BoxRec

There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

Fat Git wrote:There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

He was a journeyman, he took the journey.

ILikeBeer wrote:

Fat Git wrote:There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

He was a journeyman, he took the journey.

Absolutely!

Moses matouvo is the most active at the moment and I have a lot of respect for Moses who fights at both cruiser and heavy often giving away a lot of size. He isn't British but operates from Northern Ireland. Shame there aren't more who go down this route as we would then have more heavyweight fights and not so many ridiculously inactive "prospects"

rm1 wrote:Moses matouvo is the most active at the moment and I have a lot of respect for Moses who fights at both cruiser and heavy often giving away a lot of size. He isn't British but operates from Northern Ireland. Shame there aren't more who go down this route as we would then have more heavyweight fights and not so many ridiculously inactive "prospects"

It's a tough job though, even if you are a journeyman looking to survive, you are going to take some proper wallops - there was a documentary on sky about Shane Woollas which was titled 'the hardest job in Britain' and he was a fair decent boxer, another one who was similar was Luke Simpkin - big tough guys who would go the distance more often than not.

A lot of overweight Latvians & Poles are replacing HW journeymen.

It's very hard to be a HW journeyman because of the power of shots. Your ability to avoid, slip and block clean shots has to be very effective. Even a couple of shots getting through the guard can add up over a career as a journeyman & have bad long term effects, whereas it's a little more forgiving at the lighter weights if you get sloppy & tagged a few times in fights.

Fat Git wrote:There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

He used to bleed from his nose easily and rub his snotty/bloody nose on his opponent shoulder. Remember him doing it to Johnny Nelson and apparently this was a regular occurrence.

Fat Git wrote:There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

Who did he fight?

On the thread subject, you have to remember there are far fewer heavyweights and far fewer fights available. So to become a genuine 'journeyman' in the style of Buckley, Kristian Laight, Smith Brothers etc who have hundreds of fights is virtually impossible.

Also the big lumps are stuck in one weight division - the genuine journeyman bounce around the weights wherever a fight is offered so have have far more opportunities to earn.

reggaereggae wrote: Who did he fight?

He fought a fella called Mory Konate who was usually based in France.

On the thread subject, you have to remember there are far fewer heavyweights and far fewer fights available. So to become a genuine 'journeyman' in the style of Buckley, Kristian Laight, Smith Brothers etc who have hundreds of fights is virtually impossible.

Also the big lumps are stuck in one weight division - the genuine journeyman bounce around the weights wherever a fight is offered so have have far more opportunities to earn.

All true enough.

stujones wrote:

Fat Git wrote:There are a lot of journeymen in the lighter weight classes but you don't see many in the heavyweight division as Barry Hearn once said 'those fellas take a lot of punishment'.

My favourite was Andy Gerrard from Newport, he fought everyone and anywhere - I mean, who the hell goes to the Ivory Coast to fight their local hero?

He used to bleed from his nose easily and rub his snotty/bloody nose on his opponent shoulder. Remember him doing it to Johnny Nelson and apparently this was a regular occurrence.

I remember from boxing news back around 1989 that when he fought Biago Chianese, the fight was made into a NC because the ring collapsed underneath them - Chianese was something like 20 stone and Gerrard was 16 stone and with 36 stone dancing around the canvas, the ring fell through. So, this fella is full of interesting stories.

There has been some decent boxers who got 'fed up' and took fights at an early notice and went on the road to journeyland. Some boxers could have had a decent row of wins if they had trained correctly and did not take fights at a short notice. Its hard to turn down a few quid for an easy nights loss, providing you did not get knocked out you could well be back in action a week or two afterwards.

Michael Murray for example was a decent British heavyweight boxer who decided more easy money was to be made by losing. Murray was a decent solid boxer, I think he only got knocked out once in his career. He went onto to 'lose' to a fair few decent upcoming pro's

Julius Francis became good at this in his last few years as a pro, he lost his last dozen or so fights and again was not knocked out in his journeyman fights.

Scott Welch could have easily ended up in this catagory but got out of the game when losing to Francis back in the late 90's He was a solid pro and could have tested lots of up and coming boxers but did the right thing and retired.

There have been lots of journeymen in recent years:

Steve Garber, Carl Gaffney, Steve Gee, David Jules to mention a few and generally fought each other on many occasions to fill bills and give the fans some rounds.

There have been lots of fighters who didnt have the bollox or the chin to do the circuits, guys like Herbie Hide, and in recent years Audley Harrison.

Back bone of British boxing men who had the balls to get into the ring and give fans some action, get out in one peice, not getting knocked out so they could fight again the week after.

mimmy123 wrote:There has been some decent boxers who got 'fed up' and took fights at an early notice and went on the road to journeyland. Some boxers could have had a decent row of wins if they had trained correctly and did not take fights at a short notice. Its hard to turn down a few quid for an easy nights loss, providing you did not get knocked out you could well be back in action a week or two afterwards.

Michael Murray for example was a decent British heavyweight boxer who decided more easy money was to be made by losing. Murray was a decent solid boxer, I think he only got knocked out once in his career. He went onto to 'lose' to a fair few decent upcoming pro's

Julius Francis became good at this in his last few years as a pro, he lost his last dozen or so fights and again was not knocked out in his journeyman fights.

Scott Welch could have easily ended up in this catagory but got out of the game when losing to Francis back in the late 90's He was a solid pro and could have tested lots of up and coming boxers but did the right thing and retired.

There have been lots of journeymen in recent years:

Steve Garber, Carl Gaffney, Steve Gee, David Jules to mention a few and generally fought each other on many occasions to fill bills and give the fans some rounds.

There have been lots of fighters who didnt have the bollox or the chin to do the circuits, guys like Herbie Hide, and in recent years Audley Harrison.

Back bone of British boxing men who had the balls to get into the ring and give fans some action, get out in one peice, not getting knocked out so they could fight again the week after.

Yes good points.

One could add Danny Williams who has become an international journeyman it seems - his last few years' record makes ugly reading....

As to Scott Welch; to my understanding he is independently well off due to successful old people's home business. So getting bashed by up and comers for a grand wouldn't make sense.

Slick Miller

Sprott is a high end international journey man. Seems to have fought nearly everyone on the euro scene, notching up a few good wins on the way (Gerber, Harrison, Williams, Dettwiler, Koc, 2x prizefighter winner)

here's Gerrard vs Lennox Lewis, funny at the end of the 5th round Lewis guides Gerrard back to his corner sort of, also shows what a tough guy Gerrard was took some big punches in there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRH9IZTyj74

Moses is tough as old boots

Another 1 is James oliphant he not blessed with greatest skills but has heart of a lion and tough as old boots

At cruiserweight, Tony Booth was unbelievable. He was taking up any fight at whatever notice.

Sad that he end up in prison.

UrbanFox wrote:At cruiserweight, Tony Booth was unbelievable. He was taking up any fight at whatever notice.

Sad that he end up in prison.

I never knew Booth ended up in prison

The tough guy from super middleweight all the way up to heavyweight was the legendary Paul Bonson - he was harder than the pavement - hardly got stopped, stopped twice in nearly 100 fights I think - played for Featherstone Rovers - a lot of the journeymen heavyweights are from Yorkshire which breeds them tough anyway. A lot of them have been mentioned on here David Jules, Steve Garber, Slick Miller, Mick Cawdon, Carl Gaffney. Steve Gee and erm - Paul King - what a nasty horrible bastard he was but he was tough.

handsofstone wrote:

UrbanFox wrote:At cruiserweight, Tony Booth was unbelievable. He was taking up any fight at whatever notice.

Sad that he end up in prison.

I never knew Booth ended up in prison

That KO against Langdale on youtube classic! makes me smile eveytime I watch that brilliant!

Billy Smith was a great journeyman I became very good friends with Billy he was a really nice guy would do anything for anybody but his brother's death played with his mind and in the end I think he just couldn't overcome it

Fat Git wrote:The tough guy from super middleweight all the way up to heavyweight was the legendary Paul Bonson - he was harder than the pavement - hardly got stopped, stopped twice in nearly 100 fights I think - played for Featherstone Rovers - a lot of the journeymen heavyweights are from Yorkshire which breeds them tough anyway. A lot of them have been mentioned on here David Jules, Steve Garber, Slick Miller, Mick Cawdon, Carl Gaffney. Steve Gee and erm - Paul King - what a nasty horrible bastard he was but he was tough.

Fat's did you know Mick Cawden or Gee by any chance?

My favourite was Tony Moore, who went in with everyone from 1974 to 1982 and always put up a fight. Then he took on a 4-0 Frank Bruno and went over in two rounds. Tony packed it in there and then.

mimmy123 wrote:

Fat Git wrote:The tough guy from super middleweight all the way up to heavyweight was the legendary Paul Bonson - he was harder than the pavement - hardly got stopped, stopped twice in nearly 100 fights I think - played for Featherstone Rovers - a lot of the journeymen heavyweights are from Yorkshire which breeds them tough anyway. A lot of them have been mentioned on here David Jules, Steve Garber, Slick Miller, Mick Cawdon, Carl Gaffney. Steve Gee and erm - Paul King - what a nasty horrible bastard he was but he was tough.

Fat's did you know Mick Cawden or Gee by any chance?

No, but they were boxing news mainstays back in the 80's so it felt like we were friends.

bennie wrote:My favourite was Tony Moore, who went in with everyone from 1974 to 1982 and always put up a fight. Then he took on a 4-0 Frank Bruno and went over in two rounds. Tony packed it in there and then.

Did he beat Alfredo Evangelista over in Spain? Frank Bruno in his autobiography described him 'Have gloves will travel' and was another one who boxed in West Africa (I think..)