BoxRec

This is actually a serious question and with reference to the Haye /Bruno fights respectively. Both got blasted in a round by big punching muscular fighters on the comeback trail, Haye from injury, Bruno from a defeat.

I remember the furore about Gardner being so bad, and it was ridiculed. But did Chuck actually have a better career and perform better on the night? I would like to compare both:

GARDNER
Career - Chuck did actually beat Mike Tyson and Charles Atlas... Well not the well known ones.. but he did actually beat the Jimmy young....and also fought top guys like Berbick, Tate, Tucker, Shavers although got banged by all of them.
http://boxrec.com/boxer/899

Performance - Chuck actually landed a couple of jabs, and shows some decent footwork for a fat old man. But he gets spectacularly kod in only 60 seconds
https://youtu.be/IDbwVmu7nXA

MARK DE MORI
Career - he did beat Ed Mahone on points, stopped Rob Calloway, and drew with a debuting Alex Leapai. But apart from Haye, no former or future champs. He also got stopped in 1 round by a journeyman Cruiser weight who he out weighed by 45 pounds.
http://boxrec.com/boxer/237842

Performance - he didn't land a single punch, and threw about only 6 before getting spectacularly knocked out. He lasted 131 seconds.
https://youtu.be/ds0FPgmuXi4

It's a tough one...Gardner does seem to slightly have the better skills, his fight against Tucker is also on https://youtu.be/Ddu7XuvWWmw But De Mori has the better power and lasted twice as long as Gardner. Chuck did beat 70 legend Young, did fight 4 future or past world champs....but obviously has more losses!

I am going to have to think about this one.....

Chuck

de Mori is probably a better fighter than Gardner. But it is a hard call to make because de Mori has been a record-padder his entire career. Whereas Gardner at least wasn't afraid to get in and fight good level opposition.

Chuck by a mile

God sake the Aussies , have been saying for a long time that DeMori is a hand picker of cherry fights , who will get smashed has soon has he fights someone who will hit back , they rate him pretty well down there list and theve only got about 6 heavyweights anyway .

Chauncey "the hillyard hammer" Welliver would have been a sterner test. But I believe he to be a kiwi.

That was the first time I saw Chuck Gardner since 1987 and on reflection, he looks all right, pretty nifty and had a good idea on what to do before getting caught - have seen loads worse in British rings since then.

Bristolcityfc1 wrote:

ShadrachSimmo wrote:Chauncey "the hillyard hammer" Welliver would have been a sterner test. But I believe he to be a kiwi.

Chauncey is a Yank who lives in NZ tough as nails but very overweight

he carries just a little too much fluid going into some fights.

There's only one way to find out.......a massive matchroom PPV event in the summer!!!!

Henry Cooper did the commentry for Gardner...cracked my old man up when he said, relating to chuck.." That man's got breasts!!"

Old Jack J wrote:There's only one way to find out.......a massive matchroom PPV event in the summer!!!!

Don't give Eddie any ideas..itcould be marketed as the bugner-Bruno of 2016 and on the stacked under card we would feature Emmanuel Yarborough vs Butterbean and James holly vs TBA.

Chuck gives a decent account of himself boxing Tony Tucker in TNT's debut. You can see he knows what he's doing. A competent journeymen heavyweight boxer. By the time he boxed Bruno he was decrepit.

De Mori's weird performance was like something out of the sub novices in the gym. He didn't look like he was actually a boxer. Ed Mahone - a dressed up journeyman even in his 'prime' must be hopelessly damaged.

reggaereggae wrote:
marketed as the bugner-Bruno .

First fight I saw live. I was sat above the pub we owned when my old man walked in and said: "You want to watch the fight?' so of course I said: "Yeah, its on later though" to which he said: 'Get your coat on, I have tickets, if we rush we can make it"

And rush we did, someone in the pub gave him two tickets and off we went. I still have the ticket stub. Silver and blue thing, October 24th 1987. White Hart Lane.

I will get misty eyed lol

Dusted Peyote wrote:

Bristolcityfc1 wrote:Chauncey is a Yank who lives in NZ tough as nails but very overweight

Bit rude.

What a joke

tobyh5 wrote:

reggaereggae wrote:
marketed as the bugner-Bruno .

First fight I saw live. I was sat above the pub we owned when my old man walked in and said: "You want to watch the fight?' so of course I said: "Yeah, its on later though" to which he said: 'Get your coat on, I have tickets, if we rush we can make it"

And rush we did, someone in the pub gave him two tickets and off we went. I still have the ticket stub. Silver and blue thing, October 24th 1987. White Hart Lane.

I will get misty eyed lol

Wow great story! I love those nostalgic tales. I had similar experience. I got taken to Louis gent-Nigel Benn. Steve Collins looked bit ordinary on the under card. The fight was full of villains even though I had no ideas at the time. The fight was ruined by the security letting every one jump up on their seats. But when I tried it, as I was outside row of the inner ringside they kept telling me to sit down While ignoring every one jumping up in front of me when I complained, the security just shrugged his shoulders. Kind of ruined the evening. Put me off live fights for ages.

As to Bugner Bruno, I never saw it on t.v. but having watched on YouTube, Bugner put up a good fight. Just out of shape. In his prime he would've outboxed Bruno I think.

Deleted - wrong thread

Gardner did beat Mike Hunter as well, which was about his best win.
I was shocked by how much of a novice De Mori was when I saw film of him on the pads.

I seem to remember a story that Gardner had been enjoying a few drinks before the Bruno fight, I'll try and find it.

Old bones Ian wrote:I seem to remember a story that Gardner had been enjoying a few drinks before the Bruno fight, I'll try and find it.

Also I believe Gardner arrived 2 days before the fight after a 30 hour flight..... he must have been intensively jet lagged!

Irrelevant to the thread but Bruno vs Gardner is the first fight I ever remember watching. I was 6.

Supremo wrote:Irrelevant to the thread but Bruno vs Gardner is the first fight I ever remember watching. I was 6.

After what you saw, how would Joe have fared against Chuck?

Looking at the film, Gardner had better skills for sure. He had basic fundamentals of footwork and thew a decent jab. He kept his chin way up in the air and didn't move his head, but at least he could look like a real boxer for a few seconds at a time against Bruno.
Idk if that means he beats De Mori. That fight could largely come down to fitness and punch resistance. Although Gardner had better fundamentals, it only takes one shot from a big puncher and fighting with your chin held high really puts you at risk against anyone.

I'll admit i've only seen Gardner once but he did show good footwork and some skills,so i'd say he was better than De Mori

Old bones Ian wrote:Gardner did beat Mike Hunter as well, which was about his best win.
I was shocked by how much of a novice De Mori was when I saw film of him on the pads.

What on earth are you talking about? Chuck Gardner never beat Mike Hunter?!

Tuan_Jim wrote:

Old bones Ian wrote:Gardner did beat Mike Hunter as well, which was about his best win.
I was shocked by how much of a novice De Mori was when I saw film of him on the pads.

What on earth are you talking about? Chuck Gardner never beat Mike Hunter?!

Yeah it was Mike 'the giant' White he beat