I saw a thread in the General Forum about the most popular boxers in the history, and somebody answered Johnny Bumphus. I realize he's not the most popular but was he ironic. I looked him up and he had a pretty good record alhough he didn't have the best opposition. George Benton was his trainer and he was a fairly tall guy for the light welterweight division, plus he was a southpaw. Please fill me in about this guy. Was he like Arturo Gatti is now, a B-level fighter who is everbodys favourite, I'm thinking about that popular-thread.
I think they must have been joking. I cant remember Bumphus being particularly exciting. I remember Lloyd Honeyghan knocking him off his stool and Lou Duva going crazy, that was funny as hell.
Not sure how good he was. But I remember him getting caught cold against Lloyd Honeyghan in contraversial fashion.
I just remember him being one of Tomorrow's Champions, beating Willie Rodriguez on NBC, and losing the title to Gene Hatcher.Actually wanted to see him fight Aaron Pryor for some reason.
he was jab and move guy if i remember correctly. and i think he got dropped by some featherfisted argie when he won the vacant belt.
Bumphus was perhaps the most physically frail boxer I have ever seen. A stiff wind would make him collapse. Through his connections with the Duvas, he was very carefully guided, and as Unitas mentioned, decked by featherfisted Lorenzo Gacia in a bout for the vacant WBA 140 pound crown. In his first defense, was stopped in the 11th by limited Gene Hatcher, and went up to 147, where he Honeyghan treated him like a baby treats a diaper. I met him in the gym once. Wasn't impressed with him as a person.
more like nobody's favorite. there are a few ways to describe him. boring. impotent. glass jawed. a protected media darling whose gloves were filled with air. physically waek. no punch whatsoever. don't even know why someone like him would become a fighter just like i don't know why pryor would side step him unless he was paid off which he probably was so they could split up the title even more and give him a better chance of winning some kind of title. thankfully, hatcher & Lloyd exposed him for what he was and is now nothing more than a bad memory.
Well to misquote the late Jerry Quarry People (Carpenter) said he was going to be awkward for Honeyghan... and he did kind of fall awkwardly when he was decked by the ragga muffin man on his stool!
I remember his fight with Honeygan very well. Bumphus had no change at all even had he not been knocked of his seat
No.Bumphus was one of the most accomplished Ameteur boxers in the history of USA Ameteur boxing. He had dazzling hand and foot speed and could throw fluid combinations. The problem was he was fragile and didn't take well to the pro game as expected. By the time the Honeyghan bout took place Bumphus was basically a full blown addict.They said they had to help him up the ring steps during the Honeyghan bout. Gene Hatcher was dominated the entire bout against Bumphus until bumphus mocked him/made him mad and the Hatcher stormed out and tko'ed Bumphus.Until then Hatcher had been dominated EASILY.
...............Actually Hatcher did win a couple rounds. Even so, he wasn't exactly a world beater. That's like saying he dominated Lorenzo Garcia.