06.11.06 – By Ted Sares: A source of continual controversy and interest has been who should be inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame if and when their time comes. Here is an intitial list of five I compiled (with brief back-up narrative) to stir your juices and to hopefully fuel some thoughtful arguments. What do you think? I’ll tally the results at the end of the thread if there are enough posts..
Nigel “The Dark Destroyer” Benn: (42-5-1, 35 KO’s) – He was a bomber and is still considered to be one of the hardest punchers of all time. He was a two-time world champion who fought the best of UK competition at a time when that competition was keen and perhaps the best in the world. He beat two great American fighters and always gave the crowd its money worth, and he finished with a great ko percentage. When you think of Nigel Benn, you think of words like fury, rage, and ferocity.
Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe: (42-1, 33 KO’s) – He had great size (6’5″ and weighed approximately 230 lbs). His strength made him very difficult to fight. He was unusually quick for his size and fought in an orthodox manner. Possessing all the tools necessary for greatness, he could fight just as effectively on the inside as he could from the outside and had exceptional power in both hands as well as a lethal jab. All in all, he was a splendid fighting machine, but his prime was all-too-brief. His two brutal fights with Andrew Golota in 1996 proved were a case of “winning the battle and losing the war.”Unfortunately, a fight with Lennox Lewis never came off and the question of who would have won will never be answered.
Hector “Macho” Camacho: (78-5-2, 37 KO’s) – At the end of the fight, what counts most is whose hand gets raised. In the case of the Macho Man, his hand was raised 78 times and that’s not bad. He defeated Ray Mancini, Roberto Duran (twice), Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Menefee, Heath Todd, Gary Kirkland, Luis Maysonet, Jorge Vaca, Todd Foster, Pat Lawlor, Reyes Antonio Cruz, Greg Haugen, Tony Baltazar, Ken Sigurani, Howard Davis, Jr, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Freddie Roach, Vinny Paz, Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez ( a member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame), Rafael Limon, John Montes, Greg Conversion, Melvin Paul, and Louis Burke. Great opposition, three-time world champion, a long career (perhaps still not over)….those are solid credentials.
Sean “Bubble Gum” O’Grady: (81- 5, 70 KO’s) – In addition to being a world champion, O’Grady is also a college graduate, boxing analyst, television personality, actor and former teen idol across the Midwest. He beat Hilmer Kenty for the WBA Lightweight little in 1981. Because of problems with his manager/father, he never defended the his WBA title and was eventually stripped of it. He had a great ko percentage of 86% and had a total of 86 fights, an amazing number given his age when he retired after losing to John “The Heat” Verderosa in a fight I witnessed in 1983. In 19992 he was inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame.
Johhny “Mi Vida Loca” Tapia: (55-5-2, 28 KO’s) – Always fit and ready in the ring, he has won world titles at featherweight, junior and bantamweight during an ear of tough fighters in those weight classes. In 1999 he suffered his first loss, losing a twelve round decision and the WBA world title belt to Paulie Ayala in Ring Magazine’s fight of theyear. The rematch was a sprit-breaking decision loss for Johnny in a fight most thought he had won. That year, he also tried to commit suicide with a drug overdose, and required hospitalization. The troubles in his personal life frequently obscured his great ring accomplishments against the very best opposition out there. There is enough grist in Johny’s personal life for 10 Hollywood movies…and my pick for an actor is Johhny Depp.
Ted Sares can be reached at Tedsares@adelphia.net