Greg Haugen talks about Whitaker, Chavez, and his career.

Pernell Whitaker, hands down!

 

:bbb

 

I agree with Anarci, Haugen wasn't "thrown to the wolves." He was moved in a very savvy fashion.

It's interesting to note this many years on, but (now don't laugh) World Boxing magazine, in their comprehensive preview of the Haugen-Whitaker fight, picked Haugen to win a decision.


Stop laughing.........

Reallym the only fight I can think of where I didn't think he had a prayer was against Chavez. I knew he'd get gutted. I thought Pea would beat him, but most at the time thought it would be a decent, fairly close fight.

No, seriously.

 

I remember when this fight happened and everyone knew that Whittaker was a big talent but in this win he opened alot of eyes and many saw that this was probably a future ATG in the making. Whittaker dominated a prime good fighter in Greg Haugen. I picked Whittaker but i had no idea he would be this dominant.

 

This interview was conducted by our local Fox Sports channel up here; Brad Adam (the interviewer) does the Mariners postgame show on TV (poor *******).

It struck me watcing it awhile ago that Haugen rarely looks up during the interview, instead answering with his head down, as if he feels in some way that he doesn't belong, and clearly feels ill at ease. Shy almost, belying his in-your-face antics when a top lightweight.

 

...That was striking Sanchez. Haugen seemed a bit ill-at-ease but he probably always was outside of his element. He was a working class kid and a roughneck who probably didn't do very well in school; perhaps he is self-conscious about it. And yet, he was witty then and eloquent now.

I followed his career at the time and always saw him as cocky -but never arrogant. Cockiness is often a mask for insecurity and a means to feel braver than you feel. Arrogance is more delusionary.

I appreciated how he had a regret about not being fully prepared for Chavez. I don't think he was saying he'd beat him, it was more about how he wanted to give his best and have no excuses. As it was, he "fought with a broken heart."

This interview was poignant. Personally, I owe him alot. I followed him in the 80s and 90s and he was in many ways, a fighter's fighter even if he wasn't great.

 

I'm with you all. I enjoyed watching Haugen fight.

He was a terrific skill fighter too......

Haugen was neither quick, fast, or had much punching power.....

His style was actually rare for a world class fighter.
Short arms and short legs, its a testament to how really skilled he was that he beat some really good champions.

What he was, was a tough, strong little guy with guts, and more importantly skill.
Haugen's skill level imo was very underrated.
He had a short reach but had a very good jab....an educated jab that he navigated very well.
....he could fight coming foward but could also counterpunch at a very high skill level.
Haugen counterpunched the crap out of Vinny Pazienza, and imo made Pazienza look like an amatuer.

An exellent fighter, but because of his physical disadvantages, would likely lose to most elites in history.


His story about not having trained for Chavez is bogus however.
At the time Chavez was considered hands down the best P4P. Chavez had already beaten Meldrick Taylor and had just destroyed Hector Camacho.

Haugen always came into fights in shape, so there was absolutely no way that he was not going to be prepared to attempt to back his words in his attempt to get in Chavez head.

This thread is making it out to be that it was King who fabricated some of this **** that Haugen was said to have said about Chavez......thats not true......I lived that era and I saw and heard Haugen talk alot of crap about Chavez and about his opposition being mostly handpicked cab drivers......

Imo, Haugen himself did not believe that, but it was his attempt to get inside Chavez' skin and throw him off his game plan.
Haugen was a terrific little counterpuncher, so I'm certain his thinking in trying to get Chavez angry was to have an angry Chavez come at him so that he could put his counterpunching skills to work.

Haugen just picked the wrong fighter to make mad.
Haugen just did'nt have anything in his arsenal to beat a fighter of Chavez' caliber. Making Chavez angry only made it worse for Haugen.

Haugen should have learned from having watched Chavez destroy Hector Camacho who also talked crap and tried to get under Chavez skin.

It turned out that Chavez was one of those rare fighters who could actually fight better and more determined if he was angry.

My goodness, it might as well have been man vs boy when we're talking about Chavez vs Haugen.
Chavez could have ended that fight at any time he wished but chose to carry Haugen and beat on him just enough each round to make him suffer.

I believe whats eating at Haugen is that he was embarrassed by Chavez, and he cant get over the fact that another man his size could physically dominate him and make him feel weak and meek, because thats exactly what Haugen must have been feeling like when Chavez pulled him by a string and punished him at his leisure.

 

i doubt that as he did not use that excuse initially...and now almost 20 years later he did not train that is bull****

 

Addie Haughen insulted Mexicans in general Chavez said he was going to rough him up before putting him out

 

I to liked Haugen, thought he had an underrated jab, particularly considering how short him arms looked Lol, seriously, how short were Haugen's arms

He was also not a bad counter puncher which he displayed against Mancini.

I personally loved his first two fights with Paz, great! fights, especially the second, that said, Whitaker's schooling of him is one of the most complete performances ive ever seen.

 

That said, in Haugen's defense.....both his results vs Chavez and Whitaker had more to do with Haugen's own physical disadvantages.....height, reach, quickness, speed, power........

I've already mentioned it but I'll say it again. Haugen's skill was top notch......Chavez and Whitaker both having toyed with him has more to do with Haugen's physical disadvantages than it does skill.

........thats why in looking back, I've got to take my hat off to Greg Haugen and give him the credit he deserves for making the most of his skill with the physical body that God gave him.

Haugen is one of those few fighters that I can say made the most of his limited physical abilities and maximized the great skill he had.

Well done Mutt!:good