Curtis Parker

Heard he got the better of a couple of other champs in sparring also.Probably would've lasted 5 to 6 rounds with Hagler in a title fight.

 

Curtis was on the downside of his career as well by 1985. Parker was just a Much Better Fighter than Fletcher. I trained at Reddish Gym in late 70's through the later 80's.....Curt was 16-0 when I began training at Reddish.....Curtis was mis-managed, it's obvious by looking at his record, after the 1st loss to Dwight Davison which was a bad match up, nut he was then put in to Fighting all Top Ranked Contenders straight in a row, without break, or some easier bouts, confidence builders between. I also saw Frank Fletcher fight in Philly several times early in his career, about 1980 onward.....and Curtis Parker would have put Animal away no matter when they fought. But by 1985, Parker had his heart taken out of him, much in the way that Jimmy Young felt after the Norton Fight.....Parker was a work horse in the Gym, much like Marciano trained, Spartan like...by early through mid 80's, I was sparring often with Curtis, and he was a great person as well as Fighter....and he knew just how much to put to us guys in the gym that would spar with him. About a month before Fights, Curt would head to Frazier's Gym, and Steve Traitz Gym in Montgomery County, to train with much better Fighters than were available in Frankford at Reddish Gym....

 

Nice post. Sounds like you had personal experience at his gym. Did you ever see Saad Muhammad at Traitz's gym. I rembember Traitz trained him in 1982.

I have to say, though, that by 1985 Fletcher was done. In fact, he never fought after the Parker fight. Parker still had a bit left in '85 winning a few fights, then going 10 rounds even, with Frank Tate in 1986. I am not saying Fletcher would have ever beaten Parker, but in 1982, it would have been an absolute war, not the easy blowout Parker enjoyed in 1985.

 

i always thought parker would go further than Davison and Sibson.
he was great to watch and the division was exciting at that time.

 

Little reported fact that one of Parker's early opponents, Clarence White, died after their fight and that this reportedly affected him greatly over the years.

I thought he was a throwback in style and determination and really wanted to see him get a shot at Hagler. I agree that he wasn't exactly managed carefully or with his own best interests in mind.

 

I loved watching him! He reminded you so much of Joe Frazier it was uncanny! When he took on Dwight Davidson it felt like a make or break fight and it proved to be the case.
He seems like a class guy, I'm glad to hear he is doing well!

 

One of those fighters who are great at sparring.

 

I expected Curtis to outspeed and beat Hamsho but Mustafa was just too strong and kept backing him up, nothing pretty about it just physical strength.

 

Typical Philly fighter of that time. Tough, strong, relentless, but as someone wrote earlier probably lost a lot in those Philly gym wars of the era.