BoxRec

Have i had my head buried in the sand? Harry Simon is free and boxing again. Returned with an 8 rd decision earlier this month in Namibia.

Ws this news? Any word on his form, or condition?

I thought Simon had done something dodgy or dangerous and would be locked up for a very long time...?

Wasn't Simon involved in a car crash or something that resulted in a coupe of deaths?

I hope he never drives again!

He was good, he beat Winky, but he has wasted his best years

great fighter, could have earned millions, getting in the mix and beating the likes of Vargas and Trinidad and maybe even De La Hoya.

instead he got comfortable with the WBO title, allegedly drank too much and certainly drove too fast.

I met him several times and he is a nice guy, but its hard to condone what he did behind the wheel of the car (twice). Outrageous.

Best fighter out of Africa since Azumah Nelson (sorry, that includes you too Brian Mitchell).

Had the pleasure of watching him train at Jim McDonnell's old gym in Camden before one of his title defences and he did 12 flashy rounds on the pads and was brilliant. His handspeed was excellent and he used every punch in the book.

Very quietly spoken guy but an air of menace hung around him. Didn't have much to say and just got on with his training. He was trained Brian Mitchell too, who seemed a nice guy.

Remember Jimmy McDonnell, who had been in the frame to train him, said he was one for the ladies and was a real party animal.

Waste of talent but obviously a troubled individual - the accidents he was involved in make for gruesome reading if I remember correctly.

Is it pretty backwards over in Namibia? I remember a couple of years ago outisde a club in Leeds i was drunk and it was 3 in the morning and two eccentric African dudes approached me for God knows what reason. One of them claimed his name was Elvis, and he was wearing a gold silk shirt. So i had a little banter with them about this & that and kept looking over my shoulder, waiting for a 3rd one to sneak out of the darkness and clatter me with a pickaxe. They told me they were from Namibia and they found out i was training at a boxing gym. They kept telling me about "Arry Seemon, Arry Seemon" didnt have a fookin scoobies what they were on about. Then it clicked. "Oh! Harry Simon. The boxer. yeah he was champ". They seemed stunned i knew he was. I said "hes in prison now for driving offences, think he killed someone or something" They were amazed. "But how do you know these things? How can you possibly know these things??" I said "Internet". Their expressions just kind of clouded over. "oooooooh...?"

I don't think Simon can be prepared to Brian Mitchell. Brian went everywhere to defend his WBA title, and developed some of the finest skills seen in the modern era. This was a fine boxer of the highest order. Waym more sophisticated - though less physically intimidating -than the amazing Azumah.

Simon beat Winky, had a great fling over here, stopping Lueshing and Alexander, then went pear shaped, getting a lucky decision in America vs RODNEY JONES. He improved his lot by beating Cherifi and Krajnk, but it was clear that he'd been taking shortcuts in the skills department and may have been headed for a schooling by a Calzaghe or Hopkins.

Simon was a huge raw talent, with an emphasis on raw.

Could Harry Simon have derailed BHop? Say around 1999/2000 had the accident not happened

Apparently simon got a given decision! he won on point but the guy he fought had the better of him according to ringside reports!!

Formidable fighter, and Wayne Alexander gave him a run for his money and took the fight at short notice.

last tiime i saw simon he was limping around like a cripple and looked about 40.... (this was about 3 years ago)

He did love the parties you are right...

Could he have beat Hop?? maybe... he had great workrate, great chin, decent enough dig....at light middle i think he would have taken Vargas and Trinidad

Final Fight wrote:I don't think Simon can be prepared to Brian Mitchell. Brian went everywhere to defend his WBA title, and developed some of the finest skills seen in the modern era. This was a fine boxer of the highest order. Waym more sophisticated - though less physically intimidating -than the amazing Azumah.

Simon beat Winky, had a great fling over here, stopping Lueshing and Alexander, then went pear shaped, getting a lucky decision in America vs RODNEY JONES. He improved his lot by beating Cherifi and Krajnk, but it was clear that he'd been taking shortcuts in the skills department and may have been headed for a schooling by a Calzaghe or Hopkins.

Simon was a huge raw talent, with an emphasis on raw.

Good point and maybe I'm being hard on Mitchell who did have a long reign and fought all over the world

Maybe better if I'd said Simon had the potential to be the best fighter from Africa since Azumah Nelson.

DIRT SUGAR wrote:

Final Fight wrote:I don't think Simon can be prepared to Brian Mitchell. Brian went everywhere to defend his WBA title, and developed some of the finest skills seen in the modern era. This was a fine boxer of the highest order. Waym more sophisticated - though less physically intimidating -than the amazing Azumah.

Simon beat Winky, had a great fling over here, stopping Lueshing and Alexander, then went pear shaped, getting a lucky decision in America vs RODNEY JONES. He improved his lot by beating Cherifi and Krajnk, but it was clear that he'd been taking shortcuts in the skills department and may have been headed for a schooling by a Calzaghe or Hopkins.

Simon was a huge raw talent, with an emphasis on raw.

Good point and maybe I'm being hard on Mitchell who did have a long reign and fought all over the world

Maybe better if I'd said Simon had the potential to be the best fighter from Africa since Azumah Nelson.

oh, potentially he was right up there - you have to be fit as fvck to keep hitting Wright's arms and tire Wright out. Simon deserved to nick that class fight...I think we all knew how good Winky was back in 96-99, as he'd been on Eurosport and Sky Sports/Warren shows. Now the win looks even better and shows what such a high level Simon never quite managed. Awesome specimen, but I think whne he left Mitchell he just wanted to rush in throwing haymakers -sadly he wasn't a power puncher. He was awesome v Winky, shocking v Rodney Jones.

Had he kept at it, he would've been right up there with Vargas and Tito, on the p4p lists, IMO.

I've always maintained there was something not right (no pun) with Wright that night (sorry for all the rhyming).

He just didn't seeem comfortable all night long and seemed uncharacteristically tired. Simon was a formidable Light Middle who would have given a "right" Wright all kinds of problems (I had Simon a comfortable winner on the night) - however, Wright just didn't seem to have the snap. He reminded me of his later half performance vs Taylor all the way through vs Simon.

I think Simon could have certainly given Hopkins problems.... He did look like a non-puncher when stepping up to Middleweight (good little fight with Kranjc).... but I think he would have eventually filled the weight nicely and he had a tremendous workrate, chin and decent speed which might have got to Hopkins.

The rumoured match with Joe Calzaghe would have been a weight too far, but still couldn't write off Simon.

stujones wrote:I've always maintained there was something not right (no pun) with Wright that night (sorry for all the rhyming).

He just didn't seeem comfortable all night long and seemed uncharacteristically tired. Simon was a formidable Light Middle who would have given a "right" Wright all kinds of problems (I had Simon a comfortable winner on the night) - however, Wright just didn't seem to have the snap. He reminded me of his later half performance vs Taylor all the way through vs Simon.

I think Simon could have certainly given Hopkins problems.... He did look like a non-puncher when stepping up to Middleweight (good little fight with Kranjc).... but I think he would have eventually filled the weight nicely and he had a tremendous workrate, chin and decent speed which might have got to Hopkins.

The rumoured match with Joe Calzaghe would have been a weight too far, but still couldn't write off Simon.

altitude, and not adjusting to it. He went over to SA at the last minute.