Folks, I'm killing time tonight since I refuse to spring $60 PPV dollars for "Hops-Dawson," and have decided to use my new Samsung VCR / DVD machine to record my video of "Ali-Berbick" onto a DVD... I actually bought the video called, "The Last Hurrah" from Tower Records back years ago, so I'm getting all the pre-fight hub-bub and post-fight stuff, too... I admit, Ali at age 39 looks flabby, soft and slowed dearly at 236 pounds. Meanwhile, Trevor Berbick at age 27 looks ripped, stocky and strong as a bull at 218 pounds... Overall, a so-so 10 round battle that,, in my view, was basically a heated sparring session, more so than a true fight... I scored for Berbick 6 to 4 over 10 rds against Muhammad Ali... Donald Dunphy along with guest Davey Pearl called the bout for Selectv... bbb:|:yep SR.BILLARDO:hat
Do u happen 2 also have Harding-Tarver #1 / Norris-McCall / Tarver-Reggie Johnson / Tucker-McCall / Ferguson-Tucker / Norris-Ferguson on video ?
Even by 81 standards, that bout was pretty much guys barely making the top 10 fighting each other. You sure knew you weren't watching the best the division had to offer, were you?
I have "Tarver-Harding 2" and "Tucker-McCall" on video.... As for Orlin Norris and Jesse Fergy, well, I only taped their fights in which the bout meant something.... Norris was boring, yet slick on ESPN in the 1980s.... Ferguson was limited, but owned left hook power, yet usually lost the fight.... MR.BILL:bbb
Well, not-so-clever Trevor Berbick did take Lawrence Holmes 15 rds earlier in 1981, so Berbick was a solid contender after edging Ali in Dec. 1981... Plus, Berbick upset Greg Page in June 1982.... I liked Berbick MR.BILL:hat
That was after the blowout loss to Mercado. He was hardly looked at as a diamond of a prospect or anything. Just a durable guy that can spring an upset or 2 but a Botha type guy that is beatable by the divisions elite. The fight I wanted to see him in instead of that Ali bout was Cooney. Berbick was beatable but a physically strong guy and he makes Gerry work for the win. A winnable fight for Cooney and some top 10 polishing against youth and Berbick was no puncher. But maybe that Berbick strength and conditioning see him make the Cooney parachute open late. Or, it goes the distance and a lot of hype disappears from that Cooney mystique. But that Berbick had lots of strange fights--ST Gordon. Page breaking his hand. Thomas showing up with nothing. Trying to outslug Tyson. Hitting Tate in the back of the head like that---can you imagine a guy in current boxing not getting dq'd for that?
Tarver-Harding 2 is on youtube as well but is there a chance that someday u will upload tucker-mccall & norris-fegusson ?
Trevor Berbick once claimed (straight after being KO'd in 1 round by Bernardo Mercado)...."I proved I could take his best shot"
Bernardo Mercado was another fly-by-night pretender... He had power, but little else... He beat Shavers and Berbick, but lost to Leon Stinks... MR.BILL
The older the fight gets from 1981, the better Ali looks at 236 pounds.... Back in 1981, I thought Ali looked a slob at 236 pounds with loose flesh dangling from his sides.... Still, he'd have been better off for Berbick at around 228 back then........ The 218 Ali weighed for Holmes in 1980 was too light..... Though it wasn't gonna make a difference...... No way Ali of 1980 could beat Lawrence Holmes that year...... No way, Jose..... SR.BILL