Great little fighter, so sad how he was treated and how it all ended for this little fella. This content is protected
He was physically very fragile, very thin and light-boned. Not the type of physique for taking punishment. Tragic end.
Ashamed to say I knew nothing of Owen except the fatal fight. Thanks for the post, mate. Great documentary.
Yet up until the Pintor fight he was known for being able to out tough his opponents as he never packed a hard dig. Even the first half of the Pintor fight it was fought on the inside head to head and Pintor couldn't make any impression on Johnny. It was only when Pintor changed tactics and started to fight at distance and mid range that he started to hurt Johnny with his powerful blows. A real tragedy.
the big if great book great fighter sometimes it don't matter how good you are when a man coming from such poverty and your trying to take that food from his families mouth that determination will take you some where mentally that is extremely dangerous for all involved
Yes indeed. He was a bit like Wayne McCullough. Incredible engine, no power, incredible heart. But Wayne had a head like a brick and was just more rugged physically. Poor Johnny had a thin skull perched on a long thin neck. Such a build is always vulnerable to brain injury. If he'd had a punch and/or a more rugged physique ther is no telling what he could have achieved because he had all the other attributes. Tragic death.
Johnny Owen remember him so well tragic story of a brave fighter.The documentary is very moving Owen lived and breathed boxing he never stopped training.Len rightly points out he had a very thin skull which was discovered in the post mortem. You have to also take into account he was very tall for a bantamweight 5 ft 8 inches and watching him tough as they came but he looked so vunerable.He was nicknamed the 'Matchstick Man' and a spot on description of him. The Pintor fight should of been stopped earlier imo due to Owen having a terrible mouth laceration and it nearly was a good friend of mine was working for Micky Duff and almost was sent to stop the fight.I will let him tell the full story if he reads this thread and wants to contribute,he has already written about it. If not and anyone is interested read the boxing manager thread on the training page (Dempsey) tells the story I also knew a fair bit about the fight.The thread has plenty of back information on the fight.I won't spoil it but a great side story about Duff and the Pintor-Owen fight. For me as a kid waking up and watching the breakfast news and hearing the tragic events,I remember being totally stunned at the reality of what can happen in the ring.
That thread is 90+ pages long, could you point me to the right page please? Been reading all morning but I still havent come across it.
CasualFan just checked for you pages 30 & 31 cover parts of the Pintor-Owen fight sure it might get other mentions later on. Other fans of my generation will know Mickey Duff and there is a couple of decent stories about him one of which is linked to the Owen-Pintor fight.
By today's standards, he wouldn't not have passed the medical to be deemed healthy to fight. His skull was thinner than the average person's... I remember watching a documentary on him and one of the interviewees said that. In Merthyr there is statue to remember him and Mike Tyson paid a visit in remembrance of him several years back.
