Which Classic Fighter Had The Most Fanatical Fanbase?

McGuigan, Camacho, RJJ, Bhop too, Naz, JC, the Klits, LL,
and now TF, AJ...

seems we moved into an era of 2 or 3 letter Monikers, which have won the day out.

 

Oh yeah I seem to recall that too. For some wierd reason I had a Dino-like haterboner for Du Plooy that had a reason which I can't actually remember. When he fought Damiani I knew that I was gonna get ragged to death the next day because "your stupid eyetie got knocked out". I didn't see the fight and strangely nobody even mentioned it to me. Then I discovered that the magnificent Damiani who looked like a plate of gnocchi had in fact beaten the crap out of Du Plooy. Good times. Even better times when Du Plooy ran into Sanders who looked like a stringbean and got absolutely shellacked. Nowadays I'm more sympathetic to Johnny, who could for sure hit with the best of them but just couldn't take the incoming fire.

 

Judging by their reaction when Marvin Hagler beat him to a pulp, Alan Minter’s supporters were certainly fanatical.

 

I'm not even sure his chin was worst of his faults. He kept that thing flying at full mast when he attacked, literally looking at the ceiling. That, and I believe his nickname was "Booze and Broads" du Plooy. On that note, I see why he would be easy to cheer for.

 

Apparenty he put on like 100lb after he stopped fighting and became a trainer to support himself. I read an interview where he somewhat wistfully said that he vaccuumed most of the millions he made up his nose and that the only way he'd ever have a million again was if he won the lottery. Man, I felt bad for him at that moment. Young boxers that feel invincible are probably not the world's greatest financial planners. I will try find that interview it was good.

 

In my country, it's Andrzej Golota. No one has disappointed so many times, but ask the average Polish fan about the best heavyweight without a title, and the name Golota will come up. Some see him right next to Muhammad Ali, even though the best fighter he's ever defeated is Danny Nicholsoon. Actually, the theory about a secret service conspiracy that prevented him from winning the belt is quite serious, and "two-time, uncrowned heavyweight champion" is the most common adjective used to describe him.

 

Cerdan mentioned in France.

The Orchid Man, Georges Carpentier film star looks and a good fighter was adored there also, huge fanbase, national icon.

 

Tom Cribb from the Georgian bare knuckle era, front page news and a national hero in Britain.

 

Max Schmeling, Germany national icon.

 

Good question. I'd say Tyson

 

When I first joined this forum it had four main forums I think. General, Classic, British, and Mike Tyson. He literally had to have his own forum because otherwise every post in General and Classic were about Tyson

 

After John L went to the barber, women would buy locks of his sheared hair in order to put in their lockets. History has gone far enough that people don't realise just how truly massive John L, Dempsey and Louis were in their time periods.

My father was a big fan of him when he was young. A lot of people liked him over here.

 

It never ceases to amaze me that people pick him to comfortably outbox fighters like Foreman and Liston when he couldn't even handle the far more mediocre opposition he actually faced with anything close to that level of ease.