BoxRec

The contemporary way of bringing up a fighter is to put him in with stiffs for 4/6 rounders to 'build confidence'...and a won-lost record...

Your thoughts on boxers of the past who followed a different, more challenging way to success...

I'll start with Jimmy Young and Mike Weaver...

...instead of stiffs, Young was thrown in early with the likes of Earnie Shavers (twice), Tiger Williams, Randy Neuman, Ron Lyle, etc...
...in his second pro fight, he was in against a guy 11-1...he didn't win them all, but he certainly 'grew' as a fighter...he faced a lot of winning records, early...

Weaver was thrown in with a number of young guys that were 4-0, 5-0 early...then fought the Bobick brothers early...again fighting against winning records, didn't win them all, but 'grew' as a fighter...

...who else comes to mind?

How about the greatest fighter of all-time, Sugar Ray Robinson? After the end of his first full year as a professional, he was the #1 rated contender to the welterweight title (1941). The war had a lot to do with it, but it took him 5 years to get his shot at the title. And everyone knew he was good, because he is one of the few great fighters from this time that wasn't tied to the mob or throwing fights and got a title shot on sheer talent alone.

How about David Ried? Poor kid fought a guy who was 10-0 in his first fight.

He was also a champion after less than a dozen bouts, and had to fight Tito Trinidad with only 14 fights to his credit!!!!

In the end, he was moved too fast and it is what made him depart so quickly.

Holyfield was moved pretty fast too. He was a champion with roughly a dozen fights aswell.

Qawi was another guy who moved pretty fast. He had 16 fights and he was a champion! That is pretty good considering he had NO AMATEUR fights! So it was 16 fights total, amatuer and pro! And he was not taking on some chump Champ either, it was Mathew Saad Muhammad!

PETE RADEMACHER!!!!!!!!!!


how can u be babied when ur first pro fight is for the title against heavyweight champion floyd patterson.



another is joe louis who when he first started fought tough journeyman and even a top ten contender lee ramsey in only his first year. in his 2nd year, he was fighting the top contenders.

it seems like most of the oympic champs were babied. for example:

muhammad ali
david reid
leon spinks
sugar ray leonard
oscar de la hoya
holyfield (should have won)
lennox lewis

Take a look at Fidel La Barba's record. Early in his career,
he fought Jimmy McLarnin (three times), Frankie Genaro,
and Newsboy Brown. Yes, I know that McLarnin was young
at the time , but no modern manager would let his prospect
get into the ring with even a very young McLarnin.

- Chuck Johnston

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:PETE RADEMACHER!!!!!!!!!!

What a rough fight that must have been for Pete...

Floyd was taking it fairly easy until he got dropped, and in the fifth and six rounds of that fight, Pete took an absolutely horrendous beating.

Imagine the excitement going through his head up until Floyd mashed his face.

Joe Frazier-Faced Bonavena in his 12th pro fight, Eddie Machen in his 13th, and Doug Jones in his 14th (!!!!) The amazing thing is that he won them all . . .

Oleg Maskaev- Oliver McCall, coming off of his title fight loss to Frank Bruno, in his 7th, yes 7TH!!! pro fight! David Tua in his 12th pro fight! Management=STUPID

Tony Danza

Just yesterday I looked up the record of Mauricio "Makita" Martinez. Fought Tapia and John Michael Jackson back to back hen he was 16 and is still active, though only he knows why. He fought everybody of the last 12-15 years.

1980s Davey Moore.

Several Oriental boxers that became world champions, though I don't recall of the top of my head.

Did someone already say Kostya Tszyu?

6 Pack wrote: Qawi was another guy who moved pretty fast. He had 16 fights and he was a champion! That is pretty good considering he had NO AMATEUR fights! So it was 16 fights total, amatuer and pro! And he was not taking on some chump Champ either, it was Mathew Saad Muhammad!

Agreed. And in addtition to it, by the time he faced Saad, he had beaten former champ Rossman and James Scott, who was fresh from his victories over Yaqui Lopez and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

Jeff Fenech

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=000817

He had a very rapid rise to World class. Not much padding on his record.

Vargas has some tough fights early in his career also.

Leon Spinks and Jersey Joe Walcott come to mind.

dempseyfire wrote:Oleg Maskaev- Oliver McCall, coming off of his title fight loss to Frank Bruno, in his 7th, yes 7TH!!! pro fight! David Tua in his 12th pro fight! Management=STUPID

LOL. Also he turned pro against a 20-0-1 (15) Olympic bronze medallist

Maskaev made one pro fight and then went back to the amateurs! He was KO'ed by cuban great Roberto Balado at the 1993 World Championships.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:PETE RADEMACHER!!!!!!!!!!


how can u be babied when ur first pro fight is for the title against heavyweight champion floyd patterson.



another is joe louis who when he first started fought tough journeyman and even a top ten contender lee ramsey in only his first year. in his 2nd year, he was fighting the top contenders.

it seems like most of the oympic champs were babied. for example:

muhammad ali
david reid
leon spinks
sugar ray leonard
oscar de la hoya
holyfield (should have won)
lennox lewis

De La Hoya for sure, not so sure about Ray Leonards though

tonyevs wrote:

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:PETE RADEMACHER!!!!!!!!!!


how can u be babied when ur first pro fight is for the title against heavyweight champion floyd patterson.



another is joe louis who when he first started fought tough journeyman and even a top ten contender lee ramsey in only his first year. in his 2nd year, he was fighting the top contenders.

it seems like most of the oympic champs were babied. for example:

muhammad ali
david reid
leon spinks
sugar ray leonard
oscar de la hoya
holyfield (should have won)
lennox lewis

De La Hoya for sure, not so sure about Ray Leonards though

No way was David Reid babied, the reason he isnt fighting today is bc they put him in against Tito waaay too early, it destroyed him!!

How about Orlando Zulueta? In his first two years as a pro -while still a teenager- he fought Hall of Famer Sandy Saddler, Luis Galvani (undefeated in 26 fight) and top Cuban headliner Diego Sosa.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:it seems like most of the oympic champs were babied. for example:

leon spinks

I strongly disagree BB49.

Leon Spinks in only is 6th professional fight fought tough fringe contender Scott LeDoux. In his 7th fight he fought the unbeaten Alfio Righetti. Then in his 8th & 9th fights he fought Muhammed Ali. Then in his 10th fight he fought one time Heavyweight title holder Gerrie Coatzee. Then in his 11th fight fought top European Heavyweight Alfredo Evangelista and in his 12th fight fought the tough Eddie 'The Animal' Lopez. Thats quite a list for your first dozen fights. No way was Neon Leon 'babied'.

BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:holyfield

Again I don't agree as in only his 12th fight he fought the teak tough Dwight Muhammad Qawi over 15 rounds for the WBA Cruiserweight Title.