The Hardest Men To Ever Step Into The Ring

I thought he was being a "warrior" in the Echols fight for continuing with an injured shoulder (from Echols' slam). He did use some other questionable tactics in that fight though.

The fight in which he could not continue due to an injured arm was the first Robert Allen fight.

I'm not sure if I'd call him a warrior in the ring but he has had to overcome many obstacles inside and outside of the ring to get where he is at.

 

Maybe but I think the throw in Hopkins-Echols two was a bit more serious. He also landed on his shoulder while in Cotto/Clottey I didn't really see any way in which Clottey could have been harmed from the push.

I do agree that Hopkins might not belong in this thread though. Fighters like Basilio, Armstrong and Battling Nelson walked through punishment and never showed any quit under any circumstances, it's no insult to not be comparable to them as far as being a warrior goes.

 

Check out Bartley Madden, a real hard man.

 

Juan Laporte deserves a big mention.

 

Zale.Zivic.Lamotta,Armstrong

 

Basilio all around, how about Matthew Saad Muhamad.

 

Matthew Saad Muhammad is one hell of a pick. The way he took punishment in the Yaqui Lopez fights was unbelievable, and he had to do it pretty much every time out. A great fighter, and so so tough.

 

basilio
gatti
but most of all : frazier. i think joe is the kind of fighter that never ever would quit. you have to knock him out or maybe his trainer or the referee would stop the fight but if he could only use one arm he still would go on.

 

Koki Kameda

 

I can't believe it: a thread 5-pages long and nobody has mentioned Barney Ross yet... what kind of bizarre forum is this? :verysad

Barney belonged to a long gone era, when referees wouldn't stop a fight unless you were already half-dead. He was never KOed. His fights with ATG Canzoneri, McLarnin and Armstrong were vicious all-out battles. In particular, his last fight with Armstrong has the stuff of legends:

"In his last fight, Ross defended his title, on May 31, 1938, against the fellow member of the three division world champions' club Henry Armstrong who beat him by a decision in 15. Although Armstrong pounded Ross inexorably, and his trainers begged him to let them stop the fight, Ross absorbed the abuse and refused to stop. And he refused to go down. Barney Ross was never knocked out in his career and was determined to leave the ring on his feet. Some boxing experts view Ross's performance against Armstrong as one of the most courageous in history. Some believe that Ross's will to survive every tough fight on his feet had to do with his understanding of his symbolic nature as a Jew. That is, Jews would not only fight back, but they wouldn't go down."

"Ross’ most courageous prize fight was his last, in 1938, against Henry Armstrong, the only man to hold the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight crowns. By the time he fought Armstrong, Ross — although only 28 years old —had fought almost 300 times. Although he started strong, Ross fired after the fourth round and Armstrong pummeled him at will. After the tenth round, the referee asked Ross if he wanted to stop, but the champion said no. After the twelfth, the referee approached Ross’ managers, asking them to throw in the towel, but, Ross told them, "You do that and I’ll never talk to you again. I want to go out like a champion." To Ross that meant standing on his feet when the final bell sounded, Through rounds thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, Armstrong pounded away at the exhausted Ross, who would not go down. Voices in the crowd pleaded with the referee to stop the fight, but he respected Ross’ wish to end his career never having failed to go the distance. In the last minute of the fight, Ross rallied and stood toe to toe with Armstrong, exchanging blows. The crowd was on its feet many with tears in their eyes, cheering for Ross, knowing they had seen the heart of a true champion."

 

P4P excellant shout

but you never realy hear of a great boxer in terms of pure boxing such as Ross being mentione as a hardman

 

Chuck Wiggins anybody?