I love that tribute video. It was made by the son of a friend of ours when dad died. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house when we first saw it. Ironically dad had always said he wanted "The Boxer" played at his funeral. The lad who made the video didn't know about that.
Great write up, I haven't seen that before. I've just posted it on my fb page as it's 49 years today since the fight.
My favourite all action fighter in the 70's on the domestic front would have to be Dave Boy Green. That lad was 110 percent every fight. I've been privileged to meet Dave in later life and have a drink with him, a great fella. Ironically I told him he was one of my childhood heroes and he told me that my dad was one of his and presented him with his very first amateur trophy as a schoolboy in 1966 just after the Harada fight.
G'day Alf, mate you just absolutely made my day with that post. Your old man was an absolute legend and yep, it's mind blowing to think that the Rose vs Rudkin fight was the highest rating television show in Australia between the years 1969 and the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony in 2000. Cheers.
I was in Melbourne a few years back and met up with all the boxing fraternity including spending time with Michael and Jenny Rose and a photo shoot with them at Kooyong on centre court where the fight was held all those years ago. It was amazing how well remembered the fight was. I even ended up on national radio talking about it though i had had a couple of drinks and got cut off
Al, loved this post on Boy Green. A total all-action fighter. Have you seen his fight with Andy 'The Hawk' Price? A few years back someone started a thread on the greatest rounds in boxing (The best round 1, the best round 2, etc.) and I submitted round 7 of the Green - Price fight. Check it out if you get a chance.
Yes I remember seeing it and what a war it was. Andy might of considered himself rightly to be unlucky to not get that decision but what a fight it was. That was typical of Dave, he was non stop with loads of bottle. The Palomino fight is worth watching, another brutal encounter.
Duran was certainly an action fighter and probably my favorite guy to watch ever, but unless I missed it I need to throw Matthew Saad Muhammad into the mix. His wars spanned late 70s and into the 80s, but no one better defines the term “action fighter” than Saad. To quote my Pops, he “just had more champion in him” than the other guys. Won as much on heart and will as any other attribute.
