Eddie Futch had Joe mixing in his right hand more. Even standing up and boxing some. Eddie thought it would be an easier night and Papa Smurf was right again. Futch did say he would never had altered Joe's style had Yank still been alive. Just out of respect.
In defense of Don Dunphy, Granted it has been along time since I watched this fight, maybe he had an off night.He was one of my favorites! He let the action breathe and speak for itself at times at times and he allowed his broadcast partners participate in meaningfully unlike Cosell. He was also honest while being respectful to the fighters unlike Ferdie Pacheco.
Great post! I also agree he should've stuck to acting at that point in his career given the damage he'd accumulated by then. If he had, he'd probably still be alive.
Don was one of the best boxing broadcasters ever hands down. He’s one of the main reasons that era of boxing is my favourite to revisit time and again. He’s just a total pro and does a muchbetter job solo than a team of callers today can manage.
Very good observations. Although Joe was supposedly washed up after FOTC, I think this was one of his best body-punching performances. I liked this fight too, except it was a bit more one-sided than their first fight. Tbh, Quarry was lucky that Joe was such a gentleman, cuz someone like Foreman would have destroyed him once he was cut. I've never liked Don Dunphy either, except when he did the blow-by-blow. Cosell, Sheridan, and Carpenter were much better.
Dunphy was good in the 30s-50s, he did blow-by-blow really well. But he rarely did that by the 60s and on.
Dunphy had the unique ability to shut the F up and let the fight happen. NO ONE in the past 30 years has announced in this fashion. I guess they are being paid by the word because most boxing announcers think they have to fill in the 3 min rounds with commentary, some of it not even about the particular fight they are watching.
Dunphy was calling fights regularly through the 70s and even into the 80s on occasion. He was the voice of MSG for most of the 1970s. He didnt call anything but local fights in the 1930s (starting in 1939). It wasnt until 1941 that he went national and became the voice of boxing.
