So i was looking through youtube for old school fights because I enjoy watching the originators of the main boxing styles used in the modern era (ie. patterson/tyson, charles/toney, louis/golovkin, walcott/ ali,leonard) and stumbled on this gem. A beat down of epic proportions so enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4__GELsC4AI
A great thing to notice here is, neither man backing up. This is called inside fighting. You know? Two guys who want to win the PRIZE they are FIGHTING for instead of ducking, dodging and bouncing for twelve boring rounds to pick up an inflated paycheck to the dismay of a bored crowd. When they say, the art of inside fighting is lost, it's fights like this that build that argument.
As much as I love inside fighters the sport is called boxing which encompasses all fighting styles. It is irritating to see Rigo leave a wounded animal in the ring for the full twelve or Mayweather outbox everyone without taking risks but if you were a modern day gladiator you'd want to have as much control of the outcome as possible.
Nobody faults Ali for not fighting Foreman or Frazier head to head because the fighters who box on the outside generally do it out of necessity.
The thinking was the similar to Hopkins-Kovalev. If Patterson(Kovalev) wins the public would say Robinson(Hopkins) moved up too much/was too old and if Robinson wins the public would say how could Patterson lose to a much smaller/older opponent. Lose lose situation for Patterson
Circa 55/56, Robinson was still a major threat, one of the best on the planet and championship material but the age factor may come into play. Anyway, what ever the thinking, Patterson went on to beat Moore and the rest is history.
Oh damn, didn't know about this but yeah, I can see Cus' thinking, the heavyweight title was vacant and Patterson would have felt more comfortable coming in 180-ish, rather than 175. However, Patterson beating Robinson would have been a huge scalp, missed opportunity maybe?
The thinking was the similar to Hopkins-Kovalev. If Patterson(Kovalev) wins the public would say Robinson(Hopkins) moved up too much/was too old and if Robinson wins the public would say how could Patterson lose to a much smaller/older opponent. Lose lose situation for Patterson
I read somewhere that the fight was being considered at lightheavy and that Sugar Ray was going to move up but Cus rejected the fight because it was a lose lose for Patterson who was so much bigger
Oh damn, didn't know about this but yeah, I can see Cus' thinking, the heavyweight title was vacant and Patterson would have felt more comfortable coming in 180-ish, rather than 175. However, Patterson beating Robinson would have been a huge scalp, missed opportunity maybe?
Good post man! Great to see this clip again but it's interesting to note that even at this stage, Patterson was outgrowing the middleweight division, in fact, he never once weighed in at anything less than 165lb if I'm not mistaken.
Imagine if Patterson had somehow managed to make middleweight, he could have been in the ring with Robinson or Olson or Fullmer and with his size and speed, he could have beaten anyone of them, especially as some of these guys were approaching the ends of their careers. In terms of Grant, it's sad that a guy who was highly touted as he was, would go on to have a limited career, ending in a KO loss to Olson.
I read somewhere that the fight was being considered at lightheavy and that Sugar Ray was going to move up but Cus rejected the fight because it was a lose lose for Patterson who was so much bigger
Good post man! Great to see this clip again but it's interesting to note that even at this stage, Patterson was outgrowing the middleweight division, in fact, he never once weighed in at anything less than 165lb if I'm not mistaken.
Imagine if Patterson had somehow managed to make middleweight, he could have been in the ring with Robinson or Olson or Fullmer and with his size and speed, he could have beaten anyone of them, especially as some of these guys were approaching the ends of their careers. In terms of Grant, it's sad that a guy who was highly touted as he was, would go on to have a limited career, ending in a KO loss to Olson.