Remember the "Top Rank Boxing" ESPN tournaments in several weight classes, with a mix of prospects and solid journeymen club fighters? The concept was that the tournament winner would be rewarded with a shot at a top-10 contender in his weight class. Several of these guys -- even those who didn't win their tourneys -- made decent names for themselves. Who were the champs in each class, and what was the outcome of their contender matches? And does anyone have the whole tourney breakdown in each class (who beat who in each round)? I think these are right: Frank "The Animal" Fletcher def. Sammy Nesmith at middleweight Roger Stafford def. Pipino Cuevas at welterweight Luke Capuano lost by split decision to Mike Rossman at light heavy (I think that Capuano got that fight by winning the tourney, but I could be wrong) Anyone out there with some helpful info?
I thought I’d revive this and see if anyone can shake up the cobwebs and recall who some of the others were.
Depends on how you look at it. He was known as "Dwight Braxton" for a couple more years after the ESPN tournament. Like Ali was "Cassius Clay" through the first Liston fight.
The winner of the tourny got a $10,000 fight against a top 10 guy. Fletcher beat McGrady to win it then destroyed NeSmith in the 10 grand fight. BRAXTON not Qawi won and fought Rossman for his prize. Roger Braxton won at 154. Roger Stafford won at 147 but the Cuevas fight was his reward. Curtis Harris won at 135 I believe.
