History Lesson: Kid Gavilan

With all due respect, I'd give Napoles an edge in defense.

 

Well, we all have our opinions. It's Gavilan on my side, Napoles in yours.

 

For **** sake I was going to stay away from the forum for a while and this thread brought me right back in. Gavilan is my favorite fighter bar none. A few years back I met a Cuban family in Miami's Calle Ocho who gifted me with a picture taken with Gavilan, their father, and then presidential candidate Eduardo Chibas in the "El Floridita" night club in Havana, year 1951. My interest in Gavilan began there and continues today.

I agree with everything you say Pea, especially about his versatility and fluidity, not only in movement but in ring versatility. The four fights I have (Buker, Turner, Bratton II, Janiro II) showcase his ability to play the boxer, the preasure fighter, and the brawler- and to move fluidly between these styles depending on what a fight or an opponent dictated.

His fight with Buker is a great one to see. Its a young and impressive Gavilan.

 

he was great, one of the greates cuban fighters ever, up there with Kid Chocolate.

 

I got him above Griffith personally, everythin' u said about him was right

 

Oscar De La Hoya is a very poor man's Gavilan imo, even in his prime

 

Kid Chocolate was another great. I saw an interview with him recently that I want to post soon.

 

This is the interview. It was his last. Its in Spanish and the audio is bad but its interesting anyways. I will do a better translation later, but for the most part he is talking about his career, his winning belts, etc. He has a great memory for dates, the round that he KO'd this fighter or that fighter- even at this age, amazing really.

He is also asked who was his hardest fight- his response is Jacky Berg from England, and Tony Canzoneri. Asked who the toughest Cuban he ever fought was, he responds Carlito Blanco and Johnny Cruz.

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I have a friend in his mid 80's who is one of my best boxing buddies. This guy saw Marciano, Robinson, and many other legends live. He talks about Kid Gavilin a lot; he thinks very highly of him.

 

I would also argue that what in on youtube is not the best Gavilan (although the fights Pea mentioned in the beggining of the thread are better than what was on youtube of him before).

 

He looks younger and fresher in the Buker fight. Maybe not as refined, yet his reflexes are faster and he is obviously a younger man. Raging B(_)ll when he sent it to me, described Gavilan as being in his absolute prime or something to that effect.

In the Turner fight, he faces a fighter in his own mold. SRL made an anology to his match with Benitez when he entered the ring to see what he called a mirror image of himself.

The Janiro fight is a good one as well, with Gavilan playing more of the boxer role.

By the way, I'm thinking of ordering some Napoles. Your high on him and from what I have seen he was great. I watched the Monzon fight last night, he was clearly outsized.

 

Gavilan had some skinny ass legs, no wonder he had no power.