Q and A interview

[Absolut]

alright. Let’s answer the following:

What got you into boxing

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight

Do you attend live events

Fighters you’ve met and impressions.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing

Most heart breaking fight.

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport

Weight classes you like

Pet peeve when discussing boxing.

Changes you’d like to See in the sport

Fighter qualities that you prefer

If you could reverse one fight outcome

Favorite announcer

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc)

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live

Favorite era

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years

 

[RizinSon88]

What got you into boxing
My father boxed in the Navy it was always on TV growing up.

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid
RJJ

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight
Jones beating Tarver again in the rematch since I thought the cut from HW was the issue in the first fight (even tho he still won that clearly imo).

Do you attend live events
Yes

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing
Snide comments from a woman I was out with on a date about how it was barbaric.

 

[Hagler]

What got you into boxing

Hagler vs Hearns. I saw a rerun as a kid the day after. "WTF. Is this for real ?"

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

Hagler was always special. As for local boxers, back in the days I had a soft spot for Christophe Tiozzo, Fabrice's elder brother, SMW world champ and Olympic medalist. Then I realized his record was padded as fuck, and I found out how much a guy like Laurent Boudouani was better.

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight

Oscar against Manny. Glad I wasn't the only one.

Do you attend live events

Not very often. A few events in France (Brahim Asloum, Omar Narvaez, Edwin Valero, Jean-Marc Mormeck, Tony Yoka, Carlos Molina, Etc.) I attended AJ vs Wlad (and I'm glad I did), and Glencoffe Johnson's last pro bout in Miami (I think I gave away a few details in here).

Fighters you’ve met and impressions.

I met Khalid Rahilou a long time ago in a night club he owned. I was pretty much the only guy around to know who he was. He was about to fight Frankie Randall and he was very confident he would win (I wasn't). Cool guy. Turns out he was right.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing

The same "It should be prohibited" bullshit as any fan gets. I don't waste much time arguing in such occasions : "To each his own, I guess".

Most heart breaking fight.

Somsak Sitchatchawal TKO 10 Mayar Monshipour, The Ring FOTY for 2006. I was perfectly OK with the stoppage - I even screamed for it - but it was gutting as fuck.

Also, the two times Boudouani lost to boxers he was utterly dominating because he gassed as bad as vintage Mark Coleman. Gilbert Baptist and Bernard Razzano. God that was painful.

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport

I stayed up at night to see Ruiz vs Rahman, and went to bed grunting "Never again".

Weight classes you like

I'm partial to the 147-160 range, but I will keep up with any boxer I like, no matter if he's Ricardo Lopez or Vitali Klitschko.

Pet peeve when discussing boxing.

Endless confusions between "favorite", "better" and "deserving".

Changes you’d like to See in the sport

As annoying as they are, alphabet titles aren't nearly as bad as being constantly shortchanged by promotional antics. We just want to see the best fights that can happen, when they should happen.

Fighter qualities that you prefer

IQ, grit, generosity, the occasional highlight reel KO

If you could reverse one fight outcome

Hagler vs Leonard. (Leonard's win is perfectly legit, BTW)

Favorite announcer

Can you really pick one between Michael Buffer and Lennon Jr ?

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc)

I'm cool with all of them. We need minor things to bitch about.

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live

Dear God. Ali - Frazier 1 or 3, I guess. But maybe I'd change my mind to see SRR, as footage doesn't really do him justice. Lamotta 6, maybe Basilio 2. Or Johnson - Jeffries, for the sheer importance of it.

Favorite era

When you look hard enough there's good stuff in any era. Even in the early 30s. That being said, the 80s. The champs, the broadcasts, the vibe. Most will pick their first era as fans, I guess.

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years

As dead as ever.

 

[BluntTrauma21]

What got you into boxing

Hagler vs Hearns. I saw a rerun as a kid the day after. "WTF. Is this for real ?"

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

Hagler was always special. As for local boxers, back in the days I had a soft spot for Christophe Tiozzo, Fabrice's elder brother, SMW world champ and Olympic medalist. Then I realized his record was padded as fuck, and I found out how much a guy like Laurent Boudouani was better.

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight

Oscar against Manny. Glad I wasn't the only one.

Do you attend live events

Not very often. A few events in France (Brahim Asloum, Omar Narvaez, Edwin Valero, Jean-Marc Mormeck, Tony Yoka, Carlos Molina, Etc.) I attended AJ vs Wlad (and I'm glad I did), and Glencoffe Johnson's last pro bout in Miami (I think I gave away a few details in here).

Fighters you’ve met and impressions.

I met Khalid Rahilou a long time ago in a night club he owned. I was pretty much the only guy around to know who he was. He was about to fight Frankie Randall and he was very confident he would win (I wasn't). Cool guy. Turns out he was right.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing

The same "It should be prohibited" bullshit as any fan gets. I don't waste much time arguing in such occasions : "To each his own, I guess".

Most heart breaking fight.

Somsak Sitchatchawal TKO 10 Mayar Monshipour, The Ring FOTY for 2006. I was perfectly OK with the stoppage - I fucking screamed for it - but it was gutting as fuck.

Also, the two times Boudouani lost to boxers he was utterly dominating because he gassed as bad as vintage Mark Coleman. Gilbert Baptist and Bernard Razzano. God that was painful.

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport

I stayed up at night to see Ruiz vs Rahman, and went to bed grunting "Never again".

Weight classes you like

I'm partial to the 147-160 range, but I will keep up with any boxer I like, no matter if he's Ricardo Lopez or Vitali Klitschko.

Pet peeve when discussing boxing.

Endless confusions between "favorite", "better" and "deserving".

Changes you’d like to See in the sport

As annoying as they are, alphabet titles aren't nearly as bad as being constantly shortchanged by promotional antics. We just want to see the best fights that can happen, when they should happen.

Fighter qualities that you prefer

IQ, grit, generosity, the occasional highlight reel KO

If you could reverse one fight outcome

Hagler vs Leonard. (Leonard's win is perfectly legit, BTW)

Favorite announcer

Can you really pick one between Michael Buffer and Lennon Jr ?

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc)

I'm cool with all of them. We need minor things to bitch about.

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live

Dear God. Ali - Frazier 1 or 3, I guess. But maybe I'd change my mind to see SRL, as footage doesn't really do him justice. Lamotta 6, maybe Basilio 2. Or Johnson - Jeffries, for the sheer importance of it.

Favorite era

When you look hard enough there's good stuff in any era. Even in the early 30s. That being said, the 80s. The champs, the broadcasts, the vibe. Most will pick their first era as fans, I guess.

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years

As dead as ever.

Damn, you're French? Now I feel bad about shitting on France all the time, you're one of my favorite posters, lol. Not to kiss ass but I kinda feel bad so I needed to say something nice. I don't hold it against you . Good answers btw. Interesting read.

 

[Hagler]

Damn, you're French? Now I feel bad about shitting on France all the time, you're one of my favorite posters, lol. Not to kiss ass but I kinda feel bad so I needed to say something nice. I don't hold it against you . Good answers btw. Interesting read.

Ha ! Most countries get consistently shat on anyway. I spent the 2003 Iraq war posting daily on OT, the place wasn’t « mild » back then and it was basically the only topic discussed for months. I swear to God the amount of shit I got back then was spectacular. Giving shit and getting it I ended up making buddies with a few hardcore France haters, so I don’t take all the bashing that seriously.

 

[Sharkey]

alright. Let’s answer the following:

What got you into boxing (My dad and grandpa were fans)

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid (Originally it was Earnie Shavers and Ken Norton then gravitated towards guys like Arguello, Hagler, and Duran soon after)

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight (Tony Sibson over Hagler. Not only did I pick Sibson, I bet my dad that he'd win and at even odds)

Do you attend live events (I've only seen a couple of pro cards in Winnipeg, including Benitez' last fight when he spent 90% of the fight with his back in the corner not 10 feet away from me)

Fighters you’ve met and impressions. (A few from Winnipeg, but Donny Lalonde was the only known one really. I did some work for him back in the late 80's when he had a home renovation business, and had coffee with him. Good dude and a lot more soft spoken than I expected him to be. Plus I got paid too.)

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing (Beyond getting a snicker from one of my best friends growing up when I told him I collected boxing mags, I've never had one)

Most heart breaking fight. (Probably when Bert Cooper nearly killed Willie de Wit)

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport (The bickering bullshit going on here before and after the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight ruined a lot of my interest at least as far as posting on here)

Weight classes you like (LW then probably followed by MW)

Pet peeve when discussing boxing. (The GOAT acronym probably. Sure, let's give out one of the highest compliments we can give out by referencing an animal that pisses in it's own mouth)

Changes you’d like to See in the sport (Not sure. I'd have to think about it more)

Fighter qualities that you prefer (Discipline and dedication probably)

If you could reverse one fight outcome (Can't think of one really. Let it be)

Favorite announcer (None, so shut up and get on with the fight already)

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc) (Sure. Both of those along with commentating as well. I ain't blind)

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live (Too many)

Favorite era (The 1890-1920 era as far as reading and researching goes)

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years (Don't care cause I'll very likely be dead by then)

 

[Sharkey]

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

Hagler was always special. As for local boxers, back in the days I had a soft spot for Christophe Tiozzo, Fabrice's elder brother, SMW world champ and Olympic medalist. Then I realized his record was padded as fuck, and I found out how much a guy like Laurent Boudouani was better.

Which should have been gold.

 

[Hagler]

Which should have been gold.

Absolutelty. It seemed like they wanted a Tate vs O’Sullivan final.

 

[Sharkey]

Absolutelty. It seemed like they wanted a Tare vs OSullivan final.

They most certainly did want that final based on the judging that was going on. Unfortunately for Tiozzo who was the best competitor in that weight class during those Games.

Tiozzo got what was clearly the rightful original decision over O'Sullivan too if I'm remembering correctly (think only 1 of 5 voted for O'Sullivan originally) before they went to that dumb jury panel they were using then.

 

[Hagler]

They most certainly did want that final based on the judging that was going on. Unfortunately for Tiozzo who was the best competitor in that weight class during those Games.

Tiozzo got what was clearly the rightful original decision over O'Sullivan too if I'm remembering correctly (think only 1 of 5 voted for O'Sullivan originally) before they went to that dumb jury panel they were using then.

I was a biased kid but the images were pretty clear to me. Too bad for us, it’s not like France had racked many Olympic golds at boxing in the previous decades.

 

[Sharkey]

I was a biased kid but the images were pretty clear to me. Too bad for us, it’s not like France had racked many Olympic golds at boxing in the previous decades.

As a Canadian I'm sure I had my biases too. But O'Sullivan didn't win that fight. He did beat Tate in the finals I thought and with a bit of room to spare. That should have been Tiozzo's spot in the finals in the first place, though. No question about it. That was one of the worst decisions in an Olympic year that had more than a few bad ones favouring North American boxers (Jerry Page over the Korean, O'Sullivan over Tiozzo, and Tillman over Mussone were the stand out robberies).

 

[sweetviolenturg]

PART 1
What got you into boxing - I had no real exposure to the sport until I was 14 years old & visiting a friend's house in May of 1975. While we were waiting for his mother to take us to the movies we sat in his living room while his father was watching the pre-fight build up for the Muhammad Ali-Ron Lyle fight. And, while sitting there I became more & more interested in seeing the fight. I was drawn in by Ali's antics & Lyle's backstory about his time in prison etc. & couldn't wait to see who won. Unfortunately, just as the bell was ready to ring for the first round I was informed that it was time to leave for the movie. And, now, I have no recollection of what that movie was because the entire time I sat through it I was thinking about the fight wondering what was happening & who won. So, I made a vow to watch the next network televised Ali fight. Which I did the following February when he defended against Jean Pierre Coopman. Which became the first boxing match I ever watched. And, from that point on I was hooked for life.

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid - My first real favorite fighter was Ken Norton who I first saw fight on the undercard of Ali's defense vs Jimmy Young when he stopped Ron Stander in five rounds.

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight - Even though by that point in time I'd been a sparring partner for both men in the past & as a seasoned pro I should have known better than to go with my heart over my head, I picked a 40-year-old Ray Leonard to KO Hector Camacho in 1986. I thought that he'd have a lot more left than he did & that as the naturally bigger man he'd be too much for Hector down the stretch. And, I never thought that Hector would be able to hurt him. Boy, was I way off base! I failed to take into account that Ray's legs were gone ( which I should have remembered from the Terry Norris fight ) & that speed kills old fighters. I ate crow big time that night & witnessed my all-time favorite fighter's career come to a humiliating end.

Do you attend live events - My first live pro fight card was headlined by Nicky Furlano vs Larry Stanton for the NABF light-welterweight title & it took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Since then, I've been to more pro fights that I can possibly count as a fan, a fighter, a second, an official & any other capacity you can name except as a cutman, ring announcer, timekeeper or ring card girl. LOL. .

Fighters you’ve met and impressions. - Again, too many to mention.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing - Oh, I've encountered all the cliche responses that you can imagine. And, as a fighter, I've run into even more. The worst was probably one night when I was in Erie, PA at an after-party for one of the cards that I fought on. I was at a table full of people including my pal, Emile Griffith ( who'd worked my corner that night ) & a tipsy girl that I'd just met who I was getting along with very well. So, as often happened when I was with Emile some idiot brought up the Benny Paret fight. Which he hated talking about but that night he said a few quiet words about it. After which the girl I was with looks at me & asks me in a loud drunken voice "Wow, did you ever kill anybody in the ring"? Needless to say, you could have heard a pin drop afterward & even though I didn't know her from Adam I felt like crawling under the table in embarrassment because she was with me. Emile was a prince though & broke the silence by saying " no, miss, Jimmy is a good boy". Which didn't really make a whole lot of sense but it broke the table up into laughter & alleviated the awkward tension. After which we all just got on with the party.
And, yes, I did wind up going home with the girl that night. Though it didn't wind up like you might think. We were both pretty drunk by the time that we got back to her place & after a few minutes of making out, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. And, the next thing I heard was her puking her guts out. Yuck! So, she wound up passing out on her living room couch & I went back to my hotel room where I spent the night listening to my trainer, Bill snore through the night.

 

[Hagler]

As a Canadian I'm sure I had my biases too. But O'Sullivan didn't win that fight. He did beat Tate in the finals I thought and with a bit of room to spare. That should have been Tiozzo's spot in the finals in the first place, though. No question about it. That was one of the worst decisions in an Olympic year that had more than a few bad ones favouring North American boxers (Jerry Page over the Korean, O'Sullivan over Tiozzo, and Tillman over Mussone were the stand out robberies).

Yeah, looks like O’Sullivan wasn’t the inferior boxer in the final... That’s Olympic boxing for you. Tiozzo enjoyed the ensuing fame, though. He was good as a pro, even if he lacked some truly elite features. He was treated like a local star and lacked the seasoning he needed to last as a champ. The first truly tough guy he fought - even if Victor Cordoba was a journeyman, he was a pretty good athlete with insane reach - took advantage of it. Growing in Christophe’s shadow was good for Fabrice. He become a workhorse and didn’t do the same mistakes.

 

[Seano]

alright. Let’s answer the following:

What got you into boxing

A few things. My dad was an Ali fan and later a Leonard fan. Boxing was a bit more mainstream when I was a kid. One clear memory was watching the Tyson/Spinks ring walk on Wide World of Sports one morning.

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

Leonard when I was a little kid, Tyson later on.

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight

Garcia/Spence or Chavez/Sergio. Both examples of overthnking and ignoring the obvious. Sometimes when a fight is a mismatch, I end up looking for ways a guy can win and convince myself he might.

Do you attend live events

No. I live in Maine. A few amateur cards but no big ones. I'm not especially poor but I can't afford to travel around watching live boxing.

Fighters you’ve met and impressions.

Briefly met Joey Gamache but not really in any personal capacity.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing

Nothing bad, just literally no one up here is into it, it seems.

Most heart breaking fight.

Gatti/Gomez was a tough watch.

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport

None.

Weight classes you like

Best fights tend to be feather through welter. Pretty wide spread. I guess I'd pick welter if forced.

Pet peeve when discussing boxing.

Fighters with huge bandwagons being massively overrated.

Changes you’d like to See in the sport

I don't like when people talk about changing the sport because in general, they want to make changes that favor a style they like and put other styles at a disadvantage. Generally you hear this talk after a popular fighter loses a close fight. Maybe instant replay for head clashes and fouls.

Fighter qualities that you prefer

I like a fighter with good physical attributes but one who has clearly trained to use them. Like a Tommy Hearns and not say, a Paul Williams.

If you could reverse one fight outcome

Tyson/Douglas. Its a great story on its own but was a massive letdown for 90's boxing.

Favorite announcer

hmmm...... There's a few I like. Paulie is pretty good when he doesn't feel insulted about something. I like the whole showtime team.

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc)

I recall HBO trying some weird thing where they pointed out how much time a guy was coming forward or something like that. I thought that was stupid.

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live

Not sure.

Favorite era

Thats a tough one. Early to mid 80s or late 00's. I have cool memories of 90's HW fights but mainly because at the time I actually knew other people who liked boxing.

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years

Pretty much where it is now.[/QUOTE]

 

[droolingliver]

What got you into boxing

It's popular here and everything stopped for a big fight on terrestrial TV. The point I really got into it was when on holiday in 94 and a poolside newsstand had a copy of KO magazine, with Duran vs Pazienza on the cover.

Who was your favorite fighter as a kid

RJJr (maybe not that much of a kid)

Most embarrassing pick to win a fight

I stayed up till 7am and paid fifteen quid to watch Golota vs Lewis, telling all my friends Golota was gonna do it, just for him to get KOd in 95 seconds and me laughed at.

Do you attend live events

A few but should go to more.

Fighters you’ve met and impressions.

Can't think of any.

Worst reaction when you’ve told somebody you like boxing

Girl I was on a date with thought I might freakout and start bashing a tramp asking for money.

Most heart breaking fight.

Actually Haye vs Bellew 2. I like Haye and really thought he would get redemption just to be even more broken down.

Event that pushed to to quitting the sport

None really. Sometimes I watch MMA and wonder if I should.

Weight classes you like

Welters and Super Middles.

Pet peeve when discussing boxing.

At work since I'm the, "boxing guy", having to carefully disagree with senior management/directors when they spout usual casual shit on a Monday.

Changes you’d like to See in the sport

Sport wise nothing. Controversies are part of the sport and make it more interesting. A change to the business side so there's less divisions of fighters by promoter or TV channels.

Fighter qualities that you prefer

I'm a big fan of solid fundamentals (not just boxing, across life), so a fighter utilising good footwork and jab to good effect against a flash fighter I like.

If you could reverse one fight outcome

Come back to this....

Favorite announcer

Still Michael Buffer. Especially when he goes off on one in Spanish.

Broadcoast item you wish you could erase (punch stats, ringside scoring etc)

Ads during the interval. I get it for revenue, but when you're paying subscription, then PPV on top, I want to hear what the corner are saying.

One fight you’d like to travel in time to see live

Foreman Lyle is the most exciting heavyweight fight ever, so that.

Favorite era

90s

Where you think boxing will be in 20 years

Bigger than ever.