Johnny Owen and Lupe Pintor met 30 years ago yesterday in their tragic fight. Here's a very nice website dedicated to Owen and other Welsh greats. Included are video of 2 of Owen's fights and also a documentary about Johnny's dad and Lupe meeting many years later: http://www.johnnyowen.com/boxing_clips.html
Thanks. Very nice site, much more than I expected. The video is great...........I'm currently reading 'The Big If', a book about Owen, Pintor and the fight. It's a great book, I highly recommend it also.
Yeah, I've been told that it's a pretty good read; I'll have to get round to it sometime soon if I can. Also, Hugh McIlvanney - the great Scottish journalist and sports writer - wrote an extremely eloquent and moving article concerning the build-up, the fight itself and the aftermath. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article818085.ece People should have a nosy at the website though and check out the video(s).
Thanks Tin, that's a great article I wouldn't have otherwise found. Since I'm reading the book right now, my interest in the subject and man is very high.
My grandad (who gave me the boxing bug) and great grandad (who I sadly never knew) came from Wales, my grandad in particular being a fan of Driscoll, Welsh, Farr, Winstone, Dower, Owen and the like. I think that Owen's tragedy was one the things that ended up alienating him from the sport a bit. Owen's story has always fascinated and saddened me at the same time.
Yeah, I'm sure that was crushing for your grandad and all Welshman. It always fascinated me too but I could never bring myself to watch the fight. I finally decided to watch the first 8 rounds (before any knockdowns). I found that Johnny Owen could really fight. He gave a prime Lupe Pintor some hell before the tragic ending. I was pleased to see that site had two of his other fights posted. I haven't studied them yet but he seemed to have great footwork and balance, great fundamentals and a huge motor. He was a very good fighter. My impression from the book 'The Big If' is that he was a great person.
I've always been the same about it. Finally watched the it other week and watched the whole fight, bit of horrible feeling knowing the outcome. Johnny put up a better fight than I had imagined and surprisingly for all the talk about him being frail actually outmuscled Pintor, a powerful bantam for most of the first 8 rounds. After the first knockdown I think the writing was on the wall but Johnny wouldn't give up. He definitely had the heart of a champion.
I've watched Owen-Pintor once in it's entireity some time ago, and it was probably once too much. Enough so that I've never had the heart to watch it since. I agree with Al and natonic though; he gave Pintor serious trouble until the ninth round with his mobility, energy and deceptive strength. I'd go as far as to say he was winning up to that point. His lack of punching power against Pintor's strength eventually told though, as well as the unusual build of his skull that was partly responsible for the fatal damage. My judgement might be clouded or inappropriate here, but I vaguely remember being distinctly bitter and resentful of the way that a lot of the Mexican supporters behaved before, during and after the fight.
