He fought Keith Holmes with a recently fractured elbow that needed surgery, he wouldn't have surgery as it would have delayed the fight. Bizarrely he also fought Joe Calzaghe with a stress fracture of the spine. Joe stopped him in 10 after Richie kept him honest for half hour giving him a hard night. I asked Richie what he thought the result would have been without the injury, he said said Joe by UD, I think he realised that there's just levels to the game. Richie was actually a very accomplished fisherman as was his dad. They used to get me tickets for the fights and they always got a deal on the tackle.
Yeah, guess we don't know the whole story - if Tibbs said "I'll train you if you come on your own" then you could understand that. Giving up altogether is odd when he'll clearly train lesser fighters.
He’s getting older now, he’s seen all sorts and he probably can’t be dealing with the bollocks that comes with certain boxers.
Great contacts to have there. I remember the injury, he had floating loose bits of elbow bone that was impacting his performance. He was unlucky to get stopped in the 12th.
Holmes camp also did every trick in the book, put them in crap hotels, small beds, poor food, fire alarms going off etc. A fit Woodhall would have got a UD back home in Telford I think. I'll post a great story about his dad later
Sounds like a Don King promoted boxer there! I was surprised and disappointed when he lost so convincingly to Hopkins a few years later (I’m not a fan of Hopkins). Look forward to your story. Top man.
Lennie, Richies dad came into the tackle shop to buy some stuff, and we got chatting boxing. He said "if you wanna win some big money the weekend, back Juliius Francis to beat Pele Reid by KO , Reid is big odds on, but he'll get knocked out by Francis cause he's got a glass chin" I said how do you know that Lennie? He said " I'm training the c**t " he's getting dropped all day in sparring He said beg borrow or steal whatever you can and lump on Francis KO. Sweet as a nut Francis KO3
Haha, hope you had some good winnings. I remember that fight was in the middle of Francis good string of wins as British champ.
Apart from looking like a complete wrongun, he acts like an irrational child who I’ve seen go beserk for no apparent reason. I’ve had the misfortune to be sat next to him 3 times at MSG theatre fights and he was getting on me and my wife’s last nerve, lunging and screaming at several boxers, blatantly he was on something. I was there at the Stewart Hotel when it kicked off with Loma before the Pedrazza fight (which Teo wouldn’t stop banging on about in their build up) and it’s true that he was completely wasted and was putting his hands on Loma 24 hours before the fight, so his security rightly backed him out of a lift, but nothing aggressive like the Lopez’s made it out to be. I’ve also seen him disrespecting loads of birds, he’s a creep. Not my type of person.
Interesting stuff. Can remember his dad trying to kick off with Kambosos Jr and his dad too. Lopez’s parents had a big falling out with Lopez’s wife and mother of his child and refused to attend their wedding, it almost split Lopez and his dad up. It’s also well known that Top Rank executives pleaded with Lopez to get a new trainer. Lopez Sr had heart issues from excessive cocaine use too.
Do you live in New York mate? Bit nosey of me but sounds like you’re around the NY boxing scene a fair bit. Jealous if so. Amazing place.
I don’t mate I live in Hertfordshire. Got married there so go quite often. I do love a fight night at the Garden. You been to one yourself? Can’t afford a home away from home there though sadly lol, wish I could.
