Forgotten ATG win, 39 years old D1ck Tiger derails potential Nino Benvenuti superfight with Foster

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D1ck Tiger beats Nino who won the title vs Griffith (who controversially dethroned 37 year old Tiger which was blasted by Nat Fleischer citing MSG corruption).

At that point there was talks of Benvenuti testing the waters at 175lbs to fight with Bob Foster, at this point of time Nino Benvenuti was a very popular figure at MSG. Bob Foster Kayoed Andy Kendall a couple weeks before this upset loss to the aged ATG Tiger.

So Nino decided to fight a non title bout while as middleweight champion against former Middleweight/Light Heavyweight king D1ck Tiger who is seemingly washed up and just had an epic Ring Magazine FOTY against DePaula


Keep in mind Tiger was sick during these later years of his career and eventually died of liver cancer at age 42.


This win put a stop on Benvenuti's testing the waters at Lightheavyweight, he had constantly fought in this division during the past year and a half and this schooling Tiger gave was bigger than Hopkins vs Pavlik.

Bob Foster complained about lack of pay during his light heavyweight days, Other than Dick tiger there was not much money in that division, it's a reason why the supposed superfight the extremely popular Middleweight champ Benvenuti would've brought a huge live gate.

Foster sought to fight at heavyweight to pursue the larger purse and his big money fights were against Frazier and Ali.

 

Indeed, Foster missed out his big payday at 175 but Benvenuti isn't Tiger who is easily one of the most durable boxers of all time. He got cracked at age 38, never been counted out before then. Carter, Fernandez and Gonzales shots he ate.

@red cobra imagine the MGS seeing Foster viciously knockout local sensation Benvenuti who gained popularity during Ali's absense during exile.

 

Likewise @red cobra , the 60's and 70's are my favourite era.

It's a shame there wasn't a super middleweight division, Tiger would've really benefitted from that class given the fact that he never outweighed 168 as a lightheavyweight.

Tiger was simply weight drained vs Griffith and simply had to move up. He himself stated his worst fight was not against Foster who he outboxed before that vicious Kayo but his 2nd fight vs Griffith in which father plan really struck.

Benvenuti like Toney were hot and cold fighters.

 

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Tiger without a doubt is top 6 fighter of the 1960's. Alongside Saldivar, Ortiz, Ali, Jofre and Harada. Too many controversial wins for Griffith at Maddison square gardens (vs Tiger, LMH Series) renders him outside top 5.