BoxRec

Pretty confident that I've fought at a level well below many on here, be interested to hear who the best person is you've been in the ring with. For me as a steady ex amateur, I've done a few rounds with an ex pro light middle Jon Hilton and come off far worse and years before an ex European light welter kick boxing champ called Ken Jackson (I think, ex Freestylers, Wolverhampton), I'd love to say I got the better of him, but first 20 seconds aside, I've taken a pasting. Spoken to ex pro's who've sparred with people as illustrious as Wilfred Benitez and Thomas Hearns, whose the best you've been in with?

For me probably Paul Lloyd world title challenger (got bashed up by Barrerra).

I sparred with the Peters brothers, Jimmy and Joey, many years back. Of course, Jimmy fought for the British light-heavyweight title, although he didn't fare too well.

I had a scrap with Shaun Ryder from the Happy Mondays in the bar of the Fitzwiliam hotel in Dublin once, does that count?

Cannibal wrote:I had a scrap with Shaun Ryder from the Happy Mondays in the bar of the Fitzwiliam hotel in Dublin once, does that count?

Please tell us more

Johnny Nelson. I could'nt hit him with a handful of rice + he makes you work and gets you tired really quickly. Wonderfull fighter.

big lennox wrote:Johnny Nelson. I could'nt hit him with a handful of rice + he makes you work and gets you tired really quickly. Wonderfull fighter.

are you carl baker?

probably Don Broadhurst - despite having several stone in weight on him his blazing quick hands and technique more then negated the weight/height differential.

For punch power Terry Adams. He might not have the best record of a puncher as a pro but the lad can bang!

Howard Eastman

Then one from Timmy Taylor, Tony Velinor or Graham Brett

Pat Thomas...complete nightmare :(

KO Artist wrote:Howard Eastman

Then one from Timmy Taylor, Tony Velinor or Graham Brett

Eastman is a spiteful puncher they reckon - he can hurt you big time.

Ajose and darren barker

Steve Ede, quickly realised that I wasn't going to be a decent amatuer!

Peter Nightingale, former Midland Area welterweight champion. He was one tough mother who went in with the likes of Jamie Moore, James Hare, Spencer McCracken, Eamonn Magee, etc. Just kept coming at me the whole time.

Tom Podmore.

James "Quick" Tillis, Gave Tyson a good go.
Alfonso Ratliff Cruiserweight Champ.

Some others who were tough
Lenny Lapaglia
Randy Smith
Johnny Lira
Louie Mateo
Henry Simms
Johnny Heard
William Clayton

A good one Ive witnessed was when Frank Bruno came to Chicago he stopped by the gym I trained in and went a few rounds with Tillis.
Id say Frank got the better of that session. It was 1983 before Frank became big.
Many people dont realize he fought in Chicago.
He was a real nice guy.

although ive never boxed amatuer nor proffesional, i once done a round sparring with micheal hunter, for what seemed like a laugh at the time. needless to say i wasnt laughing two minutes later

Gary Reid in 1999

Even though he was a small lightweight and I was a big middleweight ("filled out" to cruiser now lol).

Then again, he was a pro and I was a novice amateur, and was never going to be anything more.

I like Gary Reid, a good bloke it would seem.

In our gym it's usually Carl Froch or Jason Booth working out, plus some other good lads.

Always someone having a tear up.

Scott Gammer, although he did go light.

In the gym Floyd Havard, Kevin Evans, Matt Barr, Corneilius Carr also Miguel Matthews was brilliant n the gym.

Coco wrote:In the gym Floyd Havard,

There is a name I havent heard in YEARS. He had great talent and should have had even more success than he did.

Ricky Hatton

Neri

billy bessey wrote:for strentgh kevin bennett he was only a lightweight but he was so strong he smashed me up for 4 rounds and i can honestly say i have never taken such a beating in sparring off anyone even though he was only about 10st at the time i dont mind admitting i was seeing stars a fair few times in that spar.
for speed my brother everyone on the boxing team used to hate sparring him cos u couldnt land a glove on him and when you did manage to land one he would counter you with a 741 punch combination

Pity as a fight fan that Bennett retired, he could be in the mix at an exciting time for the Lightweights.

With me, Gammer wasn't necessarily the hardest opponent I had faced - but he was the biggest name. I had much more problems with the then WABA losing Middleweight finalists (used to rip to the body) but by true bogey fighter was a guy who was a decentish middleweight but moved to Light Heavy and made the WABA semi's. Very fast, I used to eat everything and being only small I would need to rely on my speed and reflexes. I used to go to pieces mentally before facing him and would fight a silly fight. When I had nothing to lose against Gammer I would be in an out and frustrate the big lad. Although I am sure if he would have gone hard, then I would have been done for.

Sugar Ray Leonard. Sparred with him prior to his second fight with Hearns. I was the reason he looked so bad in the fight. Well, I told him not to take liberties!