BoxRec

Say a vacant world title pops up around 1998-99, two world ranked UK middleweights to contest over 12 rds in London, who comes out on top between the two Mr Nice Guys..?

Woodhall, comfortably. One was world class (especially as a middle) the other was European class.

Look how well Silvio Branco has done since the Woodhall fight. Woodhall was never the same fighter after his injury, with I think occured in his Keith Holmes defeat - but still went on to win the WBC belt at Super Middle.

Its a fight that should have happend, given they were both from the same area.

Fight would never be in London. Given one is a staunch Baggies supporter, and the other a Blue - I'm not sure of a suitable (neutral) venue, but it would have to be in Brummie land somewhere.

I think it would be a very tight affair - I personally don't think Woodhall was much better than McCracken...if at all.

Agree with Woodhall against Branco though, that was Woodhall at his absolute best - Very good performance.

McCracken was out of the ring for far too long in parts of his career, and for me never really showed his true potential.

Woodhall!!

Twinkle Toes wrote: McCracken was out of the ring for far too long in parts of his career, and for me never really showed his true potential.

Spot on. The lad was inactive for long periods all too frequently. McCracken was an underrated fighter, anyone remember him in his younger days gettin smashed by Ensley Bingham's lethal left hook? For about 6 seconds McCracken was sat on his arse against the ropes with his eyes in orbit - fair play to the lad he got up and banged out a good victory - very tough.

Woodhall was a very good operator, certainly his career excelled that of McCracken's - but in saying that McCracken's early career was very promising.

If nothing else the action outside the ring would have been as lively as the action in the ring. Those Zulu Warriors were/are fukin berserk.

rob had to kill himself to make the weight, im not convinced woodhall had too.

Woodhall was at his best around '94/'95, before the elbow and shoulder problems (he'd of beaten Keith Holmes if he could of extended the elbow, and he'd of beaten Julian Jackson 18 months earlier when he became mandatory).

He only continued boxing to try to secure his future (money), training and fighting through the pain, all the while studying media I think for a career after boxing (and becoming BBC Radio pundit after he beat Malinga).

I don't think Richie was ever at his best post-Holmes (or against Holmes), he shouldn't of even been in the ring that night against Holmes, it was against doctors orders. But, he was still competent enough to beat McCracken to the punch for 12 rounds, although McCracken wasn't a 68?

Id go for Woodhall, he had more class imo.

British Olympic medallists dont come along too often.. .Too win a medal in the 80s when the communist countries were at the peak (although cuba boycotted 1988) is a tremendous achivement and shows the class Woodhall had.... To win gold that year he would have had to beat RJJ and the bent Korean judges!!!!

His pro career was impressive and I think he would have beaten McCracken who for one reason or other never got the big fights when he was at his peak... His zulu fans caused him a lot of trouble in my opinion. Remember when Benn fought Jimenez in Birmingham and there was a mini riot in the crowd during the fight....

knockout wrote:British Olympic medallists dont come along too often.. .Too win a medal in the 80s when the communist countries were at the peak (although cuba boycotted 1988) is a tremendous achivement and shows the class Woodhall had.... To win gold that year he would have had to beat RJJ and the bent Korean judges!!!!

Didn't Woodhall lose to Jones Jnr in the Semi-finals in 1988?
*Edit: I misread your post. My bad.

Good fantasy match-up.

Woodhall for me. He was a real championship boxer with the proven track record and skills.

McCracken would have become world champion too had he (post-Holmes) been presented with World title competition like Sugarboy Malinga and Vincenzo Nardiello, dont you think?

I think Woodhall would struggle to beat McCracken, considering McCracken was able to give a big puncher like Howard Eastman a hard time despite a long layoff.

Luck was on Woodhalls side, and not McCracken from what i can see.

Woodhall boses his head off

knockout wrote:British Olympic medallists dont come along too often...

Take nothing away from Ritchie Woodhall's outstanding Olympic achievements - But the selection of British boxers to compete in the Olympics games has been nothing short of disgraceful.

People like Joe Calzaghe and Naseem Hamed were shafted by the system.

Id argue that if the the selection of British Olympic fighters had been what it should have been, there would have been a lot more British fighters with Olympic medals.

Neville Brown and Wayne Ellis claim that they had more right to be in Seoul over Richie.

Believe it or not, but Richie never won a national title of any kind in the amateurs! However, he was an England rep.

I know there was some issue between Adrian Dodson and Robin Reid in 1992. Dodson claiming he was better but forced to fight at the wrong weight to accomodate the both.... but wasn't Dodson around in 1988 also? Was he a rival to Woodhall in the unpaid ranks?

Greg Nicholas wrote:Neville Brown and Wayne Ellis claim that they had more right to be in Seoul over Richie.

Believe it or not, but Richie never won a national title of any kind in the amateurs! However, he was an England rep.

Neville beat Richie earlier in the year (1988).... not sure what made the selectors mind.. they probably thought Richie's style was more suited to international boxing (and on this occasion they were probably right)

stujones wrote:I know there was some issue between Adrian Dodson and Robin Reid in 1992. Dodson claiming he was better but forced to fight at the wrong weight to accomodate the both.... but wasn't Dodson around in 1988 also? Was he a rival to Woodhall in the unpaid ranks?

Dodson boxed for another country, Guyuana through parentage I think, in 88 before representing GB in 92. The Grim REaper was GB captain in 92 and was well worth his birth for my money - he boxed well to earn his bronze.

TerribleTerry wrote:

stujones wrote:I know there was some issue between Adrian Dodson and Robin Reid in 1992. Dodson claiming he was better but forced to fight at the wrong weight to accomodate the both.... but wasn't Dodson around in 1988 also? Was he a rival to Woodhall in the unpaid ranks?

Dodson boxed for another country, Guyuana through parentage I think, in 88 before representing GB in 92. The Grim REaper was GB captain in 92 and was well worth his birth for my money - he boxed well to earn his bronze.

Calzaghe might have struck gold. Joe was fornicating GOOD.

I wanted Rod Douglas to stay on and go to Seoul, but he was so tempted to get back in the ring with Nigel Benn that he turned pro.

Douglas was robbed against Shawn O'Sullivan at the '84 Olympics if I remember, and then O'Sullivan robbed against Frank Tate in the final.

Cheers guys, what weight was Dodson in 1988. Did he ever fight Woodhall as an amateur?

Greg Nicholas wrote:

TerribleTerry wrote:

stujones wrote:I know there was some issue between Adrian Dodson and Robin Reid in 1992. Dodson claiming he was better but forced to fight at the wrong weight to accomodate the both.... but wasn't Dodson around in 1988 also? Was he a rival to Woodhall in the unpaid ranks?

Dodson boxed for another country, Guyuana through parentage I think, in 88 before representing GB in 92. The Grim REaper was GB captain in 92 and was well worth his birth for my money - he boxed well to earn his bronze.

Calzaghe might have struck gold. Joe was effing GOOD.

I know he was - I watched him bang his way to 3 consecutive ABA titles at 3 consecutive weight categories. He beat some good men on the way to those titles too.

Maybe his moving weights each season went against him? Reid was an excellent rep in my eyes, although as you say maybe JC could have been better,,

Yeah, Joe beat guys like Dean Francis, Glenn Catley and Jason Matthews along the way - future European and World champions in the pros.

And he didn't just beat them, he beat them up.

knockout wrote:His zulu fans caused him a lot of trouble in my opinion. Remember when Benn fought Jimenez in Birmingham and there was a mini riot in the crowd during the fight....

Yes I do, I was there. Things got a little scary for a while. As soon as the Foster - McCracken fight was announced for the undercard I felt there may be trouble as both fighters fans had a 'reputation'.

overhand_right wrote:McCracken would have become world champion too had he (post-Holmes) been presented with World title competition like Sugarboy Malinga and Vincenzo Nardiello, dont you think?

I think Woodhall would struggle to beat McCracken, considering McCracken was able to give a big puncher like Howard Eastman a hard time despite a long layoff.

Luck was on Woodhalls side, and not McCracken from what i can see.

I followed both these fighters careers and saw maybe all of there TV fights. I also watched then both from ringside several times. This would be a tough, competative fight but I would have to favoure Richie Woodhall on points. I just think the naturally bigger Woodhall had the slightly better skills and would be able to outbox McCracken. I'm also not sure that McCracken had the one shot power to seriously trouble Woodhall. True, McCracken gave Eastman a good fight but he also struggled with the likes of Paul Wesley.

Woodhall on points for me.