Favorite Fighters of All Time? - Fight Forum - MMA - UFC - Boxing - K1

Gygax · 11-18-2005, 12:27 PM

This could be interesting. Name your Top 5 Favorite Boxers of All Time. They may not be the greatest in skill, or maybe they were never a world champion. But each fighter really stuck in your head and you'd go out of your way to be sure to watch them ply their trade. Maybe you got to meet them once or they just always had an incredibly exciting style. You can put them in order or just list your fab five. Here's mine...

Mike Tyson - Back int he mid-80's, my dad used to take me to alot of fights up in the Catskills of NY. He took me to Poughkeepsie to see the fights once and I got to see this up and coming phenom by the name of Mike Tyson. It was around his 6th fight against a can by the name of Larry Sims. Sims literally ran in fear for 3 rounds before Iron Mike finally cornered him and dropped him out cold with a left hook. The guys was practically in convulsions from the punch. From that time I was hooked. I truly feel all blame for his downfall lies at the feet of Don King. I really won't even follow him anymore as he is just a freakshow at this point. Opportunity wasted, a real shame.

Alexis Arguello - He personified smooth boxing for me. There was always just something so silky in the way he threw punches that I loved watching him fight. His wars with Aaron Pryor were absolutely awesome to watch even though he ended up on the losing end twice. Wonderful boxer!

Buddy McGirt - I was a big fan of Buddy but ended up being a friend of his. During his first fight with Pernell Whitaker, Buddy tore his rotator cuff clean off his right shoulder in the 3rd Round. The surgeon said it looked like a hand grenade went off in his shoulder. I know this because he came to my facility to rehab. Myself and the head PT worked with Buddy getting him back. He fought a few warmup fights, including a war with Livingston Bramble before stepping back in ring with Pernell. Pernell completely outboxed Buddy and his glory days were clearly behind him. But he was a classy guy who really made a great impression on me.

Arturo Gatti - Following up on the Buddy story, I got to meet and hang out with Arturo because of Buddy. They fought on the same card at the Meadowlands Convention Center in '94 and we all went to a post fight party together. Arturo was very down to earth and seemed to just love the fight game. I've always found it interesting how Buddy is now his trainer as well. And though no one has ever claimed that Thunder was the most skilled fighter, he has as much heart and determination as any who have stepped through the ropes.

Sugar Ray Leonard - As classy a fighter as I've ever seen. The man was as confident as anyone, yet was always respectful of his opponent. Lightning fast, for some reason in my eyes his occasional antics never seemed to be showboating, more a case of a real strategy. Sugar was always a great ambassador for the sport and I really enjoyed his broadcasting as well.

Honorable mentions:

Boom-boom Ray Mancini - a warrior
Bobby Czyz - playeed softball against him
Lou Savarese - dad knows his family
Roy Jones Jr - insane skills and speed
Mark Breland - followed since the Golden Gloves

Bull · 11-18-2005, 02:38 PM

Thank you very much for the thread. Very interesting list you got there, Gygax. Can you tell us something about Lou Savarese? I would be very interested.

As you will see, the boxers I mentioned are still quite "young" - I have seen a lot of the classic fights, but I enjoy the current boxers and fights hell alot more.
My top5 "old-school" boxers: George Foreman, Ken Norton, Earnie Shavers, Cassius Clay and Julian Jackson.

Mike Tyson
An incredible combination of speed, power and style - just unbelievable. He simply used to walk through his opponents due to his incredible superiority. The most exciting, the best, fighter ever! As I saw him fighting for the very first time, I understood what boxing is all about.

Lamon Brewster
Chin + power = dangerous combination for every fighter. Brewster just never gives up, he knows what he is doing and what he is doing it for. You never know what is happening next in his fights because he is sort of unpredictable at times.
I love watching left-handed men fight in orthodox stance, these are the best.

John Ruiz
It actually is John Ruiz and Norman Stone as a tag-team.

Anyone remember the Ruiz-Golota fight? That was an amazing show, wasn't it? Everybody should watch this bout. They do not give up, true fighters. Ruiz always wants to turn his boxing matches into street brawls, I enjoy watching that.

Jeff Lacy
In my view currently the best pound-for-pound boxer. Strong, good chin, great style. Do you know anybody who says Lacy was not exciting to watch?

Tommy Morrison
Great offence! Superb left hook, ladies and gentlemen! He was having problems, but I am happy for the time he was around. Good boxer!

Gygax · 11-18-2005, 02:52 PM

Lou was as nice of a guy as one could imagine. He was friendly yet very quiet. His brother was an extremely gregarious guy who was always joking and playing pranks on guys. He was funny as hell. But sometimes his pranks rubbed people the wrong way and people would try to get physical with him. Up would step Big Lou and everyone would quiet down. As quiet as he is, you could always "feel" his presence. A real good guy.

I like all your choices except for Ruiz, but I know you have probably figured that out by now.

I just can't stand his style. Too ugly for my tastes.

Lacy is a great fighter. He is very quick yet throws with bad intentions. I expect him to KO Calzaghe, who is no slouch, but not in Lacy's class.

Morrison really did have a great left hook. Some of those KO's were unbelievable.

For the more modern fighters, I'm a big fan of DeLaHoya, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton, Erik Morales, and Zab Judah.

Bull · 11-18-2005, 03:03 PM

Thanks for the details.

I believe you that Lou is a nice guy - just look at him, and you can tell.

Am pretty much aware of your view on Ruiz' style, and I respect your opinion completely.

Lacy - Calzaghe will be a great fight I am sure.

Zab Judah is friends with some professional fighters, isn't he? You see him often with Tyson and Lacy for instance.
I personally never liked De La Hoya. What do you like most about him?

Gygax · 11-18-2005, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull

I personally never liked De La Hoya. What do you like most about him?

Pretty much one reason. Excitement. Most of his fights, especially the early ones, were toe to toe affairs. He just loved to slug it out. See the fights with Ruelas, Chavez, Leija, Camacho, Gatti as examples. Sure, he has had his troubles and put some real stinkers out there, but many of his fights were simply fun to watch.

gumbel · 11-18-2005, 07:10 PM

only one really sticks out to me, i have alot of fighters i like but one truely favorite.

Vinnie Paz- his character and antics drew me, very exciting to watch, not the prettiest style but the craziest, never knew what he would do next.

666 · 11-18-2005, 07:49 PM

Mike Tyson Mike Tyson Mike Tyson Mike Tyson Mike Tyson

Unknown · 11-19-2005, 02:54 PM

Jason Litzau. The fact that Firday Night Fights is one of the only boxing things I do watch these days has something to do with it. He was just one of those Guys who grew on me.

Most of the others were before my time. Tyson was out of the game by the time I started watching Boxing. Ali was long before my time. And so on.

sraiderguy · 11-19-2005, 11:10 PM

1.Roy Jones Jr.
2.Pernell "sweet pea"Whittaker
3.Sugar Ray Leonard
4.Mike Tyson
5.Ricky Hatton - Relative youngblood but should impress and win more fans when begins to fight in the U.S.

ricky · 11-20-2005, 02:55 AM

Mike Tyson- As A Young Teenager In The 80's I Watched Mike Tyson Fight A Lot On Tv ( Free Tv). I Never Seen Anything Like Him Before, Dropping Anybody And Everybody Like A Sack Of Potatoes. When You Hear Greatest Of All Time You Can't Help But Think Of Tyson.

Sugar Ray Leonard-once Again As A Young Teenager He Impressed Me With His Overall Skill And Abilities. It Seemed Like Every Time He Fought It Was An Instant Classic. Maybe Because He Was Fighting Guys Like ( Hagler,duran,hearns,benitez).

Kostya Tszyu- This Guy Amazes Me. He Got A Title Shot Early In His Career And Has Never Looked Back. He Would Be A Lot More Popular But Nobody Wants To Fight Him Becuase That Would Mean Getting Their Belt Took Or Get Knocked Out Trying To Take His. If You Look At His List Of Victims It Is A Who's Who Of Boxing. And He Barely Has Had Like 30 Fights Or So. He Is Not A Flashy Fighter Or A Tyson Like Fighter. He Just Gets In The Ring And Knocks You Out Like A Gentleman Would Do. Too Bad He Has A Chris Byrd Reputation (meaning You Will Probably Lose If You Fight Him).

ricky · 11-20-2005, 03:13 AM

#4. Oscar De La Hoya- Ever Since I Watched Him In The Olympics And Heard About The Story Of His Mother Dying And The Fashion In Which He Won The Gold Medal You Can't Help But Like The Guy. Not To Mention He Does Possess Great Boxing Skills And Has Had Some Awesome Wars In The Ring. Now I'm Just Waiting For The Made For Tv Movie To Come Out On His Life Story, He Deserves One.

#5. Roy Jones Jr.- You Can't Help But Like This Guy For For More Than One Reason. He's A Cross Breed Of Ali And Tyson. Too Bad His Career Came To An End After His First Real Loss. Reminds Me Of What Happened To Meldrick Taylor After His First Defeat. They Both Lost Their Mojo Or Something.

Monkey_Man_Jello · 11-20-2005, 02:12 PM

Rocky Marciano: He always had to work twice as hard as his opponent to overcome his handicaps. He was short, his reach was pathetic, his boxing skills left something to be desired, but he just went in the ring and threw hundreds of punches until the fight was over, never letting up in the later rounds like so many fighters of today.

Mike Tyson: I believe that he's overrated as a boxer, but what an entertaining fighter! Hard to hit, and when he hit you, you were O-U-T!

Oscar De La Hoya: Not content to dominate in one weight class, he kept moving up until he was able to find some real challanges. He rather hit the wall at Middleweight, but you have to respect him for trying.

Roberto Duran: An arragant man who could back it up. You wanted to hate him, but really, he just said the things that other fighters just think quietly to themselves. Was a better fighter at 40 than half the Middleweights today.

Klitschko (both): Brains and brawn.

Andrew Golota: I don't know, I just like the man.

Bull · 11-20-2005, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monkey_Man_Jello

Andrew Golota: I don't know, I just like the man.

Guess I know what you mean, he is funny somehow. Have you been disappointed because of what happened whenever he had a title shot?

Monkey_Man_Jello · 11-20-2005, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull

Guess I know what you mean, he is funny somehow. Have you been disappointed because of what happened whenever he had a title shot?

Don't get me started. He had such a career ahead of him, he was unbeaten knocking out 25 out of 28 of his opponents when he faced Bowe. He was ahead on all scorecards when he was disqualified for low blows. When they had a rematch, the exact same thing happened! When he faced Lewis, he set a new record for the fastest championship fight when he was knocked out in 1:35 in the first round, and just a few months ago, he topped this by being knocked out by Brewster in :52 of the first! I was there live, and after so many great matches, it was a real let-down to see the main event end so soon. I really don't see how he can always choke in Champion matches when so many journeymen in the same situation can do fine. But still, as I said, even with all that, he's in my list of favorite champs
Go Golota!

Bull · 11-21-2005, 12:06 PM

I really would not like to be in the shoes of a die-hard Golota fan.

kerubee · 12-21-2005, 12:21 AM

A gentleman.

I have collected most of his fights and I have never seen any time when he was warned of any wrong doing.

He used to go right away to the corner of his oponent with concern about his condition after he had knocked him out.

Alexis all the time!

SmashingMachine · 01-14-2006, 01:21 AM

1. Sugar Ray Leonard...pound for pound one of the best ever.

2. Larry Holmes...Too bad he was coming in as the great class was going out. I think Holmes would've shook the world of boxing up.

3. Ali...need I say more?

4. Lennox Lewis...I'd loved to have seen him against the good ol' boys back in the day.

5. Micheal Carbahal...what can I say? I love the little guy...lol.

“Apollo” · 02-03-2006, 10:25 AM

I like:
1. Mike Tyson - My style is impetuous, my defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious.
2. "Sugar" Ray Leonard - Very fun to watch. In & Out style, the flurries.
3. Marvelous Marvin Hagler - True warrior.
4. Oscar De La Hoya - Always went after the best.
5. "Pretty Boy" Floyd - The greatest of modern day.
6. Pernell Whitaker
7. James Toney