KO Magazine

[fitefanSHO]

I only remember details about the first one...It was at the very beginning of 1990, and had Evander Holyfield vs Alex Stewart I on the cover.

I wrote a letter covering Julian Jackson's power (he had been a recent centerfold), and a recent (at the time) claim by Jeff Ryan that Jeff Fenech was a highly overrated fighter about to get slaughtered- which I went off on a bit.

My recollection of the other one is hazier, but it covered how certain fighters were never seen on network TV who should have been. I mostly focused on how Jorge Paez had a contract on NBC, while the highly superirr Antonio Esparragoza had never been, but needed to be, on network television.

That's wicked cool, I never wrote a letter to the editors of any magazine, I kinda thought (like in the rasslin mags) that the letters were just made up by the editorial staff.

Ryan was right about Fenech huh?

[jabsRstiff]

That's wicked cool, I never wrote a letter to the editors of any magazine, I kinda thought (like in the rasslin mags) that the letters were just made up by the editorial staff.

Ryan was right about Fenech huh?

Not at the time he wrote it....because Fenech had yet to fight Nelson....and after the first fight, Ryan recanted what he had said a year and a half before.

Fenech was not overrated, he was simply a physically damaged fighter.

[fitefanSHO]

Not at the time he wrote it....because Fenech had yet to fight Nelson....and after the first fight, Ryan recanted what he had said a year and a half before.

Fenech was not overrated, he was simply a physically damaged fighter.

I remember thinking that KO magazine was too quick to jump on the Fenech bandwagon and they rated him very high P4P and talked him up good for a guy that most American fans had not seen, or really been exposed to. It was like Fenech was their pet fighter and when he got beat by Nelson in the rematch, I remember feeling like, "well, told ya so."

The magazines were all about Michael Olajide in a similar way too until he got whooped.

[jabsRstiff]

Fenech certainly accomplished a good amount in a short time, unlike Olajide.

When a guy wins 3 titles, kind of easily, beats Marcos Villasana more convincingly than Nelson or Esparragoza did, and then beats Nelson's ass......

[jabsRstiff]

It's like with Donald Curry...

Yes, he ultimately fell short of what he had the potential to do. But, what he did do was no mirage- the guy was an amazing fighter.

[fitefanSHO]

Fenech certainly accomplished a good amount in a short time, unlike Olajide.

When a guy wins 3 titles, kind of easily, beats Marcos Villasana more convincingly than Nelson or Esparragoza did, and then beats Nelson's ass......

Ya, I know. I just thought he was limited brawler type getting too much of a push from the magazines. And back in those days there was no way to just Google Fenech or YouTube him, so he was kinda like an unknown quantity to most people, and KO just kept saying how amazing he was, etc. I wasn't buyin it. Now I know he was very good indeed, still no match for Nelson though when it mattered most. Nelson a man, Fenech a boy...

When I saw Nelson this year at the IBHOF, I thanked him for KO'ing Fenech.

He smiled.

[jabsRstiff]

Winning 3 titles...and shoulda had a 4th..."boys" simply don't do that.

I did love Azumah, however. I believe he'd have eventually rematched, and defeated, Salvador Sanchez.

[fitefanSHO]

I just noticed your Curry post.

Indeed, he was another favorite of the magazines.

Sure, he was good but they had him out to be the guy who might beat Hagler.

[jabsRstiff]

I just noticed your Curry post.

Indeed, he was another favorite of the magazines.

Sure, he was good but they had him out to be the guy who might beat Hagler.

Never thought he'd beat Hagler. But, I did believe he'd go take over 154, and then make a serious run at 160. There was talk of Pryor moving up and facing him in '85, and I think Curry would have destroyed him.

From 1984-1986....he's the best fighter I have ever witnessed. Not the greatest, just the best. Obviously, his lack of staying power keeps him from being great.

[fitefanSHO]

Obviously, his lack of staying power keeps him from being great.

And also outta the IBHOF.