BoxRec

Back in 1991 when I was in Canastota, NY for the IBHOF weekend at the collector's show held each year there I saw a poster on sale for a match up between Chuvalo vs Shavers. It was billed as a match up between the unmovable object vs the irresistible force. I was very interested in buying it but I thought that it was a bit too pricey, so I didn't purchase it. Now, of course, I wish I had because I know next to nothing about the proposed bout. I made note of the date but have since forgotten even what year the fight was supposed to have taken place in.
Does anyone else have any info on this fight & others that were supposed to have occurred but never did. especially heavyweight bouts like Norton vs Bonavena, Holmes vs Coetzee or even original dates that may have very well have changed the outcome of the match up like Tyson vs Ruddock. Which had it taken place in Calgary may very well have resulted in Ruddock being in the role of Buster Douglas. Who was Tyson's next opponent after he pulled out of the Calgary bout.

Saad and Mustapha Muhammad II

Cripes....I'll say it so that it's dispensed with early.....Tall Guy who never boxed vs Ali

Dempsey-Wills
Braddock-Schmeling

Bonavena-Quarry?

Mamby-Pryor.

Tony 1244, brought this bout up in another thread & I believe he was right, Gerry Cooney was scheduled to fight Shavers on the undercard of Hearns-Cuevas but pulled out & "Tex" Cobb stepped in & stopped a faded but still dangerous Earnie. It certainly would have made for an interesting fight to see who would have caught the other one first. I don't think Earnie would have faded in the later rounds like he did vs Cobb though because it wouldn't have gone as long. I think Cooney - Shavers ends within two rounds either way.

Sweetviolenturge: I have two Chuvalo-Shavers posters. I tried to attach a copy of the image here, but somehow this site won't allow the link to my file. If you send me your email in a private message, I'll shoot you the jpeg.
The bout was scheduled for May 9, 1973 in Cleveland, but Chuvalo strained a back muscle during a sparring session in Toronto on April 30 and requested a two-week postponement. Don King, who was Shavers' manager/promoter, instead brought in Herald Carter, whom Shavers dispatched in the first round on May 12.
Another "signed" Chuvalo bout that never came off was Dec. 14, 1968, against Bob Foster at MSG. George gave me his copy of the contract when we were collaborating on his autobiography, which was published by Harper-Collins in 2013.
BTW, the cancelled Tyson-Ruddock bout you referenced -- aka 'The Cold War' -- was scheduled to take place at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta -- not Calgary -- on Nov. 14, 1989. Tyson's people concocted a story about a lung infection and pulled out of the fight after he was dropped twice by Greg Page during a closed sparring session at Edmonton's Panther Gym three weeks earlier. I was working for an Edmonton newspaper at the time and was invited by King to be the only media guy to witness the session.

Larry Holmes had a title fight set with John Tate in April 1984 that was cancelled because of a Tate injury.

A unification match between Holmes and WBA Champ Gerrie Coetzee was signed for two months later, but didn't happen when Caesars Palace called it off.

Holmes' January 1999 fight with George Foreman was cancelled a few weeks beforehand when the promoter came up short on financing.

Muhammad Ali-Floyd Patterson II was supposed to take place in April 1967, but that was scuttled.

[quote="writehooks"]Sweetviolenturge: I have two Chuvalo-Shavers posters. I tried to attach a copy of the image here, but somehow this site won't allow the link to my file. If you send me your email in a private message, I'll shoot you the jpeg.
The bout was scheduled for May 9, 1973 in Cleveland, but Chuvalo strained a back muscle during a sparring session in Toronto on April 30 and requested a two-week postponement. Don King, who was Shavers' manager/promoter, instead brought in Herald Carter, whom Shavers dispatched in the first round on May 12.
Another "signed" Chuvalo bout that never came off was Dec. 14, 1968, against Bob Foster at MSG. George gave me his copy of the contract when we were collaborating on his autobiography, which was published by Harper-Collins in 2013.
BTW, the cancelled Tyson-Ruddock bout you referenced -- aka 'The Cold War' -- was scheduled to take place at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta -- not Calgary -- on Nov. 14, 1989. Tyson's people concocted a story about a lung infection and pulled out of the fight after he was dropped twice by Greg Page during a closed sparring session at Edmonton's Panther Gym three weeks earlier. I was working for an Edmonton newspaper at the time and was invited by King to be the only media guy to witness the session.[/quote

Thanks so much for the info.
And for the correction on the location/venue for the original date for Tyson vs Ruddock.
It must have been no secret among insiders that Tyson was looking like garbage for that fight because just a week before the fight was called off I was in Springfield, MA working for Don Elbaum who was promoting the Simon Brown - Luis Santana fight there & I had lunch with Teddy Atlas who insisted that Tyson was going to lose that fight. Which, of course, didn't happen because of the cancellation, but he did lose his next fight to Douglas. So, Atlas definitely knew what was going on.
Thanks again & I've sent you a PM so I can get a look at that poster again. Peace.

bwu wrote:Larry Holmes had a title fight set with John Tate in April 1984 that was cancelled because of a Tate injury.

A unification match between Holmes and WBA Champ Gerrie Coetzee was signed for two months later, but didn't happen when Caesars Palace called it off.

Holmes' January 1999 fight with George Foreman was cancelled a few weeks beforehand when the promoter came up short on financing.

Muhammad Ali-Floyd Patterson II was supposed to take place in April 1967, but that was scuttled.

Thanks.I'd forgotten about all those bouts aside from the Holmes - Coetzee fight.

George Foreman vrs Roy "Tiger" Williams.

Joe Frazier vrs Kallie Knoetze in Las Vegas.
It was cancelled because Joe Frazier contacted hepatitus.

George Foreman vrs Larry Holmes at the Houston Astrodome.
That fight was cancelled the day it was suppose to happen if I remember correctly.

Must have been the post-ali foreman that signed. Roy wouldn't have a chance against the pre-ali version.

writehooks wrote:
BTW, the cancelled Tyson-Ruddock bout you referenced -- aka 'The Cold War' -- was scheduled to take place at Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton, Alberta -- not Calgary -- on Nov. 14, 1989. Tyson's people concocted a story about a lung infection and pulled out of the fight after he was dropped twice by Greg Page during a closed sparring session at Edmonton's Panther Gym three weeks earlier. I was working for an Edmonton newspaper at the time and was invited by King to be the only media guy to witness the session.

Nice. Did you see Tyson get dropped? Page dropped him when he was "training" for the Douglas fight as well, how many times do you think Tyson was dropped in sparring?

Nile4000 wrote:Must have been the post-ali foreman that signed. Roy wouldn't have a chance against the pre-ali version.

this was in 1972 and was suppose to take place in Minneapolis MN if I remember.
I think it was Williams manager that pulled him out of it at the last minute.

Controversial: Yup, I saw Page floor Tyson twice in one round -- both from a unorthodox right hand similar to Ruddock's fabled "smash." The day after the KDs, Oliver McCall wobbled Mike with an uppercut ... which is what I think convinced Tyson's people to pull the plug.

writehooks wrote:Controversial: Yup, I saw Page floor Tyson twice in one round -- both from a unorthodox right hand similar to Ruddock's fabled "smash." The day after the KDs, Oliver McCall wobbled Mike with an uppercut ... which is what I think convinced Tyson's people to pull the plug.

Caractacus wrote:

Nile4000 wrote:Must have been the post-ali foreman that signed. Roy wouldn't have a chance against the pre-ali version.

this was in 1972 and was suppose to take place in Minneapolis MN if I remember.
I think it was Williams manager that pulled him out of it at the last minute.

He knew George would have given him the big L. Probably should have gone after Mac Foster, or Mac Foster instead.

writehooks wrote:Controversial: Yup, I saw Page floor Tyson twice in one round -- both from a unorthodox right hand similar to Ruddock's fabled "smash." The day after the KDs, Oliver McCall wobbled Mike with an uppercut ... which is what I think convinced Tyson's people to pull the plug.

Page's right was no joke, and he was a very good gym fighter. Michael Spinks found that out real quick.

Tyson v Holyfield, Autumn 1991.

High Noon in Hong Kong.....circa 1994.

Hide v Morrison
Mercer v Bruno

Plus Steve Collins was on the undercard!

Pretty decent double-header for the fans....but apparently the American money man, had no money.

Probably worked out best for the Brits that it got canned, Morrison would have turned Herbie into chow mein and I would not have fancied Frank's chances against Mercer much.

I think those would have been interesting fights.
Hide certainly had at least a punchers chance.
Mercer was pretty inconsistent so you never know about that.

I'm not much on "what if" bouts involving fighters from different eras. But this stuff... these are fantasy fights I can get into. Signed and planned out, only to be cancelled and basically forgotten about by all but people who frequent classic discussion boards.

I was watching something, an old fight, recently on YouTube where the announcer mentioned that the scheduled Jimmy Young - Scott LeDoux fight was cancelled. I'm thinking it was supposed to be on a Larry Holmes defense undercard.

George Foreman was supposed to fight Larry Middleton in January 1977. Fight was cancelled a week prior when Middleton failed a pre-fight physical due to eye trouble. Foreman fought Pedro Agosto instead.

Norton - Quarry started life as Foreman - Bonavena. Somewhere it turned into Norton - Young before it ended up being Norton - Quarry.

Scott LeDoux - Marty Monroe was supposed to be a LeDoux - Lyle rematch before Lyle pulled out.

Holyfield - Akinwande was cancelled the day before the fight in June of 1998 due to Akinwande testing positive for hepatitis.

Jimmy Ellis - Gregorio Peralta was cancelled either the day prior to or the day of the fight due to poor ticket sales in December 1969.

Victor Galendez refusing to leave his dressing room to fight a return match with Mike Rossman a month or so before the fight actually happened.

Michael Spinks - Eddie Mustafa Muhammad II when Eddie weighed in overweight, blamed the scales, and refused to lose the extra poundage.

Hagler - Hearns was supposed to happen over two years before it actually did. Hearns injured a finger and Hagler had to settle for Caveman Lee.

Gerry Cooney was probably the king of cancellations, at least before Mike Tyson took that dubious honor. Cooney was supposed to fight Earnie Shavers, but Tex Cobb took his place. He also pulled out of a network rematch with Eddie 'Animal' Lopez and a bout with Joe Bugner. His comeback bout with Phil Brown was pushed back several times before it actually happened, as I recall.

A couple more...

Norton - LeDoux was supposed to happen in San Diego a month or so before their Minneapolis bout. I remember this well because I was a 12-year old staying with family friends in San Diego and I had a ticket. It would have been my first live fight card, but alas, Norton pulled out due to an injury. Gerry Cooney was supposed to box an exhibition on the undercard.

Cooney - Norton was also a part of the February 1981 "This Is It" card promoted by the infamous Harold RossFields Smith. That supercard also included Saad Muhammad vs. Mustafa Muhammad, Hearns vs. Benitez, and Wilfredo Gomez - Mike Ayala.

Holmes - Cooney was supposed to happen in March 1982 but was postponed due to, you guessed it, a Cooney injury.

Larry Holmes was supposed to defend against Alfio Righetti but the TV network vetoed Righetti and green-lighted Alfredo Evangelista instead.

Not ever signed, but an interesting "what if" - Larry Holmes and Jimmy Young were supposed to fight in March 1979. All Jimmy had to do was get past Ossie Ocasio the preceding June. Ocasio of course upset the apple cart. So Jimmy was given another chance against Ocasio in January and once again lost, blowing his shot.

Mike Weaver vs. Tex Cobb for Weaver's WBA title was scheduled and then cancelled a couple of times.

I think those would have been interesting fights.
Hide certainly had at least a punchers chance.
Mercer was pretty inconsistent so you never know about that.

So do I Ambling.....both decent and potentially entertaining match-ups and a good night out in Hong Kong.

I was perhaps being a little hard on Hide....when all is said he done he managed to do a number on Bentt who had done a number on Morrison.
Knowing those two, they would have both fancied getting the KO and it would have been done and dusted inside three rounds.

The later, more patient version of Bruno who bossed McCall with his jab could have caused Mercer problems but I think unless Mercer went AWOL he'd have won a fairly rough fight on points or late stoppage. Frank trying to bomb-out Ray would I suspect not have gone at all well for Bruno.