Lesser-Known Entertainers from the Sport's Vast History

As we all know, boxing has a storied history and is first and foremost, an entertainment business. In the boxing's past, there have been some fighters who hearts are unquestionable and leave everything in the ring with the desire to entertain, who don't get the credit they deserve.

So the point of this thread is to highlight some of the lesser known ones, coz we all know guys like Gatti, Holyfield, Pacquiao ect, so it's a place where myself and others can post fighters who loved to brawl, but don't get recognition like others do. By lesser known, I mean non-ATGs, old-school (pre 2000) fighters. Feel free to start adding. From my own list, I present:

Marvin Johnson

Everybody knows THE all action, LHW from the golden era of the late 70s/80s, but Marvin Johnson was the dance partner in what was, imo, the best fight Saad Muhammad was in. Pops was a southpaw, fast starter, a hard hitter, a quick mover with a hyper-aggressive style. His Achilles heel was his stamina, he couldn't handle his own pace and so if he was withstood, he could be stopped late, his chin wasn't on a Marius level, but he could take a wack. An issue with Johnson is that footage isn't easy to find, a problem which will be consistent in this thread.

Pops gave it his all everytime he stepped through the ropes, even when he wasn't in love with boxing. He was very honest and told it how it was.

https://www.ringtv.com/582331-best-i-faced-marvin-johnson/
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/blog/?p=13157
https://tss.ib.tv/boxing/articles-of-2009/7130-tss-where-are-they-now-marvin-johnson

He pretty much lost to the best guys he fought, but make no mistake, Pops was a bad man. Once he slicked his hair back and started chaining those left uppercuts you'd best believe it was brutal. He was the first 3 time LHW champion and beat some good fighters. The guy got involved in brawls with Saad Muhammad twice, Galindez, Spinks, Emebe, Stewart twice, Gregory as well as beating the **** outta Nate Parlov and Charles Williams among others.

I advise anybody interested in him to watch these, especially Emebe, Stewart 1 and Saad 1&2. All classics.


Gaspar Ortega

Mexican WW from the 50s & 60s, so yeah, you'll have to put up with the B/W footage. But believe me when I say, he's one of the most entertaining fighters I've ever watched. He had a seriously long career, so I won't detail it, as it wouldn't fit. However, I will list these articles which should give some insight.

https://www.ringtv.com/573136-best-i-faced-gaspar-ortega/
http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/blog/?p=20159

I'll let his fights with speak for themselves.
The Fernandez 1 & Scott 1 fights are classics, he had a good scrap with Basilio as well. His unbelievable 10 rounder in his first encounter with Paret is an easy entrance to my top 10 fights of all time. Another amazing fight from his career is the Fernandez rematch, but it's another one I can't, but there is a clip. I've only mentioned a few fights, as they're the best fights I've found the full footage of. I can't find it, but his fight with Luis Federico Thompson is a supposed barnburner, among others.

If you can stomach the footage, or whatever's left of it, he's one to watch.


Frank Fletcher

Probably the most entertaining here, and thanks to @The Morlocks for introducing him to me. Lots of great fights from this hard headed hyper fighter, the southpaw MW was an excellent infighter. He's like a cross between Aaron Pryor and Marvin Johnson. In the early 80s, he was apart of a great little group of contenders who entered a tournament which ended up creating some brilliant fights, as seen here.

His brawls with Jerome Silky Jackson, Caveman Lee, Randy McGrath, James Green, Sammy DeSmith, Norberto Sabater, Ernie Singletary, Tony Braxton 3, Clint Jackson and Wilford Scypion, are all excellent. Now, again, footage is an issue, but I know the fights, which I can't find, exist. The fights that aren't on available on YouTube, are the ones that aren't linked.


Rocky Kelly

Big thanks to @roughdiamond who showed me this ballsy mutha****er from Liverpool, and who is by far my favourite scouser. He was tough as ****, huge heart, easily hit and loved a tear up. Tragedy struck after his fight with Wats, after which Wats died. Kelly was a fighter through and through, wasn't deterred by early career losses, tragedy, KDs, the lot. He fought on. A British level scrapper, who got stuck in with everyone.

His amazing brawls with Tony Brown, Kostas Petrou, Gary Jacobs, Kirkland Laing & Chris Sanigar secure his place here. He sadly was never really above Commonwealth level, but a brawler he was. His toughness should be revered outside of the UK.

 

@IntentionalButt @CST80 @rorschach51 @PhillyPhan69 seems like something you'd like

 

Ruslan Provodnikov? Victor Ortiz?

Good fights from those two. I know it didn't like up right, but imagine the war they'd have had.