I'm intrigued by sparring and background stories.

My mistake John ,not Flyweight ,Bantamweight,Cerdan brought him over to Joe Blooms Gym in Londons West End ,to help prepare him for his match with Bert Gilroy,Cerdan had won the European title just a few days before,and was obviously going places

 

I've heard that Howard Davis Jr. and Sugar Ray Leonard worked out, and Howard gave him a hard time. Also heard about Clint Jackson and Michael Dokes going at it, due to Dokes' cockiness. There was a story that Tex Cobb was hurt by Super Greg Page with a kidney punch that literally stopped him in his tracks.

 

This one doesn't surprise me

:smoke

:good

 

source?

 

Harold Johnson who is the most modest man I ever met said when I asked him about sparring both Liston and Benton here in Phila that he had no problems with either man.

 

James Toney used to walk into the Kronk gym and yell "Let the beatings begin!"

 

The man himself, on another forum.

 

Larry was Ali's top sparring partner from 1971-1974, he left because Ali felt he needed to prove something and kept trying to knock Larry out, and when Larry started getting the better of him, he realized he could take him. Larry left briefly in 1973 to be Frazier's top sparring partner for a little while. Larry was competive then too.

 

They never sparred though. Larry used to put a $10,000 bounty on his head in sparring. If you could drop him, you got $10,000. No one ever dropped him. That way he knew they were always fighting their best.



Larry sparred Razor Ruddock back in 1989. It looked more like Larry was teaching Ruddock and getting more of a work out in then real sparring.

 

:yep

 

Marlon Starling giving Thomas Hearns a rough time prior to Leonard-Hearns l, before getting his jaw broke with a right.

 

"They would never let me and Larry spar on media days. What does that tell ya".

That was what Tony said on another forum.

 

Who was the best fighter Larry sparred with during his time as champion?

 

Not sure. There isn't much talk about his sparring partners as champion compared to him sparring Ali and Frazier back around 71-74. But there is footage on youtube with Larry and Razor Ruddock sparring in 1989. It looked like Larry was trying to show Ruddock some stuff and get in a work out.

 

That Tony is a liar?