Gus Lesnevich

[Pastrano]

Quite a boxer, quite a career. At once a diehard blood and guts warrior and a technician. You know, I wonder how come he didn't score more kos than he did. The way he destroyed Billy Fox, esp in the rematch and also Tami Mauriello and Freddie Mills was awesome and the man obviously had power. Also, he had the balls to fight heavyweights, despite being only 5'9 and a natural lhw at best. He gets knocked out by Freddie Steele, yet the crowd cheers for him. Boxer-warriors were always rare and so they must be fully and highly appreciated.

[McGoorty]

Originally Posted by Pastrano

Quite a boxer, quite a career. At once a diehard blood and guts warrior and a technician. You know, I wonder how come he didn't score more kos than he did. The way he destroyed Billy Fox, esp in the rematch and also Tami Mauriello and Freddie Mills was awesome and the man obviously had power. Also, he had the balls to fight heavyweights, despite being only 5'9 and a natural lhw at best. He gets knocked out by Freddie Steele, yet the crowd cheers for him. Boxer-warriors were always rare and so they must be fully and highly appreciated.

He had to be tough just to face some of those fighters you named, he faced Ron Richards, one fearsome puncher, although Lesnevitch was knocked down, (Richards won on points) it was apparantly a great war, I don't know how long that fight lasted. Richards was quick and athletic and he could knock virtually anybody out. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------That was the sort of fighter Gus was, he either got you, or you got him, he was uncompromising and despite that big loss, Lesnevitch went on and ended up the Light Heavyweight champion of the world. Not many fighters these days can resurrect a career like that, they never held a loss or two against a fighter then,.... and that was a good thing.

[McGoorty]

Originally Posted by Pastrano

Quite a boxer, quite a career. At once a diehard blood and guts warrior and a technician. You know, I wonder how come he didn't score more kos than he did. The way he destroyed Billy Fox, esp in the rematch and also Tami Mauriello and Freddie Mills was awesome and the man obviously had power. Also, he had the balls to fight heavyweights, despite being only 5'9 and a natural lhw at best. He gets knocked out by Freddie Steele, yet the crowd cheers for him. Boxer-warriors were always rare and so they must be fully and highly appreciated.

For a newspaper report on The RICHARDS V LESNEVITCH fight and a newspaper photo of the knockdown...... this link..http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...0bGX6wy_hy27yw I'll post more lesnevitch reports when I find some.

[McGoorty]

Originally Posted by McGoorty

For a newspaper report on The RICHARDS V LESNEVITCH fight and a newspaper photo of the knockdown...... this link..http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...0bGX6wy_hy27yw I'll post more lesnevitch reports when I find some.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...0ADbH4NlPpIT-g http://www.google.com/url?url=http:/...GFCx2iORx7hJWA

[McGoorty]

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...8ielI1rZYbDzgg http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...LI-KXf2aAwJcgA http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sourc...GFCx2iORx7hJWA

[Pastrano]

McGoorty- Man you really do the background check properly!

[McGoorty]

Originally Posted by Pastrano

McGoorty- Man you really do the background check properly!

You're welcome, it's nice to talk about good fighters with mere mortal statistics, Gus can be easily identified as a man who succeeded to become champion despite not being born with all the gifts, and because he could lose just as easily as he could win.. makes him more like one of us...... a hard working true blue.

[Pastrano]

Originally Posted by McGoorty

You're welcome, it's nice to talk about good fighters with mere mortal statistics, Gus can be easily identified as a man who succeeded to become champion despite not being born with all the gifts, and because he could lose just as easily as he could win.. makes him more like one of us...... a hard working true blue.

A good assessment my friend. But I do think he was clever and talented. Just not invincible-looking.

[McGoorty]

Originally Posted by Pastrano

A good assessment my friend. But I do think he was clever and talented. Just not invincible-looking.

I don't think there ever was a world champion without skills, it is simply impossible for any man to become a champion without some fundamentals and ability, but there is ability then there is freakishness which is something Darcy had. That freakishness is something that can't be earned or bought, it is the sort of boxer we call a born natural. A born natural is always apparent at an early age, Lesnevitch had a level of talent that would have seen him become a very good sportsman at nearly any sport he liked, I think Gus would have been a very good second-rower in Rugby League.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------But a Harry Greb would have been twice as good as Lesnevitch at second-row, Harry had that born mental genius required to be a legend at any contact sport, Harry was simply in the freakish category, he would have played 80 minutes of Rugby League (when he had both eyes) at the same breakneck pace non-stop, he would have been as great as the legendary lock, Frank Burge (and Frank Burge was Freaking tough man, he once played an international against England where Burge broke an arm in the first few minutes then proceeded to tackle the poms out of the game...now that's tough).

[Pastrano]

Uh-oh! Just as I thought I wouldn't hear more about LES DARCY! Kidding mate. Well, I'd use Cerdan as the perfect example of being freakishly talented. He had it all-the savvy, the style, the slickness and the savagery. And the awesome power, ofc.