BoxRec

For reasons that i cant adequately explain i've been watching some Sven Ottke fights on the interweb.

He has to go down as one of the least likely success stories in boxing history. He was inept in every single department.

Charisma? None
Excitement? Once, against Mundine.
Talent? Meh, knew how to protect himself at least
Baldness? Yes
Power? Again once against Mundine
Opponents? All damaged goods.

How in gods name did this bloke hold a world title for 6 years and routinely fill 18,000 seat stadiums?


Anyway, give us some of your examples of unlikely superstars , if you can be arsed.

He never fought outside Germany, and they had no one else to cheer at the time, as for other examples, I never understood how Bruno was such a draw, I suppose heavyweight and no one else around at the time helped !

Doesn't reflect well on Calzaghe that he didn't venture to Germany to drub him.

deadpan wrote:Doesn't reflect well on Calzaghe that he didn't venture to Germany to drub him.

Absolute nonsense. Even Ottke's own trainer is on the record saying that Joe was willing to fight but Sven didn't want a piece of him.

Deserter wrote:

deadpan wrote:Doesn't reflect well on Calzaghe that he didn't venture to Germany to drub him.

Absolute nonsense. Even Ottke's own trainer is on the record saying that Joe was willing to fight but Sven didn't want a piece of him.

Yes but he would not travel. He wanted Ottke over here, in the UK. Ottke would not leave Germany and Calzaghe would not leave the UK, save for that dire mismatch against Veitch and his last 2 fights. Both as bad as each other, imo.

bengulnaci1 wrote:

Deserter wrote:

deadpan wrote:Doesn't reflect well on Calzaghe that he didn't venture to Germany to drub him.

Absolute nonsense. Even Ottke's own trainer is on the record saying that Joe was willing to fight but Sven didn't want a piece of him.

Yes but he would not travel. He wanted Ottke over here, in the UK. Ottke would not leave Germany and Calzaghe would not leave the UK, save for that dire mismatch against Veitch and his last 2 fights. Both as bad as each other, imo.

I think it had more to do with the promoters than the fighters. I think Calzaghe would have been perfectly happy to go to Germany (While he would obviously prefer it to be in the UK) to fight Ottke, but there was a huge standoff between the promoters. I think Ottke was with Universum and their top fighters hardly ever travel, and at the time Sportsnetwork World champions weren't exactly in the business of travelling either, I remember this period vividly, there was boxing on the BBC with Froch, Haye, Harrison as well as Eesham Pickering, Howard Eastman and Nicky Cook. Whereas on sky it tended to be mismatches for Hatton, Calzaghe, Enzo Mac and Scott Harrison. Obviously there was the occasional gem like Alex Arthur v Michael Gomez, but it was a frustrating period to be watching boxing on Sky.

He trained hard with what he had as a pro , and reaped the rewards. There have been boxers with far more talent, but didn't work as hard as him in the gym.

At his fights they always had big banners up with him pulling faces Dave Darts would be ashamed of. It seemed like he was very very popular. I agree the only thing he ever done well was beat Mundine.

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote: Anyway, give us some of your examples of unlikely superstars , if you can be arsed.

I vote the unforgettable Carlos Maussa (alright, not a superstar, but he'll always be to me)

Mickey Ward. He suffered some defeats, retired, nobody cared. He then returned and through necessity, turned into a slugger with a vicious body attack. In his 1st inception, he was a 'boxer', not much of a punch, who cut alot. Pretty remarkable, really.

Oh yeah and Rocky Balboa, too 8)

Thing is, if he was so bad, why wasn't he outclassed by the guys he fought. i know he got some decisions that could of gone the other way , but for me the only one that was an outright robbery was Robin Reid. He was just one of those boring boxers that are hard to beat, and for whatever reason when a guy goes in with them they tend to fight at Ottke's pace , so let him win.

Most of the boxers that screamed robbery should of done more

Khaosai-Galaxy wrote: How in gods name did this bloke hold a world title for 6 years and routinely fill 18,000 seat stadiums?


Anyway, give us some of your examples of unlikely superstars , if you can be arsed.

He never filled an 18.000 seats stadium, let alone routinely...

orbtastic wrote:

Fantastic!


I didn't know he was in Hall and Oates.

D

Judging by that moustache and shit-eating grin he's been in both Hall AND Oates.

Maneater.

Old bones Ian wrote:Thing is, if he was so bad, why wasn't he outclassed by the guys he fought. i know he got some decisions that could of gone the other way , but for me the only one that was an outright robbery was Robin Reid. He was just one of those boring boxers that are hard to beat, and for whatever reason when a guy goes in with them they tend to fight at Ottke's pace , so let him win.

Most of the boxers that screamed robbery should of done more

Forgot who it was, but one of his opponents said that Ottke was as tough as old boots, and his deceptively hard with those amateur style shots. I guess that's why nobody could walk through him.

deadpan wrote:Judging by that moustache and shit-eating grin he's been in both Hall AND Oates.

Maneater.

DaveBoyMorrison wrote:

orbtastic wrote:

Fantastic!


I didn't know he was in Hall and Oates.

D

qualateee.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Old bones Ian wrote:Thing is, if he was so bad, why wasn't he outclassed by the guys he fought. i know he got some decisions that could of gone the other way , but for me the only one that was an outright robbery was Robin Reid. He was just one of those boring boxers that are hard to beat, and for whatever reason when a guy goes in with them they tend to fight at Ottke's pace , so let him win.

Most of the boxers that screamed robbery should of done more

Forgot who it was, but one of his opponents said that Ottke was as tough as old boots, and his deceptively hard with those amateur style shots. I guess that's why nobody could walk through him.

I'm a a fan of Sven Ottte and having watched most of his fights i don't regard any of them robberies even the controversial ones like Robin Reid which was a fight where he did lose alot of the early rds but then dominated the second half of the fight although i will admit the ref was very poor in that fight. Ottke didn't have a high punch output but his punches were very accurate and he won fights based on hitting his opponent more times cleanly then he got hit.

Of course he benefitted from boxing in Germany his whole career but once that bell rang no opponent he ever faced gave him a boxing lesson or dominated a fight.

Mads Larsen clearly beat Ottke as well as Reid.

Finally agree with something the OP said, Ottke was a pretty pathetic excuse for a 'champion'. i was so desperate for someone to go to Germany and knock him into the third row. Alas, everyone who came over was just shopworn or incompetent enough to sleepwalk to a horrendously boring points defeat, go home presumably having been well paid, and never seem to care about it.

Meanwhile, the German 'fans' applauded and chattered in their suits, happy to see their hero go through the required motions to get the prescribed win in an always enjoyable evening out. Hmm, sounds exactly like the Klit experience.

Froch would have destroyed Ottke IMO.

exittored wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:

Old bones Ian wrote:Thing is, if he was so bad, why wasn't he outclassed by the guys he fought. i know he got some decisions that could of gone the other way , but for me the only one that was an outright robbery was Robin Reid. He was just one of those boring boxers that are hard to beat, and for whatever reason when a guy goes in with them they tend to fight at Ottke's pace , so let him win.

Most of the boxers that screamed robbery should of done more

Forgot who it was, but one of his opponents said that Ottke was as tough as old boots, and his deceptively hard with those amateur style shots. I guess that's why nobody could walk through him.

I'm a a fan of Sven Ottte and having watched most of his fights i don't regard any of them robberies even the controversial ones like Robin Reid which was a fight where he did lose alot of the early rds but then dominated the second half of the fight although i will admit the ref was very poor in that fight. Ottke didn't have a high punch output but his punches were very accurate and he won fights based on hitting his opponent more times cleanly then he got hit.

Of course he benefitted from boxing in Germany his whole career but once that bell rang no opponent he ever faced gave him a boxing lesson or dominated a fight.

Dude, the Reid fight was a joke, the ref was not incompetent, he was bought and paid for. He ignored a Reid clean knockdown,and even warned him for landing a perfectly legal left hook. Reid was on the verge of being DQ'd. It was an utter utter disgrace, the ref was clearly bought to protect Ottke.

he had a superb am record didnt he? Wins over Antonio Tarver, Chris Byrd, Michael Moorer, Zsolt Erdei and Juan Carlos Gomez. At any level, u dont get wins vs that lot without knowing a thing or 2. I thought he new the ring well and was a nuisence type opponent. He gets a hard time cos he was boring.

bengulnaci1 wrote:Both as bad as each other, imo.

You have to be kidding, surely?

exittored wrote:I'm a a fan of Sven Ottte and having watched most of his fights

Must. Stop. Reading. Exittored's. Posts...

Actually, no, in all seriousness, there's something I might have to ask you, if you don't mind?

I myself am about to open the Highly Official Boxrec Wing of the Zsolt Erdei Fanclub & was wondering (as you are likewise enamoured of a fighter even Gianfranco Rosi would think was dull) if you had any tips on how to stay awake when watching fights? I've tried splinting my eyes with matchsticks but eventually I pass out with my eyes open & fall face-first into the carpet. Thanks.

Datsue wrote:

exittored wrote:I'm a a fan of Sven Ottte and having watched most of his fights

Must. Stop. Reading. Exittored's. Posts...

Actually, no, in all seriousness, there's something I might have to ask you, if you don't mind?

I myself am about to open the Highly Official Boxrec Wing of the Zsolt Erdei Fanclub & was wondering (as you are likewise enamoured of a fighter even Gianfranco Rosi would think was dull) if you had any tips on how to stay awake when watching fights? I've tried splinting my eyes with matchsticks but eventually I pass out with my eyes open & fall face-first into the carpet. Thanks.

They showed this guy some horrendous things to try and make him crack, in the end it was a Sven Ottke fight that tipped him over the edge.

It was probably watching the Tocker Pudwill fight. Enough to shatter any man's will, that one.

Here it is, uploaded to Youtube in one convenient, life-splinteringly dull chunk ofSven Awesomeness.

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


REJOICE!