Would if continuous amateur champions had gone the Pete Rademacher route?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Richard M Murrieta, May 30, 2022.


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  1. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    Would if continuous amateur champions had gone the Pete Rademacher route? Imagine 1964 Heavyweight Gold Medalist Joe Frazier opting to fight Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali in early 1965 instead of Ali defending against Sonny Liston? Or 1968 Heavyweight Gold Medalist George Foreman fighting either WBA Champion Jimmy Ellis or 5 state champion Joe Frazier in early 1969? Those are just a couple of examples, the results. Let's hear yours.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, May 30, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, May 30, 2022
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  2. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    1976 Olympic Gold Medalist Sugar Ray Leonard opts to challenge either WBC Welterweight Champion Carlos Palomino or WBA Welterweight Champion Jose Pipino Cuevas in early 1977. 1952 Heavyweight Gold Medalist Ed Sanders vs Rocky Marciano in 1953.
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, May 30, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, May 30, 2022
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  3. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    They would have all been beaten.
     
    mark ant, May 30, 2022
    mark ant, May 30, 2022
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  4. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Don`t forget Audley Harrison too.
     
    mark ant, May 30, 2022
    mark ant, May 30, 2022
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  5. SolomonDeedes

    SolomonDeedes Active Member Full Member

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    19 year old Cassius Clay against 44 year old Archie Moore for the light-heavyweight title could have been interesting.
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2022
    SolomonDeedes, May 31, 2022
    SolomonDeedes, May 31, 2022
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  6. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Blimey.,now that one s not that easy to pick.
    Cassius with the speed of youth but Moore with experience.??
     
    Fergy, May 31, 2022
    Fergy, May 31, 2022
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  7. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    Audley Harrison vs John Ruiz in 2001?
     
    Richard M Murrieta, May 31, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, May 31, 2022
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  8. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    If Roy Jones had fought for a light middleweight title upon turning pro in 1989, I think Jones could've beaten either Robert "Bam Bam" Hines or Darrin Van Horn for the IBF strap (since Van Horn took it from Hines that year) ... or possibly Donald Currry or Rene Jacquot for the WBC belt (since Jacquot took it from Curry that year).

    Certainly he could've beaten Jacquot, who was terrible.
     
    Dubblechin, May 31, 2022
    Dubblechin, May 31, 2022
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  9. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Indeed! And if Cassius had managed to take the belt from Archie (certainly not impossible), I wonder how boxing history might have changed?
     
    djanders, Jun 1, 2022
    djanders, Jun 1, 2022
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  10. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 MONZON VS HAGLER 2025 Full Member

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    Some soviets and Cubans probably at various points. I don't know much about the AM game characters but it's undeniable they used to or even still do train to fight like a pro. Tefolmio (Spellig?) Stevenson could've let's say probably taken out 76 Ali with a tune up or two. Maybe.
     
    Journeyman92, Jun 1, 2022
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  11. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Good call - Teofilo Stevenson came to my mind also.

    Let’s pretend he’s allowed a 1 off pro fight for the HW Title upon each Gold Medal win:-

    1972 - Could be Frazier or Foreman in the following year

    1976 - as said, vs Ali

    1980 - we’ll say vs Larry Holmes but there’s Mike Weaver also

    Best chance though not high, vs 76/77 Ali I guess.
     
    Pugguy, Jun 2, 2022
    Pugguy, Jun 2, 2022
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  12. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    1904 St Louis O-Lympic HW Gold Medalist Sam Berger vs Jim Jeffries. Have to go with the Boilermaker.

    68 Mexico Foreman vs Frazier or Ellis would’ve been very interesting - unpolished but there’s that huge punch that could still land..
     
    Pugguy, Jun 2, 2022
    Pugguy, Jun 2, 2022
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  13. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    No way would Teo have stood a chance v Frazier or Foreman he didn`t fight anyone even near that level in the amateurs. Holmes was far better than Stevenson.
     
    mark ant, Jun 2, 2022
    mark ant, Jun 2, 2022
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  14. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    But on Jan 1 1959 Fidel Castro ended it for his athletes, in the Communist world, an athlete is not allowed to go to other countries to fight professional and make money. In their world you are stuck as an amateur, fighting only 3 round fights for your country, so that proposed fight against a 1976 Muhammad Ali would have probably not happened. Many Cuban fighters like Jose Mantequilla Napoles fled their homeland in 1958 before the Communist regime of Castro took over in 1959.
     
    Richard M Murrieta, Jun 2, 2022
    Richard M Murrieta, Jun 2, 2022
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  15. Mike Cannon

    Mike Cannon Boxing Addict Full Member

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    On the money Richard ( as usual ) mind you highly unlikely he would have beaten Ali, well remember him taking out the highly touted American Duane Bobick in style, boy could he punch.
    stay safe buddy.
     
    Mike Cannon, Jun 2, 2022
    Mike Cannon, Jun 2, 2022
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