BoxRec

Which were some of the better known ones?

Not well know, but Foreman and Cooney both had closed session real fights in preparation for their fight. Wesley Watson fought one of them, I don't remember the other.

Leonard did in preparation for hagler

If memory serves, Henry Maske engaged in at least one such fight before his comeback rematch with Virgil Hill. Again, if memory serves, the promoters were not pleased.

Years ago, I read an article, which I believe was in "Boxing Illustrated," referencing a closed session between Sam Langford and Jim Jeffries. It supposedly took place before the latter's 1910 match with Jack Johnson. The claim was made that Langford scored a knockout in four and the mental damage to Jeffries was enormous. Personally, I don't think it happened.

Finally, who can forget Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed III at the end of Rocky III?

bwu wrote:If memory serves, Henry Maske engaged in at least one such fight before his comeback rematch with Virgil Hill. Again, if memory serves, the promoters were not pleased.

Years ago, I read an article, which I believe was in "Boxing Illustrated," referencing a closed session between Sam Langford and Jim Jeffries. It supposedly took place before the latter's 1910 match with Jack Johnson. The claim was made that Langford scored a knockout in four and the mental damage to Jeffries was enormous. Personally, I don't think it happened.

Finally, who can forget Rocky Balboa vs. Apollo Creed III at the end of Rocky III?

Who did win that? looked like a double KO?

Closed sessions are likened to the romanticism of the bare knuckle world.... its mostly fairy tales... for my money, though, I would say my favorite in history was the training camp of John L. Sullivan in preperation for Jake Kilrain at William Muldoon's farm estate in Upstate New York. Kilrain was a well noted grappler, and Muldoon was (then) considered the best graeco roman stylist in the States (if not the world) and he constantly had sparring sessions with Sullivan to help him overcome any advantage Kilrain would have had with grappling. Later on the two men would engage in a boxer vs wrestler exhibition contest, where Muldoon threw Sullivan and the crowd in Boston was enraged that the Strong Boy fell. The fight had to be called off as the crowd rushed the ring.

bwu wrote: Years ago, I read an article, which I believe was in "Boxing Illustrated," referencing a closed session between Sam Langford and Jim Jeffries. It supposedly took place before the latter's 1910 match with Jack Johnson. The claim was made that Langford scored a knockout in four and the mental damage to Jeffries was enormous. Personally, I don't think it happened.

I personally don't believe it, because when Sam was in his prime and Jefferies was champion, Langford promoted himself as "Willing To Take On All Comers, EXCEPT Jim Jefferies," and prior to the Jefferies/Johnson fight he said that he thought Jefferies would win the contest. In fact, the only boxer/trainer in the business to say Jefferies would lose was Bob Fitzsimmons and his trainer Danny Needham, saying that no fighter, no matter what shape he was in, could be gone for more than three years and come back to win the championship of the world. I put it in the same category as the "Brooklyn Eagle" story that said Dempsey kayoed Johnson in seven rounds in Toronto in front of a bunch of gamblers---- which later turned out to be a complete misunderstanding from an over zealous New York boxing writer, who read a headline in Chicago talking about a hypothetical match.

keithmoonhangover wrote:Not well know, but Foreman and Cooney both had closed session real fights in preparation for their fight. Wesley Watson fought one of them, I don't remember the other.

Is that the one where Foreman fought Mike Giant White and Cooney fought Wesley Watson? On espn?

evrenb wrote:

keithmoonhangover wrote:Not well know, but Foreman and Cooney both had closed session real fights in preparation for their fight. Wesley Watson fought one of them, I don't remember the other.

Is that the one where Foreman fought Mike Giant White and Cooney fought Wesley Watson? On espn?

I was going to say Mike The Giant White as well.

keithmoonhangover wrote:

evrenb wrote:

keithmoonhangover wrote:Not well know, but Foreman and Cooney both had closed session real fights in preparation for their fight. Wesley Watson fought one of them, I don't remember the other.

Is that the one where Foreman fought Mike Giant White and Cooney fought Wesley Watson? On espn?

I was going to say Mike The Giant White as well.

I have those on tape. Not sure if they are on YouTube

Cooney fought Wesley Watson in a 3 round exhibition live on ESPN,
but I remember the annoucer saying that Gil Clancy had Cooney
fight Watson for real in a 5 round "unlicensed tuneup" in a closed sessionl earlier with smaller gloves( 8 oz.) and no head gear
to see if Cooney was in any type of mental and or physical shape l shape to actually fight George Foreman.

Caractacus wrote:Cooney fought Wesley Watson in a 3 round exhibition live on ESPN,
but I remember the annoucer saying that Gil Clancy had Cooney
fight Watson for real in a 5 round "unlicensed tuneup" in a closed sessionl earlier with smaller gloves( 8 oz.) and no head gear
to see if Cooney was in any type of mental and or physical shape l shape to actually fight George Foreman.

I remember that. I thought Clancy set out a good game plan for Cooney. Gerry hurt Foreman, but ultimately.... hey. you know.

littlepug wrote:Leonard did in preparation for hagler

He had a few, Quincy taylor was one.