BOXING past and present

What comes to my mind when I think of boxing ?
Its Muhammad Ali, to me Mr Boxing

R.I.P. 3/6/2016

Simply the greatest
Perhaps the quickest footwork speed of all the highly profiled heavyweights
The man was full of paradoxes yet that is probably what made him the wonderful charismatic character he was
He was a poet and did know it !

30/10/1974
ALI V FOREMAN

I can recall this day vividly
I was at Cheltenham races that day , and saw this fight on the TV
On that day was the rumble in the jungle
My boxing idols were fighting each other
It was Muhammad Ali v George Foreman
During this bout , I feared for Ali as Foreman pummeled him for almost the entire fight
This is the fight known as 'rope a dope'
Ali spent a lot of time on the ropes taking Foremans thundering punches
Ive heard of the courage of the 300 Spartans
Ive heard of the courage of General Custer
I was seeing the courage of Ali against possibly the hardest hitting heavy weight boxer of all time
To allow George to punch him at will, and stand up to it was scary as well as seemingly crazy
I honestly thought George was gunna knock him out , injure him badly , or maybe kill him
There were a lot of punters that day watching with me, most of them concerned for Ali

Its history now
Foreman ran out of steam from throwing too many energy sapping punches at Ali
Ali came out in the 8th round , fresher and fitter and knocked out Foreman
This ends up being one of the strangest sporting tactics Ive seen.
Not only did he fool me, he fooled his opponent


What a man
What a boxer
Muhammad  Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali Ali

He also recorded the song 'Stand by me'

Adelaide Oval
2017
The Green Machine v the Mundine Machine

Mundine won the only fight between them in 2006
Both boxers may retire after this proposed fight

GREEN
35 WON
5 LOST
28 KNOCK OUTS

MUNDINE
47 WON
7 LOST
21 KNOCK OUTS

i remember the last fight, pubs everywhere were chock full of people, i reckon it was a Wednesday night, definitely a week night because i stopped on my way home & watched it

I hope the fight is better than the last time a former World Champion fought in Adelaide. In March 1962 Jimmy Carruthers fought at St Clair, Woodville as part of his comeback. Jimmy had previously retired as an unbeaten World Champion but lost a number of his comeback fights. Many good judges doubted about the authenticity of the fights in which Carruthers was involved in his comeback. He fought the Australian bantamweight champion, Johnny Jarrett at Woodville.

As an aside whilst in Adelaide Carruthers stayed at the Seaton Hotel and Jarrett right in Scrappy's childhood neighbourhood at the Challa Gardens Hotel. I guess they were both modern hotels at the time being about 5 years old but could you imagine Danny Green and Mundine staying at that standard of accommodation.

I hope that you can forgive my indulgences but as an 8 year old I had a pair of boxing gloves autographed by both Carruthers and Jarrett.

Johnny Jarrett picked the right pub
He had the option to work out at Fox's Gym on Torrens Road , very very close to the Challa
I reckon Foxs gym was around in the early 60s , it was in the 70s

Fox's Gym was a local work out hang out
I had  membership there for a while
I had my one and only sparring session there against a brute called Fishy
I lasted less than a round
Just from that session , I learnt just how hard these boxers hit

The venue St Clair was interesting
A decade after the Jarrett/Carruthers bout ,  I used to regularly go roller skating there


Jimmy Carruthers defeated Johnny Jarrett by TKO
Johnny Jarrett is listed as never boxing again after that bout

Scrappy wrote:Johnny Jarrett picked the right pub
He had the option to work out at Fox's Gym on Torrens Road , very very close to the Challa
I reckon Foxs gym was around in the early 60s , it was in the 70s

Fox's Gym was a local work out hang out
I had  membership there for a while
I had my one and only sparring session there against a brute called Fishy
I lasted less than a round
Just from that session , I learnt just how hard these boxers hit

The venue St Clair was interesting
A decade after the Jarrett/Carruthers bout ,  I used to regularly go roller skating there


Jimmy Carruthers defeated Johnny Jarrett by TKO
Johnny Jarrett is listed as never boxing again after that bout

Fox's Gym was around a lot earlier than the 1960s. It may have even been there before the Second World War.

St Clair Recreation Centre opened in 1962, so the Carruthers-Jarrett bout might have been one of the opening events there.

St Clair was actually the first indoor recreation centre built in the southern hemisphere. 

And going back to the pubs, the Challa Gardens and the Seaton were identical in design other than the Seaton had their bottle department at the pun and the Challa on the side. They were both under the control of the Hotel Australia in North Adelaide at that stage. One would have thought that the Hotel Australia would have been a more appropriate place for the Boxers to stay.

I have strayed off topic a fair bit Scrappy but you know how I love all of this history.

A fair bit of negative press with the Green/Mundine fight
Heres some of it sent to the press

*Superfight! Seriously , no one cares anymore and I love boxing
About 7 years too late.*

*If this was to happen it is an absolute waste of the SA taxpayers money , so many more things are needed in SA
Theres only a handful of people in this country, let alone SA, that have the remotest interest interest in boxing, yet the SA Labor Government will spend a fortune to get the fight for SA*

*Its in Adelaide, make sure you bring candles with you.*

The talk between the 2 fighters will be interesting in the lead up

The fight is proposed for 3/2/2017
That'll be the day , 58 years after Buddy, Ritchie , and the BIG Bopper all passed away

FOXS GYM

A letter was sent to the press and gives us a perspective of Foxs Gym , I have edited the correspondence to the following

Opened in 1926 by the 21 year old Bill Fox , in his parents backyard
Bill managed the Gym until he passed away in 1987
Believed to be the 2nd oldest gym in Australia, making it Adelaides oldest gym
Started as a Wrestling Gym
At one stage all state champions from all weight divisions frequented the gym
Bill Fox trained David Shoemaker, who wrestled for Australia in the 1956 Olympic games
Bill competed in his first  powerlifting contest when he was 74
Bill won the over 50s title
The gym evolved into a weights gym
Gym was attended by some elite South Australian athletes :
Port Adelaide footballers 1940s-1950s
David Hookes [state and international cricketer]
Scrappy [ legend in his own mind]
Ralph Sewer[sanfl footballer]
Frank Parker [cyclist]
Heidi Wittisch [world womans powerlifting champion]
Trained many champs in many sports
Trained 3 grandsons to many state and Australian titles

Thats an insight in what has become an iconic Adelaide Gym
The gym is 345 Torrens Road, West Croydon

www.onthehouse.com.au/10320252/345_torrens_rd_west_croydon_sa_5008

GREEN V MUNDINE

Anthony Mundine is causing some controversy
He intends to not come out when the National Anthem is being played

I think Green might have the advantage
They are both in the twilight of their careers
If it becomes a slugfest, Green might land the BIGger punches and win

Scrappy wrote:GREEN V MUNDINE

Anthony Mundine is causing some controversy
He intends to not come out when the National Anthem is being played

I think Green might have the advantage
They are both in the twilight of their careers
If it becomes a slugfest, Green might land the BIGger punches and win

that isn't quite right my friend, well going on radio reports anyway... that being Mundine WILL BE IN THE RING he just wont stand for it, he believes it (the song) isn't about him or his heritage & to be honest he has a point, he wants an Australian anthem for all Australians not just those that came by boat some 220 plus years ago

www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/anthony-mundine-wont-come-out-for-anthem-ahead-of-danny-green-clash/news-story/22a9c9bd23f16762885693d1f7744982

Bayman
Several radio stations and press reports have stated that Mundine wont come out for the National Anthem , the last few days
Did Mundine change his mind today or just before the fight ?

Scrappy wrote:www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/anthony-mundine-wont-come-out-for-anthem-ahead-of-danny-green-clash/news-story/22a9c9bd23f16762885693d1f7744982

ok, he's changed his mind since those radio reports as it says in the article, thanks for verifying & then updating it

www.smh.com.au/sport/boxing/live-anthony-mundine-v-danny-green-at-the-adelaide-oval-20170203-gu500k.html

This blog during the fights progression
This person thought Mundine should have won

Danny Green won on points
96-94
94-94
98-90

They have fought twice and its 1-1 all
They need another fight !

The aftermath opinions is that Mundine may have been unlucky not to win this bout

GREEN COMMENT
This is what Green had to say post match about the verdict
" I didnt win by 8 points, no chance. It was a close fight."

NATIONAL ANTHEM
This report form the Sydney Morning Herald
* Whether Mundine made good on his pledge to refuse to stand for the National Anthem before the bout was unknown as both fighters remained in the dressing rooms while Advance Australia Fair was sung.*

REPLAY
Does anyone know where I can see a replay of this fight ?

" That was a s..t decision
Mundine won clearly
He won 6 rounds for sure
Maybe a couple were even but he won
I was certain he had."

By
Jeff Fenech

Scrappy wrote:" That was a s..t decision
Mundine won clearly
He won 6 rounds for sure
Maybe a couple were even but he won
I was certain he had."

By
Jeff Fenech

To clarify i never watched it & have no real knowledge of how scoring in boxing is done & obviously Fenech knows more than me so it'd be right, however with any sport such as diving, gymnastics, boxing etc with judges there is always human error along with every judges view & reading of any sport varies......i remember the old line From the Olympic games & that being ''it was the Russian judge''

As if Boxing hasn't got enough problems without this sort of thing after (seemingly) every fight.

Is it time Boxing have live scoring after each round ?

Most sports have scores all the way though
It would be tough on the judges to have to submit scores between rounds though
It would change tactics somewhat  for boxers winning or losing on points late in the fight

Very interesting that the ringside doctor wanted the fight stopped as he considered Green had been concussed.

And even more interesting that his warnings went unheeded and resigned on the spot.

I think I read that Green even admitted to being concussed after the fight but wanted to continue of course.

The blow that caused it, I understand, was an illegal one during a clinch.

The whole thing sounds farcical.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHlK3XSbWX8

When you see the link that Bayman posted it raises this issue
Green might not have been at his best after that hit
It has been stated Green was concussed as a result
All things considering, on face value without seeing the fight , it was very good effort by Green to win

IT AINT TILL ITS OVER
Mundine may have got a rough decision, but might also have been disqualified ?
Will the referee be sanctioned for allowing the fight to continue ?
If Green suffers post fight injury or illness , could he sue the boxing authorities ?
Will this fight EVENTually be voided ?

Green was hit in that first round
Was clearly incapacitated
Should the fight have been stopped for a few minutes for him to recover ?

Whatever happens , a proposed 3rd fight is going to create enourmous interest

Mundine putting in an official protest over the fight.............i'll bet if there is a rematch the interest will be bigger than this one & the boxers & the broadcasters will get a bigger slice of the cake than they got with this one................after watching the link the fight should have been stopped, he (Green) was clearly dazed for several minutes

There was a ringside meeting in Miami 1964

Cassius Clay weighing approximately 218lb.
The other unit weighing approximately 560lb.

Cassius Clay
" Hi champs, I mean the singing champs, of course.
Me I'm the fighting champ."

Cassius Clay invited the unit to a sparring session in the ring , but perhaps rather fortunately it never happened
Instead Clay did a solo exhibition of ' shadow boxing'
The 560lb unit was the Beatles , Paul, John, George and Ringo !

The Beatles had originally wanted to have a photo shoot with the Heavyweight champ of the time, Sonny Liston
The Beatles were performing on Ed Sullivans TV show
Sonny Liston was in the crowd watching the Fab 4
But there was no liason with the group and Sonny Liston was a nowhere man for a photo shoot
Instead the fab 4 later ended up mucking around with Cassius Clay

Cassius Clay said the Fab 4 were "the greatest" !
Cassius Clay gloated " This is going to make Liston mad, the Beatles coming to see me and not him."

About a  week later
Frenzied day tripper Cassius Clay taunted and teased Sonny Liston in the pre-fight weigh in
Cassius got his bearing right when he defeated Sonny Liston

However Cassius Clay did miss the boat with a quote
After the Beatles meeting this is something he could have recited
" I will twist and shout and win the bout."

Floyd Mayweather v Conor Mcgregor

After expen$se$ these two boxers are going to split something around the 300 million mark
Floyd Mayweather is reported to have made $180 million for this fight
Mayweather won by TKO in the 10th round

Mayweather now has  incredible 50 wins 0 loss career
Rocky Marciano finished with an undefeated 49-0 record
Larry Holmes was undefeated at 48-0 at one stage , but then lost

Mayweather is said to have retired in 2016, but stated  would only fight again if he could fight Mcgregor
He is now saying he has retired again

Can  Floyd Mayweather be considered the best boxer of all time ?