Sparring Stories

[The Surgeon]

James and I would spar often as amatuers. As pros, after his title I only worked once with him. Honestly, when he was moving and juking I couldn't hit him with a hand full of rocks. But when he came inside I got the better of him there. I remember my trainer telling me "Don't you take a step backwards with this mother ****er" and I didn't. James was really good though.

As a pro I didn't stick around that long. I had a bunch of **** happen around this one fight and I just walked away. I fought at the Palace a few times, got on tv a few times but didn't follow it to the end. At times I regret not seeing how far I might have gone but at the same time I am glad because I am able to have conversations, and type and still function properly on a mental level. I wasn't one to shy away from a blow or a fight no matter who it was. In that time I threw fists with all kinds of good to great fighters. The only guy to really hand me my ass was Anthony Jones, he was slick. I got the best of it the first time we threw but like a year later we worked again and I dont even remember driving myself home. It was a good time doing it but the damage is irreversible and I just figured I could do something else. I loved it though.

I wrote about some stuff if you want to look it up. It was called A Rockin' story - in the clearing..............Rockin'

Cool, hey not to many people can say they got the best of JT on the inside man! Thanks for sharin dude i will look it up

[The Surgeon]

Cuban HW Nino Valdes in London for a bout with one of Britain's HW contenders Joe Erskine in 1957 (He also beat Don ****ell, **** Richardson and Brian London here) needed sparring partners. Nobody it seemed fancied the job against probably the most feared HW in the world who had a reputation of taking no prisoners in the gym. Tongan fighter Kit Lave got the call and agreed to sparring, Kit had felt aggrieved that after much publicity on his arrival to the country his high profile had not been maintained, somehow he needed to recapture the attention of the British press. Kit knew that Valdes training sessions would be well covered and this was his chance to let the press know he was still around and still a force. He planned mayhem and thats what he caused. From the start it was clear this wasnt sparring but full bloodied action from two big hitters, quite frankly it seems as tho it got completely out of hand and when the end of the first round was called it got even rougher as both fighters refused to stop fighting! Nino's handlers jumped into the ring to seperate them but to no avail.
Eventually two young HW's training in the gym managed to drag them apart and restore some order. It was Chaos but the press loved it and Lave achieved his goal, his name and picture was all over the sports pages again, one of the national papers did a big spread with the headline "Hammer and Tonga"

Oh and the two young HW's who split them were none other than Henry Cooper and his twin brother Jim

(Lave went on to stop Jim Cooper in 1960)

[jabsRstiff]

Robbie Peden supposedly was pummelling Diego Corrales while Chico was prepping for his fight with Freitas.

[gatorDelux]

Id give my right arm to have seen Liston and a young Foreman sparring, George must have impressed as i know Liston said this kid has one punch power, one punch Killing power!



I read in one of De la Hoya's books that Oscar and Mosley were young amatures called in to spar JC Chavez, Oscar apparently got the best of him and was never called back

Theres a video floating around of an older Duran sparring Nigel Benn, seems so calm and relaxed in with a puncher as tenacious as Benn

I heard Tua used to bash Holyfield up in sparring, Tyson prep i think.

[The Surgeon]

The Very One! Nice find

[sugersean15]

tommy hearns sparring muhammed ali

[Terry A]

Id give my right arm to have seen Liston and a young Foreman sparring, George must have impressed as i know Liston said this kid has one punch power, one punch Killing power!

Surgeon,
As I was reading thru this thread I thought of Liston vs Foreman in the gym & lo & behold, you wrote about it! Good call!

Although I wouldn't give up my right arm to have seen it, I do think that would have been one of the most intense "sparring" sessions that could have been witnessed. Two mean, powerful alpha-males filled with lots of "kill".

[Greatest1942]

Cuban HW Nino Valdes in London for a bout with one of Britain's HW contenders Joe Erskine in 1957 (He also beat Don ****ell, **** Richardson and Brian London here) needed sparring partners. Nobody it seemed fancied the job against probably the most feared HW in the world who had a reputation of taking no prisoners in the gym. Tongan fighter Kit Lave got the call and agreed to sparring, Kit had felt aggrieved that after much publicity on his arrival to the country his high profile had not been maintained, somehow he needed to recapture the attention of the British press. Kit knew that Valdes training sessions would be well covered and this was his chance to let the press know he was still around and still a force. He planned mayhem and thats what he caused. From the start it was clear this wasnt sparring but full bloodied action from two big hitters, quite frankly it seems as tho it got completely out of hand and when the end of the first round was called it got even rougher as both fighters refused to stop fighting! Nino's handlers jumped into the ring to seperate them but to no avail.
Eventually two young HW's training in the gym managed to drag them apart and restore some order. It was Chaos but the press loved it and Lave achieved his goal, his name and picture was all over the sports pages again, one of the national papers did a big spread with the headline "Hammer and Tonga"

Oh and the two young HW's who split them were none other than Henry Cooper and his twin brother Jim

(Lave went on to stop Jim Cooper in 1960)

I will post some sparring stories of clay/Liston later when I have time

[joseph5620]

Larry Holmes and Razor Ruddock sparred pretty hard.






Thomas Hearns and Mark Breland sparring




The late Genero Hernandez sparring young Shane Mosley.








I once read that Thomas Hearns sparred with Marlon Starling for the fight with Leonard and broke Starlings jaw.

[#1-Macdaddy]

jesus heard about young casuis clay sparring with ingomar when ingo was the HW champ and clay made ingo look like a fool

he couldnt touch him

jesus loves you,

-jesus the #1macdaddy