Wilford Scypion -RIP
Posted: 02 Mar 2014, 15:27
Beneath the glitzy world of modern boxing came the sad news of Wilford Scypion last week, the former world middleweight title challenger who died of pneumonia at the age of just 55.
Wilford had the misfortune to challenge the great Marvin Hagler back in 1983 but the strong, aggressive, hard-hitting Texan was never really the same after the death of New Yorker Willie Classen in a gruelling fight at the Felt Forum in November 1979. Classen, who was kayoed in round 10, failed to regain consciousness and it was a ring tragedy that seriously rocked the boat in England where, just a month earlier, Classen had gone down in two rounds to our own Tony Sibson at the Albert Hall. Should Classen even have been fighting Scypion?
Scypion took a while to recover: he lost his unbeaten record a few months later in a brawl with the rugged Mustafa Hamsho and was also outscored by the world class duo of Dwight Davison and James Green but his finest hour came when he upset Philadelphia's Frank "The Animal" Fletcher in a punishing 12-rounder in Atlantic City in February 1983 to secure his shot at Hagler. Southpaw Fletcher had carved out a reputation as the iron man of boxing but Scypion proved the stronger, tougher man and was expected to really push Hagler when they met just three months later; however Marvin's short, educated counters sickened Scypion and put him down for the finish in round four.
Wilford had the misfortune to challenge the great Marvin Hagler back in 1983 but the strong, aggressive, hard-hitting Texan was never really the same after the death of New Yorker Willie Classen in a gruelling fight at the Felt Forum in November 1979. Classen, who was kayoed in round 10, failed to regain consciousness and it was a ring tragedy that seriously rocked the boat in England where, just a month earlier, Classen had gone down in two rounds to our own Tony Sibson at the Albert Hall. Should Classen even have been fighting Scypion?
Scypion took a while to recover: he lost his unbeaten record a few months later in a brawl with the rugged Mustafa Hamsho and was also outscored by the world class duo of Dwight Davison and James Green but his finest hour came when he upset Philadelphia's Frank "The Animal" Fletcher in a punishing 12-rounder in Atlantic City in February 1983 to secure his shot at Hagler. Southpaw Fletcher had carved out a reputation as the iron man of boxing but Scypion proved the stronger, tougher man and was expected to really push Hagler when they met just three months later; however Marvin's short, educated counters sickened Scypion and put him down for the finish in round four.
