Fighter that has most floated your boat since you've been watching THE fight game ?

Chico

 

Influence: Tyson... mostly because I tried (unsuccessfully) to imitate his Cus Tomato, peek-a boo style in the ring.

Fan of: Roberto Duran... The guy was an animal!

Respect for: George Chuvalo... He fought all the the great heavyweights of the 60's and 70's, from Floyd Paterson and Ernie Terell, to Jerry Quarrey, Frazier, Foreman and Ali... (twice)... And he never went down, and never stopped coming forward and making the fight,,, depite getting his ass kicked for the most part.

He suffered unbelieveable tragedies in life... losing 3 sons to drug overdose and finally his wife to suicide. But he never went down. These days he travels all over the country speaking to kids about drug abuse and the pitfalls of street life etc. George never lost his great sense of humor or his will to keep pushing forward. Respect!

 

Influence: Winky Wright
Fan of: James Toney
Respect for: Chico and Hearns

 

Influence-Thomas Hearns and fan of Thomas Hearns.
I was a fan of Sugar Ray Leonard before that fight in 1981. I was not into boxing at all, but my family had ON tv and we had a box which could see all the events for free. Well I rooted for Ray that night of 81. Well Ray won but somehow the bs of Ray after a few years turned me off of him. And then Hearns kept fighting guys like Benitez and Duran and won and something about his perserverance grew on me. I respected that. Tommy fought straight forward with no nonsense and gave it his all through the whole decade of the 1980s. Ray retired in 1982 and then came back once in 1984 and retired then came back in 1987 and fought until 1989 and steals the fighter of the decade award which I am not saying should have gone to Tommy (although I think it could have) but at least Marvin or Tommy or Larry Holmes. Ray did not fight enough to get it like those guys did. Tommy fought the whole decade, something neither Hagler or Duran or Leonard can say they did. All in all I like Hearns because he came to fight and never made excuses. He was a benefit to the sport and I do not think the 1980's boxing would have been good at all without him. People can argue this, but I doubt it. The fab four of the 1980's was exciting because of Hearns. He was the one who knocked out guys, was in the wars and sometimes stopped. He came to fight. I have written too much. My answer was Thomas Hearns.

 

Influence: Tyson and Mosley
Fan of: Thomas Hearns
Respect for: Thomas Hearns

 

Sugar Ray Leonard; phenomenal talent and incredible work ethic. Overcame detached retina to beat Hagler. Everybody including Letterman in his interview with Ray mocked the obscure light heavweight champion, Canadian Donny Lalonde. So did Larry King. Ray actually got pissed at both those ignorant blowhards and stressed the importance of training hard and taking no man for granted. Lalonde fought above himself in their fight and nearly K.O'ed the Sugarman but he came back and won. The guy is a legend and always respectful to interviewers and his fans.

 

JMM and Morales

 

It first started for me as a kid watching Ali after he came back from exile. I followed him and got into guys like Duran and Hagler and then when Tyson came out I was addicted again.

 

Arguello, on all accounts.

Roy Jones was the guy who got me into boxing in a big way; as of now, I'm a Froch fan (always fun to watch) and I like Roman Gonzalez, though I most admire Manny and Marquez.

 

tyson,,,

 

First, Manny Pacquiao and RJJ, but then I went Joe Calzaghe.

 

Influence: Ali, Tyson
Fan of: Chico, Pac, Morales, JCC
Respect: George Foreman, Holyfield, Frazier

 

Roberto Duran

 

Sound slike the quote from Rocky 6.