Foes who wound up as friends

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by BillB, Sep 8, 2012.


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  1. BillB

    BillB Well-Known Member Full Member

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    I've heard several accounts of boxing foes who wound up being very good friends.

    Max Schmeling and Joe Louis are a good example. Schmeling got rich after the war with a Coca-Cola distributorship in Germany. For the last 20 years of Joe's life, Schmeling made regular and substantial gifts of money to Joe, who had fallen on hard times. He also came to visit him periodically.

    Dempsey and Tunney became good friends according to Jack.

    Foreman claims he is best friends with Ali.

    Foreman was also very friendly with Frazier.

    Ali and Zora Folley were friends both before and after they fought.


    Who else can you think of?
     
    BillB, Sep 8, 2012
    BillB, Sep 8, 2012
    #1
  2. Bill1234

    Bill1234 Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Gatti-Ward
    Marciano-Louis
    Schmeling-Louis
    Hearns-Leonard
    Holmes-Cooney
    Basilio-Fullmer
    Tyson-Holyfield
     
    Bill1234, Sep 8, 2012
    Bill1234, Sep 8, 2012
    #2
  3. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Back in the era when duelling was common in Britain, and people fought duels to save face, it was a noted phenomenon that the people involved sometimes became close friends.

    So it is in boxing.

    There are honestly too many examples to name.
     
    janitor, Sep 8, 2012
    janitor, Sep 8, 2012
    #3
  4. HawkFan16

    HawkFan16 Unshot/In My Prime Full Member

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    Pacquiao-Morales
    De La Hoya-Mosley
     
    HawkFan16, Sep 8, 2012
    HawkFan16, Sep 8, 2012
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  5. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    On this site we have seen a couple of epic showdowns, between posters on opposite sides of the street, who ended up developing a mutual respect.
     
    janitor, Sep 8, 2012
    janitor, Sep 8, 2012
    #5
  6. BUDW

    BUDW Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Scmeling/Louis
     
    BUDW, Sep 8, 2012
    BUDW, Sep 8, 2012
    #6
  7. HawkFan16

    HawkFan16 Unshot/In My Prime Full Member

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    Hagler and Hearns became friends? I didn't know about that. I always thought they disliked each other.

    Arguello and Pryor also became friends after their fights, as did Ingemar Johansson and Floyd Patterson.

    I know Leonard and Hearns became friendly years later, and that Leonard and Duran got along well after their first fight. Leonard even mentions in his book how surprised he was when Duran was really polite to his son and to him when they were on the set together for a 7-Up commercial.
     
    HawkFan16, Sep 8, 2012
    HawkFan16, Sep 8, 2012
    #7
  8. kikibalt

    kikibalt Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Joe Louis and John Henry Lewis were good friends before and after they fought
     
    kikibalt, Sep 8, 2012
    kikibalt, Sep 8, 2012
    #8
  9. kikibalt

    kikibalt Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Bobby Chacon and Danny Lopez
     
    kikibalt, Sep 8, 2012
    kikibalt, Sep 8, 2012
    #9
  10. Thread Stealer

    Thread Stealer Loyal Member Full Member

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    I believe Livingstone Bramble and Ray Mancini became friends. Bramble said some cruel things to trash talk before their fight "Ray is a murderer"....I was watching a later fight (I think Haugen) with Mancini and the commentators said that Bramble always went to Mancini's fights afterwards to support him.
     
    Thread Stealer, Sep 8, 2012
    Thread Stealer, Sep 8, 2012
    #10
  11. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I tend to agree, but there is always hope.
     
    janitor, Sep 9, 2012
    janitor, Sep 9, 2012
    #11
  12. FastHands(beeb)

    FastHands(beeb) Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Good point...it was also like this at school...how many times did you see kids have fights in the school playground and be best mates afterward? It certainly happened to me...
     
    FastHands(beeb), Sep 9, 2012
    FastHands(beeb), Sep 9, 2012
    #12
  13. he grant

    he grant Historian/Film Maker

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    Jeffries - Sharkey

    Jeffries - Fitz
     
    he grant, Sep 9, 2012
    he grant, Sep 9, 2012
    #13
  14. Azzer85

    Azzer85 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Mike Tyson and mitch Green



    Nah just joking.


    Apparently Tyson/Holyfield were friends way before they fought, this is according to the Holyfield Documentary Beyond the Glory. No Tyson documentaries or books ever seem to mention this.

    Id love to see a Bowe-Lewis FaceOff
     
    Azzer85, Sep 9, 2012
    Azzer85, Sep 9, 2012
    #14
  15. MadcapMaxie

    MadcapMaxie Guest

    Galento and Louis became friends long after their fight with one another.

    Pretty amazing considering all the **** Galento said about him.
     
    MadcapMaxie, Sep 9, 2012
    MadcapMaxie, Sep 9, 2012
    #15
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