How good was Oscar Bonavena?

Good summation of Bonavena's fighting style.

 

Gave everyone a tough day at the office. Longtime contender in the division.

 

Oscar definitely would've given George fits if they fought in 72 or 73.

 

Bad choice of words, I meant awkward, but tough and very determined..

Too bad he had a short life..

 

Bonavena had 8 fights... Folley had almost 80.

 

Ive always thought this as well. If Foreman couldnt get him out of there early (and that wasnt easy to do) I think this could have been a very rough night for George. Oscar fought in these spurts that featured bull rushes and threw punches from all angles. The only thing that might have made it easier for George is that by that time his stamina wasnt as good.

 

Was at the fight the thing I remember most was when Folley hit him with a stiff right he made faces as if annoyed that he got hit. He was a funny guy always quick to laugh, I saw his pro debut and all his fights in NYC, he was rushed big time but somehow he survived to give most guys hell.

 

Yeah he had a strange career. He was mismanaged early. I think they knew they had a headcase on their hands after he bit that guy and got DQd in the Pan Am games. They were probably trying to move him quickly to cash in and the realized they may actually have something in him. When he went back to Argentina he was constantly getting into it with boxing commission there and promoters. Definately a wild man. Sometimes he seemed like this badass Mike Tyson type and the other times he seemed like he had the mind of a child.

 

Yes bonavena was a green but Folley was also on the wrong side of 30.

It was oscars management who made the choice to throw Oscar in with Folley. They thought Oscar was ready for him, they thought Folley would outworked by the younger man and beaten down

"I goofed. I thought Folley was all washed up. I thought Folley would tire and Oscar would be able to nail him. It's my fault. Oscar's not ready yet. I guess it's back to lesser opposition for a while." -Marv Goldberg, Bonavena's manager

Folley didn't judt best him, he won every round. The fight is on YouTube, Folley is so slick


Lastly. Oscar was a very good young fighter. Prior to fighting Folley he knocked out world title challenger tom mcneeley. Also the same year he fought Folley, he defeated contenders billy Daniels and Gregorio peralta. Bonavena even at that stage was a live fighter

 

Very good fighter. Tough, cagey awkwardly skilled. Lot of good posts on him in this thread. Not an easy out for anyone. Movie called Love ranch was made few years back about his death and affair. Joe Pesci played conforte.

 

A great example of Oscar's umpredictability and awkward cleverness was his bout with Chuvalo. The boxing writers of the time were expecting a clash of two army tanks,...a toe to toe, head to head slugfest, instead, Oscar "danced" around George...outboxing him...in truth, though it was a very close fight, Chuvalo made Bonavena look like Willie Pep. A smart fight for Oscar, and a good win.

 

God you are the king of ridiculous spin when it suits your agenda. Nothing is going to change the fact that Folley had ten times the amount of fights that Bonavena did and Oscar had been 10 rounds only once in his career. Whether he beat Daniels (who won 1 of his last 9) or Peralta (a LHW) is immaterial. If it impresses you that an 80 fight veteran who had just beaten Zech, Chuvalo, and drawn with Mildenberger outboxed a guy with only 8 fights to his name who had been 10 once then our standards a bit different for what constitutes impressive.

 

Guys do get rushed .. people overlook that Frazier had only 11 pro fights under his own belt when he was thrown in the ring with the far more experienced Bonavena coming off that Chuvalo win ..

 

Thats not the point. The point is that Folley beating an 8 fight Bonavena isnt the same as beating the Bonavena from the late 1960s and early 1970s. Anymore than Bonavena kicking Folleys ass later when Folley was shot means anything

 

It's my point, not yours. As far as that fight goes Oscar did not look so different to me. He was strong and in good shape. Zora had a fast , strong right hand and that shot rocked Oscar just like Ellis would do years later. Of course Oscar would be better in ten or fifteen fights for sure but it still was a dominate, impressive performance by Folley.