I'll start with a few ones off the top of my head

Mayorga: heavy smoker
ODLH: drank, did cocaine
locche: chain smoker
Graziano: smoke/drank
Tapia: Drank, did lots of cocaine, possibly other drugs
Tyson: Drank, cocaine, marijuana
Duran: Drank A LOT

Scott Harrison: Alcoholic. Drug Taker.

Benitez apparently did a lot of drugs and rarely trained for fights. Ive heard stories that McCall was a real bad substance abuser. JCC drank a lot as well.

Monzon and Elorde were chain smokers.

arturo gatti
michael nunn
late period whitaker
edwin valero
kelly pavlik
ray robinson


and apparently oscar de la hoya has a serious problem with drinking and womens clothing

Monzon is, by far, the all time king.

Most 1980's heavyweights.
Young Griffo was a raving alcoholic
Esteban DeJesus and Mike Ayala did heroin
Jose Napoles, Carlos Ortiz, Jake LaMotta, Sonny Liston, Arturo Gatti and Diego Corrales were heavy drinkers
Rocky Lockridge, Michael Nunn, Pernell Whitaker, Edwin Rosario, Macho Camacho, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Ray Leonard and Frankie Randall did Coke.

Johnny Bredahl was a heavy smoker.

Most 1980's heavyweights.
Young Griffo was a raving alcoholic
Esteban DeJesus and Mike Ayala did heroin
Jose Napoles, Carlos Ortiz, Jake LaMotta, Sonny Liston, Arturo Gatti and Diego Corrales were heavy drinkers
Rocky Lockridge, Michael Nunn, Pernell Whitaker, Edwin Rosario, Macho Camacho, Aaron Pryor, Alexis Arguello, Ray Leonard and Frankie Randall did Coke.

That's the first person who came to my mind.

Monzon is, by far, the all time king.

At least Monzon didn't smoke between rounds like Locche!

Actually kind of ticks me off. Locche's my favorite fighter of all time and I really think he had GOAT potential, but for his terrible discipline with food and smoking.

Oscar De La Hoya

The 1980's is the worst decade for drug abuse. Johnny Bumphus is one of many wasted talents in that era.

If nobody mentioned Aaron Pryor already you can be sure that is true.

ummmm Ivan Calderon did about 500 Pounds of Cocaine :no:

At least Monzon didn't smoke between rounds like Locche!

Actually kind of ticks me off. Locche's my favorite fighter of all time and I really think he had GOAT potential, but for his terrible discipline with food and smoking.

With Monzon it was not just smoking, it was his entire lifestyle. And it didn't hurt his performance in the slightest. The guy was just a physical freak who barely had to train to be in shape.

micky walker and harry greb


two fisted drinkers

Sugar ray leonard also did alot of coke

micky walker and harry greb


two fisted drinkers

I can't say for Walker, but Greb was NOT a big drinker. There have been a lot if tall tales and exaggerations written about Greb and that is one of them.

I can't say for Walker, but Greb was NOT a big drinker. There have been a lot if tall tales and exaggerations written about Greb and that is one of them.


i've read plenty about greb and more times than not he's described as both a drinker and a skirt chaser. nothing wrong with either pursuit in moderation i suppose.

obviously the more poetic aspects of a fighters career will be exaggerated over time, and he's not as legendary a drinker as walker, but the man drank his share.

and walker was a prolific drinker
that's far beyond dispute.

Carlos Monzon was a chain smoking, heavy drinking philanderer. In his heydey, he was like James Bond. The real, Sean Connery one, not the PC nonsense recent one.

Tapia's an obvious one
Stanley Ketchel and Greb had crazy partying reputations.

i've read plenty about greb and more times than not he's described as both a drinker and a skirt chaser. nothing wrong with either pursuit in moderation i suppose.

obviously the more poetic aspects of a fighters career will be exaggerated over time, and he's not as legendary a drinker as walker, but the man drank his share.

Greb didn't become a skirt chaser till after his wife passed away. The exaggerations of him being a heavy drinker are put to sleep in both the book "The fearless Harry Greb" and by his friend Harry Keck, who was close to him from 1914 till Grebs death in 1926.

A Tale of Two Harrys

Theirs was one of the great, enduring friendships in boxing history. One
went onto great accomplishments in journalism; the other, to pugilistic
immortality.

Harry Keck first met Harry Greb in 1914, when Keck was with the
Pittsburgh Post. Greb was in his second year as a pro. Greb had just
returned from Philadelphia, where he had spent most of a year because
promotional difficulties had led to a temporary suspension of boxing in
Pittsburgh. From then on, Keck was with Greb throughout his career
and conversed with him in Pittsburgh the night before the great
middleweight died on an operating table in Atlantic City in October,
1926.

To the day he died, in April of 1956, Keck vehemently, jealously
guarded the memory of Greb-about whom, Keck argued, more drivel
had been written than about any other fighter.

In 1964, Keck told me, "With each passing year, the Greb legend gets
sillier and sillier. His alleged skirt-chasing, drinking, and apathy to training
are canards that evidently will never die. Harry liked the companionship
of both men and women, would take an occasional drink, and trained as
hard as any fighter I ever knew."

Chavez Sr. Tony Baltazar, Tony Ayala, Jeff Chandler, Eusebio Pedroza, Pinklan Thomas, Carbahal, all COKE HEADS!!! Fact

JCC Sr.

He used to drink right before the ring walk in his fights, I remember they interviewed one of his corner guys on Televisa a few years back. He said JJC would try to get drunk as quick as he could right before his fights. Also in one of his docs they mention his drinking as well.

Lionel Rose smoked cigrrettes like a chimney, before, during and after being world champion.

Johnny Bredahl was a heavy smoker.
Partly right. He was (and is) a heavy marijuana smoker. A habit that he normally stopped while doing his training camps. One time he forgot and got caught. He wrote at lenght about his substance abuse in his excellent autobiography.





Topic: I'd like to add that back in the old days it was common for the cornermen to give whiskey to the fighter after a particularly tough round. Pretty funny.

Scott Harrison: Alcoholic. Drug Taker.

same thing mate. some active fighters who do/did drugs are..

pavlik (alcohol)
ouma (alcohol & cannabis)
jermain taylor (alcohol)
cotto (alcohol) im not sure about this but i heard lots of rumours

tarver (crack) stopped when he became a fighter obviously but such a heavy drug is worth mentioning regardless

andre ward (alcohol) in his teens he drank alot, doesnt do drugs anymore though

there are more out there, cant remember at the moment.

JCC Sr.

He used to drink right before the ring walk in his fights, I remember they interviewed one of his corner guys on Televisa a few years back. He said JJC would try to get drunk as quick as he could right before his fights. Also in one of his docs they mention his drinking as well.

Yeah ODLH said he would down a few shots before doing the ring walk

Partly right. He was (and is) a heavy marijuana smoker. A habit that he normally stopped while doing his training camps. One time he forgot and got caught. He wrote at lenght about his substance abuse in his excellent autobiography.





Topic: I'd like to add that back in the old days it was common for the cornermen to give whiskey to the fighter after a particularly tough round. Pretty funny.


I remember a Boxing monthly interview with Bredahl several years ago. I'm sure that ciggies were very much a vice even when training. I think he even was smoking during the interview, I don't doubt the interviewer would have noticed if waccy baccy was the herb of choice.......

Opponents would complain about Ruben Olivares's breath smelling like alcohol during the fight.

Topic: I'd like to add that back in the old days it was common for the cornermen to give whiskey to the fighter after a particularly tough round. Pretty funny.

Maybe that's what was in Panama Lewis' bottle...

carlos monzon used to light up while doing his roadwork if i remember correctly.

Greb didn't become a skirt chaser till after his wife passed away. The exaggerations of him being a heavy drinker are put to sleep in both the book "The fearless Harry Greb" and by his friend Harry Keck, who was close to him from 1914 till Grebs death in 1926.

A Tale of Two Harrys

Theirs was one of the great, enduring friendships in boxing history. One
went onto great accomplishments in journalism; the other, to pugilistic
immortality.

Harry Keck first met Harry Greb in 1914, when Keck was with the
Pittsburgh Post. Greb was in his second year as a pro. Greb had just
returned from Philadelphia, where he had spent most of a year because
promotional difficulties had led to a temporary suspension of boxing in
Pittsburgh. From then on, Keck was with Greb throughout his career
and conversed with him in Pittsburgh the night before the great
middleweight died on an operating table in Atlantic City in October,
1926.

To the day he died, in April of 1956, Keck vehemently, jealously
guarded the memory of Greb-about whom, Keck argued, more drivel
had been written than about any other fighter.

In 1964, Keck told me, "With each passing year, the Greb legend gets
sillier and sillier. His alleged skirt-chasing, drinking, and apathy to training
are canards that evidently will never die. Harry liked the companionship
of both men and women, would take an occasional drink, and trained as
hard as any fighter I ever knew."


I've read the fearless harry greb. it's on my bookshelf, actually.

"taking the occasional drink" certainly doesnt assert that he was a raging alcoholic, and neither am i. with a schedule like that he'd have an awful time making weight being real drunk
i am saying that he was at the very least a casual drinker. mentioning him the same light as walker wouldn't be appropriate if we were talking purely about the consumption of alcohol. walker drank like a fish.

in the teens and 20's people's attitudes toward alcohol were very different, obviously, as well.

There is something I admire about ppl who succeed anyway regardless of unhealthy habits, obviously with hard work your going to improve and get somewhere if you have any talent but it takes a special fighter to take short cuts and still be a champ anyway.

I can't say for Walker, but Greb was NOT a big drinker. There have been a lot if tall tales and exaggerations written about Greb and that is one of them.
What? Greb trained off of booze and whores. It's been well documented.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kUeDc_wYSnoC&pg=PA219&lpg=PA219#v=onepage&q&f=false

Full extract from the book Jab quoted

James Toney?

Spadafora for (I think) alcohol, coke, and weed.

As far as top fighters......I remember an interview with Emanuel Steward when he trained Chavez and said that before they got together Chavez would drink beer after workouts. My main man Pernell Whitaker's win against Andrey Pestryaev got changed to a no contest because he tested positive for cocaine. I read Sorcery at Caesars and it said that Hagler did coke.

For non top fighters, reading Only in America:The Life and Crimes of Don King, almost all the fighters from the "lost generation" of heavyweights were smoking weed during training camps. Also Chuck Wepner was a big drinker.

I read Sorcery at Caesars and it said that Hagler did coke.

That'd explain something, actually

I could think of a few, but Johnny Tapia I met in person @ the Trinidad/Reid fight at Ceasars and he was super coked out... That guy partied like crazy I think he was hospitalized many times.. Hope he's doing well these days he was a great fighter..



I'll start with a few ones off the top of my head

Mayorga: heavy smoker
ODLH: drank, did cocaine
locche: chain smoker
Graziano: smoke/drank
Tapia: Drank, did lots of cocaine, possibly other drugs
Tyson: Drank, cocaine, marijuana
Duran: Drank A LOT

Imagine if these fighters where clean how great they would have been... Marijuana i dont consider a drug that would impair performance much.. As long as they dont smoke b4 the fight :)

Imagine if these fighters where clean how great they would have been... Marijuana i dont consider a drug that would impair performance much.. As long as they dont smoke b4 the fight :)

It certainly would impair performance. It would obviously depend on how long before a fight the boxer was smoking, but when you factor in all the carcinogens, tar, carbon deposits etc that bung up the bronchi in the lungs thus impairing cardio performance (from any type of smoking). Its not too hard to understand.

Lew Jenkins would drink most of the fighters mentioned under the table

What? Greb trained off of booze and whores. It's been well documented.

It's been well exaggerated.

I'll start with a few ones off the top of my head

Mayorga: heavy smoker
ODLH: drank, did cocaine
locche: chain smoker
Graziano: smoke/drank
Tapia: Drank, did lots of cocaine, possibly other drugs
Tyson: Drank, cocaine, marijuana
Duran: Drank A LOT

Hard hitting former welterweight Jose Luis Lopez was known to love Marijuana.

Hatton enjoys his guiness,and him and Calzaghe started to enjoy the powder in their retirement

Does steroids and HGH count? If so, there are rumors of Pacquiao being on HGH, although those might be mostly from Mayweather to avoid a superfight with him. Also, wasn't there some scandal with Holyfield taking steroids after some doctor giving them out got busted and his number was found in his files or something?

And didn't James Toney test positive for anabolic steroids after a unanimous decision win over Hasim Rahman, which cost him his WBA Heavyweight title?

Barney Ross addicted to morphine , i believe,

Barney Ross addicted to morphine , i believe,

Yes, after his career was over due the injuries suffered in WWII at the battle of Guadalcanal.

well he wasnt a boxer but hear me out:


andre the giant drank 156 beers in one sitting.

http://www.drunkard.com/issues/10_06/images/andre-giant-hdr.jpg

well he wasnt a boxer but hear me out:


andre the giant drank 156 beers in one sitting.

http://www.drunkard.com/issues/10_06/images/andre-giant-hdr.jpg

ya my aunt was one his nurses late in his life, dude drank like a fish

duran was notorious for drinking and smoking and being a lazy bastard when he wasnt in training camp

Yes, after his career was over due the injuries suffered in WWII at the battle of Guadalcanal.

wth happened in your sig i want to see that

well he wasnt a boxer but hear me out:


andre the giant drank 156 beers in one sitting.

http://www.drunkard.com/issues/10_06/images/andre-giant-hdr.jpg

156 beers would kill you. Too much liquid fuc*ks the brain.

156 beers would kill you. Too much liquid fuc*ks the brain.




you get that andre the giant was not a normal human, right?


i dont want to get into it in detail, but anatomically he might be the most unique man of all time


he was well over seven feet
well over 500 lbs

he had half as many teeth as a normal human being...
his organs were many times as large as the average human. not just twice as large, but often much larger.


it's confirmed by a bunch of independent sources, as well.
the guy drank 156 beers in a single sitting. he had a legendary capacity for the consumption of alcohol


his anesthesiologist even used the numbers from his drinking limits to estimate the amount of anesthesia needed to perform surgery on a man that size



156 beers would kill me, but andre the giant drank them in one sitting.