Aussie Superfights?

[Grant]

Tinny just mentioned the great Freddie Dawson in another post and so I read about his fight with Vic Patrick in the Sydney stadium. That must have been something.
From my shaky memory from the days I used to read 'Fighter' magazine from cover to cover and any other boxing publication. I reckon it may be worth starting a thread about Australian Super-fights through the years. Fights that captured the imagination of all of Australia. So I am going to start one. I will start with the Freddie Dawson / Vic Patrick fight. Maybe a sentence after the bout to explain to us why it was a Super-fight.
The obvious one is first.
Jack Johnson Vs Tommy Burns. A black man finally gets to fight a white man?
Lionel Rose Vs Rocky Gatellari. Probably the first fight I can remember, it wasn't on TV but the press was huge, Syd Vs Melb. I remember seeing pics of Lionel visiting Rocky in Hospital the day after

I don't want to name all mine so it's over to the rest of you boxing heads.

[fox]

Lester Ellis v Barry Michael. 2 Aussies fighting for the IBF strap so it has to be up there.
Obviously Mundine v Green 1 as it had huge media coverage. Probably the biggest fight that I have attended.

[AntonS]

Lester Ellis v Barry Michael. 2 Aussies fighting for the IBF strap so it has to be up there.
Obviously Mundine v Green 1 as it had huge media coverage. Probably the biggest fight that I have attended.

Always has & most likely will remain "the OZ fight" for yonks. Got a framed hand-painted pic of round 15 hanging on the wall above work station - Lester (white trunks) & Barry wearing blue

[Like a Boss]

Barry Michael vs Frank Ropis - Ash Wednesday - Melbourne Town Hall 1983.

The Australian light welterweight title was on the line but so it appeared was a whole lot more.

In the words of Barry Michael :

"It was physically the most demanding and exhausting fight of my career! He was the most determined and strongest, opponent I fought. The humidity in the ring under the lights, the packed house, the fires raging around the state, the intensity of the night, it was a bit like the “Thrilla In Manila”. It was one that I had to drag it out of my ass. I was lucky that I had two fights in Hawaii in the lead up and they both went ten rounds. Those fights got me used to fighting in the heat and held me in good stead in the fight with Frank. The body shots I hit him with would have dropped heavyweights. They took their toll and if you look at the tape he was hurt with the left hook throughout the fight. Then at the end I hit him with it and he just dropped his hands. There has been a lot of talk that Frank was weakened making light welterweight. But me and Frank are good mates now and he has never made it an excuse".

Michael won TKO11.

[Tinnie]

Tinny just mentioned the great Freddie Dawson in another post and so I read about his fight with Vic Patrick in the Sydney stadium. That must have been something.
From my shaky memory from the days I used to read 'Fighter' magazine from cover to cover and any other boxing publication. I reckon it may be worth starting a thread about Australian Super-fights through the years. Fights that captured the imagination of all of Australia. So I am going to start one. I will start with the Freddie Dawson / Vic Patrick fight. Maybe a sentence after the bout to explain to us why it was a Super-fight.
The obvious one is first.
Jack Johnson Vs Tommy Burns. A black man finally gets to fight a white man?
Lionel Rose Vs Rocky Gatellari. Probably the first fight I can remember, it wasn't on TV but the press was huge, Syd Vs Melb. I remember seeing pics of Lionel visiting Rocky in Hospital the day after

I don't want to name all mine so it's over to the rest of you boxing heads.

Thought you might be interest in the clips from that fight..... http://commerce.wazeedigital.com/licens ... %2Cpatrick ..... bit of shocking referee work by Joe Wallis at the end....

Also a good chunk Patrick/Burns fight which was a year or two earlier and a huge event at the time.... i believe Patrick may have been LW and WW champion at he time (?)..... but the bout also had a good stint being replayed at the cinemas..... possibly why its one of the few extended clips avaliable from the time.... http://commerce.wazeedigital.com/licens ... %2Cpatrick

[Like a Boss]

The two Anthony Mundine vs Daniel Geale fights were both big local match-ups - ending with a 1-1 scoreline.

It's just a pity there was 4 years between the 2 fights when a rematch after the first fight seemed the most appropriate way forward after such a close fight where a title changed hands.

[fox]

The two Anthony Mundine vs Daniel Geale fights were both big local match-ups - ending with a 1-1 scoreline.

It's just a pity there was 4 years between the 2 fights when a rematch after the first fight seemed the most appropriate way forward after such a close fight where a title changed hands.

I went to their first fight at Boondal and it was a good close fight. I wouldn't have argued if the fight went either way. Their 2nd fight was more one sided but as you said it was 4 years between fights.

[Like a Boss]

The two Anthony Mundine vs Daniel Geale fights were both big local match-ups - ending with a 1-1 scoreline.

It's just a pity there was 4 years between the 2 fights when a rematch after the first fight seemed the most appropriate way forward after such a close fight where a title changed hands.

I went to their first fight at Boondal and it was a good close fight. I wouldn't have argued if the fight went either way. Their 2nd fight was more one sided but as you said it was 4 years between fights.

Their first meeting was a ripper. Very close, as you said. Close enough that the IBO, after hearing a protest against the result, ruled there should be a rematch. A rematch that sadly took 4 years to happen.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Barry Michael vs Frank Ropis - Ash Wednesday - Melbourne Town Hall 1983.

The Australian light welterweight title was on the line but so it appeared was a whole lot more.

In the words of Barry Michael :

"It was physically the most demanding and exhausting fight of my career! He was the most determined and strongest, opponent I fought. The humidity in the ring under the lights, the packed house, the fires raging around the state, the intensity of the night, it was a bit like the “Thrilla In Manila”. It was one that I had to drag it out of my ass. I was lucky that I had two fights in Hawaii in the lead up and they both went ten rounds. Those fights got me used to fighting in the heat and held me in good stead in the fight with Frank. The body shots I hit him with would have dropped heavyweights. They took their toll and if you look at the tape he was hurt with the left hook throughout the fight. Then at the end I hit him with it and he just dropped his hands. There has been a lot of talk that Frank was weakened making light welterweight. But me and Frank are good mates now and he has never made it an excuse".

Michael won TKO11.

Over the year's i'v lost or misplaced/lent boxing tape's and the Ash Wednesday was one that i'm still filthy about losing what a great fight it was fought at Jr Welterweight Michael ended up wearing Frank The Tank down late in the fight but it was a titanic struggle early/middle round's I think they both made good money out of their fight and they certainly deserved every penny on that same tape I had Tony Mundie V Steve Aczel for the Commonwealth Light Heavyweight Title and Russell Sands V Frank Ropis.

[fox]

Not regarded as a 'Superfight' but a good fight in its own right was the fight between Brian Janssen and Wilf Gentson. That fight was for Brian's Welterweight Title.

[Grant]

I remember also the Bunny Sterling Tony Mundine fight for the Commonwealth Title over 15 rounds. Ern McQuillan threw a hammer in the direction of Sterling and said "here you may need this"

[patron]

Dave Sands vBobo Olsen,, Patrick v Dawson,, Burnsv Patrick,,Tollis v Patrick,, Bennett v Curruthers,,Barnes v dawson,, Barnes v Bud Smith,, Barnes v Ralph Dupas I could go on but thee were just a few of the fights had us on the edge of our seats,there are too many, the 50,s and 60,s,,was the period when we were importing world class fighters to our shores, our boys would soon find out if they were capable of going into the world scene,,no regional titles then,, the National title was respected and only the best held it, with a few exceptions,,,all the best

[bollocks]

It's a pity that Mundine v Charkey Ramon can't be listed here as a local superfight, as I have a feeling it would have been an incredible dustup

[ClivePatrickLyons]

It's a pity that Mundine v Charkey Ramon can't be listed here as a local superfight, as I have a feeling it would have been an incredible dustup

That would have been a ripper of a fight with the bigger man in Mundine winning he[Tony] never lost to another Aussie

[bollocks]

It's a pity that Mundine v Charkey Ramon can't be listed here as a local superfight, as I have a feeling it would have been an incredible dustup

That would have been a ripper of a fight with the bigger man in Mundine winning he[Tony] never lost to another Aussie

I think Charkey had the chin to take Tony's wallops but I'm not so sure the opposite is true. Either way....a ripper fight

[ClivePatrickLyons]

It's a pity that Mundine v Charkey Ramon can't be listed here as a local superfight, as I have a feeling it would have been an incredible dustup

That would have been a ripper of a fight with the bigger man in Mundine winning he[Tony] never lost to another Aussie

I think Charkey had the chin to take Tony's wallops but I'm not so sure the opposite is true. Either way....a ripper fight

Tony to big to strong for any Jr Middleweight we'v ever had How many Aussie fighter's went in with that assumption ''Mundine won't handle my power' That theory went out the window as soon as they tasted Mundines Speed/Power

[Beltane]

Carlos Monzon has stated that Tony Mundine was the fighter who hit him the hardest.

Anyone who saw Tony in action knew he could certainly wallop!

[Beltane]

Another "what if" fight is who would have won had Lionel Rose and Johnny Famechon ever met in the ring?

For eight wonderful months in 1969 the pair ruled the world, Fammo as WBC featherweight champion and Lionel as WBC and WBA bantamweight world champion.

Lionel fought as a world champion 3kg lighter (118lbs) than Johnny (126lbs), but there was a brief moment when the World of Sport host Ron Casey got them to spar over three rounds in the Channel 7 studios in Melbourne.

"Lionel had such a quick left hand and a right that had some weight behind it. We started not at full pace but towards the end we were starting to warm up," said Johnny years later.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Another "what if" fight is who would have won had Lionel Rose and Johnny Famechon ever met in the ring?

For eight wonderful months in 1969 the pair ruled the world, Fammo as WBC featherweight champion and Lionel as WBC and WBA bantamweight world champion.

Lionel fought as a world champion 3kg lighter (118lbs) than Johnny (126lbs), but there was a brief moment when the World of Sport host Ron Casey got them to spar over three rounds in the Channel 7 studios in Melbourne.

"Lionel had such a quick left hand and a right that had some weight behind it. We started not at full pace but towards the end we were starting to warm up," said Johnny years later.

This would have been the aussie dream fight of them all

[bollocks]

That would have been a ripper of a fight with the bigger man in Mundine winning he[Tony] never lost to another Aussie

I think Charkey had the chin to take Tony's wallops but I'm not so sure the opposite is true. Either way....a ripper fight

Tony to big to strong for any Jr Middleweight we'v ever had How many Aussie fighter's went in with that assumption ''Mundine won't handle my power' That theory went out the window as soon as they tasted Mundines Speed/Power

I wouldn't place too much store in the 'no Oz fighter ever beat Mundine' thing, as there was basically nobody to challenge him here. Ramon IMO was a special fighter and had he not retired he probably would have grown into a middleweight. He had a very good chin and a wallop of his own. Bombs away

[ClivePatrickLyons]

I think Charkey had the chin to take Tony's wallops but I'm not so sure the opposite is true. Either way....a ripper fight

Tony to big to strong for any Jr Middleweight we'v ever had How many Aussie fighter's went in with that assumption ''Mundine won't handle my power' That theory went out the window as soon as they tasted Mundines Speed/Power

I wouldn't place too much store in the 'no Oz fighter ever beat Mundine' thing, as there was basically nobody to challenge him here. Ramon IMO was a special fighter and had he not retired he probably would have grown into a middleweight. He had a very good chin and a wallop of his own. Bombs away

Well what about his 64 Ko's..................... Mundine Knocked more people out then any Aussie fighter in History his speed was that of a welterweight and he beat much bigger men then Ramon and fought the better competition Tony would certainly be the odds on favourite and rightly so Ramon was certainly a world class fighter but that fight wouldn't be advised.

[Like a Boss]

Barry Michael vs Frank Ropis - Ash Wednesday - Melbourne Town Hall 1983.

The Australian light welterweight title was on the line but so it appeared was a whole lot more.

In the words of Barry Michael :

"It was physically the most demanding and exhausting fight of my career! He was the most determined and strongest, opponent I fought. The humidity in the ring under the lights, the packed house, the fires raging around the state, the intensity of the night, it was a bit like the “Thrilla In Manila”. It was one that I had to drag it out of my ass. I was lucky that I had two fights in Hawaii in the lead up and they both went ten rounds. Those fights got me used to fighting in the heat and held me in good stead in the fight with Frank. The body shots I hit him with would have dropped heavyweights. They took their toll and if you look at the tape he was hurt with the left hook throughout the fight. Then at the end I hit him with it and he just dropped his hands. There has been a lot of talk that Frank was weakened making light welterweight. But me and Frank are good mates now and he has never made it an excuse".

Michael won TKO11.

Over the year's i'v lost or misplaced/lent boxing tape's and the Ash Wednesday was one that i'm still filthy about losing

Youtube still has it :

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

[Like a Boss]

Tony to big to strong for any Jr Middleweight we'v ever had How many Aussie fighter's went in with that assumption ''Mundine won't handle my power' That theory went out the window as soon as they tasted Mundines Speed/Power

I wouldn't place too much store in the 'no Oz fighter ever beat Mundine' thing, as there was basically nobody to challenge him here. Ramon IMO was a special fighter and had he not retired he probably would have grown into a middleweight. He had a very good chin and a wallop of his own. Bombs away

Well what about his 64 Ko's..................... Mundine Knocked more people out then any Aussie fighter in History

You better research that one a little more closely

[amwsnw]

one out of left field, Cafaro v Trotter in Perth. 1990. Their second fight.
It was a ripper..

[ClivePatrickLyons]

I wouldn't place too much store in the 'no Oz fighter ever beat Mundine' thing, as there was basically nobody to challenge him here. Ramon IMO was a special fighter and had he not retired he probably would have grown into a middleweight. He had a very good chin and a wallop of his own. Bombs away

Well what about his 64 Ko's..................... Mundine Knocked more people out then any Aussie fighter in History

You better research that one a little more closely

I better what enlighten me ''Like a Boss''..Did someone else Ko over 64 men