Take a fight card, rearrange the matchups, make a better show

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Dubblechin, May 28, 2020.


Page 1 of 2
  1. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    How many times have you watched a boxing card and thought the fighters were fine but they were fighting the wrong people on that bill?

    This came up again the other day when I was rewatching Holmes-Evangelista. Five months after winning the title from Norton, Holmes and Norton both fought on the same card. The fights included:

    * Larry Holmes (28-0) vs. Alfredo Evangelista (23-2-1) for the WBC Heavyweight Title
    * Ken Norton (40-5) vs. Randy Stephens (11-4) - Heavyweights
    * Scott Ledoux (22-6-3) vs. James Brown (0-1) - Heavyweights
    * Stan Ward (9-2-2-) vs. Abdul Khan (1-4-1) Heavyweights

    There was also an Alexis Arguello title defense on the card against Arturo Leon (not great).

    I think the matchups we got were the last matchups I'd make if I wanted to put on a competitive card.

    With the same boxers, it would've been a much better show for the fans if we saw:

    * Larry Holmes (28-0) vs. Ken Norton (40-5) in their rematch for the WBC Heavyweight Title
    * Alexis Arguello (56-5) vs. Arturo Leon (23-14-2) - can't match Alexis with anyone else
    * Stan Ward (9-2-2) vs. Randy Stephens (11-4) Heavyweights
    * Scott Ledoux (22-6-3) vs. Alfredo Evangelista (23-2-1) Heavyweights
    * Match Abdul Khan (1-4-1) and James Brown (0-1) so one of them has a chance at a win.

    Same fighters, with a Holmes-Norton II main event, and probably much happier fans.

    Go to boxrec and pick out a card that included some name boxers. Who would you mix and match to make a better fight card?

    Keep the matchups to people who fought on that bill.

    (Don't add someone who didn't fight on the card.)
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #1
    Jel and Saintpat like this.
  2. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    I'll stick with Holmes.

    Reminiscing about the Holmes-Ali Closed circuit the other day, on that show was:

    * Larry Holmes (35-0) vs. Muhammad Ali (56-3) for the WBC Heavyweight Title
    * Leon Spinks (9-2-2) vs. Bernardo Mercado (26-2) in a WBC Elimination Bout
    * Michael Dokes (18-0-1) vs. Tom "Roughhouse" Fischer (29-4)

    There was also a Saoul Mamby-Termite Watkins title fight, but there is nobody else you could match Mamby with.

    Dokes was coming off the KO1 win over Ocasio in their rematch and beat up the journeyman Roughhouse. As we know, Holmes and Spinks got big wins.

    How about:

    * Larry Holmes (28-0) vs. Bernardo Mercado (26-2) for the WBC Title (Mercardo was the #1 contender)
    * Michael Dokes (18-0-1) vs. Leon Spinks (9-2-2)
    * Muhammad Ali (56-3) vs. Roughhouse Fischer (29-4) in a special attraction (?)

    Trickier.

    Or maybe:

    * Larry Holmes (28-0) vs. Michael Dokes (18-0-1) for the WBC Heavyweight Title
    * Muhammad Ali (56-3) vs. Leon Spinks (9-2-2) in their rubber match
    * Bernardo Mercado (26-2) vs. Roughhouse Fischer (29-4)

    I think I like the second.
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #2
    Saintpat likes this.
  3. sweetsci

    sweetsci Well-Known Member Full Member

    1,880
    1,832
    Jan 22, 2008
    Great idea for a thread. Interestingly, I think LeDoux was supposed to fight Jimmy Young this night, but Young pulled out with an injury.
     
    sweetsci, May 28, 2020
    sweetsci, May 28, 2020
    #3
    Saintpat and Dubblechin like this.
  4. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    That would've been good.
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #4
  5. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    23,381
    26,633
    Jun 26, 2009
    Second one is much better.

    June 25, 1981, Astrodome in Houston

    Original card had:

    Ray Leonard (29-1) vs. Ayub Kalule (36-0), 15 rounds for Kalule’s 154-pound WBA strap

    Thomas Hearns (31-0) vs. Pablo Baez (10-9-2), 15 rounds for Hearns’ WBA 147-pound title

    Pipino Cuevas (28-7) vs. Joergen Hansen (72-13), 10 rounds, welter

    Tony Ayala Jr (11-0) vs. Jerry Cheatham (31-5-2), 10 rounds, junior middle

    Milton McCrory (13-0) vs. Steve Hearon (12-1), 10 rounds, welter

    Tadashi Mahara (13-0) vs. Ramon Dianisio (1-10), 10 rounds, junior middle

    This card was a ‘stacked’ (except for the awful Hearns matchup) minor closed circuit show as I recall to build interest for Leonard-Hearns, who would fight next.

    Let’s mix them up, shall we? How about:

    Ray Leonard vs. Thomas Hearns, 15, to unify at 147 pounds

    Ayub Kalule vs. Tony Ayala Jr, 15, for the 154-pound WBA title

    Pipino Cuevas vs. Milton McCrory, welter, 10 rounds

    Joergen Hansen vs. Pablo Baez, welter, 10 rounds

    Jerry Cheatham vs. Tadashi Mahara (it might be interesting to make Ayala-Mahara instead — Mahara retired like 24-1 with his only loss to Davey Moore in a title try, but I’ll do it this way), 10 rounds, junior middle

    Steve Herron vs. Ramon Dianisio, 10 rounds, junior middle (Steve can eat a big breakfast and step up in weight for an easy win)

    I think I can live with this card.
     
    Last edited: May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    #5
    Jel and Dubblechin like this.
  6. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014

    Kalule-Ayala!!!!
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #6
    Saintpat likes this.
  7. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    23,381
    26,633
    Jun 26, 2009
    Cuevas-McCrory at this stage might also have been interesting.
     
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    #7
  8. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    They probably could've filled the Astrodome with a Leonard-Hearns/Kalule-Ayala doubleheader.
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #8
    Saintpat likes this.
  9. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    It would've been. And we'd have learned all about Tony Ayala (in terms of whether he could've been a champion) that night in Houston.
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #9
    Jel likes this.
  10. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    23,381
    26,633
    Jun 26, 2009
    I’m kind of proud of myself for this one — I remembered the Leonard and Hearns fights but I was also pretty sure Ayala fought on the undercard. Didn’t remember Cuevas on it nor McCrory.
     
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    #10
    Dubblechin likes this.
  11. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    Going way back, how about Jack Dempsey vs. Billy Miske card in 1920?

    You have:

    Jack Dempsey (53-4-9) vs. Billy Miske (54-11-14) for the World Heavyweight Title
    Harry Greb (161-11-14) vs. Chuck Wiggins (33-11-9)
    Sam Langford (156-29-41) vs. 'Big' Bill Tate (18-20-2)

    How would someone rearrange this?
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #11
  12. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    23,381
    26,633
    Jun 26, 2009
    Well first thing I’d film it so we’d get Greb haha.

    But I’d do this:

    Dempsey vs. Langford

    Greb vs. Miske

    Wiggins vs. Tate
     
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    #12
    Dubblechin likes this.
  13. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    You almost have to put Langford in with Dempsey, given how long he'd been around.

    It would be tempting to match Greb and Dempsey. Miske and Greb had fought a couple times already.
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #13
  14. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    23,381
    26,633
    Jun 26, 2009
    Yeah but if you make Dempsey-Greb you’re just furthering discrimination for another century, drawing the color line on Langford.
     
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    Saintpat, May 28, 2020
    #14
    Jel and Dubblechin like this.
  15. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    24,645
    18,463
    Jun 25, 2014
    How about this. Largest live fight crowd in boxing history to that point (and maybe still - haven't checked)

    February 1993. Azteca Stadium. Mexico City. More than 132,000 spectators.

    * Julio Cesar Chavez (84-0) vs. Greg Haugen (32-4) - WBC Super Lightweight Title
    * Terry Norris (33-3) vs. Maurice Blocker (34-2) - WBC Super Welterweight Title
    * Azumah Nelson (35-2-1) vs. Gabe Ruelas (33-1) WBC Super Featherweight Title
    * Michael Nunn (39-1) vs. late sub Dan Morgan (39-2) WBA Super Middleweight Title
    * Gerald McClellan (26-2) vs. Tyrone Moore (29-14-2) Super Middleweights
    * Felix Trinidad (17-0) vs. Pedro Aquirre (4-7) Welterweights
    * Terrence Alli (51-7-2) vs. Juan Carlos Nunez (0-15) - no weights listed (it was Mexico and Nunez fought as high as middle)

    Side Note: Trinidad was four months away from beating Blocker for Maurice's welterweight belt. And McClellan was three months away from beating Julian Jackson for his middleweight belt.

    Any takers?

    Chavez against Felix? Gerald against "Second To" Nunn? Norris in a non-title against Gerald? Norris defends against Trinidad? Chavez-Norris non-title catchweight?
     
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    Dubblechin, May 28, 2020
    #15
    Jel likes this.
Page 1 of 2