Les Darcy's Depth Of Resume Is Really Suprising

What is your opinion of Cocoa Kid decisively winning his series against Holman Williams 8-3-1?

 

Seems to be the case. He looked very good on film too, although I've only seen the Bobo Olsen bout.

 

I was talking to JJ Johnston about this one recently (he's in the process of penning a Williams bio). Cocoa seems to have had Holman's number, though their bouts were usually pretty closely contested.

 

So Cocoa started out at LW, was probably a natural WW, tall at 5'10 and was a boxer/puncher. Williams got most his success against him when crowding and forcing the fight inside. That all correct?

 

To be fair the average Aussie knows bugger all about boxing. Boxing is at best a marginal sport in Australia largely due to the sideshow surrounding Mundine, Green and just recently the Sonny Bill Williams-Frans Botha debacle. Boxing gets very little mainstream media exposure and when it does it's generally because of Mundines mouth or some farcical situation. Legitmate fighters like Geale, Darchinyan and Bika get stuff all publicity here but hopefully that will change one day.

Until Fenech came along Darcy was the consensus choice as Australia's best fighter, in part because of his youth, his soap opera story and his early demise. Die hard fight fans here revere him (some do take it too far though) and in my opinion deservedly so. He was a phenom for what he did at such a tender age and who knows what he may have gone on to achieve.

 

That sounds about right if my memory serves. I have a breakdown somewhere from one of their New Orleans fights that explains it pretty well. If I find I'll post.

 

Les Darcy had his last fight when he was still 20 years and 11 months old against George Chip, who he Koed.

 

Wow thanks for that never knew he died young.

 

If you want some more info on Darcy see these links

In Search of Les Darcy In America - [url]http://www.darcy-niland.com.au/LesDarcy.html[/url]

The Major Fights of Les Darcy - [url]http://www.the-rathouse.com/2008/darcy-fights.html[/url]

Les Darcy (The Maitland Warrior) Documentary - [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXzWQB55vmM[/url]

 

Where is you sarcasm emoticon?

 

Which one is that?

 

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Little Cocoa gave away mondo lbs to Georgie Freedom Abrams and could have easily been awarded the decision. Of course he wasn't.
He was an astounding fighter!

 

I am not so sure that there wasnt a time where Griffo, Jackson and Fitzsimmons also filled this role. Given that two of these three werent born in Australia, it is little wonder that Darcy became number one, especially as time past.

When you look at what he did at his age, i dont think that there is any other fighter in the world who had done as much by the same age. Taht is an achievement.

When you consider that at the time of his death, he would have probably been the favourite if he had fought fights with Greb, Dillon, Gibbons brothers, even Dempsey. Then the mind boggles as to just how good he could have been in another 4 or 5 years. And i doubt he could care less about the colour line, so he coudl have added old versions of the likes of Langford, Johnson etc. That just leaves the Giants of the day like Willard and Fulton (dont think we need to open that can of worms). Suffice to say, if he continued as he was, and/or improved as much as the likes of Greb did then he really did have the chance to be considered the standout greatest ever.

Of course, one has to consider that with his inactive last year, the likelihood is that he wouldnt have continued to figth as often as Greb and maintain the hunger and improvement but, even based on what he did do, he is a lot better than most people realised.

 

Look at what Terry McGovern had done up to March 1901, when he turned 21. Darcy wasn't anywhere close to that.