Favourite Boxers

These are always subjective and certainly not a list of the best.

1.Young Stribling.
Little known now but this lad was a child boxer who fought a phenomenal amount of times.
Never won a world title was beaten by Max Schmelling and the Ambling Alp.
He was slight and wouldn't have been let near that division in later years.
Died very young in a motor bike accident.

2.Roberto Duran.
He was one of the best fighters I ever saw,the shear range of weights he fought over was incredible.
Old Stone Fists also did me a huge favour as I backed him at 7/1 to beat Sugar Ray Leonard,the price was contested by the bookmaker but I eventually got paid.
The No Mas affair kind ofdamagedhis legacy.

3.Muhammed Ali.
The greatest boxer ever,his defeat of George Foreman in Zaire was upgraded by that mans exploits as an old man.
He is not number one because he is sullied by his racism and his conversion to Islam.

4.Johnny Owen.
He was known as the Matchstick Man and hailed from Wales.
He was a decent fighter but looked frail and seemed below par.
He was interviewed on the BBC before he went off to fight Lupe Pintor for the world title,my wife watching with me said surely they are not going to send that unfortunate into a ring against anyone,he will be killed.
Her words turned out prescient,the poor fellow was killed in the fight.

5.Barry McGuigan.
I don't like to use the word robbed but this great boxer was robbed in the Steve Cruz fight.
Eastwood should take a lot of the blame,allowing him to fight in the heat of the midday sun was wrong.runnng out of water another mistake ( it evaporated )
Still we always have Loftus Road.