In a nice column in the Washington Times, columnist Thom Loverro writes very positively about the importance of boxing to our area. The column can be found here:
"http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/01/boxing-a-niche-sport-not-in-this-area/">
Also, in a recent post on his blog, "Lovey Land", Loverro relayed a list he contributed to a book called "The Great Book of Washington D.C. Sports Lists" written by Andy Pollin of ESPN 980 and Leonard Shapiro of the Washington Post. The list was his top 10 DC Area Boxers. Here's the list ranked in order of significance:
Sugar Ray Leonard
Bob Foster
Mark Johnson
Simon Brown
Sharmba Mitchell
William Joppy
Maurice Blocker
Keith Holmes
Holly Mims
Johnny Gant
I think that Riddick Bowe deserves a spot on that list. Sure, one could argue about what "might of been" forever. But his Holyfield trio was a classic.
ReplyDeletehow the heck does Johnny Gant get on but Riddick Bowe doesn't? How isn't Riddick number two on the list? how bout bob foster?
ReplyDeletei miss Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe
ReplyDeleteI think Winky Wright was originally from DC also, wasn't he?
ReplyDeleteRiddick Bowe, although he lived in the area, never claimed Fort Washington as his boxing home. He still claimed Brooklyn.
ReplyDeleteWinky Wright was born in DC but moved to St. Petersburg, FL at a young age and claims St. Petersburg as his boxing home.
Bob Foster was on the list because when he was stationed in DC, he claimed DC as his boxing home.
Gary you are correct about your comments,Bowe never claimed D.C. as home neither did Winky who didn't even start boxing until he moved to Florida,as far as Johnny Gant being on that list it is totally correct your bloggers don't realize how good Johnny Gant was ,for a guy who only had seven amatuer fights and really no management in a time when Boxing was champions fighting champions the late writer Jim Bethea wrote that Gant was as good a fighter as any to come out of D.C. Johnny Gant was the drawing card back late 60's and early 70's him and Ray leonard packed the old Cap center 19,000 and an over flow to the D.C. armory of 9,000 now that was boxing at its best so that list was right on target.
ReplyDeleteDarryl Tyson
ReplyDeleteAndrew Council
Rueben Bell was a name that could have been there if he wasnt murdered, he gave Simon Brown pure hell before he was stopped in the 5th, he was 13-2.
Chop Chop was a former champ even as hard as he was to watch.
Darrell Coley
Jemal Hinton was a tremendous talent that was born in DC but lived in Detroit and trained @ Kronk, he skyrocketed to 22-0 and retired because of his Muslim religion, if he would have continued he would have def made that list imho.
BLOCKER WAS A PURE BOXER NOT MUCH POWER THOUGH.
ReplyDelete