Obscure fighters that no one remembers.

South Africa's answer to Tony Galento: Mike Schutte

This content is protected

 

One of the big big underrated results from back then was the Knoetze 1 punch ko of the guy. Brutal left hook

 

Always wanted to see this for some oddball reason----figured it to be a big bad boston bruins vs the philadelphia flyers hockey fights from back then. Given their styles and tools. 2 tough guys.

Remember back then when the Ali camp was going to fight Schutte?

 

I have to mention Jimmy Wilde, Fidel La Barba and Eleoncio Mercedes.

La Barba had one of my favorite names as a teen because La Barba means the beard and there was a certain Fidel in Cuba with a beard at the time!

 

I had a really good one... but I can't remember who it is...

 

lol now thats funny !

 

Al Manfredo fought for the world title with Henry Armstrong . He was also the grandfather of Peter Manfredo of The Contender IIRC.

 

McVey, your mention of Joe Miceli had me thinking that this entire thread could be talking about him. One of those great old fighters who fought EVERYBODY and is simply not remembered. I had to have a gander at his record again. A record that fans of today would just scoff at because he wasn't undefeated. Indeed, he was not with a record of 60-42-9. But if you're looking for an honest pro that didn't sulk for a year after a loss and just got stuck back in there, then you came to the right place. It should be noted that Miceli fought 12 world champs during his career. That could be done today, but remember, this was an era of singular champions, not 4 champs in each division. Miceli fought Ike Williams, Bud Smith, Johnny Bratton, Kid Gavilan, Johnny Saxton, Virgil Akins, Don Jordan, Ralph Dupas, Gene Fullmer, Joey Giardello, Luis Rodriguez and Curtis Cokes, as well as top contenders such as Gil Turner, Bobby Dykes, Art Aragon and Isaac Logart. Going head-to-head with them multiple times and posting wins over many of them. Damn! That was a fighter.

 

I second Joe Miceli. What a left hooker (Tony DeMarco was similarin style), such a natural talent. I think I read that he wasn´t too fond of

training, preferred hanging out with the guys playing poker. Had he been dedicated

His fight with Johnny Bratton (would be a superstar today) was brilliant.

This content is protected

His ko of former lightweight champ Wallace Smith was a classic.

This content is protected

Tough and durable, most of ko losses were on cuts though Gene Fullmer poleaxed him in 2 in revenge of Miceli destroying his undefeated brother, Jay in 3.

This content is protected

 

Fred, those were outstanding! I especially liked the Bratton fight. I saw Bratton take out Bobby Dykes with that looping right hand and he made good use of it here against Miceli, who hung that left so low, although Miceli got in his licks too. Damn good fighters of that era.

 

Sot Chitalala
Manning Galloway
Funso Banjo

 

Denzel Washington played him in American Gangster.

And he was present at Frazier/Ali I

LOL j/k

 

my gymmates Alberto Mercado and Juan Carazo.

I was their gymmate in 1984 when I tried my hand at this thing called boxing.

They treated me like a small (sister) .They were super nice. Samuel Polanco, on the other hand, behaved like a diva (he was good looking, resembling Macho Camacho a bit) and ended up with a record of 4-6 or something.

Alberto was one of three American citizens to challenge the US boycott of the Olympics and went to Russia where he lost to Mexican great Gilberto Roman-another forgotten great-in the second round. Mercado had a punch almost like Wilfredo Gomez but also had bad luck, losing by split decision for the USBA Super Bantamweight title and also losing two fights that were considered as precursors or eliminators for IBF and WBA world title fights.

Carazo's power was considered akin to that of Wilfredo Gomez and his speed to that of Wilfred Benitez by critics and those of us-myself included-who saw him fight live earlier in his career. In order to save a television telecast he was put against Wilfredo Vazquez who was a Bantamweight when Carazo was a Jr. Bantamweight. Carazo lost in the first round and the wheels came off. He did score a close, controversial win over Santos Laciar-yet another all time great forgotten by fans and time-in Puerto Rico and fought the same Roman Mercado faced, for the WBC world title. He dropped Roman and I counted at my house, all the way to nine when Roman got up and proceeded to give Carazo a boxing lesson. Carazo was one second away from being a world champion. Then he really hit skid row, boxing-wise. He was heart broken.

Both of them had bad luck but luckily, not in life itself. Mercado is now a boxing coach at the University of Puerto Rico and has a museum dedicated to him in Cayey, while Carazo is a trigonometry expert and works for the Claro network repairing computers across Puerto Rico.

 

There was a group of fighters, all between Jr Light/ Jr. Welter at least one seemed to be be on TV every weekend in the early 80's.
Not one was truly special, nevertheless, they fought with a pride and passion rarely seen by today's fighters.
They were Robin Blake, Harry Arroyo, Lonnie Smith, Tony Baltzar, Jimmy Paul , Melvin Paul, Cornelius "Boza"Edwards, Sammy Fuentes, Rafael Limon, Bobby Chacon, Howard Davis, ( Was most outstanding boxer at 76" Olympics, plenty of tv time during pro career, barely remembered today) Charlie Brown, ( Cho Cho and White lightning two different fighters) Tyrone "Butterfly" Crawley .
All of them fought their hearts out in the early -mid 80's.
Probably everyone of them would be a champ in today's game. Boxing was THAT talented at that time.

 

Hi Flash.
Same could be said of this group who fought in the early to mid 70s :
Bunny Grant, Percy Pugh, Donato Paduano, Adolph Pruitt, Joao Henrique, Lion Furuyama, Johnny Gant, Arturo Pineda, Ray Lunny, and Randy Shields.
stay safe buddy, chat soon.