Ok, let's make the criteria for a long layoff, a minimum of 2 years, and let's only name guys who beat halfway decent fighters after they came back, not grade C and D bums.
So far I can think of.
George Foreman. Almost a 10 year layoff.
Sugar Ray Leonard. Almost 3 years.
Muhammad Ali. Over 3 and a half years.
Jersey Joe Walcott. Over 4 years.
James J Corbett. 2 years and 5 months.
Joe Louis. 2 years 3 months.
Tony Zale. Almost 4 years.
Sugar Ray Robinson. 2 and a half years plus.
Fighters Who Came Back After Long Layoffs
-
HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
James J. Braddock's 'come-back' as a Heavyweight after over a year was something unheard of. He had injured hands and had so many losses to his credit that his license was revoked---and then came back on a three fight win streak: Griffin, Lewis, Lasky and then beat Baer for the title. It was truly an under-dog story.
Riddick Bowe, Bruce Seldon, both former champions, give or take if you hold Seldon up to be a legit titlist, have been retired since the mid-late 90's only to come back in the last two years. Same with Joe Hipp, as he came back in 2004.
Mike Tyson was also gone for over 3yrs only to regain a portion of the heavyweight title (WBA) by blasting out Frank Bruno in three rounds. Joe Frazier came back after 5yrs to face Floyd Jumbo Cummings, only being able to pull off a draw. Larry Holmes of course made several different late career comebacks. The first was against Tyson, the second when he faced Ray Mercer to get a shot at Holyfield, and then later on McCall and then dropped out of sight to come back in 2004 against Butterbean.
Then of course, maybe the longest span between fights, was in the case of the 'Kentucky Rosebud' Walter Edgerton as he came back in his 60's for a one time only fight against a man 20yrs his junior.
Felix Trinidad came back after two years against Ricardo Mayorga, jumping up two weight classes over his prime, and knocked Mayorga out in stunning fashion.
Jim Jefferies came back after 6yrs inactivity and shed over 100 pounds to face off against Jack Johnson, though in all actuality he didn't want no part of the fight. After he lost by TKO in the 15th round Jim Jefferies was quoted as saying "I hope they will leave me alone now."
That's all I can think of atm.
Riddick Bowe, Bruce Seldon, both former champions, give or take if you hold Seldon up to be a legit titlist, have been retired since the mid-late 90's only to come back in the last two years. Same with Joe Hipp, as he came back in 2004.
Mike Tyson was also gone for over 3yrs only to regain a portion of the heavyweight title (WBA) by blasting out Frank Bruno in three rounds. Joe Frazier came back after 5yrs to face Floyd Jumbo Cummings, only being able to pull off a draw. Larry Holmes of course made several different late career comebacks. The first was against Tyson, the second when he faced Ray Mercer to get a shot at Holyfield, and then later on McCall and then dropped out of sight to come back in 2004 against Butterbean.
Then of course, maybe the longest span between fights, was in the case of the 'Kentucky Rosebud' Walter Edgerton as he came back in his 60's for a one time only fight against a man 20yrs his junior.
Felix Trinidad came back after two years against Ricardo Mayorga, jumping up two weight classes over his prime, and knocked Mayorga out in stunning fashion.
Jim Jefferies came back after 6yrs inactivity and shed over 100 pounds to face off against Jack Johnson, though in all actuality he didn't want no part of the fight. After he lost by TKO in the 15th round Jim Jefferies was quoted as saying "I hope they will leave me alone now."
That's all I can think of atm.
-
AndreWardFan2006
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 259
- Joined: 19 Oct 2005, 12:53
~Ward Fan~ -
generic screen name
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 631
- Joined: 11 Feb 2006, 16:28
Re: Fighters Who Came Back After Long Layoffs
He also had a two year layoff, and a six year layoff.Seamus wrote:.
Sugar Ray Leonard. Almost 3 years.
Thats a combined eleven year layoff.
-
tagjohnson
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 281
- Joined: 14 Jul 2005, 09:56
Ray Mancini's father
I don't know his first name or his record after his comeback but didn't Ray Mancini's father take time off to fight in WWII (including being wounded) and come back to pursue his career as a fighter?
Some MUCH, MUCH longer breaks listed on a thread I started a few years ago.
http://www.boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13760
http://www.boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13760
-
HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
-
BrocktonBlockbuster49
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 4900
- Joined: 29 May 2005, 00:32
-
HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Iono if you could really call it a successful come-back or not, but considering Joe Frazier was gone for over 5yrs, and even when he fought Ali in 1975 he had 20x150 vision in one of his eyes, so more or less half blind and old---came back in 1981.
His opponent? Ex-Convict Floyd 'Jumbo' Cummings, who had a huge muscular physique, almost body-builder like, who was a ranked fighter, facing the likes of Renaldo Snipes and beating a horde of preliminary fighters going 15-1 (13) when he faced Frazier.
The result? A 10 round draw.
Frazier didn't resume his come-back for obvious reasons, that he could not defeat a man who was slow and had stamina issues (Cumming's arms were so huge that he would tire himself out after throwing punches).
Cummings would later face the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Mitch 'Blood' Green and Frank Bruno---making him a journeyman/fringe contender.
His opponent? Ex-Convict Floyd 'Jumbo' Cummings, who had a huge muscular physique, almost body-builder like, who was a ranked fighter, facing the likes of Renaldo Snipes and beating a horde of preliminary fighters going 15-1 (13) when he faced Frazier.
The result? A 10 round draw.
Frazier didn't resume his come-back for obvious reasons, that he could not defeat a man who was slow and had stamina issues (Cumming's arms were so huge that he would tire himself out after throwing punches).
Cummings would later face the likes of Tim Witherspoon, Mitch 'Blood' Green and Frank Bruno---making him a journeyman/fringe contender.
-
HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Also, though Jack Dempsey did not make an official come-back to the ring, in the mid to late 30's he considered the possibility greatly, so much in fact he went on a world exhibition tour---having over 100 different exhibitions against the likes of even top contenders.
I will name some here:
Max Baer
Max Schmeling
Meyers 'KO' Christner
Art Lasky
Jack Roper
Alvin 'Babe' Hunt
Ed 'Bearcat' Wright
'Big' Bill Hartwell
The entire list of exhibitions he done can be found at CyberBoxingZone, most of the men he knocked out rather easily. The Baer/Schmeling exhibitions were more sparring than anything, but in 1940 he made a series of "comeback" exhibitions against the likes of professional wrestlers in actual boxing matches.
While he may have been 'over-the-hill' against Tunney, one thing remained certain, on this exhibition tour, he still was ferocious enough and tough enough and strong enough to beat several younger men who were ranked contenders---just showing me that Dempsey, if he chose the right opponent, could have made a successful comeback.
What would that right opponent be? More than likely someone who would have tried to come to Dempsey, someone who was not a mover.
Why he didn't come back officially is a matter of debate, but the most heard answer is that he failed to impress when he faced Kingfish Levinsky in an exhibition bout, who actually had the better of the exhibition, and Dempsey decided not to continue on with an actual come back, but did continue on his exhibition tour.
I will name some here:
Max Baer
Max Schmeling
Meyers 'KO' Christner
Art Lasky
Jack Roper
Alvin 'Babe' Hunt
Ed 'Bearcat' Wright
'Big' Bill Hartwell
The entire list of exhibitions he done can be found at CyberBoxingZone, most of the men he knocked out rather easily. The Baer/Schmeling exhibitions were more sparring than anything, but in 1940 he made a series of "comeback" exhibitions against the likes of professional wrestlers in actual boxing matches.
While he may have been 'over-the-hill' against Tunney, one thing remained certain, on this exhibition tour, he still was ferocious enough and tough enough and strong enough to beat several younger men who were ranked contenders---just showing me that Dempsey, if he chose the right opponent, could have made a successful comeback.
What would that right opponent be? More than likely someone who would have tried to come to Dempsey, someone who was not a mover.
Why he didn't come back officially is a matter of debate, but the most heard answer is that he failed to impress when he faced Kingfish Levinsky in an exhibition bout, who actually had the better of the exhibition, and Dempsey decided not to continue on with an actual come back, but did continue on his exhibition tour.
Jumbo Cummings got robbed in his fight with Joe Frazier. He trapped Frazier in a corner in the second round and hammered him so bad the referee asked Joe if he wanted to continue. No surprise Frazier had so much difficulty getting his license back at the time. For awhile, Frazier's handlers were talking about a fight on either an Indian reservation or in a 747. Good thing he ended his come back after that.
-
HomicideHenry
- Heavyweight
- Posts: 18722
- Joined: 08 Sep 2005, 00:43
Kinda like how Riddick Bowe is now, fighting on Indian Reservations fighting for peanuts against relatively 9th rate opposition---that last fight he had in my opinion was a major rip off, the crowd screamed bullshit and i was as well at home watching it on tv, when Bowe faced former Butterbean opponent Billy Zumbrun.Originally Posted by Seamus
Jumbo Cummings got robbed in his fight with Joe Frazier. He trapped Frazier in a corner in the second round and hammered him so bad the referee asked Joe if he wanted to continue. No surprise Frazier had so much difficulty getting his license back at the time. For awhile, Frazier's handlers were talking about a fight on either an Indian reservation or in a 747. Good thing he ended his come back after that.
Now Bowe is supposed to face Ronald Bellamy, the same man Joe Mesi just recently faced in his come-back, makes me wonder if Bowe is gunning for Mesi(?)