Forgotten controversial fights/losses of great fighters

Laguna never really had a left hook, it was a Eubank-esque innefectual slap most of the time.

That's not to say that if the full ten rounds of that bout surfaces, it might indicate Laguna was unlucky, but that quote just seems like the typical journalistic exaggeration of that era's boxing writers.

 

Actually two different writers marveled about the left hook. That quote was from a Leonard Sachs who had been around awhile, including having been affiliated with jack Dempsey's management. Another writer, John Hall of the L.A. Times referred to Laguna as a Luis Rodriguez style of fighter. I don't know much about Leonard Sachs but John Hall was a well-respected writer and I enjoyed reading some of his texts which were really down to earth. The gist I derived from this was it was not a power hook but they were amazed at the speed of it.

 

A report I read said Saldivar was hitting to the body and Laguna was just being evasive.

Care to offer your report? :good

 

Norton Vs Ali
Hearns Vs Leonard 2

 

Likewise, for Holyfield's next fight : the first Moorer fight.
It's rarely mentioned that he lost the title on an exceedingly close decision. Even in the bad state Holyfield was in, Moorer didn't exactly produce a convincing win.
I seem to remember Larry Merchant suggesting Holyfield might have been jobbed, and George Foreman flat out called it a fix !

 

I never thought he had much of a hook at all, scar.Just a cuffing slap.The jab and right were gold however.

Definitely agree with the Rodriguez comparison though.Very similar with Rodriguez being the busier and slightly more balanced offensive fighter of the two.

 

There was nothing controversial about the Briscoe-Valdez I decision. That was a hellacious fight but Valdez clearly won. He was the better boxer and better puncher in that fight and even staggered Briscoe a couple of times, once sending him staggering across the ring. I doubt BI had a correspondent at the fight, it was held in a small basketball gym on the tiny island of New Caledonia in the south pacific and very few people saw it.

 

I was ringside and scored it a draw, Klomp.

 

Just found this on brec
1964-06-01 : Ismael Laguna 125 lbs lost to Vicente Saldivar 126 lbs by PTS in round 10 of 10
Location: Plaza de Toros, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
"Mexican champion Vicente Saldivar upset the world's No. 1 featherweight contender Ismael Laguna of Panama Monday night at the downtown bullring. Saldivar, 127 1/2, forced the action through most of the rounds to offset the superior boxing of the 129 lb. Laguna. Some 12,000 fans applauded the unanimous decision of referee Ray Solis and judges Carlos Scheilinger and Francisco Mulback." -United Press International
Unofficial UPI scorecard - 5-4-1 Saldivar
"One of the great ring robberies of the season took place Monday night in Tijuana. The record books will say that Mexico's Vicente Saldivar defeated Ismael Laguna, but don't you ever believe it. Laguna, the No. 1 featherweight contender from Panama, made only one mistake all evening. He showed up. There were 10,000 fans jammed into the bullring, and you immediately got the feeling Laguna would be fortunate to escape with his life. The referee started warning and badgering Laguna even before the handshake. Several of us from Los Angeles, including promoter George Parnassus and Charlie Casa, manager of No. 2 Don Johnson, were on hand scouting Laguna with the thought he would soon be coming to town to meet Johnson at the Olympic. Now, it appears it will be Saldivar and Johnson, but that doesn't exactly erase the injustice to Laguna." -The L.A. Times
Post fight comment
"I learned one thing. Johnson will never fight in Mexico. They wanted us to meet Saldivar in Mexico City, but I might as well just take the purse and mail them the loss. Why bother fighting? You can't get the decision." -Charlie Casas, manager of Don Johnson

Conflicting opinions, sounds like it was a close one. I like Charlie Casas comment, I would imagine he was the most neutral.

 

Flea, having trouble posting this. It's from the L.A. Times. I'll send it to you. Maybe you'll have better luck.

 

I doubt it I'm poor with that kinda' stuff

But I'll glady read and then report back to the thread