Are there more fans of purposeless clowning or am I alone? Who are the greatest showboaters in history? Who deserves an honorary mention? Johnny Tapia, Emanuel Augustus, Roy Jones, Muhammad Ali? And in which fights? Some input please I need to watch some entertaining fights
You're ALONE! You will hate me for this but I am going to offer up Midget Wolgst....no footage (you love that), although there is supposed to be 13 minutes or so out there somewhere....anyway, he fought in the twenties, he was a switch hitter who cavorted (Great word), played to the crowed, riffed all over the place, did what he liked. Then - and you'll like this - he hit the peev and went mad, still fought, but just not as good any more. Little Wolgast.
Well.. I love how there is no footage, yet he is your favorite showboater.. You're right, I hate you. I would have to say Augustus though, or James Toney, I mean..he stuck his tongue out at Holyfield in between slipping punches... Than theres Pernells behind the back punch which is the ****. You didnt mention Naz.
Augustus was off the wall. Gypsy Joe Harris may have been the most fun, I posted recently about how he would begin round 1 with a sixties dance called "the Mashed Potato". Here's the best footage I could get: [yt]mQBKpV9emKc[/yt]
I particularly like Tapia's showboating, he really needed the crowd to be a part of it. At quiet moments he'd clinch with one arm, and play the crowd with the other.
Augustus, but Loche is a name no ones mentioned yet, the line between showboating and feinting to draw a lead can be a small one.