Unsung British Heroes.

[taansend]

Post here any fighters you think are worth a shout out even though they barely get a mention any more.

My Nomination: Tom Collins.

Caribbean born but British raised fighter who I watched throughout his whole career. He barely won HALF of his fights * 26(19)-22(10)-2 * but fought more than a few champions & never failed to entertain.

He would win fights I thought he would lose & lose fights I thought he would win. In 1990 he fought three successive bouts in France against the cream of their Light Heavyweights (combined record 75-4-1) winning two & losing an 'overseas' decision in the other.

His world title shot against Jeff Harding (video link below) was like Hagler Hearns except heavier, slower, ****tier, shorter! Harding was coming off a KO win against a high flying Dennis Andries at the time. Dennis fought Tom FIVE times - although Collins only won one.

A true British Boxing Hero in my humble opinion.

[fistic flow]

Good call there. I used to love watching Lloyd Christie who like Collins was a have-gloves-will-travel type. He had a laconic style, but he could really **** as wins against British champ Tony McKenzie, Mo Hussein attest to. Also took unbeaten Terry Marsh to a draw.

[Funky_Monk]

I was looking for a guy I met at an event the night before Micheal Jennings vs Bradley Pryce he had a terrible record but instead I found this guy...



Maybe not what you were after but I've often been more interested in the losers

[dan_cov]

''Collins is throwing more bombs than were reigned on Britain during WW2''

[Bodyshot3]

Nice thread! Collins was decent and an exciting puncher. You look back on his career and think he could've gone way further with a few hometown fights and a well-connected promoter backing him to the hilt. A few other names to consider.....

Gary 'The Kid' Jacobs.

Good to watch and took his show on the road to Europe and had some top results. After a decade of graft he finally landed the big world title fight in America. Sadly, it was Pernell Whittaker in the other corner who gave him a boxing masterclass and Gary slipped backwards from there.

But he beat some good ones like Proto, Duran (not Roberto), the much-fancied Collins and only came up short against Boucher, Whittaker and McGirt. Tough, tough Glasweigan ***ish lad who Mickey Duff hoped would be the next Kid Berg.

Ray Close.

This guy is my true unsung hero. Came out of nowhere and got a draw against a prime Eubank for Chris's world title belt. I still think the draw utterly stinks and Close should have won that fight. Then he proved it was not a fluke all over again by pushing Eubank to the limit and losing by SD. Stopped Nardiello in Italy as well. Very, very good fighter and was actually the guy who tested a prime Eubank just as effectively as Benn but without the hype.

Paul 'Hoko' Hodkinson.

As a boxing anorak, it still niggles that a guy who won and defended the WBC featherweight title against such decent opposition seems to have completely slipped off the radar. Two classic wars with Marcos Villasana and stopped Benichou (in France), Steve Cruz and iced Cepeda. Incredibly brave and gutsy in his fight with Steve Robinson for the WBO belt and a top European champion as well. Hoko was exciting to watch - a real blur of aggression and energy - and I hope the Belfast fans enjoyed him.

[taansend]

Nice shout outs. I remember when Jacobs was getting the big sell. Decent fighter & I'll admit I was rooting for Collins in their bout. I knew a fair few Gypo's from that area (I was living nearby at the time) and a few of us were hoping he'd do well.

And his little brother Tony as well. Funny to think that they both retired at 22.

I was a HUGE Hoko fan. I remember when he lost to Marcos Villasana. He turned to the ref & just said "I can't see" - his eyes swollen completely shut.

He boxed so well in the rematch (his only bout that went the distance, win or lose) and I really thought we had someone who could do it all. He had a great 6th round against Vargas if I remember then suddenly the Mexican just stepped up about five gears & destroyed him just like that. It was incredible.

That was an exciting spell (90's) for featherweights in the UK. Hoko, Duke McKenzie (whom I watched live a fair few times), Steve Robinson, Colin McMillan, Naseem Hamed, Paul Ingle, as well as a few lower lights who were involved in some good battles Sean Murphy vs Gary De Roux was a war, John Davison was a battler, Billy Hardy and more.

[Bodyshot3]

Hoko was quality and when he got through to somebody he was absolutely remorseless. The big, big problem was his eyes, they'd start to swell-up even when he was battering someone or in with a light puncher.....

....he was often forced to hit the gas and take huge risks just to get a guy out of there before the bruising got too bad.

Nice shout on Hardy as well. He's (completely) wrongly remembered as the featherweight guy Naz poleaxed in a round, but he matched the excellent Canizales for the IBF bantamweight title (his prime weight) only losing on a dead-close split decision and defended his Euro belt on the road a few times.

But Close is still the man for me.....robbed in that first fight with Eubank and gave a fully prepared Eubank kittens the second time round as well.

[taansend]

But Close is still the man for me.....robbed in that first fight with Eubank and gave a fully prepared Eubank kittens the second time round as well.

I liked Ray Close but I have to nit pick about Eubank being fully prepared. Physically maybe but he never pulled the trigger after the Watson tragedy.

I, rightly or wrongly, truly believe Eubank could have gone on to be an all time British great had that fight not had the tragic consequences.

But that's for another thread.

Someone mentioned Mo Hussein earlier. He was a little battler & they loved him on telly.

[soul_survivor]

Tyson Fury but seriously, 2 names come to mind, Duke McKenzie, 3 division world champ if I'm not wrong, how many Brit boxers have done that? Plus he was a good fighter, heart, guts, skills, he had it all. Sadly it didn't always work out for him and his big wins are mixed in with big losses. But someone we don't hear a lot about whereas contemporaries such as Eubank, Benn, Watson, Collins, Naz, Honeyghan, and so on are often mentioned. Duke was better than some of the better known British names and deserves more recognition.

The second name is Tommy Farr, one of the best British heavies ever, eventually losing to the great Louis but what else could he do? He reigned supreme as British and European champion and even beat former champs. I actually think he was a better heavyweight than Cooper but Cooper has the nation's heart and Farr's reputation is drowning somewhere in the shadows.

[Funky_Monk]

I was expecting to come back to read about some intereesting characters, Does no one else share my belief about the journeymen?