BoxRec

There's one sentence on the late former WBA Heavyweight Champion John Tate beat the great puncher Earnie Shavers in his early pro career, but in reality he never fought Shavers and Jim Amato should check Tate's career records before he could publish it.

kovit wrote:There's one sentence on the late former WBA Heavyweight Champion John Tate beat the great puncher Earnie Shavers in his early pro career, but in reality he never fought Shavers and Jim Amato should check Tate's career records before he could publish it.

Why let facts get in the way of a good story?

Fiction is as good as fact to members of our smirking media as they display their "expertise."

I think of Tate as basically an early 80s version of Wladimir Klitschko.

I seem to recall Big John was not very good at reading and writing and whilst an amateur away from home his team mates would often do his reading and writing for him (letters home etc).

KOJOE90 wrote:I seem to recall Big John was not very good at reading and writing and whilst an amateur away from home his team mates would often do his reading and writing for him (letters home etc).

Very sad story.

But he did stop Duane Bobick in one round, and also won a Don King "title."

Tate was a good fighter, far from great but a good solid fighter, however his brutal KO loss as an amateur in early 76 to Emory Chapman was quite stunning.

KOJOE90 wrote:I seem to recall Big John was not very good at reading and writing and whilst an amateur away from home his team mates would often do his reading and writing for him (letters home etc).

I think Howard Davis Jr did this in the Olympics.

KOJOE90 wrote:Tate was a good fighter, far from great but a good solid fighter, however his brutal KO loss as an amateur in early 76 to Emory Chapman was quite stunning.

However, he did edge Marvin Stinson, Michael Dokes, and Greg Page(twice) during his brief time as an amateur.

kovit wrote:There's one sentence on the late former WBA Heavyweight Champion John Tate beat the great puncher Earnie Shavers in his early pro career, but in reality he never fought Shavers and Jim Amato should check Tate's career records before he could publish it.

Actually he was referring to Walter Santemore beating Shavers. I had to read it twice as well. He sort of ran that sentence quickly.

Scartissue

scartissue wrote:

kovit wrote:There's one sentence on the late former WBA Heavyweight Champion John Tate beat the great puncher Earnie Shavers in his early pro career, but in reality he never fought Shavers and Jim Amato should check Tate's career records before he could publish it.

Actually he was referring to Walter Santemore beating Shavers. I had to read it twice as well. He sort of ran that sentence quickly.
Scartissue

He "sort of" showed that

he is a sloppy, careless writer who is far less than competent on the topic he claims to be an "expert" on.

Tate was a talented boxer with some power. I always thought the Fates played a trick on Gerrie Coetzee in his loss to Tate on the Big Stage. There was one point early in the fight where I felt the big Afrikanner hurt Tate but failed to follow up because he slipped on the rain-soaked canvas. The commentator mentioned that Tate was wearing rubber-soled shoes and had better traction in the rain. It must've been Coetzee's karma.

Cap

Tate and Cooney may have been a decent fight, provided Tate got out of the early rounds.