WHAT WERE THEY THINKING!!?!!??

Big fights that in retrospect were UNWINNABLE for the loser. What were they thinking?

Ali-Holmes, 1980

How the hell was Muhammad Ali at 38 years old and badly damaged already (the slow slurred speech had begun), from fights with Frazier, Norton and Shavers, going to beat a PRIME undefeated Larry Holmes at the height of his powers??

What was Ali, Angelo Dundee, Bundini Brown and whoever else....THINKING??????


Gimme some more!

 

They were thinking "one last payday."
King was thinking "I need someone to give a damn about Larry Holmes. Let's have him fight the most famous boxer ever."

On a smaller level, but still within the exploitation family, Joppy-Duran, DLH-Camacho and DLH-Chavez II were far worse. There's another with Chavez, but I refrain from mentioning it in an effort to minimize trolling.

 

It probably won't matter anyway.

 

Yep the Tszyu fight (chavez) came to mind also.

RIDICULOUS!

 

Money is usually the main reason, although I also think that denial sometimes plays a role too.

 

I obviously wasn't around then, but other than money, Rocky Marciano-Joe Louis seemed fairly pointless.

 

Ali probably just had to do it .... It was strange though , when Ali showed up , he appeared to be in shape and had dropped allot of weight.
When he took his robe off and people seen how skinny he was , the thought that he might have one left inside him was quickly filling the air.
People were thinking "could Ali somehow do this and win"...
For a brief minute , it was a very high stressed moment.

 

Ali apparently took a lot of pills to lose that weight and it weakened him in the ring.

Not like it would have mattered anyway.

 

Ali lost to Holmes because of the pills - Erratic

 

Yep it wouldn't have mattered anyway, in terms of the outcome, but he certainly wouldn't have embarrased himself as badly with the NON effort he gave on that night.

It was the first fight that I ever saw live (8 years old at the time) and I was traumatized for years after that....

 

No, but you can quote me on this:

"Tyson lost to Holyfield because of Holyfield's massive steroid use"

 

Off the top of my head...

Previously retired Kenny Norton getting served up as an Hors D'oeuvre to Gerry Cooney.

Larry Holmes, who was fading as early as 1983 & who couldn't even beat Michael Spinks in two tries, coming out of retirement taking a shot at Tyson without even so much as a tune-up.

Floyd Patterson taking a second crack at Sonny Liston. Floyd wasn't washed up, but he ZERO chance of beating Liston.

Marvis Frazier vs. Tyson. I bet Smokin' Joe didn't get a Father's Day card from Marvis that year.

Not all of these were "big" fights...but they all were in the public eye.

 

This is better...

"Tyson lost to Holyfield because Holyfield was the better fighter."

 

That one isn't as fun though. :nono:

 

or as accurate

 

Simon Brown vs. Hopkins.

 

Bobby Chacon vs. Boom Boom Mancini

 

Ray Leonard vs Terry Norris

 

this question isn't the right question. Everyone knows the answer to all of the fights above. MONEY.

 

I like mine better. ::

 

dsimon writes:

ld: Jeffries versus Johnson. jeffries was supposed to come out and save the White Race (jack London, op cit) against the ravages of the "smiling Ethiopian." Jeffries at that time was farming alphalfa and repeatedly had declined this fight.... Alas he let himself get talked into it.


Spinks versus Tyson. Spinks should have seen the writing on the wall.

Floyd Patterson the second time against Liston. What was he thinking he was going to do the second time after getting so thoroughly owned by Liston?

Gatti versus Floyd. Again. Any common sense tells Gatti that he is out of his league.

Mayorga versus De La Hoya. This one might seem a bit contraversal but. Mayorga looked beaten before the fight. When you feel that way why fight?

 

How about Joe Frazier taking a rematch with George Foreman 8 months after the "Thrilla In Manilla?"

Based on Foreman bouncing him off the canvas like a basketball and his taking an ass kicking in Manilla...

What made Eddie Futch and Yank Durham believe Joe had a shot in hell to beat Foreman in a rematch?

It's that decision isn't #1, it's certainly top 5.

 

Trinidad vs. Roy Jones...

WHAT was Tito Thinking???


REED:dunno:

 

I'll continue with the Foreman examples...

Gerry Cooney...

Blown up light heavyweight Michael Spinks knocked Cooney out....

What made him think that after 3 years in retirement, he had a chance in hell at beating George Foreman? :dunno:

 

I thought this one when the fight was being made. Gatti couldn't win at any stage of his career against Floyd, but especially not at that pointld: He didn't need Floyd for money, beings he was the draw. It made no sense.

Roy vs Hanshaw made zero sense to me as well. He beats Hanshaw in a boring ass UD. Yaay. what the fuck.:doh:

 

Mayweather was Gatti's mandatory and provided his biggest payday. Gatti had no chance, but who doesn't want a nice payday?

Jones-Hanshaw at least gave Roy some rounds, since he's been inactive.

 

They were probably thinking that Holmes didn't have a good chin based on the Shavers rematch. If Shavers hadn't pulled the 1979 version of Taylor-Pavlik, he would've been able to stop Holmes, arguably. He probably was also thinking of the seven-figure payday. :tease:

 

He was probably thinking, "How much of that $13 million is Don King going to let me keep?

 

Holyfield v Ibragimov?

Anyone else Holyfield fights now that he is utterly washed up.

 

hatton vs floyd