Finally, after a 20 year search...

Steve, I find your quest to unearth these lost films fascinating. I would love to read a book about your actual investigations into some of your finds. If you were to break down where you find these "undiscovered" films, how would it go? For example 20% libraries, 20% people approach you asking to trade, 15 % in film warehouses, and 45 % estate sales?

 

Everybody hit the garage sales!

 

I've always been a fan of Oscar's...he captured my attention back in '66 when he twice decked Joe Frazier...who was eating his opponents alive back then...until he met the Argentine strong man. The rematch with Frazier is also fascinating to me...Oscar did so much better vs Frazier than Quarry, Chuvalo, Jones, Machen, etc.,..he lost of course to JF, but he showed some savvy in that fight in defending himself, dealing with distance, and just staying upright for the whole 15 rounds. Vs Chuvalo, also in '66, while the boxing press expected a toe to toe tank war between these two, Ringo surprised everyone with his Plan B style...boxing and moving cleverly and making Chuvalo look like a cigar store Indian in the process...he show he had an addition facet to his game, unlike the Canadian...and factor in those two trips George made to the canvas in that fight...one of which I believe was a kd. Yes, Oscar was one of my favorites...a cocky, crude, cigar smoking macho man brawler...always unpredictable, colorful, swaggering...a very entertaining fighter in my estimation. He cracked me up when he got under Ali's skin pre fight...and accounted for himself very well before his general fatigue and sloppiness cost him via that 3 kd tko....and even there, I think Oscar had at least a chance of making it to the final bell with more competent refereeing...i.e., making Ali go to a neutral corner after scoring those kd's. I also agree with my man @jowcol that Oscar was pretty much past it when he fought Lyle.

 

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He was for sure! BTW @klompton2 ...do you think the Lyle that beat Oscar was better than the version who lost to Quarry? Was he an improved, savvier fighter than the 1973 version?

 

you say u found the Lyle-Bonavena fight on film. I've looked for that one for the last 3 years myself? Where'd you find it? I don't really want to look for it 4 20 years myself.

 

Now if someone could go fetch Danny Lopez-Sean O’Grady and Ray Leonard-Randy Shields ...

 

You'll be able to pull tons of chicks now.

Why does Lyle look like the loser in those photos?

I eagerly await your release of the footage to the public.

 

Tape

 

I need it.

 

...and the Shavers - Young fights, please.

 

@klompton2 , put your searching craft to find pre-1970 Monzón fights... not asking to share the footage, but tell a thing or two about the fights.... like you did with the Macias vs Halimi the other day, that was much appreciated.