BoxRec

Okay, I know 99% immediately think of Mia St John (or some other attractive female boxer), but which fighter (that you haven't already) would you really like to get to know personally.

I think mine would have to be Finbar McGuigan, he's a hero of mine who just seems to be a geniune bloke.

When I was in Uni I was good friends with a few Irish international boxers, we did a bit of training together and socialising. They had the privelege of knowing a few of the Irish stars names, one knew Damaen Kelley very well and said you couldn't wish to meet a nicer block. He also knew people who knew the McCulloughs - who also are geniune and humble. Unfortunately, he wasn't so kind towards Steve Collins - although, I don't want to believe him there.

However, amongst them all their hero was Barry. None of them new him, but he was like their idol. I think he would be the fellow I would like to really get to know, I bet he could say a few hard life stories, even if he never stepped in between the ropes, living where he was brought up.

I met McGuigan at University, he came to speak and the whole boxing club went down. He joke-sparred after a few pints with the top guy in the club, one of the best ever at the club in fact, and sparked him out the back of the union. Coach was less than impressed. Barry was mortified. I can vouch for the fact that he was a genuinely nice feller, handled anti-boxing questions from hoity-toity pseuds calmly and logically and was ready with a joke and a smile in front of an audience or just having a bit of banter with a couple of the lads.

I'd give a lot to meet Marvin Hagler.

Coconut wrote:I met McGuigan at University, he came to speak and the whole boxing club went down. He joke-sparred after a few pints with the top guy in the club, one of the best ever at the club in fact, and sparked him out the back of the union. Coach was less than impressed. Barry was mortified. I can vouch for the fact that he was a genuinely nice feller, handled anti-boxing questions from hoity-toity pseuds calmly and logically and was ready with a joke and a smile in front of an audience or just having a bit of banter with a couple of the lads.

Did he clap and laugh when someone cracked a joke? Always cracks me up when he does that on Sky.

I did have a handshake and a few words at the Robinson vs Hamed bout, he was leaving to go up to the studio and I yelled "Barry". Fair play, he was clearly busy but he ran back (in the other direction) and signed my copy.

My Father did have more of a conversation with him that night. It was at the Pep vs Juuko fight, by this time the crowd had gone and we were pretty much as close as ringside as we could be. A guy who I was talking to (and claimed to be a relation to Nigel Benn) said to my father (who had a different programme). Fair play, he gave my father his VIP pass so he want ringside sat next to McGuigan for most of the fight. Barry was supposed to be doing ringside analysis, but he was chasing down fighters/celebs that he knew to get the programme signed. Some of whom my father didn't know at the time (Carl Thompson) but McGuigan was saying "you will here about him in a couple of years".

When he came back, my father was shaking he was completely star struck.

The only two 'name' fighters I have spent any time with and spoken to are Richie Woodhall and Roberto Duran both of whom were total class acts.

The fighters I would like to, or would like to have met were

(1) Marvin Hagler. Would love to hear about his journey through the Middleweight ranks and his fights against Briscoe, Hart, Minter and Hearns etc.

(2) Bennie Briscoe. This ultimate Philly hardman and Middleweight wrecking machine never gives interviews so I think it would be facinating to learn more about his battles against many other top Philly Middleweights and his fights against Monzon, Hagler and Valdez etc. It would also be a joy to hear all those Philly gym stories and about his sparring sessions with the likes of Dwight Qawi ans Saad Muhammad etc.

(3) Archie Moore. The legendary Old Mongoos fought the worlds best fighters from Middleweight to Heavyweight for years, Charles, Burley, Valdes, Marciano, Ali etc etc etc the list goes on. I bet he would have had some great stories to tell about his battles in and out of the ring.

It would also be good to here about his experiences as a trainer with the then Clay and later Big George.

Also his opinions on the stories that he took a dive against Marciano.

I met Barry McGuigan down here in Plymouth when he was a guest at the opening of an Oneils (which seemed to be pushing the boat out for the opening of a shit, plastic-Irish pub to me, but there you go). Top bloke. He greeted my mate Matt (who's 6'4") with the line "fornicate me! If I'd've been the size of this pudendum I'd've made meself a fuckin' fortune!"

He even had the good grace to smile and laugh (and, y'know what stu, I think he might've even clapped his hands ) when I told him how much I loved Barry Mcguigan's Boxing on the old C64, despite clearly not knowing what the fornicate I was on about, and probably thinking I was a weirdo.

My brother stood next to Lennox Lewis in Vegas once and couldn't believe the sheer size of the bloke. Now my bro is 6' 6" and 19st which in theory ought to match Lennox's raw dimensions but somehow by all accounts he just looked like a weedy runt in comparison!

Chopping Right wrote:My brother stood next to Lennox Lewis in Vegas once and couldn't believe the sheer size of the bloke. Now my bro is 6' 6" and 19st which in theory ought to match Lennox's raw dimensions but somehow by all accounts he just looked like a weedy runt in comparison!

Strange you should say that as about a year ago I met a bloke from St Lucia who had met Lennox. This guy was a good 6'5 and I guess 16st but described Lennox as F'kin HUGE!

KOJOE90 wrote:

Chopping Right wrote:My brother stood next to Lennox Lewis in Vegas once and couldn't believe the sheer size of the bloke. Now my bro is 6' 6" and 19st which in theory ought to match Lennox's raw dimensions but somehow by all accounts he just looked like a weedy runt in comparison!

Strange you should say that as about a year ago I met a bloke from St Lucia who had met Lennox. This guy was a good 6'5 and I guess 16st but described Lennox as F'kin HUGE!

I suppose the difference is the natural build. Were Lennox to be of average man-in-the-street fitness he's probably be 20-odd stone.

Wish I was a bit older so I could've visited Jack Dempsey's restaurant and talked about what he learned from Jimmy DeForest.

Also, not a figher, but I would love to chat to Stan Christodoulou(sp?) about some of the all-time classics he has referee'd and/or judged.

Eddie Futch.

From his own Boxing career, sparring with the great Joe Louis and training countlessl Champions, man! What a chat that could have been.

Ali for me. Just from the books I've read about the bloke and footage/interviews I've seen I would have loved to meet and befriend him.

And then make a sack of cash writing a book about it!!

Joe Louis

His life was amazing both in and out of the Ring,

World champion record breaker, mobsters, Nazi contraversy, Women, World War 2, His life could fill ten books.

No one would be more interesting than Tyson....

E wrote:No one would be more interesting than Tyson....

Only if he was behind a glass/perspex type wall like Hannibal Lector. Even then I think he'd try and flick his cum in my fair and tell me he can smell my thingy

Ali, Leonard, Jones Jr, Whitaker, Robinson.

MAB

Harry Greb and Les Darcy.

Goz wrote:

E wrote:No one would be more interesting than Tyson....

Only if he was behind a glass/perspex type wall like Hannibal Lector. Even then I think he'd try and flick his cum in my fair and tell me he can smell my thingy

perhaps if you washed it once in a while :)

Do you mean like as in ‘get to know them over a beer?’ then for me it would Hagler, Foreman, Duran, Frazier and RJJ.

Chopping Right wrote:

KOJOE90 wrote:

Chopping Right wrote:My brother stood next to Lennox Lewis in Vegas once and couldn't believe the sheer size of the bloke. Now my bro is 6' 6" and 19st which in theory ought to match Lennox's raw dimensions but somehow by all accounts he just looked like a weedy runt in comparison!

Strange you should say that as about a year ago I met a bloke from St Lucia who had met Lennox. This guy was a good 6'5 and I guess 16st but described Lennox as F'kin HUGE!

I suppose the difference is the natural build. Were Lennox to be of average man-in-the-street fitness he's probably be 20-odd stone.

I think we can find that out now...

I met Lewis at a dinner a few years back, dark suit, etc, and he was just a wall of blackness. Hands like JCB shovels.


Shaking hands with Michael Watson was quite humbling, and I'm not normally wimpy like that.

Johnny Tapia would be another character I would love to get to know. I know there is alot of good posters on other sites who are not convinced of his "my vida loca" little bit. These people (with actually good reason if you look at his record closely) think he is an over hyped fighter who was protected.

I always see him as the hard as F character who didn't give two monkeys who he fought and about his health at the time of the contest (i.e. fighting Barrera with a torn rotator cuff). It will be interesting to get to know him, to see if he was this over hyped, protected, fighter some people think he is.

Anyone met Roberto Duran?

c'mon guys. what could be more of a laugh than chilling with Ricardo Mayorga? illegal street car racing, chain smoking cuban cigars and getting pissed on bud. More fun than laughing and clapping at shit jokes i dare say.

Coconut wrote:I met McGuigan at University, he came to speak and the whole boxing club went down. He joke-sparred after a few pints with the top guy in the club, one of the best ever at the club in fact, and sparked him out the back of the union. Coach was less than impressed. Barry was mortified. I can vouch for the fact that he was a genuinely nice feller, handled anti-boxing questions from hoity-toity pseuds calmly and logically and was ready with a joke and a smile in front of an audience or just having a bit of banter with a couple of the lads.

I'd give a lot to meet Marvin Hagler.

Met Barry in the Army & Navy store Victoria when he was champ, a lovely fella.

Met him about 16 years after that, still a great bloke.

The only thing I dont like about him is that he continually interrupts Johnny Nelson on SKY.

Its so irritating

Ones i'd like to have met,

Larry Holmes,

Salvador Sanchez,

Stanley Ketchel,

Battling Siki,

Sonny Liston