The City of Brotherly Love has long been known for its boxing. Who do readers, some Philly and area boxing fans think is the city’s best heavyweight?
Philly’s J Russell Peltz, promoter of the International Boxing Hall of Fame, said the following: “(‘Smokin’ Joe) Frazier had the best career, but a great (Sonny) Liston was unbeatable!
In the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Frazier won the gold medal, stopping opponents from Uganda, Australia, Russia and Hans Huber of Germany. In the Olympic trials, after then stopping three opponents, he lost twice to Buster Mathis. In their second game, Mathis broke a thumb, so Frazier replaced him.
In March 1968, Frazier entered the pro ranks and became the NYSAC World Champion. He stopped Mathis 23-0 in eleven rounds and improved his record to 20-0. After four defenses he stopped former WBA champion Jimmy Ellis 27-5 and added the vacant WBC title. Two defenses later, he defeated former world champion Muhammad Ali 31-0 at Madison Square Garden. He would lose to Ali in their next fight.
After defeating Ali, he lost his title and was stopped twice by ‘Big’ George Foreman, 37-0. He finished his career 32-4-1 with 27 shutouts.
Liston won the world title in September 1962, stopping Floyd Patterson 38-2 and again in a rematch. Then lost to Ali twice. He then won fourteen by stoppage before being stopped by Philly’s Leotis Martin, 30-5, in nine rounds for the vacant NABF title. Martin suffered a detached retina and retired. Liston had Martin on the canvas in the fourth.
Philly’s Jimmy Young, 35-18-3 with 11 shutouts. After being stopped by Earnie Shavers 42-2, he won six straight and tied with Shaver in a rematch. Then defeated Ron Lyle, 30-1-1, and then Foreman, 45-1. Then, after two more wins, he lost to WBA-WBC champion Ali, 50-2, in a close fight.
Young would lose to champion Mike Dokes, 14-0, Gerry Cooney, 22-0, champion Greg Page, 18-0, champions Tony ‘TNT’ Tubbs, 14-0, and Tony ‘TNT’ Tucker, 24-0, among other things. other.
Others are 1984 Olympic gold medalist Tyrell Biggs, who won his first 20 fights before being stopped 31-0 by ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. He went 10-20 and ended his career by defeating future WBO champion Francesco Damiani, 21-0, Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe, 21-0, and Lennox ‘The Lion, Lewis, 17-0, Tubbs, 36 -5 to lose. , Buster Mathis, Jr. 12-0. He finished 30-10 with 20 shutouts.
WBC & WBA Champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, 55-13-1 with 38 stoppages. He lost a contested decision when he went 15-0 to WBC champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 42-0, majority decision to WBC champion Pinklon ‘Pink’ Thomas, 24-0-1, stopped by WBA champion James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith, 18-5, former WBO champion Ray ‘Merciless’ Mercer, 23-4-1, former WBA champion Greg Page 55-14-1. He defeated Tubbs 21-0 and Frank Bruno 28-1.
Others on the UK-born roster were Phoenixville’s ‘Big’ Joe Thomas, who was 23-2-1 with 19 stoppages but lost to KAZ, and Russia’s future WBC champion Oleg Maskaev, who went 4- 0 in his last fight. Maskaev was the 1981 National Golden Gloves Champion.
Coatesville’s Jimmy Clark, 18-1, with 16 shutouts. He was stopped 15-3 by Reggie Gross. He defeated Olympian Clarence Hill, 17-2-1, of Bermuda. He lost three times to Cuban 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist Cuban Teofilo Stevenson in the gloves and defeated Michael Dokes. He beat Greg Page for the Golden Gloves title. He lost to Michael Dokes for the AAU title.
Frazier’s son Marvis, 19-2 with eight shutouts and 54-2 in amateurs. Lost in the 1980 Olympic trials, he was stopped by James Broad after beating Mitch Green. Divide with Tubbs.
So, you have Frazier, Liston, Witherspoon and Martin, along with Marvis Frazier, Clark and Thomas. Who do you think was Philly’s best?
