True boxers who made it the hard way..

[BlueBlazer]

Forget Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr, Lennox Lewis, Naseem Hamed and Audley Harrison, who had hundreds of big-money offers left, right and centre before they even had one pro fight.

I'm going to be using Mike Tyson, Gerald McClellan and Chris Eubank (yeah, three of my boys but whatever) as examples of fighters who rose through the ranks the hard way, McClellan and Eubank particularly (McClellan coming back from back-to-back losses and Eubank struggling to find the right promoter/manager). Forget Nigel Benn, he already had hundreds of fans and a big reputation going into the 1986 ABA championships.

At the start of Tyson's career, he was involved in very low-key fights and nobody knew who he was because he hadn't made the Olympics and was still abit of a secret.

McClellan felt that it should of been him in Korea, not Roy Jones. Nobody knew who McClellan was when he turned pro, just some tall kid from Milwaukee who was fighting for peanuts - whereas everybody knew Roy Jones after he was infamously robbed against the Korean.

Eubank only had his first four pro bouts to help pay for a $250 telephone bill he'd ran up that his mother couldn't afford, he worked as a sparring partner to Kevin Rooney in 1985 and to Herol Graham in 1987 - because he couldn't find good enough deals in pro bouts.

As an amateur, Eubank only won one title and that was the 1984 New York Spanish Golden Gloves tournament. Back in England in 1988 Eubank decided to make a career out of boxing and, despite his decision being on-and-off and him having a love-hate relationship with the sport, he won 19 fights (14 of which stoppages) on his way to a long-awaited clash with Nigel Benn. Benn had abused Eubank back in 1988 at the Cafe Royal after Benn heard that Eubank had told a local Sussex newspaper that Benn was an "ignorant puncher and over-rated brawler with next to no boxing skills".

[BlueBlazer]

Teddy Blackburn on McClellan:


The story behind the rise and fall of Gerald McClellan's career is an emotional one. It began in August 1988 as McClellan would make his pro debut against Roy Hundley, who had boxed in over 10 professional fights. McClellan was victorious with a first round knock out within seconds of the bell. He went on to knock out his next 9 opponents, none of which would make it passed the second round. In his 11th and 12th professional fights, McClellan lost in controversial decisions to well-respected middleweight prospects Dennis Milton and Ralph Ward despite knocking Ward down in the second round.

At the end of his first year as a professional boxer, McClellan's record was (10-2, 10 KO's), but he had suffered two losses in a row and the people around him began questioning his true ability. With his back against the wall, McClellan continued training, fueled by his determination to be a champion. He went on to accomplish what no one thought possible. He reeled off 21 consecutive victories, shockingly 19 of which came by way of knock out. He became the WBO & WBC Middleweight champion of the world before suffering the biggest loss of his life on February 25, 1995.

Gerald McClellan decided it was time to take a step up in competition and weight class by challenging super middleweight champion Nigel Benn on his home turf in England. To the surprise of the hometown crowd, McClellan came out swinging, sending Benn sprawling through the ropes and out of the ring in just the first round. Benn wasn't discouraged by the first round knockdown. He went on to dominate the fight keeping McClellan at bay with a precise jab. He threw two and three punch combinations that landed flush. The audience could begin to see that McClellan was being affected by the power punches Benn had been landing throughout the bout. Surprisingly, McClellan—tired and weary—came out in the eighth round and once again sent Benn to the canvas. The heroic efforts of McClellan would be short lived. In the 10th round he was knocked out and would soon learn his career was over.

After his battle with Nigel Benn, Gerald McClellan was left crippled. He had suffered too many power punches to the head, leaving him 100% blind, 80% deaf and confined to his home in Freeport, ILL under the supervision of his sisters. His struggle continues daily.

[BlueBlazer]

Steve Lott on Tyson:


First a little background. Mike was supposed to turn pro at the end of 1984. Jim and Bill entered into a deal with a wonderful promoter, Bob Andreoli. Unfortunately, Mike hurt his hand in training, this time a finger, and his debut was put on hold. The rehabilitation for his hand required Mike staying in New York for a week to undergo hand therapy twice a day. Jim and Bill asked me to supervise the doctors visits and Cus knew that I would be capable of the handling the responsibility. It was during this one week time period that I got to know Mike for the first time.

Mike was an incredibly warm, kind, and caring young guy. Now you must remember that this Mike that I met was not the Mike Tyson of Brooklyn circa 1979. This was a Mike Tyson who had just undergone 5 years of advanced training with Cus D’Amato in learning how to be a responsible human being. And Mike graduated with honors. As many people know it has to do with the teacher. And few were more qualified than Cus in this particular role.

Month by month and fight by fight Mike grew as a fighter and more importantly as a man. Cus died in October 1985, but Mike had other powerful positive individuals with whom he surrounded himself. People like Bill Cayton, Jim Jacobs, Jose Torres, Brian Hammill, Jack Newfield, and Bill Gallo. Most parents know that the friends their children associate with have a huge impact on the behavior of their child. Even though he was not a child, this was also true in Mike’s case.

For three years Mike was my house guest whenever he was not in training up in Catskill. The couch in my living room became Mike’s home away from home.

Sometimes Mike would arrive unannounced which was always interesting. I would be entertaining a young lady in my apartment when all of a sudden there would be a rather heavy knock on my door. And I knew who it was. I just could not send him away. And each one of these young ladies adored Mike because his demeanor and manners were so high level. It was during these three years that Mike ascended the heavyweight ladder in spectacular fashion. For me it was a learning experience listening to Kevin Rooney and Mike talk about the D’Amato system, but more importantly it was a chance to be close to Mike. I did not expect to love him as a brother or perhaps as son, but he made it impossible for that not to happen. His demeanor was so warm that you were drawn to him. Cus D’Amato knew what he was doing.

During this same period Jim and Bill had two world champions that I traveled with, Edwin Rosario and Wilfred Benitez. I must say that while being with Mike was great because he was a terrific kid, being with those two fighters was more exciting. You have to remember at that time Mike was just a four round fighter. There was no one outside of Cus, Jim and Bill, who was proclaiming Mike the next great heavyweight. I certainly never dreamed that Mike would become the heavyweight champ. He was just my friend and a great kid.

Early on I would come out of my bedroom and see Mike sleeping on the couch and say to myself, “There’s my friend Mike Tyson, a four round fighter, that’s cool”. As the months went by he became a 6 round fighter, then a 10 round fighter, then a main event fighter, then the challenger. And then one day I came out of my bedroom and there on the couch, in my apartment, is the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Just thinking back to that time brings tears of joy to my eyes.

Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs were the managers. Matt Baranski, the cut man and also saw that the sparring partners were prepared to go. I would handle Mike’s obligations with the press and the promoter and just basically oversaw all the preparation for managers Bill Cayton and Jim Jacobs. The original “Team Tyson” was really just Mike and Kevin. Period! They knew exactly what had to be done. Mike did not need anyone else around, nor did he ever ask for any additional personnel.

Entourage? Mike never, ever, hung with a group or entourage during those years. To give you an example of Mike’s thinking, I would ask Mike to meet me in front of a particular location here in Manhattan for a pre-fight press conference. I’d be waiting for Mike at the appointed time and would see him, the Heavyweight Champion of the World, casually strolling down the busy New York City street toward the location, alone. Entourage, forget it!


And,

"He improved a lot in 1986, and the Reggie Gross fight was a level above any of his previous fights."

[BlueBlazer]

Check out the article below,

It's from the first-ever edition of Boxing Monthly-

part 1: http://img461.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cb13dz.jpg

part 2: http://img418.imageshack.us/my.php?image=cb24og.jpg

(before he deleted the 's' from his surname )

[Manny_P]

juyjuy????

[!!! Beowulf !!!]

**** off JuyJuy.

[Easy-E]

please ban this clown

[Hitman932]

tyson was paying exorbitant amounts of money to bums to get knocked out and he was getting paid well to do it. he had a world class trainer who looked after him like he was his son. to say he did it the hard way is ****in preposterous. everyone knew who he was even though he didnt go to the olympics and almost all his fights on the way up were on some kind of television.

[Oasis_Lad]

juyjuy u twat go out and get a girlfriend then maybe you'll have a life to lead

[DRZ]

juyjuy u twat go out and get a girlfriend then maybe you'll have a life to lead

ya, why cant juy juy get a life and stop buggin people here, he prob doesnt got a gf, cause hes got a bf!