Anyone remember this classic scrap from 2004 between Elder and Burton on Showtime? Very tough and grueling fight that doesn't seem to get talked about enough. Highly recommend checking this one out if you haven't seen it yet. This content is protected
Met Ebo at an amateur show many years ago. He was still fighting amateur, trained by his dad, and we hit it off — traded some training tips (I wanted to know how Ebo got so strong, he wanted to know how my best guy got so explosive) and such. At the matchup meeting, his dad was a real character. Most fighters of course, nobody knows anything about them so you give basic info to make your matches — 15 years old, 119 pounds, 10 fights or whatever. Of course everybody knew who Ebo was. His dad says something like: 20 years old, 139 pounds couple hundred fights, can’t fight a lick, won’t do what you tell him to do, he’s a southpaw even though I tried to correct it, weak as a kitten. Everybody burst out laughing. Somebody had a guy one weight division below who was coming off winning junior nationals who wanted to test his guy against a good ‘open’ (as in above junior age) fighter so they matched up and we got treated to one helluva a three-round action bout — Ebo won a decision but he had to work for it. Loved that kid. He was as polite and classy a kid as you’d ever meet. Yessir and no sir, he’d carry a bucket for you if you asked.
Hell yes I remember that fight and you are correct, that is a great fight that doesn't get talked about much. Both of those men achieved something special that night but were never the same after. I know Burton especially took some horrific beatings after his fight with Ebo. Side note, I love threads like this that celebrate these type of fighters and fights. So many forgotten fighters that gave so much of themselves. Great thread @FLO Raiden!
