Champions, Challengers and Contenders in Training
Carmine Vingo getting hammered by Rocky Marciano at Madison Square Garden on December 30, 1949. Marciano knocked the six feet four inch Vingo out in round six, whereby Vingo slipped into a coma and never fought again.
On July 5, 1909 at the Mission Street Arena in Colma, California, middleweight champion Stanley Ketchel, from Grand Rapids, Michigan, defended his title against former middleweight champion Billy Papke, from Spring Valley, Illinois. It was the fourth fight between these two giants. Their first bout was in June 1908 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and went to Ketchel by decision. The rematch was three months later in Vernon, California. Papke stopped Ketchel in the 12th round of a scheduled 25-rounder. The rubber match was fought in Colma, California two months later. This time Ketchel KO’d Papke in 11. Going into their fourth fight, The Michigan Assassin was 41-2-4. Papke was 26-2-5. The fight was scheduled for 20 round
Future Heavyweight champion Tony “TNT” Tucker. He won the IBF heavyweight title in 1987, and was the shortest-reigning world heavyweight champion, at 64 days. In an interview to Barry Tompkins, he referred to himself as to the “invisible champion,” due to the press and general public largely neglecting him.[1] He is best known for giving Mike Tyson in his prime a relatively close fight, in which he, in words of Larry Merchant, “rocked Tyson in the first round,”[1] but Mike managed to withstand pressure and won the decision. As an amateur, he won the 1979 United States national championships, the 1979 World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Games, all in the light heavyweight division.
Originally billed as “The Fight” and was a world middleweight championship boxing match between undisputed champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler and challenger Thomas Hearns, the world junior middleweight champion, who had gone up in weight for the bout. The fight was won by Hagler by third round knockout, and it is considered by many to be among the finest boxing matches in history, due to its constant action, drama, and violent back-and-forth exchanges
Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali
The Jack Dempsey (L) vs. Tommy Gibbons (R) fight was a bout for boxing’s world heavyweight title. It was held on July 4, 1923, in the town of Shelby, Montana, USA. The fight was scheduled for the then almost regular distance of 15 rounds. Dempsey was considered an aggressor: He had dropped Jess Willard seven times in the first round before winning the title from Willard by stopping him in round three, retaining the title with knockouts over Bill Brennan and Georges Carpentier, among others. Because of this, the fight was thought to be a possible action bout, but instead it was quite strategic. Dempsey constantly threw punches to Gibbons’ head, with Gibbons trying to attack Dempsey’s body. As a consequence, Gibbons was able to duck many of Dempsey’s shots. Dempsey’s mobility, however, made it hard for Gibbons to punch Dempsey’s stomach and ribs. There were some isolated moments of action: Dempsey is said to have had Gibbons hurt in round seven, but he could not score a knockout. Gibbons landed hard punches to Dempsey’s chin once in a while, but Dempsey shrugged the punches off. In the end, Dempsey retained the title with a 15-round unanimous decision.
World middleweight champion Harry Greb sensationally kept his crown after battering welterweight king Mickey Walker on points in front of 50,000 at New York’s Polo Grounds #OnThisDay in 1925.
Former heavyweight champion Gene Tunney (L) talking about a possible film based on his life.
Former Heavyweight Champion Gene Tunney L) with then Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali (R).
Sonny Liston in training.
Oscar De La Hoya winning the Gold Medal in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
Jack Johnson
Muhammad Ali with Pele
Sugar Ray Leonard, Don King, and Roberto Duran before the first Duran-Leonard fight.
Henry Cooper with Jack Dempsey
Joe Louis knocking out “Two Ton” Tony Galento
Trainer Ray Arcel and Roberto Duran during the first Duran-Leonard fight.
Vince Foster
Roberto Duran and Mike Tyson before the Tyson-Spinks fight.
Howard Cosell with Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Robinson with Diana Ross
Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in there second fight at MSG.
Roberto Duran arriving in Panama after defeating Sugar Ray Leonard in the Duran-Leonard fight.
Mike Tyson after scoring a KO. (PHOTO BY ALEX RINALDI)
Rocky Marciano and Roland LaStarza prior to their Sep 24, 1953 championship bout.
Terence Crawford delivers a punch to Egidijus Kavaliauskas
Yank Durham and Joe Frazier
Jack Dempsey in training
Joe Louis and Max Schmeling
TRAINING CAMP NOTES
Undefeated Prospects Michael Dutchover and
Ruben Villa Discuss Upcoming Friday Fights
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“I know that my fights are getting tougher and opponents are getting better. Thomas Mattice is going to bring out the best in me. A lot of my fights have been quick knockouts, and hopefully now with this fight, people will see that I bring a high skill level.“I have been very focused on the fight, and not focusing on where the fight is taking place. My family, friends, coaches and teachers will all be there, but It doesn’t matter where the ring is, I am at home.
“Every fight, I am looking to make a big statement being that it is a main event on ShoBox against a durable guy. I feel this win will catapult me into the rankings in the 135 lb. division.”
David Benavidez Gives Boxing Fans a Taste of Training Camp
By Kirk Lang
Photos by Alyssa Lang and Kirk Lang
It was billed in a press release as his official start of training camp but David Benavidez’ challenge of WBC super middleweight champ Anthony Dirrell was still months away when he took on three sparring partners under the pavilion at the International Boxing Hall of Fame in upstate New York during the Hall’s 30th annual induction weekend.
“This is not really the start of my camp,” said Benavidez. “I still have 16 weeks left ‘til the fight. So I just came out here, enjoyed the people, got some good sparring and just enjoyed myself. I put a show on for the fans.”
David Benavidez (second from left) with his three sparring partners.
Benavidez, 21-0 with 18 knockouts, became the youngest ever super middleweight champion in September 2017 when, at 20 years old, he won a 12-round decision over Ronald Gavril for the vacant WBC super middleweight championship. However, a career misstep saw him test positive for a banned substance last September and he lost his crown.
At the time, Benavidez was scheduled to make the second defense of his belt against Dirrell. The title subsequently became vacant and Dirrell took possession of it in March with a victory over Avni Yildirim.
David Benavidez working out at the Boxing Hall of Fame.
The June 7th sparring in Canastota, New York, along with some shadowboxing the following day, provided a little sample of training camp life for approximately 100 boxing fans that crowded around the outdoor ring in perfect weather. Benavidez, who is intent on getting his belt back, didn’t appear to be too far from fighting weight, and looked sharp as he went three rounds a piece with a trio of local sparring partners.
David Benavidez getting ready for WBC champ Anthony Dirrell.
Benavidez, far more experienced than his opponents, clearly seemed to be holding back at times, but he also made sure to work on defensive maneuvers. However, he did let his hands go here and there, including when he positioned Syracuse, New York-based 6-foot-four-inch pro boxer Lawrence Gabriel, whose record currently stands at 3-2-1, into a neutral corner. Benavidez let the crowd know he could turn the heat up whenever he felt like it. In fact, although Gabriel has survived bullets – in 2015 he was the victim of multiple gunshot wounds while trying to stop a crazed gunman at a Syracuse bar – he couldn’t survive Benavidez. He came close though. As his third and final round with the former world champion neared its end, Gabriel got caught with a beautiful hook to the body. He rose to his feet, but needed a break and leaned against the ropes until the bell rang.
David Benavidez stretching out at the Boxing Hall of Fame.
“He’s a big puncher and he snaps every single punch,” Gabriel said. “And he gets his body into the right position to get power on all of his punches. He’s tough.”
Next up for Benavidez was the smallest of the three sparring partners – Luis “Azucar” Rojas. What Rojas lacked in stature he more than made up for in aggressiveness. Unfazed by Benavidez’ pedigree as a recent ex-world champion, he’d get in close and confidently let loose with combinations, usually to the head. Benavidez seemed to admire his opponent’s tenaciousness, but a well-placed power punch every so often let Rojas know who the real king of the ring was.
“I think he’s good,” said Rojas, who added, “I think he can be better. I’ve seen him fight before. I know he’s better than that.”
David Benavidez sparring.
Did Rojas think Benavidez was holding back?
“Sometimes,” he said.
What did he learn from his three rounds with the former champion who is still at the top of the class at super middleweight?
“That you’ve got to stay ready, all the time,” said Rojas, who admitted to not being at his peak physically at this point in the summer.
David Benavidez sparring before the Hall of Fame crowd.
The last sparring partner for Benavidez was 25-year-old Michael Rycraft, of Utica, NY. Tall and quick with his hands as well as his feet, Benavidez had to work harder in those final three rounds.
“The last one, he was the best one,” said Benavidez. “So I had to use every movement right. There could be no wasted movements.”
As good as Rycraft was, Benavidez left him with a bloody nose his corner-men had to attend to.
David Benavidez sparring before the crowd.
Rycraft seemed to appreciate the sparring, the opportunity, more so than the others that scrapped with Benavidez. He was seen talking with him and thanking him well after the sparring was over.
He told The USA Boxing News, “It’s a blessing. It’s a blessing to be in this position, to learn from a champion, a true champion, a young champion at that.”
Avid boxing enthusiast Mark Jones, of Syracuse, NY, who watched Benavidez’ nine rounds of sparring – a pre-cursor to actual training camp -believes Benavidez has the goods to defeat Dirrell.
David Benavidez in action.
“I think he’ll beat Dirrell based on his youth and the fact that Dirrell is in the post-prime phase of his career,” he said. “Benavidez has a big frame. I think he could eventually perform well at light heavyweight.”
Dirrell-Benavidez is scheduled to take place in late September in Los Angeles.
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Archie Moore
A young Muhammad Ali with then heavyweight champion Ingemar Johansson.
Joe Louis with some young fans during training.
Joseph and John Rinaldi with Heavyweight Champion Riddick Bowe at his training camp in the Poconos in 1992.
Alex Rinaldi and Gerry Cooney
Roberto Duran and the Boxing Twins in 1982
Hall of Famer Gerard Rinaldi
