Who would you pick to outbox Cocoa Kid at 147?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020.


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  1. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    No handcuffs, no carrying and most importantly no swarming.

    Let's take the Cocoa Kid from 1939-1943. A 4 year peak book ended by a thrashing from Charley Burley and a medical discharge from the military with dementia.

    Who out there gets the job done and is able to outbox this great welterweight?

    Legend has it he's one of the best jabs in history.

    Hand speed of a featherweight, foot speed of a lightweight and a right cross of a middleweight.

    A quick scan of his record tells you one thing. A deeper dig tells you something else entirely.
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
    #1
  2. Bujia

    Bujia Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Hearns.
     
    Bujia, Jul 9, 2020
    Bujia, Jul 9, 2020
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  3. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    Definitely.

    Cocoa Kid was a quick, tall rangy straight punching master.

    Hearns is taller and more rangy with harder straighter shots and might be just as quick.

    I would agree with Hearns.
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
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  4. Blaxx

    Blaxx Active Member Full Member

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    Sugar Ray Robinson & Thomas Hearns are default answers. There are probably a few others, but not many.
     
    Blaxx, Jul 9, 2020
    Blaxx, Jul 9, 2020
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  5. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    Robinson is a default answer... But Robinson twice agreed to fight Cocoa Kid and twice backed out of fighting him. He later hired Cocoa Kid as a sparring partner and was beaten up and dropped.

    Now I'm never one to believe sparring stories should inform professional fights, but it does give pause for thought.
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 9, 2020
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  6. klompton2

    klompton2 Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    For a second I thought we were talking about a fighter who hadnt lost and drawn 69 of his fights. If you believe he had the cuffs on in all of those I have a prime bit of swamp land to sell you.
     
    klompton2, Jul 9, 2020
    klompton2, Jul 9, 2020
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  7. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    I never said he did.

    I said who would you pick to outbox him from 1939 to 1943.
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
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  8. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    He dropped Ray in the 2nd round of a spar with right hand,this was at PomptonLakes NJ.
    The Kid was ranked in the top ten by the Ring at either,Lightweight,Welter,and Middle for 81months between Aug 1933 and Feb1947 ,never receiving a title shot. .Source Springs Toledo from his excellent book,
    "Murderers Row" highly recommended.
     
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
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  9. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    I read his full series on Cocoa Kid called Just Watch Mah Smoke, reading that inspired me to do this thread actually.
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
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  10. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    He brought me up to speed on those guys, terrific writer, I bought the trilogy and then the Greb book.
     
    Last edited: Jul 10, 2020
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
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  11. CharlesBurley

    CharlesBurley Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    Burley and Holman Williams given they did it. I also tend to think those fights were on the level, especial with a title at stake
     
    CharlesBurley, Jul 10, 2020
    CharlesBurley, Jul 10, 2020
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  12. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    He beat Williams 8 times,lost3 ,and drew with him twice .Wiiliams had 9lbs on him in 1 of his wins.
     
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
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  13. CharlesBurley

    CharlesBurley Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    I don't know about the alleged second incident but at least one of those was a charity bout where they didn't tell SRR that a top contender in Cocoa Kid would be the opponent.
     
    CharlesBurley, Jul 10, 2020
    CharlesBurley, Jul 10, 2020
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  14. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    The KD I referred to was when he was a sparring partner for, the then Welter Champ Ray.
     
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
    mcvey, Jul 10, 2020
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  15. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    Read Just Watch Mah Smoke
     
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
    lufcrazy, Jul 10, 2020
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