Superb fight, this is. Watched it last night. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og7MS6wxoyk[/ame] Art Hafey was the number 1 contender for the Featherweight crown, held by David Kotey of Ghana. With an unbeaten streak of 15 straight victories. Many people think Hafey's placement as number 1 contender was a bit easy, but he was still a good little fighter. Sort of a pint size Marciano, Hafey made up for his lack of stature (as he was only 5'1 or 5'2) with endless stamina and a bobbing and weaving crouch. Constantly coming forward winging in hard hooks. He could bang a bit but was mostly an attrition, wear you down kind of puncher. If you look at McGrain's upload thread there is a good fight of Hafey's vs David Sotelo. Danny Lopez on the other hand was ranked number 4 in the world. He had been undefeated but had lost to Bobby Chacon 2 years previously, this signalled a small decline as Lopez's training team looked to work on his defence. This did not seem to work with Lopez losing twice more to Fukuyama and Octavio Gomez. This convinced Lopez to return to his aggressive ways. With the aggresion in full flow again, Lopez steam rolled his way through the West Coast based Featherweights, which was a very talented group of fighters. Stopping Chucho Castillo, Raul Cruz, Ruben Olivares, Sean O'Grady and gaining revenge by stopping Octavio Gomez in three. This path of destruction led him to the showdown with Hafey. Hafey going into the bout assured everyone that Lopez was 'tailor-made for him.' And had an air of confidence about him that worried Lopez contingent. It was thought to be a tight one, but with Lopez a slight favrouite, after all he was on the way up and Hafey was on the way down.
Hafey is just good clean fun, and there's maybe no fighter so deserving of a renaissance. I hate to say it, therefore, but like all renaissance men there's a danger of his becoming a little overated. So much fun though. This is a good one.
I will never overrate Hafey. He has obvious limitations and lost every time he stepped up but he needs to be remembered at least. With Hafey and Lopez in a ring you are guaranteed excitement though. His chin is very near first class though. This fight really shows Hafey's balls though. I can't think of much fighters who would stand up to this much punishment and keep chugging along.
I remember digesting this one with gusto when I saw it on youtube a few months ago. Thanks for posting it, it deserves to be seen. That whole era of southern California fighters was so cool. I remember emailing Raging B()ll when I was ordering fights from him, telling him that was the time and place I was interested in, just fill up my shopping cart. Such a concentration of excellent battlers, and they all seemed to fight each other at least once. A Golden Era for sure. If you came up through that testing ground with a ranking, it was a legit ranking.
thanks pater cracking fight, but after the first round it was very one sided by the end of the third it felt like i was watching a hobbit getting mugged.hafey really was brave and very durable towards the end it occurred to me that his handlers were allowing him to be a bit to brave
Indeed it does get a bit one sided but Hafey is always firing back, that is what makes this fight brilliant. Lopez is unloading some serious hurt on Hafey but Hafey keeps chugging forward with those hooks of his, and he looks hurt but then comes back firing. Really amazing display of guts. A better fight in terms of back and forth action is probably the Olivares one, if you have not seen it. I just finished watching Lopez's bout with Fukuyama and it is now my favrouite Little Red fight. What a war that is!
i just got some olivares fights on disc his fights with lopez and hafey are on them i will try to watch them over the next couple of days
Aint seen Olivares vs Hafey. What one is it? If it is the first fight tell me what happens, i can't really imaging Ruben getting KO'd by Hafey but it happened.
From an email by Greg Beyer that he sent to me. Relating to the fight, thought there would be something of interest to most people in this.
Hafey-Olivares II is on youtube; terrific fight. Damn, Hafey was a tough *******. I read a KO Magazine interview with Arguello from back in '81 where he said Hafey and Escalera were the two toughest men he ever fought.
Hafey was a tough nut alright. Alexis Jr said that his Dad said his toughest fight was with Escalara because every time Arguello hit him he would come back with 'I'm gonna kill you' (or something to that extent) and then Arguello would counter back, ' Not if I get you first.' The Arguello vs Hafey fight exists on film somewhere, I so wish I could see it.
:viking There is a great dvd yoy can get about Hafey that tells his story and also has some of his fights andf other canadian fighters fights on it called. "Toy Tiger, Curse of the Strongman,; Luck of the Irish". I bought it and it is well worth the price.:viking
Cheers The Morlocks, been recommended to me, but this seals the deal, will definitely have to get it.
