The recent thread about Alfredo Escalera got me thinking about Brown. I watched the Escalera fight on youtube and Brown easily outpointed the still respectable Escalera, shortly after Escalera had beaten Gene Hatcher. Brown, only 19 yrs. old at the time, appeared to have a bright future. He was fast with decent boxing skills. His defense wasn't great, but he didn't appear to be a punching bag. He had the "proper pigmentation", not being racist here, I just mean white fighters who have some ability usually have doors opened to them. Then, he got a shot at Harry Arroyo's IBF title, lost, and it all went downhill fast for Brown. He was kod by Harold Brazier, and by early 1986, he couldn't even last a round with the skilled, but still somewhat green and hardly a ko artist, Greg Haugen. To be honest, Arroyo, Brazier and Haugen all turned out to be better fighters than it appeared they were at the time they fought Brown. It could just be a case that he was somewhat overhyped and lost to some guys who turned out to be very good. Still, I can't help but think he should have had a better career.
Apparently he was really into drugs during his career, so that didn't help. Never thought much of him. Charged in wth his chin up, winging off-kilter punches. Very amateurish.
TV really loved him and got the title shot against Arroyo because of a couple of gifts over Louie Burke and Frank Newton. The Newton fight in particular was pure robbery. Arroyo exposed him completely.
As i recall, for a little while there was sometimes confusion in the results pages as another Charlie Brown was operating in decent circles, Charlie "Choo-Choo" Brown had a bit of Overlap with "White Lightening" But Any aspirations Choo-Choo had were certainly dealt a Blow in his 3rd round Ko at the hands of Boza Edwards.
Both Choo Choo and White Lightning were pretty mediocre imo.Nothing stood out about either.Both undone by Arroyo and typical of the kind of so-so fighters that often found their way into IBF bouts back then.
Choo-Choo had a modicum of talent but absolutely no jaw. Pity, he gave a decent account of himself before getting stopped by Arroyo in the 14th.
Vey true. I watched Frank "Root'in Toot'in" Newton, with one leg so heavily bandaged he could hardy bend it, beat Brown, only to get robbed. I think it may have been on the undercard of the Duran-Hagler fight. Brown and Choo Choo Brown both came along when there was a abundance of talent at lightweight.
I agree. He was probably better than "White Lightning." He and Tyrone Crawley fought a competitive Philly war in early 1985. Crawley, while highly skilled, had little power and couldn't hurt Brown, so they slugged it out in a close fight, won by Crawley. I am only going by the description I read in KO because I have never seen the fight. I wish it was on You tube. I remember in was on ESPN and part of it was not shown because the College World Series went on past its allotted air time and waited for it to end before switching to the fight.
Sort of hyped up like the kid called "Rockin" Robin Blake.Got some nice tv coverage and when he stepped it up he was exposed.
