Tragic Boxing Stories

[zelley]

Throughout the history of boxing, there are numerous tragic stories.

Ring deaths: examples include Benny Paret, Davey Moore, Johnny Owen, Jimmy Doyle
and many more

Tragic deaths outside the ring: some examples, Trevor Berbick, Al (Bummy) Davis,
Wallace (Bud) Smith, Zora Folley, Chic Calderwood, Bobby Horn, Marcel Cerdan,
and many more.

Some of the ring tragedies could be considered accidents such as that of the
former featherweight champion Davey Moore while others such as that of Benny Paret
is full of shady or troubling circumstances.

Of the non-ring related deaths, some were accidents such as Rocky Marciano,
Marcel Cerdan and Dave Sands, while some were due to heroics such as the
case of Rudel Stitch, and then there were those by homicide such as the sad case of Billy Papke, or the case of drugs with one such as Billy Bello.

A river of tears, teardrop by lonely teardrop, can never wash away the pain and sorrow of the lost potential or the washed-up lives, but we can remember them and thank
them for their brief contribution to the sport.

[ManiacCop]

Outside the ring I think of Sanchez and Corrales.

[zelley]

Tragedies

Outside the ring I think of Sanchez and Corrales.

Yes, the Sanchez bout is another tragic case of fast cars. Those killed in car accidents
is another sad story that repeats itself like a broken record. Some of the others, young and old, killed in vehicle related deaths include:
Young Stribling, Jack Johnson, Dave Sands, Johnny Greco, "Irish" Bob Murphy,
Oregon's own Bobby Horn and others.

And what about the strange deaths of: Sonny Liston, Eddie Machen and Zora Folley_
were they accidents or some other cause.

Some of those that died are mostly forgotten. One such case is that of 22 year old Bobby Horn from the Eugene, Oregon area. He wa only 22 when he was killed near Fresno in 1963.

[black.ink]

Apart from the many listed, a major one comes to mind in the death of Stanley Ketchel. Could have been the greatest Middleweight of all-time if not for a jealous farmhand who ended his life at the aid of a shotgun. A truly exceptional talent.

[Silencers]

Duk Koo Kim was a tragic death in the ring.

Leavander Johnson in recent years.

[Kid McCoy]

And what about the strange deaths of: Sonny Liston, Eddie Machen and Zora Folley_
were they accidents or some other cause.

Three tragic intertwined careers. All excellent fighters denied a shot at the title until past their prime (Machen in fact never got one), and all died before their time in mysterious circumstances within a short space of one another.

Harry Greb, died aged 32 whilst undergoing a minor surgical procedure. A year later Tiger Flowers, the man who beat Greb for the middleweight title, died the same way.

[Gojira]

Monte Barret R.I.P

He was tragically killed while competing for the sport he loved so much at the 02 Arena.

[AJ53]

Outside the ring I think of Sanchez and Corrales.

salvador sanchez is without doubt one of those that will always bring debate on just how good he could have been!
with him dying so young but yet already achieving so many great things in the ring, against some future hall of fame fighters.
his death was truly a tragic to boxing fans worldwide as we will never know if he was a fighter who just peaked at a young age or was destined to be one (if not the) greatest fighters to ever grace a ring.

johnny owen's story is one that while tragic gives him a place in history and the memory of many boxing fans,
maybe even more so than if he had beaten lupe pintor and won the title and lived a long and happy life.
the story of the fighting matchstick from the welsh valleys!
a man who was so dedicated to his sport that he had never even had a girlfriend is the stuff of legend.
a 5 ft eight bantamweight who un-beknowing to everybody had a skull as thin as paper but still managed to make it to the peak of his profession, fighting a world champion away from home and giving a good fight until the 12th and final round is almost awe-inspiring.
the fact that johnny was strecthered out of the building while pintor's fan's urinated in beer cups and threw it over his lifeless body even made pintor himself cry.
it took johnny almost 2 months to die in hospital after the fight which i would like to think was down to his superhuman fighting spirit,
he is a man that will always live on in my thoughts as a testamant to what sheer dedication and will can do for a man.
johnny is rightfully rememered by a bronze statue in his home town of merthyr tydfil in a ceremony that lupe pintor himself attended the opening of, which i think is a befitting long term memory for a man who will always have a place in my heart.

[zelley]

Tragic stories

Excellent comments!, thanks

Looking through the history of the middleweight division, highlights many tragic moments
Such as Stanley Ketchell, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Marcel Cerdan, Randy Turpin
and others.

[Thread Stealer]

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