http://www.lionelrose.com.au/Gallery.php This content is protected Returning from Tokyo where he dethroned BW great Fighting Harada, Rose was welcomed home in the most extraordinary way, an estimated 250,000 crammed the streets of Melbourne to celebrate his achievement. Will we ever see anything like this in Australia again? Keep in mind that in the last 10 years we've had two unified champions who call Australia home. *Edit: Refering to the image in the gallery of the motorcade making it's way through the Melbourne crowd. Sorry cant seem to get the image up on my post. This content is protected This content is protected This content is protected
250,000 people on the streets for a fighter would be a great sight to see Dont think we will see this again....not from the current crop anyway How many did they say Greeny had on the street when he came home from OS? Where can one grab a copy of the docco?
^ I saw it at JB-HIFI a while back, been meaning to get back down there and buy it the last coupla months but havent had the time. Looking forward to see it though.
Here tis: This content is protected ...and no, can't see anyone capturing the Australian imagination like Lionel did any time soon.
Darcy's funeral procession through Sydney and Mailtland..... Lionel Rose's return to Melbourne.... I could only imagine Dave Sands' return from O/S with the World M/W title would have gone close to these two events, had fate not taken him before. No, we wont see anything like the first two mentioned..... unless 3 people waving to the newest recipient of a WBF strap compares?
Why dont we see anything like this now? whats changed so much in our sport that it has declined so much in terms of fan support.
Thank you for putting the photo up. Came across it while looking through some images of Lionel this morning, actually made me a little sad and highlighted to me the state boxing is in these days. There was a time when THAT is what it meant to be world champion and to be celebrated and recognised as the best without question. That is what it meant as a boxer and his fans. We'll never see anything like this for any Australian sportsman in the future, dunno why, maybe the times have just moved on. I think you may have been right about Dave Sands though, definately if he'd had his shot at Robinson. Darcy's funeral proccesion was something entirely unique, i've heard of estimations of around 700,000 mourners, which to me sounds like a sizable chunk of the population at that time. Im a strong believer that no child should be raised in Australia not knowing who Les Darcy is. He's a very important part of our history, as is Lionel.
Good question Ty. Part of the reason, I believe, is all the bull**** alphabet titles available now days. Many of the people who lined the streets for Lionel weren't even boxing fans - but they realised and acknowledged that he was a genuine WORLD CHAMPION! These days relative nobodies are racking up collections of meaningless titles, and even non-boxing fans can see through the bull****.
Spot on. In the immortal words of the highlander "there can be only one". More titles means more fighters wont take unnecessary risks, seems to be an unnatural obsession with clean records, one loss and fighters seem to be labelled "shot". Fact is most of the matchups fans would love to see never come to fruition because of these elements
thanks CHB, honestly brings a tear to my eye looking at this stuff. Im not to great with boxing history, so was there only the three titles back then? or less
Things were a bit muddier than that, but the general rule was a fighter in each division was recognised internationally as THE champ..