BoxRec

I remember reading about the De La Hoya v Arturo Gatti bout and a reporter saying that Gatti had the most guts of any fighter he'd seen. He did stick it out through some hard times; who had similar guts? I know there are many who show real guts, my own is Lupe Pintor, particularly v Wilfredo Gomez - Pintor showed a lot of guts and class.

Not many had more:

Chacon comes to mind

Joe Frazier versus Muhammad Ali in Manila.

Went into the fight with one eye (unknown to anybody) & had his good eye closed, so was effectively fighting blind for the last part of the bout & still had to be pulled out by Eddie Futch to save him from himself.

Massive guts shown by Smokin' Joe.

Honourable mention to Matthew Saad Muhammad who showed guts on so many occasion throughout his career.

The top 3:
Evander Holyfield
Joe Frazier
Carmen Basilio

They are the personification of GUTS.

Saad, Frazier, Morales, Holyfield, Ali & Froch.

I think Jerry Quarry also deserves some mention.

If bravery, heart, courage, intestinal fortitude ("guts") is one of the greatest variables to determine a fighter's worth--- his commitment and willingness to get in their and do what needed to be done, either for the sake of winning or for the sake of survival and the betterment of his condition--- then I think James J. Braddock probably tops them all. No greater and authority than Joe Louis said that Braddock was "the most courageous man I ever fought," because no one really thought Braddock could be competitive with the up and coming phenom who blew away Carnera, Baer and Sharkey; however, Braddock was competitive and even dropped the Brown Bomber early on in the fight.

But, I have to say this, that there are hundreds, even thousands, of fighters out there who have guts. Every day, somewhere out there in the world there is some guy out there who is down on his luck, has no prospects, no help, or no real gym to go and train and one day he figures to himself, "Hey, I'll give this a shot," and puts on the gloves and he knows going into it that he will get destroyed, because he's coming in as an opponent--- and, of course, he loses and collects his check and maybe he never fights again. I may argue, that particular person has more guts and balls than someone whose fought their entire life, and is competitive with certain levels of fighters and then that person faces a tough challenge--- its expected of them to make the step up in talent eventually, so where is the guts or fortitude in what is required? No, I would argue the "weekend warrior" who may do it once, twice, or the third tiers who come in and fight monster opponents for chicken feed have more in the ball sack than the life long fighter does.

HomicideHenry wrote:If bravery, heart, courage, intestinal fortitude ("guts") is one of the greatest variables to determine a fighter's worth--- his commitment and willingness to get in their and do what needed to be done, either for the sake of winning or for the sake of survival and the betterment of his condition--- then I think James J. Braddock probably tops them all. No greater and authority than Joe Louis said that Braddock was "the most courageous man I ever fought," because no one really thought Braddock could be competitive with the up and coming phenom who blew away Carnera, Baer and Sharkey; however, Braddock was competitive and even dropped the Brown Bomber early on in the fight.

But, I have to say this, that there are hundreds, even thousands, of fighters out there who have guts. Every day, somewhere out there in the world there is some guy out there who is down on his luck, has no prospects, no help, or no real gym to go and train and one day he figures to himself, "Hey, I'll give this a shot," and puts on the gloves and he knows going into it that he will get destroyed, because he's coming in as an opponent--- and, of course, he loses and collects his check and maybe he never fights again. I may argue, that particular person has more guts and balls than someone whose fought their entire life, and is competitive with certain levels of fighters and then that person faces a tough challenge--- its expected of them to make the step up in talent eventually, so where is the guts or fortitude in what is required? No, I would argue the "weekend warrior" who may do it once, twice, or the third tiers who come in and fight monster opponents for chicken feed have more in the ball sack than the life long fighter does.

Excellent insight, as always.

sugar ray leonard
alan minter
tony Sibson
dave mcauley

Carl "The Cat" Thompson
or Nigel Benn

Marvin Hagler
Thomas Hearns
Oscar De La Hoya

IKSRTFO wrote:Marvin Hagler
Thomas Hearns
Oscar De La Hoya

Not Oscar De La Hoya, please! No!

elmersalsa wrote:

IKSRTFO wrote:Marvin Hagler
Thomas Hearns
Oscar De La Hoya

Not Oscar De La Hoya, please! No!

He fought mostly everyone who mattered and those most champions would've avoided like Quartey. It was also very gutsy to move to 160 to fight Hopkins at the time he did it.

Yaqui Lopez

IKSRTFO wrote:

elmersalsa wrote:

IKSRTFO wrote:Marvin Hagler
Thomas Hearns
Oscar De La Hoya

Not Oscar De La Hoya, please! No!

He fought mostly everyone who mattered and those most champions would've avoided like Quartey. It was also very gutsy to move to 160 to fight Hopkins at the time he did it.

I do not buy that Hopkins fiasco. Rolling around with a BODY SHOT that did not look like a real one does not give me a great indication that he was one of the gutsiest fighters ever.

He won an Oscar for that mess. Well, his name is Oscar. What a coincidence.

'Fearless' Freddie Mills

elmersalsa wrote:

IKSRTFO wrote:

elmersalsa wrote: Not Oscar De La Hoya, please! No!

He fought mostly everyone who mattered and those most champions would've avoided like Quartey. It was also very gutsy to move to 160 to fight Hopkins at the time he did it.

I do not buy that Hopkins fiasco. Rolling around with a BODY SHOT that did not look like a real one does not give me a great indication that he was one of the gutsiest fighters ever.

He won an Oscar for that mess. Well, his name is Oscar. What a coincidence.

You're pathetic.

Wayne McCullough

Gatti
Michael Katsidis
Hagler
LaMotta
Harry Greb
Evander Holyfield
Joe Grim
Juan Manuel Marquez
Ali
Frazier

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

elmersalsa wrote: I do not buy that Hopkins fiasco. Rolling around with a BODY SHOT that did not look like a real one does not give me a great indication that he was one of the gutsiest fighters ever.

He won an Oscar for that mess. Well, his name is Oscar. What a coincidence.

You're pathetic.

x2 Got his ass handed to him by Pac and took it like a man for the while it lasted.

I'm shocked that no one has mentioned Rocky Marciano.

Agree with Ketchel's choice.....Wayne McCullough took a lot of pain and never once blinked or bitched. Think he was the one guy Hamed actually managed to show some manners to when Wayne just kept on coming at him.

Going way back, remember watching a seriously tough little Texan guy called Troy Dorsey, not much skill at all, but a monster pair of cojones and massive fitness levels that made him succesful and briefly a cult fighter. ITV showed some of his fights when I was kid and Dorsey was a proper little warrior.

Andries deserves a mention as well; virtually every time he got in the ring he got cracked but his will to win and never-say-die attitiude made him one of my favourite fighters.

Bodyshot3 wrote:Agree with Ketchel's choice.....Wayne McCullough took a lot of pain and never once blinked or bitched. Think he was the one guy Hamed actually managed to show some manners to when Wayne just kept on coming at him.

Going way back, remember watching a seriously tough little Texan guy called Troy Dorsey, not much skill at all, but a monster pair of cojones and massive fitness levels that made him succesful and briefly a cult fighter. ITV showed some of his fights when I was kid and Dorsey was a proper little warrior.

Andries deserves a mention as well; virtually every time he got in the ring he got cracked but his will to win and never-say-die attitiude made him one of my favourite fighters.

troy Dorsey,that brings back memories,i remember itv showing his last fight against Gabriel ruelas,it was an absolute war for 6 rounds,if a belt was won by courage and fighting spirit then dorsey would have been champ forever,he was also an accomplished kick boxer and karate competitor I think