Freddie Pendleton vs Harold Brazier

Freddy could really box when he wanted to and Harold had that defense. I think Freddie beats him.

 

ESPN fight of the year candidate.
Freddie, when he really got on his roll, peaked a bit higher that Brazier, but Brazier was a little bigger and a bit more consistent. I have always admired Harold Brazier because he started late, had no backing and, by sheer force of will, developed into a solid professional fighter and had a very respectable career. A ton of respect for Pendleton as well because he made the most of the one opportunity he got in his career.
I would love to see the fight and I would be hoping for a good fight and a draw.

 

I like and admire both men and don’t really have an opinion on who would win — the great thing is we know if offered they’d take it on the first phone call and be there and ready when it took place — but I have great admiration for both. Two underdogs who did it the hard way.

But Harold was just cut from a different cloth. A man out of time, he was a 1940s/50s fighter who showed up decades late, shrugged his shoulders and said ‘well, I’m going to have a 1940s/50s career anyway’ — 127 fights spanning 22 years and 867 rounds, often fighting every three weeks to a month and only stopped twice (in his final fight 20 days short of his 49th birthday and shockingly in two rounds to Livingstone Bramble).

Oh, and how can you not love a guy who fought Buck Smith (who himself had more than 200 career fights) in 1990 over 15 rounds — well after 15-rounders were banned. It was the last 15-round fight in the U.S., I believe, and the commission in Oklahoma wouldn’t sanction it (due to it being past the 12-round distance) so they made it a no-contest … and Harold and Buck said ‘screw it, we’re going to do it anyway!’

 

Pendleton on his best nights is a half step better than Brazier. He was a brilliant fighter. His record belies his ability.