Duane Bobick’s best win

Was Wepner at that age possibly better than Ledoux? It wasn't too long after going 15 with Ali.

 

Duane’s best win was over Teofilo Stevenson in the 1971 Pan Am Games (later avenged in the Olympics). For a time he’s the best amateur heavyweight in the world and probably would have been atop any mythical P4P amateur ratings if such existed at the time. Quite a feat.

As an amateur he also beat Larry Holmes, Mike Weaver, Leroy Jones, Dino Dennis and some other notables.

In the pro ranks, I’d rate his best wins in this order:

1. Scott LeDoux I

2. Chuck Wepner

3. Mike Weaver

4. Bunny Johnson

5. Fred Houpe

6. Mike Schutte

7. Scott LeDoux 2

8. Randy Neumann

Not a rogue’s gallery but not terrible either.

Weaver is an interesting one. Yes, Hercules got off to a bad start and was 6-6 after this fight, but it was his first turning point as he went on an eight-fight win streak after this that included victories over then-undefeated Bill Sharkey, Pedro “Spider Rico” Lovell, a once-beaten guy named Fonomanu Young Sekona, useful trail horse Jody Ballard and a few other decent journeymen who probably would have bested him earlier in his career. I think Weaver actually took encouragement from lasting into the seventh round with Bobick as Duane had stopped him in one round in the amateurs and Mike immediately turned things around after this.

 

That Bobick-Houpe fight was really a clinic given by Houpe as a tutorial on "How to never miss with a right."

 

Amongst this 'B' list I would also add in Larry Middleton. He wasn't that far removed from his time in the top ten and, although totally outclassed by Bobick, Larry went on to give Ken Norton and Scott LeDoux 2 tough fights.

 

I just watched and scored it in the What Fights Did You Watch Today/Scorecard thread. Embedded video link for those interested.

 

You know it could well be Bunny Johnson! he was like ranked #3 or #4 only less than a year earlier, and that was as a heavyweight!

Bunny Johnson would have to be in there as Duane's MOST DIFFICULT victory. BESIDES Houpe (Bobick won like 6-4 over ten rounds). LeDoux , Middleton, Schutte, Wepner, barely won a round if any.

 

Ronny, if Bunny broke into Ring's ratings it was way down there around #10 or so. I do not recall him ever attaining anything of the high standard you mention. If I was to take a wild stab at the highest rated fighter Duane beat, I might say Randy Neumann, who had recently beaten Boone Kirkman. And Randy would have been towards the lower limbs as well. However, this is not to say Bunny didn't achieve a ranking like you mentioned in Boxing Illustrated or one of the WB's at the time (we only had 2 at the time). Just not Ring Magazine.

 

The best fight I ever saw Duane in was against a young and not-yet-trialhorsed Tom Prater. Used to be a copy up on YouTube. Prater was pretty slick and Bobick pushed through with him. Good win for that time in his career.

 

You need to brush up on your Ring Magazines Scartissue (lol) -Wepner was ranked higher than Neumann, #9 and #10 . Time of the Bobick fights (this is

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) Bobick's highest rated victory was Chuck Wepner.

Bunny Johnson was HW ranked 1975 let me see. (I knew this at the time).
Issue
Apr 75 ..#10
May 75 ..#10
Jun 75 ..#7
Jul 75 ..#7
Aug 75 ..#6
Sep 75 ..#4
Oct 75 ..#4
Nov 75 ..#5 ---- Jan 76-Neumann #10
Dec 75 ..#10----Feb 76-Neumann #10
Johnson lost in 15 to Richard Dunn.

 

Whatever ranking Bunny may have attained, he surely lost it eight months earlier when he lost the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles to Richard Dunn by 15-round decision. He then had a win and a draw before fighting Bobick.

As for Neumann, the AP noted Bobick’s No. 10 world ranking in its report on their fight and called Neumann a journeyman — if he had been ranked surely the promotion would have played that up.

 

Keep in mind issues are dated three months ahead of production — so a September issue would reflect ratings as of July.

 

Duane Bobick : 'Ten Count' Record 2-2 (2 KO)
vs Ranked Top Ten Opponents -(Ring Magazine).................Bobick Ranked

12/12/75...........Randy Neumann .# 10............KO 4...............# 7
10/02/76...........Chuck Wepner .....# 9.............KO 6...............# 4
05/11/77...........Ken Norton ..........# 3...........KO by 1............# 5
02/04/78...........Kallie Knoetze ......# 8...........KO by 3............# 5

Note: 'Big' John Tate was not ranked by Ring when he fought Duane Bobick.
And achieved a number # 10 Ranking after the win.
WBA
02/17/79.............John Tate............# 4............KO by 1............# 6

 

For his biggest victory of what his opponents of what they acheived during their careers (victories) Would have to be then Unrankned unheralded and yet ended up with World Championship- Mike Weaver. Of Bobick's amateurs career wins. 1. Yuri Nesterov, 2. Teofilo Stevensen 3.Nick Wells, 4. Larry Holmes. amng others.