Jose Manuel Urtain - Highlights

Most overrated, overhyped fighter to ever come out of Europe.

Ring printed that magazine cover which did nothing more than highlite the fact that Urtain had a bunch of KOs over a bunch of total bums.

Weiland was the best guy he fought and Weiland was literally about as good as a modern day tough man fighter.

He basically fell apart every time he was forced to fight a fighter who was even modestly ranked that wasnt either past his prime or on a significant losing streak.

He was a perfect example of the Ring's willingness to ignore international fighters padded records in order to sell more issues abroad.

 

We knew him as the Uncrowned King.

 

but he couldnt deal with a certain Bald Headed Gentleman's "Postmans Knock" !

 

Urtain was not bad ..he just was not american.


Urtain was a second string kind of guy but no worse than say terry daniels, ron stander, jack O'Halloran, chuck wepner, jose roman, boone kirkman, al blue lewis, henry clark and ron stander.

Bodel was a good win. Urtain knocked him out almost as easily as quarry did. Bodel had KOd Jack O'Halloran a round quicker than George Foreman did. OHalloran went the distance with ken nortan.

Euro heavyweights get unfairly treated on this forum.

 

Over here in Spain they don't really follow boxing these days but any of the old fellas I talk to always mention Urtain first. He must of been thought of as a real superstar over here.

 

I would pick all of those guys to beat Urtain with the exception of Daniels and possibly O'Halloran.

The fact that his win over Bodell in Bodell's second to last fight, when Bodell was coming off a brutal one round stoppage loss the month before (something they wouldnt even allow to happen today) is being used to point to Urtains ability really illustrates just how limited Urtain and his record were.

He was a big fish in a small pond. He was typical of a lot of fighters from Europe from that era who were such big idols at home that they made noise internationally, more because of their celebrity than their ability. None of them were much beyond club level fighters.

I dont know what not being American has to do with anything. Urtain, along with a lot of other guys from that era, got a lot more attention in the United States than they deserved, as well as a lot more money, and even title shots. This was due more to the fact that they WERE NOT American and seen as exotic than any ability they showed in the ring regardless of their puffed up records.

 

That insults europeans. Do you think the entire population of Europe cannot produce fighters worthy of being beyond club level? Are the klit brothers club level?

If they were American they would be called second division contenders not "club level fighters"

 

It insults Europeans to say that guys like Bouttier, Boggs, and Urtain were club level fighters?? Explain.

Ive never even heard of a fighter being called a "second division contender" I have no idea what that even means. If they were Americans they would be called clubfighters, which is why I referred to them as clubfighters.

You assume that being called a clubfighter is an insult. Its only an insult if you think those fighters are far better then clubfighters. If thats what you believe thats fine, I disagree. A clubfighter is a good, capable fighter but one who cannot progress past a certain level. Thats exactly what those guys were.

Do you believe that had they been fighting in the USA, or another larger boxing market with multitudes of talent they would have had those padded records and gift decisions?

 

This 'Handsome Italian' was the first fighter to defeat Jose L. Urtain.

After '31-bouts' the 31-0-0 (30 KO's) Spaniard was defeated by (L Disq. 3) to Alfredo 'Wogrig' Vogrig
in August 1970.

Alfredo, a 33 1/2 year-old, 5' 10" 185 lb. 'fruit salesman' from Udine, Italy (northeast corner), who had
not fought in 10-months before fighting Jose L. Urtain.

Alfredo, an 'Italian Swarmer' with a record of 30-16-4 (12 KO's), smartly got fouled in a bout in San Sebastian, Spain.

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a club fighter is a guy who has no name, no amateur pedigree, fights in clubs on non televised shows against other guys with no name. An opponent who might have a day job who takes a phone call the night before he fights and drives himself to the show.
Those guys you mentioned were EUROPEAN champions, former decorated, international amateur boxers who even though they became "house fighters" as pro's had pedigree and were worthy of the fanfare in their hometowns and nations.
There are many American house fighters who never made the grade at championship level too but they were good fighters above club level. I would call club level 8 rounder’s. not main event or championship class.

main event fighters in the second half of the top ten are not club fighters.most boxers are either prospects or journeymen, home or away fighters. A club fighter is another curcuit.

Well that is the wrong definition. All fighters, even great fighters will find a level that they cannot progress past. The elite class is a very small group. Do you discount all fighters but champions?

I think if all fighters only fought 50-50 fights all the time they would sport 50-50 records. Do you think it only goes on in Europe?
Ali' s amateur coach wanted ali to win the Olympics so that he could bypass the clubs as a pro. he said he did not want young cassius "getting beat up in the clubs" - the alternative was to go the padded record route. Now if the greatest fighter of all time went the padded record and gift decision route what does it say about pro boxing? All champions are nursed along in order to become champions.

 

No matter what anybody says about Jose L. Urtain,

The guy packed them in like 'sardines' in the Spain Boxing Arena's.

Even the Great Muhammad Ali was amazed as Jose's 'super popularity'.

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Urtain was a stone lifting champion or something. Very strong man. He was a major box office attraction as a fighter

He was never a legitimate world title contender.
I'd rank him somewhere above Butterbean, and well below Joe Mesi.

 

Jose L. Urtain

Did get ranked in the Top 10 by Ring Magazine.

Could he be considered, Europe's version of Mac Foster.

He was clearly better than,
a) Lamar Clark
b) Ron Stander

 

A lot of fighters at the time were marketed with undefeated records and received title shots. I remember that Ring cover and the undefeated record and thought to myself this guy may be good. I also remember Mac Foster 24-0 24 KO's and Ron Lyle 27-0 and Ernie Shavers had quite a record but we have to say who did they beat? Urtain was not a bad fighter and could have gone further (perhaps an Ali fight,Ali fought worse) but they threw him in with some tough fights and the bubble broke. Foreman had a similar build up (no substance) but George did have a fight, Peralta,Chuvalo but most of George opponents even when he had 30+ fights were against fighters that were on the level of Urtain's opponents