Cleanest fighters : contemporary and all time

Jeff Fenech

 

I haven't seen Floyd Patterson mentioned yet. The man was a scrupulously clean sportsman, even fastidious in his boxing. Shortly before regaining his title from Ingo, (this may have been between the two knockdowns) he had a wide open shot and passed it up, believing it to be "cheap." Considering how Johansson clobbered him while his back was turned after getting up from the initial knockdown in their first match, this was remarkable restraint in the heat of battle for the biggest prize in sports.

Mercante, Sr. credited Frazier for being a very clean fighter for his style of trench warfare.

 

Great post Duodenum.:thumbsup..I've always thought that Floyd was so classy in that 2nd fight, in that he could have really teed off on the back of Ingo's head like Ingo hit him in that 1st fight...but he didn't, and that spelled pure unadulterated good sportsmanship on the part of Patterson. As you say, what restraint, like when Ali held off on pelting Foreman one last time before he went down in Zaire.

 

Frank, you left out the supremely flagrant thumb job Holmes inflicted on the late Scott LeDoux (RIP), but Larry administered so many of those (Scott Frank being another much more subtle one), that I don't really mind those omissions. (Any mention of Ali should of course include Terrell however, although Ernie himself gives Muhammad the benefit of a doubt as to whether or not that was on purpose.)

It's been a long time since I reviewed Patterson-Chuvalo, but for Floyd to do something like purposely thumb anybody was so far outside his usual conduct in the heat of battle that yes, I'm personally inclined to dismiss it. Accidents do happen, often severe and repeated accidents, such as the butting between Shields and Hearns. (Tommy was as fine a sportsman as any devastating competitor ever has been, even at the close of the opening round during his annihilation of Duran, touching gloves with a dazed and disoriented El Cholo.) However, it does contribute to discussions like this to cite exceptions like the one you mentioned here

 

atschOops! My goof, Frank. (The red print, being less visible, was something I interpreted as being deemphasized.)

Regarding Frazier-Chuvalo, it was my understanding that George went into that match with his eye already screwed up, but being a man and a boxer, the tough Canadian went ahead with it anyway, and won't make an issue of it considering the eye problems and other physical issues Joe had to contend with.

Mercante shared the ring with Smoke as the third man in five title bouts (Mathis, Ramos, JQ I, FOTC and Foreman I), so my inclination would be to honor his opinion about Frazier's fighting. Granted though, it wasn't Mercante but Johnny Colan who officiated Frazier-Chuvalo.

 

And that was Floyd at his meanest ... such a classy dude. That´s the guy today´s fighters look up to as their rolemodel, not guys like Tyson.

 

Vitali fights really clean... probably also because he is so dominant he doesn't need to do anything to break or even bend the rules, but anyway.

 

Being a clean fighter is not always a function of higher moral standards.

It can be a tactical choice als.

 

One guy who famously looks up to Floyd even today is Hagler, who has absolutely gushed about Patterson in interviews. If Floyd can be good enough to be idolized by Marv, who wouldn't he be suitable for today's competitors to take note of?

 

..re:the clowns who want to diminish joe louis as one of the cleanest fighters ever for his low blow against schmeling :

i repeat...max himself said joe was practically out on his feet by that time and was fighting by sheer instinct and said the blow was accidental....

..and max should be something of an authority on low blows as he won the heavyweight title when he was on the canvas...writhing and complaining about a low blow from jack sharkey. i'm sure the foul protector he was wearing was as good as the one he wore against the bomber.

 

One fighter who doesn't ever get much credit for being a good sportsman was Monzon. Anyone noticed in the Licata and Valdez (II i think) fights, where his opponents lose their balance, yet he doesn't rush in to take advantage of the situation, he lets both correct themselves, before resuming the contest. Good to see, especially for such a nasty ****er.

 

Strange case that Monzon.

 

And anybody who's watched the entirety of Schmeling-Louis I has seen the profusely apologetic embrace Joe gave Max the first time Donovan warned Louis about hitting low.

Max was pissed at the end of that round after a second flagrant foul precisely because he didn't want another conclusion like that in a match he was winning this time. He knew right then and there that these were indeed genuine accidents on the part of a dazed Louis, and was worried about this degenerating into a pattern. Fortunately, from what I can recall, Joe indeed kept them up through the rest of the contest, a sportsman even in defeat. (Again, I think about that apologetic embrace in response to that first warning from Donovan, an unusually demonstrative act from the Bomber. Aside from affectionate pats on Carnera's shoulder at the conclusion of each round and the referee's stopping of that bout, there's very little on film of Joe initiating displays of camaraderie towards his opponents during a match, or immediately upon the conclusion of one.)