Welcome to another edition of What If?, as the first round of the heavyweight tournament group stage continues. Read the intro and method here. Then catch up on the first group-stage fights from the Thirties and Seventies at this link. In the words of the Grateful Dead: Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me, Other times I can barely see. Lately it occurs to me What a … [Read more...]
What If’s Excellent Heavyweight Adventure Part 4: Only Legends Need Apply
Welcome to another edition of What If?, as the first round of the heavyweight tournament group stage continues. Read the intro and method here. Life is like a box of chocolates. You may get some different flavors, but for the most part you know exactly what you're going to get: chocolate. Last week, we saw this principle in action. Floyd Patterson couldn't beat Sonny … [Read more...]
Heavyweight Boxing – All Nobility Gone
Nobility is an oft-misused word, generally confined to tales of ancient Greek or Roman origin, to refer to deeds done in subjugation of the individual ego in favour of the greater good. Hercules performs 12 tasks to save a nation; Jason battles for the Fleece to preserve the future for his people. I used to use the word in the seventies to refer to heavyweight boxers. It … [Read more...]
Honoring Joe Frazier on What Would’ve Been His Birthday, Today, January 12
[embedplusvideo height="417" width="520" standard="http://www.youtube.com/v/oHwlJzm7uyo?fs=1" vars="ytid=oHwlJzm7uyo&width=520&height=417&start=&stop=&rs=w&hd=0&autoplay=0&react=1&chapters=¬es=" id="ep7842" /] Hall of famer, Joe Frazier is regarded as one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time. Best known for his three-fight … [Read more...]
How good are the Klitschko Brothers?
by Paul Magno Here's a little secret about us Americans-- We are not gracious losers, especially when it comes to something we're supposed to own. Americans are supposed to rule the heavyweight division; It’s our division, home of Ali, Marciano, Dempsey, Louis and Frazier. So, with an absence of dominant US heavyweights and with little hope for the future, the fans … [Read more...]