If you are a sports fan and are into DC history, then "The Great Book of Washington, DC Sports Lists" by ESPN 980's Andy Pollin and Leonard Shapiro of The Washington Post is a very good read.
The book chronicles many aspects of DC sports history, including boxing. The authors asked for lists from different people.
There are two lists of The Top Ten DC-Area Boxers sent in by Washington Times columnist Thom Loverro and Post Columnist William Gildea. Loverro currently covers boxing and baseball among other sports, while Gildea covered a number of world title bouts during his long career.
Here is Loverro's list:
1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Bob Foster
3. Mark Johnson
4. Simon Brown
5. Sharmba Mitchell
6. William Joppy
7. Maurice Blocker
8. Keith Holmes
9. Holly Mims
10. Johnny Gant
A good list. Bob Foster was born in New Mexico, but claimed DC as his home when he won the light heavyweight title. Mims is regarded by some as the best boxer to ever come out of DC, even though he never was a world champion.
Mims lost a 10-round unanimous decision to Sugar Ray Robinson in 1951. Mims also fought the likes of Dick Tiger, Emile Griffith, and Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Mims also split two middleweight bouts with Jimmy Ellis, who would later win the heavyweight title.
Gant was actually born in Baltimore, but fought many times in DC. Gant made his pro debut in DC in 1968 stopping Hurricane Hart in four rounds. Gant is probably best known for his 12-round bout against Sugar Ray Leonard for the Mid-Atlantic Welterweight title on January 11, 1979 at the old Capital Centre in Landover. Gant was stopped in eight rounds.
Little known facts: Gant also lost to Leonard's brother, Roger at the Capital Centre in March of 1980. Earlier in his career, Gant lost bouts to Adrian Davis and former world champion Esteban DeJesus.
Like Davis, Gant is now a well-known trainer, albeit in Atlanta, GA.
Now, here is William Gildea's list:
1. Sugar Ray Leonard
2. Bob Foster
3. Mark Johnson
4. Riddick Bowe
5. Simon Brown
6. Holly Mims
7. Georgie Abrams
8. Maurice Blocker
9. Sharmba Mitchell
10. Darryll Tyson
Gildea's list brings up a long-time debate: Should Riddick Bowe be considered a DC-area fighter? I always say no because unlike Foster, who claimed DC as his home when he won the light heavyweight title, Bowe never claimed Fort Washington, MD as his boxing hometown when he won the heavyweight crown; he always listed his home base as Brownsville, Brooklyn, NY. That is why I never put Bowe on any list or included him in a list of Beltway champions. Some may disagree with that.
Georgie Abrams was a middleweight contender in the 40's who lost a 15-round decision to Tony Zale for the world title and also lost 10-round distance bouts to world champions Sugar Ray Robinson and Marcel Cerdan. Abrams also drew with legendary boxer Charley Burley. Abrams fought 28 of his 61 bouts in DC, either at Turner's Arena or at Griffith Stadium or in Baltimore.
I found it interesting that Gildea had two similar boxers in Abrams and Darryll Tyson on his list. Like Abrams, Tyson was a quality contender in his weight classes (lightweight and junior welterweight) who fought most of the great boxers available, but just couldn't capture a world title.
Tyson fought 10 former world champions in his career stretching from Jimmy Paul (twice - splitting two bouts, including a 15-round unanimous decision loss for the IBF Lightweight title) to DeMarcus Corley (in his final bout).
This includes a period from December 1992 to October 1993 where Tyson fought four now-former world champions in succession -- Miguel Angel Gonzalez (a 12-round unanimous decision loss for the WBC Lightweight title), Livingstone Bramble (a 10-round draw at the Washington Convention Center), Rafael Ruelas (a bout in Las Vegas that took place 15 days after the Bramble bout. Tyson lost a 10-round unanimous decision) and Roger Mayweather (a 12-round split decision win for the USBA Junior Welterweight title).
Also like Abrams, Tyson stayed true to his area, fighting 30 out of 65 bouts (25 in the DC area) along the Beltway. This includes memorable bouts against Reggie Green, Freddie Pendleton, Anthony Suggs and Zab Judah.
These list are there to debate and I do appreciate Loverro, Gildea, Pollin and Shapiro for their efforts.
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10 comments:
Maurice Blocker was a very good boxer if I dont say myself.
I, too, greatly admired the Explosive Thin Man . . .
I think I agree with Gildea's list more. You've got to have Darryl Tyson on there, and he has to be ahead of Joppy. The one thing I've been thinking about looking at these two lists is whether I might put Montequilla, Simon Brown, ahead of Too Sharp. Now, I'm not disparaging anyone here, mind you, because great is great, and I don't even know if I would do it, but you could have a heckuva barroom discussion about that one. And, yes, Sugar Ray Leonard is our best, and he ranks with the very best of all time. -- John S.
p.s. -- Couldn't we add a spot for Andrew Council. Ask him about his Showplace Arena bout with Keith Holmes.
uh, oh, digging up the old stories!
I think we have alot of good or great boxers in the area.I could remember when they all trained at Finleys gym. you talking some good fun yes you just wanted to go to see what Ham and Finley, and don't forget REV with the checkers and tricks would say or do while the guys was training that was a gym I would go up there to see who was going to box today.And it was some wars up there.
Merry Christmas, Gary, and the rest of the BATB crowd. Great new look to the blog, BTW.
You can add me to the list of those who would take issue with Riddick Bowe not being counted as a DC Area fighter.
Perhaps he thought that Brownsville, Brooklyn, sounded better during the pre-fight intros than Ft. Washington, Maryland. Or maybe he had a personal attachment to that NY neighborhood that he didn't want to relinquish.
But if somebody during that time lived here, trained here, owned property here and was with Rock Newman, then we shouldn't have qualms about considering him an "Along the Beltway" boxer. He even had Marion Barry leading his ring procession for the first Holyfield fight. (Perhaps Barry was a last-minute fill-in for the Mayor of Brownsville.)
Take care, Gary, and may 2009 be a great one for you, your famiy, your blog, and the entire Beltway Boxing community.
hows that comeback coming Richard?
All is well Team McCombs recently teamed up with Keystone Boxing. I'm looking to co promote a few Boxing shows in (09). I'm also looking to get back at 154lbs to fight on one of my own shows under my own promotional Group.
2sharp promotions
Excellent stuff!
Any info on B.B. Washington?
I think they had alot of good figthers in Lorton. One particular comes to mind is my cousin John John, also known as Randolph Willis. RIP.
There was a fighter in 70's by the name of Tim Blue Walker, power puncher, learned while in youth center, lorton, VA. This area is known for excellent boxers.
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