Boxers who wore tassels

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, Sep 27, 2022.


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  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Seems like this was the fashion for some guys for a while. I’m not sure as many do it today or maybe I just don’t notice.

    The idea of having tassels on one’s boots, of course, is to accentuate the visual of footwork. So usually slow-footed fighters, plodders and such don’t really bother with them.

    Here’s a few who did but I’m hoping we can put together a good list, and especially see what the earliest instance of his fashion accessory we can find is.

    1) Muhammad Ali. I believe the last time he wore them was in the FOTC against Frazier, but he definitely had them on that night.

    2) Ray Leonard. And man did that shuffle look good when those tassels were dazzling.

    3) Kevin Kelley. Just happened to notice him wearing them in some fight. Not a guy I would have suspected.

    4) Howard Davis Jr. Wore what I’d call ‘traditional’ tassels, the kinds that have one set (like you’d see in a graduation cap) on each foot, tied into the laces. The others above had them where they draped around the entire lower leg, at least in a few isolated instances I’ve spot-checked.

    Hector Camacho sometimes had some kind of fringe at the top of his boots but I’m not sure they were properly what could be called tassels because it looks like they’re more part of the footwear than something added. Perhaps someone can isolate a fight where he was wearing pure tassels or make an argument that he’s wearing them.

    So who else bedazzled with tassels? And what was the first known instance of a boxer using them? Who’s the originator of this fancy trend?
     
    Saintpat, Sep 27, 2022
    Saintpat, Sep 27, 2022
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  2. Charles White

    Charles White Chucker Full Member

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    Riddick Bowe sometimes had tassels on his boots.
     
    Charles White, Sep 27, 2022
    Charles White, Sep 27, 2022
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  3. Flo_Raiden

    Flo_Raiden Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Usually fighters with the more flashy style were known to wear tassels. Meldrick Taylor and Roy Jones Jr wore tassels. Sumbu Kalambay usually wore tassels as well.
     
    Flo_Raiden, Sep 27, 2022
    Flo_Raiden, Sep 27, 2022
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  4. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Sorry to stray from tassels for a second but staying on boots at least, Julius Francis having advertising on the soles of his shoes was a hoot - very pessimistic also but right on the money.
     
    Pugguy, Sep 27, 2022
    Pugguy, Sep 27, 2022
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  5. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Pretty sure Greg Page wore tassels - certainly in line with his Ali dancing act.

    I typed in Greg Page on YouTube - all I got was the Yellow Skivvy guy from the Wiggles.

    With that, my diligent research was over before it even began. “Hot potato, hot potato…..”.

    Greg Page was the Wiggle who had a heart attack on stage,…shortly thereafter, the Wiggles came out with their new song - “Defribrillator, defribillator…” - yes, easy to imagine the accompanying hand actions for that little number….but I digress, yet again…
     
    Pugguy, Sep 27, 2022
    Pugguy, Sep 27, 2022
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  6. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Not to get in between you and your beloved Wiggles, but I usually search any boxer with a common name or the name of someone famous withe name and ‘boxer’ and it tends to work out.

    And you are correct about the boxer Greg Page, wearing the old school style here:

    This content is protected


    Now, back to the Wiggles:

    This content is protected
     
    Saintpat, Sep 27, 2022
    Saintpat, Sep 27, 2022
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  7. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    LOL. You got me. Outed. A closet Wiggle fan. That’s me.

    Please keep that one just between you, I and the gate post good neighbour.

    Greg Page might not sound too unique I guess but I reckon it’s only that one “other” Greg Page who’s throwing a wrench or spanner into the works. If he didn’t exist maybe, just maybe the true Greg Page would rise to the top.

    Not that it wasn’t a good thing that Wiggle Greg survived the cardiac arrest - it was - but even if he no longer existed (Read: had gone to the land of the Wiggles Invisible) he still would’ve held as top search result and likely more so - his passing being his first step toward becoming a potential saint in the world of children’s entertainment.

    Yellow Wiggle’s required miracle is already in hand - making so much freaking $$$ just for remedial, instructional singing and acting like a goose. Like turning water into wine. I do that goof off sh*t everyday for nothing! I don’t own a brightly coloured skivvy though - maybe that’s the missing ingredient. Time to sign up as the black Wiggle and drop the acid of life’s true realities on those kids - mak’em grow up real fast.

    There’s that “other” Jack Johnson also who often stands between me and my beloved Lil Arthur.

    Without qualifying “boxer” in the search field, THE boxer Jack Johnson rated just one thumbnail out of 6, the rest were allocated to the so so singer (alright then, he’s not too bad). Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
     
    Pugguy, Sep 28, 2022
    Pugguy, Sep 28, 2022
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  8. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Yellow Wiggles didn’t have the footwork to pull off tassels. We know who the real Greg Page is.
     
    Saintpat, Sep 28, 2022
    Saintpat, Sep 28, 2022
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  9. Bulldog24

    Bulldog24 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Ultimate Warrior and Texas Tornado
     
    Bulldog24, Sep 28, 2022
    Bulldog24, Sep 28, 2022
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  10. Titan1

    Titan1 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Michael Dokes, IIRC.
     
    Titan1, Dec 9, 2022
    Titan1, Dec 9, 2022
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  11. Bronze Tiger

    Bronze Tiger Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Clubber Lang
     
    Bronze Tiger, Dec 9, 2022
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  12. BUDW

    BUDW Boxing Addict Full Member

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    curry
     
    BUDW, Dec 9, 2022
    BUDW, Dec 9, 2022
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  13. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Glad to see this topic get a second life.

    So far Muhammad Ali seems to be the first we’ve named to wear tassels.

    I did a spot check to see if Willie Pep (who would have been a natural in them) or Ray Robinson did and at least in the film I looked at (highlight reels so several fights) nothing turned up.

    Could Ali be the cutting-edge fashion innovator who introduced the tassel to boxing?
     
    Saintpat, Dec 9, 2022
    Saintpat, Dec 9, 2022
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  14. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    Felix Tito Trinidad.
     
    Richard M Murrieta, Dec 10, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, Dec 10, 2022
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  15. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Mitch 'Blood' Green rocked tassels at times. So did Terry Norris and the 'King of Sting' Apollo Creed.
     
    Sangria, Dec 10, 2022
    Sangria, Dec 10, 2022
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