Tex Rickard: The first great promotion.

[Willie Pep 229]

He campaigned at 176 as late as fall '65 - by spring '66 he over 190 for his next fight. Wonder if that was period Dundee was trying to persuade him to stay at LHW.

He trimmed down to the mid 180s during his best years - later he was mostly fighting in the 190s and at times 200+.
...

[Willie Pep 229]

If you watch Johnson-Willard you see Williard lay his weight (each chance he gets) on Johnson for 24 rounds - When Dempsey fought him Dempsey tried to refuse the clinches by darting in and out not letting Willard use his size/weight advantage....

[Willie Pep 229]

Funny thing is you're correct, in practice it is a ten count and Fury was 'up' at six and the ref could see that and adjusted his count so.

A good example of a bad ref adhearing strictly to the ten seconds is Walcott-Marciano Ii - Walcott was getting up and the ref could see that, and should...

[Willie Pep 229]

Every generation there is some guy the newbies think is unbeatable until he gets beaten.

This week's flavor: Tyson Fury.

For me it was Foreman - flash forward 20 years and it was Mike Tyson - go back and we got Louis; Dempsey; Johnson. All unbeatable just like Tyson Fury. ...

[Willie Pep 229]

You are correct lineal is not a title, it is the title; recognition by the populace is more imortant than any crooked scantioning belt.

You can't join the Hells Angels you can only wait to be 'recognized.'...

[Willie Pep 229]

I don't understand I thought there was no official decision how could he have collected on a decision bet to win?

I know there is speculation that he may have bet, via surrogates, that the fight would go the full eight rounds (over-under) and then carried Paul.

Probably didn't,...

[Willie Pep 229]

Black girls - Double Dutch - tell Wilder to catch some pine and watch; learn how to jump rope.

https://youtu.be/Kh1rgPIkWKA

I posted this becuse I think these girls are almost unbelievable but there they are moving . . ....

[Willie Pep 229]

It is only this current generation of big boys that (some) have the athleticism of a LHW.

In the past the 'giants' were often slow of hand and foot and their size wasn't insurmountable for a normal size HW.

I'm not sure if that still holds for today's big boys.

...

[Willie Pep 229]

Who would I put my money on ?

Assuming everyone at their peak - Tyson. - Not really sure he can beat Foreman; Holyfield; Ali even a few others BUT I would feel like my money would have a chance in every fight, so that's the bets I would lay.

No real clue who would win the...

[Willie Pep 229]

'barely over 100,000 miles'

Ya got to thank the Japanese for that one.

Before the Japanese auto invasion if an American car made it to 100K miles it was an exception. With a 12K mile or one year warranty American cars by the 1970s were real garbage.

Enter Japanese...

[Willie Pep 229]

SRR fought five days before he fought Brimm; fought just 40 days after he fought Brimm; and then just 20 days after that.

Imagine if Mayweather was that kind of fighter - LOL - me neither - he didn't have the toughness to fight in the 1940s....

[Willie Pep 229]

"When I hit them in the body the big guys come down to my level." Jack Dempsey.

Your boy is soft in the gut....

[Willie Pep 229]

Yea I stole it from them I'm not that witty, but the the line doubles me over - I've have known idiots who would bet on major under dogs just for that reason - I guess everyone does.

Ever stop and think how many times Meadowlark(sp) Lemon made, in a row, that final buzzer shot to create...

[Willie Pep 229]

Gold ran out like Deadwood? -- needed a legend to get shot dead there and they could have milked the tourism until legalized gambling.

Have you visited the hotel?...

[Willie Pep 229]

The one guy was a fighter, not a boxer, but still a fighter. The other guy was a youtube star not a fighter. There was quite the difference.

They should all just stop now but so long as fools pay.

Still don't know why OldLeftHook doesn't make his move and create a freak scantioning...

[Willie Pep 229]

Are these illegal bookmakers wo are taking bets on these exhibitions or is there legal sports betting through the casinos happening?

I once heard of a gambler who use to bet on exhibition (spring training) baseball. Now that's a problem gambler.

Should I bet on the Wahington...

[Willie Pep 229]

What does it man to be a champion today?

In the 1940s it meant you were somebody, you were a contender.

It is nebulous today but we have a few champions out there (fan perception wise) Fury; Canelo; Lopez; Inoue, maybe a few others. The multiple available belts only impress...

[Willie Pep 229]

This video has a still photo of the stacks of gold coins. The 'historian' claims Nelson organized the photo op - he makes no mention of Rickard - doubt he knows he was involved. (I didn't know until you pointed it out.)

The fight took place in a town called Gold Field. as a successful...

[Willie Pep 229]

IMO Tex Rickard should be noted for creating boxing's first great promotion. While Johnson-Jeffries was without doubt America's first fight of the century (that crossed over to the general public) it was of course driven by racial discord.

Dempsey-Carpentier was a mismatch with no justification...

[Willie Pep 229]

Playing the devil's advocate. . . two things:

It has always been as it is now . . .the belief that the old timers fought everyone is a boxing urban legend. . . LaMotta had to chase after competition for years before he got his shot . . . Charley Burley never got his, Holman Williams never...