If Ricardo Mayorga or James Toney had fought my brother I'd have had a difficult time knowing who to support. Who got you behind them no matter who the opponent was?
Vince Phillips, Freddie Pendleton, Gatii, Mike Tyson and Toney that brilliant fat son of a ***** I'm also never rooting against the ridiculous Babic, no matter how many guys are going to KO him before he retires. I'm also probably never rooting against Kabayel unless he does something dumb. Just that goofy look on his face when Makhmudov was twitching his head and trying to intimidate him during the introductions onky for Kabayel to body shot stop him was enough for me.
Ray Leonard... When he lost to Duran I didn't sleep that night. ( Ironically I became a big Duran fan, especially after he fought Dave Moore) When he decided to fight Hagler, I feared for his safety as if I was getting into the ring... And when he found away to win.... Wow!!!! When he lost to Norris , it was clear to me he had lost a step,,,,, or three. It bothered me. But I thought and hoped I'd never see him in the ring again . Years later the Camacho fight. A fight I still haven't watched in its entirety. Also Duran after Leonard in Montreal. Alexis Arguello And John Mugabi.
Mike McCallum was my ride or day as a kid. These days it's Uysk. I like technicians that are always in shape and ready for war. Both those guys would fight anyone , regardless of style and both are known for fighting guys in their own backyard. McCallum didn't duck anyone and neither does Uysk.
McCallum's gotta be up there for me as well. His combinations, counters, and defense was just so well formed, he could've lost to Toney every time and I still would prefer The Bodysnatcher over Lights Out- No discredit to him. The Curry knockout? Poetry in motion.
in my life as a fan, fighters I loved, believed in, hoped for - Chuvalo, Norton, SRL, Duran, Hearns, Camacho, Haugen, Carbajal, Tyson, Benn, Watson, Gatti and the Brit Josh Warrington... many other great fighters who we used to see regularly from the late 70s through the 90s... in History, Louis, JJW, Marshall, Charles, McAvoy, Gilroy, Roderick, Brady, Villemain. Boxing has HUNDREDS of Great Fighters, Known & Unknown, Honest and/or Cheated, the biggest heartbreak for me was when I learned Boxing Was NOT a Sport, but rather a Business and like many a Business Corrupt & Cheating as a Politician or the Judiciary. an absolute unforgivable sin to the many Honest & WORTHY Young Men/FIGHTERS whom it/they have Stolen from... and Contempt for those who condoned it, supported it or cover for it! Disgusting Cretins!!!
So many to mention but Haugen really stroke a cord with young me. Don´t know why, I first saw him beat Jimmy Paul, the whole Pazienza rivalry (including the robbery in the 1st fight, payback in the 2nd and in the 3rd I believe Paz´s entourage, including his dad if memory serves me right, tried to beat him up). The Camacho fights, Mancini destruction and all the talk about Mexican taxi drivers before Chavez fight. What a character!
he was great, too me Haugan represented the Prizefighter, he was tough, fit, willing & game, he was a basic boxer fighter and he looked like he was transported right out of the 1920s - 1940s as far as i seen him. Not an Elite Superstar, but everything one expects out a True Fighter - Greg Haugen, the Prizefighter.
