shows how I would expect most pro boxer vs bare knuckle hard man encounters to end:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcGjUDtX7hA

I'm pretty sure Radford fought Duran.

Spot on Bennie, he did
That said, I am pretty sure that Duran hit him a hell of a lot harder and more often than 'Bulldog' ever did..

You wouldn't want to fight Duran now, as fat as he is. Mills Lane said Duran had the coldest eyes he ever saw.

[matko]

I'm pretty sure Radford fought Duran.

Spot on Bennie, he did
That said, I am pretty sure that Duran hit him a hell of a lot harder and more often than 'Bulldog' ever did..

You wouldn't want to fight Duran now, as fat as he is. Mills Lane said Duran had the coldest eyes he ever saw.

I noticed this the other night but radford boxed Duran late in his career, does this footage not look extremly old to anyone??

[reggaereggae]

I have been thinking about this thread, and fighting a 44 fight Bert Cooper in your first gloved fight has to be one of the hardest debut opponents ever. Maybe even tougher than Rademacher-Patterson as at least Rademacher had a decorated amateur career.

No idea why Savage took this, he can't have been paid much.

Does anyone have any info about his so-called bare knuckle career - unlike other n
bareknuckle or unlicensed 'strars' noone ever seems to have any info about his career.....