BoxRec

As some of you may remember on the 3rd December 1993 at the Casino Magic, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, there was a one day Heavyweight tournament featuring the likes of Bonecrusher Smith, Tyrell Biggs, Jose Ribalta, Bert Cooper and the eventual winner Tony Tubbs amongst several others.

All fights were schedualed for 3 rounds and are listed on the fighters career records.

http://www.boxrec.com/show_display.php?show_id=5477

It was claimed that a fighter would get $10,000 for every fight he won and a $20,000 bonus for any 1st round KO or TKO.

I am halfway through re-watching my tape of this bill for the first time in a few years and have to admit it's very entertaining. Also in interviews between fights all the fighters are saying how much they are enjoying the event and how it reminds them of the amateur days and they hope there is another one etc.

However the promotion was a financial flop by all accounts and I seem to recall a few big names dropped out at the last moment such as Michael Dokes and UK bare-knuckle fighter Joe Savage, even Larry Holmes expressed an interest. But the event was not repeated.

There was a simular event held about two years ago I seem to remember Tim Witherspoon took part in, but for some reason these were classed as exhibitions only.

So has anyone else here seen either of these events? what are your memories and opinions? Would you be in favoure of another such event?

What do you think fight fans?

I remember reading an article Sports Illistrated did reagrding the tournament Tubbs won. The article was titled "Attack of the Killer Tomatocans!" It was great!

Kuscher did another fight-night tournament. Everyone thought that Witherspoon or Jeremy Williams would have won it. But Mo Harris took home the money.

zojo, wrote:I remember reading an article Sports Illistrated did reagrding the tournament Tubbs won. The article was titled "Attack of the Killer Tomatocans!" It was great!

As I said, the fights & event in general was very entertaining. As they were only three round fights in some of them the fighters really went for broke in the first round, caused a few fireworks.

I thought it was great too. The need to have another and Tubbs can comeback and defend the tournament title.

Could Tyrell Biggs dance like Ali for 20,000?

What I remember about that event was Joe Savage the bareknuckle fighter getting a good amount of ink before the event began. However after watching a sparring session between Bonecrusher and Tubbs as the two heavyweights were leaving the ring, Smith looked at Savage and said "This aint no street crap Joe we do this for a living". Savage withdrew from the event with some type of injury. Later on , Savage fought a pro fight vs. Bert Cooper I believe. He was belted out immediately.

This is not the same Joe Savage that had a singing career and took his wild animals on the road with him was it? I knew him but I didnt' think he had a fighting career as well. If it is one and the same I have some fascinating stories about this guy. The Joe Savage I'm talking about was bald and a bit overly muscular. What a trip if this turns out to be the same guy.

BoxBuzz wrote:This is not the same Joe Savage that had a singing career and took his wild animals on the road with him was it? I knew him but I didnt' think he had a fighting career as well. If it is one and the same I have some fascinating stories about this guy. The Joe Savage I'm talking about was bald and a bit overly muscular. What a trip if this turns out to be the same guy.

Savage the fighter was a bald guy and a heavyweight. He was from England I believe. Claimed a 42 - 0 bareknuckle record prior to the Cooper debacle. The only info I have on the guy is from a book called Bare fists by Bob Mee.

Savage was actually known by one of the guys who used to post on one of these old forums he lived in the same town and the guy basicaly said he was loopy & dangerous and definitely not to be approached the guy by all accounts was a complete psychopath. In fact in UK the guy challenged Lennox Lewis & Frank Bruno to fight him both ON THE SAME NIGHT!!!

I love that story about Bonecrusher talking shit to savage he was right Savage was just a crude street brawler when he was put in with Cooper he was so far out of his depth it was beyond belief. couldnt punch couldnt defend himself couldnt take a punch. Smokin Bert hit him so hard he bounced on his head!!

I saw Joe Savage on a chat show years ago about the dangers of Boxing etc. Think it may have been post Eubank - Watson.

Anyway, he was a big guy with a shaved head and didn't say much but what I do remember him saying was that the reason he didn't go professional was that he couldn't be bothered to do all that training etc, he just liked to fight.

I to remember well the report of Bonechrusher after sparring Tubbs saying to Savage "This is what we do for a living, pal!!!!"

Next thing we hear is Savage pulls out with an injury. I may be wrong but I think he said he hurt his arm falling down some steps.

Wow this Savage character needs to come out of retirement to fight (in order):

Kimbo Slice

Butterbean

MCB

Ok totaly different Joe Savage...

He had a touring band that played the South, and Lord knows where else, in the early eighties. His schtick? He looked like a 35-year-old Big Muscular Telly Savalas in Sophia Loren's make up. His wife was part of the act, and she was a leather-clad hot thing.

Joe's gig was to play a bar, and after passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels', pouring it into the crowd's gaping mouths while singing "Free Booze", he would then pull out a chain saw and CUT YOUR TABLE IN HALF. Literally. That was fun, especially if you were with people who'd never seen it.

Joe had a limited repertoire, with highlights being Neil Diamond's America and the aforementioned Free Booze.

Joe had a feline that was half manx and half bobcat. It mauled a little girl in Savannah about 1984 and Joe was banned from the city forever.

There is also a very sad story which Changed Tennesse Law forever if anyone is interested in going this direction I'll be glad to tell it sometime.

BoxBuzz wrote:Ok totaly different Joe Savage...

He had a touring band that played the South, and Lord knows where else, in the early eighties. His schtick? He looked like a 35-year-old Big Muscular Telly Savalas in Sophia Loren's make up. His wife was part of the act, and she was a leather-clad hot thing.

Joe's gig was to play a bar, and after passing around a bottle of Jack Daniels', pouring it into the crowd's gaping mouths while singing "Free Booze", he would then pull out a chain saw and CUT YOUR TABLE IN HALF. Literally. That was fun, especially if you were with people who'd never seen it.

Joe had a limited repertoire, with highlights being Neil Diamond's America and the aforementioned Free Booze.

Joe had a feline that was half manx and half bobcat. It mauled a little girl in Savannah about 1984 and Joe was banned from the city forever.

There is also a very sad story which Changed Tennesse Law forever if anyone is interested in going this direction I'll be glad to tell it sometime.

F..k, I'd be lookin for Rod Serling to come poppin out at any time.

zojo, wrote:I remember reading an article Sports Illistrated did reagrding the tournament Tubbs won. The article was titled "Attack of the Killer Tomatocans!" It was great!

Kuscher did another fight-night tournament. Everyone thought that Witherspoon or Jeremy Williams would have won it. But Mo Harris took home the money.

I remeber the old SI article. I can one up ya. One boxing magazine had intrest in the tournament. I think it was KO magazine. The quote I remember to this day is Cooper saying he should win because, " When I look at this group, my drug problems don't look that bad! "

One thing that struck me as odd was the the concept of the fans getting a chance to vote on the match ups in round one! A few buiddies of mine were ready to anti up and vote for Savage to meet the best puncher in the torunament. But Savage bailed!

Tubbs won. He had a bit more jab and hustle than the rest. I'd love to see the replay of this thing.

The Boxing News headline when Tubbs won was 'Fatts Entertainment"

Why don't these ever work the way they are suppose to. I heard Tubbs never got the money he was promised from the tounrny in 93 and Harris didn't get all of his money. I use to look forward to these when they were annouced.

Superfights - One Night Heavyweight Tournament
http://www.boxpres.com/?p=3862

Fistful of Dollars - One Night Heavyweight Tournament
http://www.boxpres.com/?p=3744

Someone just put that card up at WBVA.

Collins2000 wrote:Someone just put that card up at WBVA.

Wow, I thought I was the only one to have recorded it lol. It seemed like no one likes the one night tournament format.

I've been banished from WBVA and TC I think these fights should be shared with everyone who'd like to see them. That's the reason why I've been throwing them up on youtube for everyone for the last year. The quality after it's converted isn't as good as it is on the DVD but it's still watchable.

posted 1993's superfight heavyweight tournament

Thank YOU !!!

jmc617 wrote: It seemed like no one likes the one night tournament format.

- Thanks, that was an entertaining format probably contrived in the vacuum of Tyson's incarceration which left the division in tatters. Tubbs never gets enough credit for winning the tourney.

Some uncovered nuggets include forgotten Romanian heavy Daniel Dancuta who upset Smith and was close to winning the tourney. He quit boxing shortly afterwards, hopefully landing on his feet.

Noteworthy commentary from Al Bernstein allowing that when Tyson fought Ribalta a case could be made for Ribalta being one of the best heavies in the world. Ribalta made himself Tyson's toughest test coming up, and although past his best acquits himself well in the tourney.

Also noteworthy the possibility of Smith facing two lefties in a row "would be a first in heavyweight history." My how times change. Wlad shutdown Iggy and Thompson back to back in title fights and sports a 5-1 title record overall against lefties by my calculations against excellent caliber of opposition, a culmative record of 176-6-2.

Now we got the super six supermid tourney making a big splash, could be the tourney format could be making a comeback.

i have a copy of the cooper-savage fight. it aint pretty. not even competitive. it was on the same night michael moorer was winning the heavyweight title from holyfield in vegas; and poor old bert was already only winning as many as he was losing. this time he won in the huge fight town of Nanaimo British Columbia . just 2 1/2 yrs after he himself came so close to taking the title from holyfield.

Expug wrote:What I remember about that event was Joe Savage the bareknuckle fighter getting a good amount of ink before the event began. However after watching a sparring session between Bonecrusher and Tubbs as the two heavyweights were leaving the ring, Smith looked at Savage and said "This aint no street crap Joe we do this for a living". Savage withdrew from the event with some type of injury. Later on , Savage fought a pro fight vs. Bert Cooper I believe. He was belted out immediately.

Expug wrote:What I remember about that event was Joe Savage the bareknuckle fighter getting a good amount of ink before the event began. However after watching a sparring session between Bonecrusher and Tubbs as the two heavyweights were leaving the ring, Smith looked at Savage and said "This aint no street crap Joe we do this for a living". Savage withdrew from the event with some type of injury. Later on , Savage fought a pro fight vs. Bert Cooper I believe. He was belted out immediately.

Isn't this comment soooo true

It's been many years since this occurred, but I believe I was finally able to fix the fight order so the fights at least appear in the correct order on the fighters' records (and also so they are given credit for the wins their respective opponents scored earlier on the card). Hopefully the same can be done for the Prizefighter events and other single-day tournaments!