Whos an interesting boxer?

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

Dorrian_Grey said: ↑

For rags to riches black fighters you might be interested in guys like:

Sam Langford: the greatest fighter to have never won a world title and arguably the greatest fighter ever if you dig deeply enough into his resume

Aaron Pryor: a super-lightweight champion whose legacy is shrouded by controversy and his career cut short by drug addiction

Harry Wills: A highly avoided heavyweight great who was the man avoided by Jack Dempsey for years

Dick Tiger: excellent middleweight from Nigeria and arguably the greatest African fighter

Ike Williams: an ATG lightweight

Ezzard Charles: the greatest ever light-heavyweight champion and a great heavyweight champion

Any of the murderers' row fighters from the '30s and '40s who were some of the most skilled and avoided fighters ever like Charley Burley, Jimmy Bivins, Cocoa Kid, Lloyd Marshall, Holman Williams, Jack Chase, Aaron Wade, Eddie Booker, the aforementioned Ezzard Charles, and Archie Moore. Springs Toledo has a very good book on these fighters.

If you're wanting to look more into boxing history, The Fight City is a very good resource and their articles are well-written and well-researched.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestions, ill take a look at that resource

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

Kid Bacon said: ↑

Jersey Joe Walcott's life is a very dramatic story of endurance and willpower, becoming a champion against all odds.

There are also two non-black boxers I recommend to check:

-Barney Ross, the greatest jew boxer ever. His whole life is an amazing tale of tragedy and triumph: a destitute orphan, a young gangster, a boxing champion, a high living millionarie, a bankrupted businessman, a war hero, a drug addict, an advocate against drugs.

- Max Schmelling, the great german boxer a fighter and a gentleman, his bouts with Joe Louis were the original FOTC: being a national symbol, Max refused to join the nazi party and risked his life to save a couple of jews kids. During WWII he became a paratrooper, survived the war and became a millionarie. He was a lifelong friend of Joe Louis, helping him financially and even paid for his funeral.
Click to expand...

Schmelling was a really cool fighter, what he did for louis was amazing. Even after his own country betrayed him he still held louis to high regard and helped him after death.

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

Bigcheese said: ↑

Check out the book Unforgivable Blackness about Jack Johnson, very colorful guy and a well written book. Ron Lyle certainly has an interesting life story, but I'm not sure I find him all that interesting. I read a biography on him and it was so so.
Click to expand...

A lot of people are recommending jack johnson so ill take a look, also i heard ron lyle wad a damn monster so ill take a peek at his story soon.

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

Jel said: ↑

Matthew Saad Muhammad. Involved in at least half a dozen of the greatest fights you could ever wish to see and an amazing backstory. There are a couple of recent books about him but watch the fights to start with.
Click to expand...

alright thanks, never heard of him but he seems awesome

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

Saintpat said: ↑

James Scott, 1970s/early 80s light heavyweight.

Learned to box in prison. Got out and was a rising prospect fighting in Miami when he was arrested again for an armed robbery and was sentenced to Rahway state prison in New Jersey, which had a vocational boxing program.

Resumed his career behind bars there as they had pro fights. HBO saw some novelty in it and brought in Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (known as Eddie Gregory at that time), the No. 1 contender, to fight Scott. James battered him from pillar to post with a vicious body attack and won.

Scott went on a tear, beating a few notables and then another No. 1 contender, Yaqui Lopez.

It all unraveled soon after. He moved up to No. 2 in the rankings but the WBA ruled that it couldn’t make him a mandatory and force a champion to go fight him behind bars. He applied for a furlough to allow him to go under lock and key guarded to Atlantic City to fight for the title but was turned down.

Somewhere along the way he was convicted of murder over someone who died in the robbery (iirc he wasn’t the alleged trigger man). He seemed to lose his spirit and was beaten by Jerry “The Bull” Martin, then lost to Dwight Muhammad Qawi (Dwight Braxton at the time), who had, ironically, learned to box in Rahway himself.

That ended Scott’s career.

There’s an ESPN podcast and I’m sure some good written material online chronicling his story, and you can find some of his prison fights on YouTube (after the one-off on HBO, NBC picked him up because of his compelling story and televised several fights … I think CBS also did one or two).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the breakdown bro I’ll definitely take a look… sounds really cool

SonnyListon> · May 16, 2024

thistle said: ↑

and be sure to watch the Documentary of the same name about Johnson, first class Documentary.

two others, Jock McAvoy & Bert Gilroy, arguably Britain's best middleweights.

Freddie Steele, Robert Villemain, Ernie Roderick, all great fighters.

ATG's - JJW, Charles & Lloyd Marshall as already mentioned.

the Black Murderers Row, great fighters.

and for my money one of the most enjoyable Boxing Books focused on the thoughts & realities of the Opponents & Challenger's - FACING ALI, an excellent Book.
Click to expand...

Iv taken a peek at facing ali but honestly, i dont like the guy very much. But the explanations of the fights from various boxing legends was awesome

Saintpat · May 16, 2024

SonnyListon> said: ↑

Thanks for the breakdown bro I’ll definitely take a look… sounds really cool
Click to expand...

Scott was maybe the best body puncher I’ve ever seen. He tried to expand his game and get cute, sometimes iwth good results, but when he was punching someone’s lungs out it was a sight to behold.

Jel · May 16, 2024

SonnyListon> said: ↑

alright thanks, never heard of him but he seems awesome
Click to expand...

God, I wish I’d never heard of him and was discovering him for the first time - you’re in for a treat!

thistle · May 16, 2024

SonnyListon> said: ↑

Iv taken a peek at facing ali but honestly, i dont like the guy very much. But the explanations of the fights from various boxing legends was awesome
Click to expand...

it's not another done to death regurgitated Ali stuff, No, it's thoughts & reflections of his Top Opponents, a different type of boxing book and more interesting than many.

Log in or Sign up

Whos an interesting boxer?

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

thistle Boxing Addict Full Member

Log in or Sign up

Forums

Whos an interesting boxer?

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

SonnyListon> #1 Sonny Liston fan Full Member

Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

thistle Boxing Addict Full Member