BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?

Subject: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:09 PM

We all have our opinions about who was the best. Ali? Marciano? Joe Louis?

But who was the absolute worst? Who made it to the top ehelons, and had a shot at the title, but was absolutely the least capable ever to do so? Whose glass jaw would shatter if it encountered a ping pong ball? Whose footwork was as clumsy as a chimp on a hot tin roof? Whose punch almost never reached its intended target?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: heric
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:18 PM

Tex Cobb, I guess, but I don't want to insult him. No glass chin, and solid as a twenty ton boulder.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 01:26 PM

Yes, well, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek when I said that stuff.

Canada's George Chuvalo was a very, very tough and gritty boxer who served as a kind of punching bag for some more skillful fighters in the top echelon. A bit like Tex Cobb, I suppose.

I think it's kind of a shame they never put Woody Allen in the ring against Ali or Foreman. It would have been a short fight, but I bet a lot of people would have paid to watch it. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: kendall
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 02:20 PM

Maxie Rosenbloom

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 02:38 PM

I don't know anything about boxing so I decided to look at some websites on it because, for some reason, this thread appealed to me - probably because my father boxed in his youth in the army (and he was very good apparently) and he always enjoyed the sport. This is one of the things I found.

"Ask a hundred guys in the fight game who's the worst active boxer and you'll hear a hundred different names. Ask who's the worst boxer of the past 25 years and you'll probably hear only one: Bruce "The Mouse" Strauss.

Now 48 and living in Omaha, Strauss is able to laugh about his dubious career in the ring. "I hold three boxing records that I am especially proud of," he says. "I've been knocked out on every continent except the North Pole. I have been knocked out more than any other fighter. And I am the losing participant in the world's shortest fight - 11 seconds, counting the 10-count." "

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 02:59 PM

My "other half" says the answer is easy - Richard Dunn; although they have named a stadium in Bradford after him.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:03 PM

AWRIGHT!!! LOL! Sounds like we have our man. Bruce "the Mouse" Strauss. What a contender!

But can Richard Dunn match "the Mouse"?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:08 PM

No.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Jean(eanjay)
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:10 PM

Well, not match him for the title but it sounds as if he'd do better in the ring.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:11 PM

How did Chuvalo's name get into this? Isn't he the guy Ali said gave him the toughest fight of his career?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:16 PM

Yes. I did qualify what I said about Chuvalo. He was quite a good boxer. Pictures of his face after the fight with Ali gave the impression that he was a human punching bag, but yes, he gave Ali a very tough fight.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:21 PM

Okay! I'll call my thugs and tell them to turn around ...

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 03:29 PM

Whew! (wiping sweat off brow...)

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: number 6
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:18 PM

George Chuvalo is one of the finest prizefighters that ever walked this earth ... his problem is that he has had more bad throws of the dice when it came not only to his career but in his personal life ... but he perseveres and the man still walks tall in all honesty like a champ ... a real champ that he is.

Worst prizefighter ... my vote goes for Mickey Rourke.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: gnu
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 04:39 PM

sIx... hahahahaha. Yup.

As for George Chuvalo... what? Did you not see the fight? Rent it and tell me the difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Bert
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 05:32 PM

Mike Tyson

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 05:59 PM

Truman Capote.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Peace
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:02 PM

"Mike Tyson"

More like Tyson's wife.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: alanabit
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 06:10 PM

Jack Bodell defeated Joe Bugner for the UK title and then had a crack against Jerry Quarry. He emerged bobbing and throwing punches for sixty-four seconds, which was how long it took Jerry Quarry to thump him. Bodell improved in the second round - when he came round. A brave man he was, who did his best. It turned out to be second best at that level.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: pdq
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 07:43 PM

Both Ed Sullivan and Louis Feinberg (aka Larry Fine of the Three Stooges) earned money by prizefighting. Fine risked damaging his hands even though he was taking violin lessons and planned to be a Classical musician.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:21 PM

Italian heavyweight Lorenzo Zanon. He was quite a good boxer but as soon as you hit him on the chin with one solid punch he would go down for the 10 count. He fought Larry Holmes for the title and a few other top contenders of that era. He was usually gone by the 6th round. I once saw him fight Jerry Quarry in a 12 rounder. He outboxed Jerry for 11 plus rounds and was way ahead on the cards of all 3 judges. With 30 seconds left Quarry hit him with one last desperation punch to the chin and Lorenzo was down for the count. Even Quarry was surprised.

                                                    SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 08:29 PM

Jerry Quarry. By the end of the second round he would always have at least four gushing facial wounds. Horrible to watch.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: bobad
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 10:49 PM

There were the Hilton brothers from Montreal, sad, sad story there.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 11:02 PM

If Shane McBride ever took up boxing, he would definitely take the crown for "worst" over any and all competitors. However, that's not likely to ever happen. He's way too lazy to train...except for the occasional air guitar session when listening to Led Zeppelin or Metallica.

John Candy did a humorous skit on SCTV once where he posed as some famous boxer who was scheduled for "the big fight", and was expected by many to win it. 98% of the skit was devoted to a lengthy interview with Candy's character, building up the tension for what was touted to be possibly the greatest fight in boxing history. Finally the moment came. The bell rang, and the 2 pugilists advanced dramatically out of their corners as the crowd roared in anticipation. Candy charged forward aggressively and immediately received a right cross straight to the chin....and went down like a ton of bricks. He stayed down. For the whole 10 count. It was a heavyweight championship that took one punch, and that lasted about 11 seconds...including the 10 count. They milked the humor of this anticlimax for all it was worth, as the desperate sportscasters who had nothing else really to do at that point ran slow motion replays of "the punch" over and over and over again....and discussed it from as many different angles as they could figure out.

Never had so much sports world anticipation resulted in so little boxing! ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: GUEST,Nick
Date: 24 Feb 07 - 11:14 PM

Chuck Wepner, wasn't he know as the Bayone Bleeder?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:34 AM

By the thread description, you're asking about the worst boxers who were/are in the upper echelon, right? Under that criteria, my vote would go to former heavyweight champion Primo Carnera, who is generally regarded as one of, if not the, poorest of the heavyweight champs. He came in at a very low ebb in the division, and there's issues about him being propped up with fixes. He was said to have been a gentle, decent person.

I have to take issue wth some opinions about Jerry Quarry. He fought in an era with some of the most talented in boxing history. He beat many top fighters except the greats at the very top, such as Ali and Frazier. He just wasn't quite good enough to win the title, but again, it was an era loaded with talent. A tragic figure, too, as he stayed in too long, suffered from dementia, and died in his early 50's. I had the honor of seeing him box when my dad took me to see the match in Oakland, CA, 1968, when heTKO'd Thad Spencer during the elimination tournament held after Ali was stripped of his title. The man could box and could punch.

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:46 AM

Primo Carnera had occurred to me too, actually. He was certainly not a very good boxer for a heavyweight champion.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:12 AM

OK, this does not strictly qualify, but it suits the spirit of the thread...
Regina Halmisch has a model's figure, a pretty face and is a chirpy, intelligent interviewee. She weighs 48kg and is the woman's world champion at her weight.
Stefan Raab comes in at something closer to 100kg. He is an overweight, untrained (at his own admission) thirty something presenter of a late night chat show. He consistently comes up with a series of sensationalist stunts to keep up the viewing figures for his TV show. Six years ago, he was rash enough to challenge Regina Halmisch to a live bout on television.
Now one of of the simplest principles of boxing is that it does not matter how heavy your punch is if it misses the opponent. If you can't hit them, you can't hurt them. So however clumsy and slow boxing might look on TV sometimes, very few of us would be able to connect with a professional boxer, even if they had their hands tied behind their back. (They practice that stuff).
The thrashing, which Frau Halmisch handed out to Raab, was a lesson to anyone, who takes these people lightly. Raab looked like an elephant on valium, trying to fight a leopard. He was lucky to escape with only a broken nose as a souvenir.
This happened some six years ago, and there is now talk of a re(mis)match. About the only thing it is likely to prove is that some folks are real, slow learners!

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: jimlad9
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 09:35 AM

My vote goes to Richard Dunn whose nickname was 'Rembrandt Dunn' because of all the time he spent on the canvas.


If I can have another vote then Brian London as brave as a lion but with zero boxing skills. When he fought Muhammed Ali ,Ali hit him so many times in round one that London said afterwards that he thought he had been surrounded.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 10:02 AM

We Brits produced some shockers in the seventies, didn't we? I recall both Dunn and Brian London. Henry Cooper was passable for a small, white European, but never in the league of the Americans. They flattened him every time he entered a ring with one. I can't recall all the details of John L.Gardner's career, but I am sure he deserves a mention on this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 12:46 PM

What about the amateur Pete Rademacher who challeged Floyd Paterson for the heavyweight title in is first professional fight? He was KOd in Round 7. He then fought the number 1 contender, Zora Foley and lasted I believe only 5 rounds in that one. If my memory serves me correctly those were his only 2 fights as a professional.

                                           SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 12:57 PM

Re: Brit boxers. Heard a comedian talking about them once - this would have been back in the '70's - to this effect:

"So you're in Madison Square Gardens, and the announcer is introducing the English guy: 'In the red trunks, Nigel Jones, Heavyweight Champion of All England, heavyweight champion of the United Kingdom, heavyweight champion of All Europe' - just once you'd like him to answer the question that is in the mind of every single spectator: 'He has never fought a black man!'"

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: pdq
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 01:00 PM

The guy who called himself "Butterbean" had the worst name. Does that count?

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 01:11 PM

Yes, the UK does seem to have had a string of surprisingly vulnerable heavyweights back in the 70's. It would have made a good premise for a Monty Python skit.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 02:42 PM

That would've made a great Python skit, LH! Maybe a variation on Graham Chapman's wrestling sketch: the boxer knocks himself out. Hey, how about a "dream" battle of the glass jaws: Brian London vs Lorenzo Zanon. First one to be knocked out wins!

Also, a dream battle of the hard punching but otherwise no-talent sluggers of different eras: Butterbean vs "Two Ton" Tony Galento, match to be held in a round house (ha, ha).

Chanteyranger

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 03:02 PM

Talking about British boxers; Do you remember Don Cockell who fought Rocky Marciano? It was so long ago that I for got how many rounds he lasted; not many.
                                             SOL ZELLER

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Deckman
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:02 PM

To Rabbi-Sol,

I haven't seen Pete Rademacher since last week, when he and his sister came to visit us at our home here in Washington state.

It was Pete who, in 1956, knocked out the Russian heavyweight, to win the Olympics in Melbourne. I was at the Floyd Patterson fight in 1957, and yes, he did lose the fight in the 7th round. But ... he also knocked Floyd down in the first round.

I asked Pete once if he ever REALLY got hurt in the ring. His answer was: "Just my feelings!"

After his professional career in boxing, Pete went on to a lifetime career of athletic inspirational promotion. He is a much sought after speaker at Boys and Girls clubs, Boy Scouts, and many other youth groups. He is very active in organizing Professional Charity golf tourniments, to the benifit of many youth groups.

A few years ago, when he learned that Floyd Patterson was in need, Pete arranged to have him appointed to the Board of the New York Boxing Commision. I met the great Archie Moore one day when Pete was refereeing a "Golden Gloves" fight in San Leandro, California. Pete had arranged to have Archie give a "pep talk" to the kids.

So, sure, Pete didn't have the most illustrious boxing career. But, he certainly took his boxing experiences to greater hights. And yes, Pete is family. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:27 PM

Hi Bob,
       Someone who saw that fight said that Paterson never really hurt Rademacher. It was more a case of Pete running out of gas because as an amateur he was never trained to go beyond 3 rounds. He started to tire noticably from the 4th round on. By the 7th he had nothing left in his tank.
                                                SOL

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:33 PM

Rabbi Sol, I don't think Don Caockell, who was a pumped up light heavyweight anyway, did too badly against Rocky Marciano. He lasted eight rounds, which is far from a disgrace. There is a Wikipedia entry here.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:50 PM

Marciano was always known as a slow starter and never really got going until the 4th round. The fact that Cockell lasted 8 rounds does not make him a good fighter. At no time did he hurt or pose a serious threat to Marciano who was well ahead on the cards of all 3 judges when the fight was stopped.
                                                    SOL

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Deckman
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:56 PM

SOL, I think that comment about Pete's fight with Floyd is quite accurate. CHEERS,Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: alanabit
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 04:57 PM

Just depends on how you look at it really, Sol. I would say that for any light heavyweight to go eight rounds with Marciano was not doing badly. It's a little harsh to rate Cockell alongside the likes of John Gardner (snigger) or "Rembrandt Dunn". We have both seen far more ignominius challenges for the world title.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: kendall
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 08:25 PM

Actually, Marciano was more of a light heavyweight. He hovered right around 188 pounds.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: kendall
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 08:34 PM

Roland LaStarza was no match for Marciano either. Rocky hit him so hard he broke off his front teeth.

I remember reading somewhere that the three hardest hitters in the boxing world were,
1. Ernie Shavers
2. George Foreman
3. Rocky Marciano

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Deckman
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 08:38 PM

George Foreman for sure. Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Deckman
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 08:39 PM

And ... don't forget Harry "Kid" Matthews. But, I'm afraid I've caused a thread creep. Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Beer
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 09:14 PM

Can any of you remember a heavy weight from Argentina I think it was. From the 70's I think. If I recall he was pretty bad.
Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 09:23 PM

As far as bad heavies go, how about a nod to Buster Douglas who stepped into the ring against Tysn just as the stars and planets lined up in a never beore or since pattern and he somehow was granted a few months of fame and praise as the Tyson killer. Alas, it was just the planets and Buster was pulverized later leaving us with some more tales of horror from the Tyson camp. At least old Buster had fun with his fame and we enjoyed his happiness whereas Tyson was the ultimate thug.

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: pdq
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 09:55 PM

Beer,

The man you are thinking of was Oscar Bonavena who had a strong connection to my home area of northern Nevada.

I don't think you can suggest him as "one of the worst" since he won a 15 round decision against hard-punching Joe Frasier for the WBA world chamionship. He also should have won a fight against Ali that appeared to be fixed.

Bonavea died at the infamous Mustang Ranch back in 1976. He was accepted as a cecebrity for a while, but owener Joe Conforte eventually got tired of Oscar's availing himself of the services for free. The man who shot him got 15 months in prison in another case that was as crooked as the decision against Ali.

Subject: RE: BS: Worst prizefighter EVER?
From: Beer
Date: 25 Feb 07 - 10:07 PM

pdq,
That's him. Sorry to hear this. So many have went out in questionable circumstances.