Brit boxers have TRUE GRIT...IMO

[!!! Beowulf !!!]

I was just being facetious, but since you ask...

(First of all, I spent a few hours on your excellent site the other night and really enjoyed it and am 100% aware that I don't know a small fraction of what you do about boxing.)

I was raised by an ex-boxer, Italian immigrant in Philly and I've always had an affection for gritty boxers. The fact that once upon a time there were a lot of great tough Italian boxers is, I guess, sort of a source of pride. But I don't really relate more to guys like Marciano or Basilio any more than I do to Frazier or Hopkins. All great fighters. Once upon a time there were many great Italian, Irish, ***ish and English boxers. But not really so much anymore. Was there anything particularly special about them? Not really, so far as I can tell. Today's Hispanic, African and Asian champions are every bit as great in every respect.

At the end of the day, a boxer gets in the ring alone, gets hit alone and has to figure out on his own if he's going to get back up to face more of a beating. Some have heart and character and some, well, less so.

So, I can't really say I ever saw anything particularly special about British boxers. In fact (though this is likely just due to my ignorance), I really can't think of that many great British boxers like I can of, say, Mexicans or African American or even just great ones from Philly! ;^>

Great African fighters? Aren't exactly many top class Africans around today, are there?

[kayjay]

[Two Fisted Piston]

they have true girt compaired to what?...you can always tell a british fighter, they fight different, everyone says german fights fight different, and most mexican fighters also fight different, but true grit...lets jst see lol

Lennox Lewis- the 2 big fights where he was really gettin beat or people thot ohh **** lewis might get beat.....was the 2 fights where he got knocked out..

Frank Bruno - shows some grit in his fights, but really he could have beat lewis if he had kept doin what he was doin in the first few rounds, and people say he shook tyson to his boots, its the fact tyson was standin square and got hit in the chin...but he didnt grit it out in there

Oliver McCall - the guy couldnt beat buster douglas, orlin norris? or DaVarryl Williamson but he is still fightin away so that is grit in a way

Herbie hide...Calzaghe.... etc etc
Collins, Benn, Watson, Williams, and Eubank they grit it out

Collins is ****ing Irish
Hes from 2 miles away from my house!
Irish does not = British

[!!! Beowulf !!!]

Collins is ****ing Irish
Hes from 2 miles away from my house!
Irish does not = British

Ahh, come on. Deep down you're brits too.

[Hydro]

Lennox Lewis- the 2 big fights where he was really gettin beat or people thot ohh **** lewis might get beat.....was the 2 fights where he got knocked out..

No they weren't. The first McCall fight had a close first round and then Lewis got caught early in round 2 and the fight was over. The first Rahman fight was close, Lewis was up 3-1 on the cards....2-2 was an acceptable card, and Lewis again got caught.

The fights in which Lewis appeared to be in more trouble, are the ones in which he won. He was struggling badly against Bruno, rocked in round 3, until he caught him with that big left hook in the 7th and then finished him. He was stunned early by Briggs in round 1 and Briggs had a strong round 2, before Lewis turned things around and started landing the right hand in rd 3, and won in 5. He was struggling against Klitschko and was rocked in round 2, before he cut Vitali in round 3, and won on cuts after 6.

Frank Bruno - shows some grit in his fights, but really he could have beat lewis if he had kept doin what he was doin in the first few rounds, and people say he shook tyson to his boots, its the fact tyson was standin square and got hit in the chin...but he didnt grit it out in there

Bruno tried his hardest the first time against Tyson and showed plenty of guts, it was just that Tyson was a much better fighter. Against Lewis he just got caught. Bruno's chin is not exactly Cobb-esque.

The 2nd Tyson fight however, Bruno was just in for a paycheck and hugged more than he punched.

[Ted The Bull]

I am laughing my FAO!

[Ted The Bull]

Great African fighters? Aren't exactly many top class Africans around today, are there?

Why thanks, mate. I appreciate that.

[Ted The Bull]

"First of all, I spent a few hours on your excellent site the other night and really enjoyed it and am 100% aware that I don't know a small fraction of what you do about boxing.)" WTF! I meant this.

[titoi]

Great African fighters? Aren't exactly many top class Africans around today, are there?

There certainly are many great African-American/English fighters ... just didn't feel the hyphen was necessary, just like I didn't think hyphenating Italian-American was necessary for Marciano or Basilio... ;^>

[Ted The Bull]

There certainly are many great African-American/English fighters ... just didn't feel the hyphen was necessary, just like I didn't think hyphenating Italian-American was necessary for Marciano or Basilio... ;^>

Fook the hyphens and fook all politically correct rump swabs! As for Africans, you do have to be careful in distunguishing each country. For example, Ghana fighters may refelct a differnt style than South Africans. Nigerians may be different from those hailing from Guyana. In my opinion, most fighters from the African continent fight like Ike Quartey, Joshua Clottey, Kaseem Ouma, Jacob "Baby Jake" Matlala, Ben Takcie, Brian Mitchell, or Auzumha Nelson in varying degrees. They tend to stick to you like glue and maintain a high punch volume. This has always been my observation. They also tend to avoid the brawls in which other fighters engage. They tend to fight smart.IMO Kid Akeem was my favorite but he did engage in brutal brawls..and arguably it cost him his life.