Historic Sparring Sessions

[Gymwarsbook]

Hey folks,

New to this site, and am a lifelong fan and ex-amateur boxer writing a book on legendary gym wars/sparring sessions as a hobby project. I know that in additional to people who are strictly fans, there are a lot of people on these forums who've spent years around gyms for one reason or another. I'm looking to write about:

a) sparring sessions that had an influence on the pro game (beginning or end of a career, a fighter getting discovered, etc...)

or

b) sparring sessions that were legendary in and of themselves

Does anyone have any stories to share? Particularly stories you have first hand knowledge of?


Thanks a lot!

Brennan Lowrie

[Ray Corso]

Hearns & Starling Hearns prepping for Leonard had Starling at Kronk and they were getting down to it! Starling doing very well against Tommy who at 6'1" was towering over the 5'8" Starling. Starling suffered a broken jaw while giving Hearns everything he wanted.


Tyson & Lewis a very welknown sessions featuring these two fighter as young teenagers! Tyson doing extremely well then Lewis returning the favor!


Sonny Liston & George Foreman I never heard much about these sessions but I'd love to have been there!


Can't think of any sessions that got to heavy, I was always very careful when the fight dates got close. The last thing we needed was an injury suffered in training. Heavy sparring would be limited to a few sessions as peak conditioning was met. Hopefully that would be 15--20 days out from the date! I was never a big believer in a lot of spar rounds in general. Their are men who flourish with multiple spar rounds so you give them what they need.

Come back and add some sessions that you've discovered!

Ray

[rightsideup]

Hearns & Starling Hearns prepping for Leonard had Starling at Kronk and they were getting down to it! Starling doing very well against Tommy who at 6'1" was towering over the 5'8" Starling. Starling suffered a broken jaw while giving Hearns everything he wanted.


Tyson & Lewis a very welknown sessions featuring these two fighter as young teenagers! Tyson doing extremely well then Lewis returning the favor!


Sonny Liston & George Foreman I never heard much about these sessions but I'd love to have been there!


Can't think of any sessions that got to heavy, I was always very careful when the fight dates got close. The last thing we needed was an injury suffered in training. Heavy sparring would be limited to a few sessions as peak conditioning was met. Hopefully that would be 15--20 days out from the date! I was never a big believer in a lot of spar rounds in general. Their are men who flourish with multiple spar rounds so you give them what they need.

Come back and add some sessions that you've discovered!

Ray

very good examples
I would have liked to have seen as larry holmes matured I believe he sparred with both Ali and Frazier
I have heard Duran as lightweight champ ko ed middleweight fringe contender Vinnie Curto with Dundee give vinnie the alibi that Durans gloves were soaked.
Hearns and Leonard sparred as amateurs
Greb sparring and frustrating Dempsey is legendary

[Ray Corso]

Holmes with Frazier would have been interesting to see.
Ali never did much in sparring other than defense and gauging distance. Occasionally he'd get up on his toes and move but he also used sparring for body conditioning. Ali did things his way and to me he made poor choices that inflicted harm on his body through the years.
Ray

[Gymwarsbook]

Yeah I've heard about Greb sparring Dempsey.

A good one I've been looking into was Greg Page sparring Tyson in Japan before his fight with Buster Douglas and knocking him down. It really gave a reaction in Tyson's camp but it was too late the fight was coming up.

[rightsideup]

Tyson and Oliver mcall would have been interesting as well
way back the real macoy played possum against Tommy ryan than turned into a tiger in there fight to pull a upset for the title.

[juggernaut666]

Lewis sparring Jeremy Williams,with Williams using judo throws to take Lewis down after an altercation in the ring.

[juggernaut666]

Tommy Morrison is also on saying in an interview that he made Bowe quit with a body shot.

[juggernaut666]

Hey folks,

New to this site, and am a lifelong fan and ex-amateur boxer writing a book on legendary gym wars/sparring sessions as a hobby project. I know that in additional to people who are strictly fans, there are a lot of people on these forums who've spent years around gyms for one reason or another. I'm looking to write about:

a) sparring sessions that had an influence on the pro game (beginning or end of a career, a fighter getting discovered, etc...)

or

b) sparring sessions that were legendary in and of themselves

Does anyone have any stories to share? Particularly stories you have first hand knowledge of?


Thanks a lot!

Brennan Lowrie

Why don't you ask ray for personal info on the Tyson/lewis sparring he was there? Of course you better make sure its confirmed as you don't want to get sued or prosecuted for any type of legal action if you are doing a book non fiction and avoid any false publication of any sort.

[Ben Bolt]

A good one I've been looking into was Greg Page sparring Tyson in Japan before his fight with Buster Douglas and knocking him down.

That’s the first that popped up in my mind.
A sign of Mike not being his old self and that we could anticipate an intriguing Tyson-Douglas bout.

Two boxers I’ve learned saw sparring sessions as legitimate fights: Terry Norris (going thru’ 12-rounders at full force) and Joe Frazier (going for the KO). Any others?