did you ever see the Nigel Benn vs Gerald McClellan fight?
Yes, G-man was a vicious fighter himself, and one of the hardest punchers in the divisions history. Anyone who watched that fight can never forget it, just a brutal apocalyptic encounter between two alpha males, a very violent fight. It's sad that McClellan ended up with the way he did, with permanent damage. That fight reminded me a lot of Hagler vs Hearns.
There's actually a book written about the Nigel benn vs Gerald McClellan fight titled "War Baby", I haven't read it yet but I am planning to. The fight had a very violent type build up, McClellan was a violent guy and made a lot of threats towards Nigel Benn, but McClellan had been complaining of headaches after his fight with Julian Jackson, if you're not familiar with Julian Jackson, look him up, many people consider Julian Jackson to be the hardest puncher in boxing history, although he was past his prime when he fought McClellan. Anyway, McClellan probably shouldn't have been in the ring with Nigel Benn to begin with and Gerald McClellan was seen blinking a lot which can be a bad sign of brain damage, and it's just sad the way the Nigel Benn fight did him in. McClellan went into a coma after the Nigel Benn fight and if I'm not mistaken I think McClellan is blind now. Here is the book written about the Benn vs McClellan fight.
did you ever see the Nigel Benn vs Gerald McClellan fight?
Yes, G-man was a vicious fighter himself, and one of the hardest punchers in the divisions history. Anyone who watched that fight can never forget it, just a brutal apocalyptic encounter between two alpha males, a very violent fight. It's sad that McClellan ended up with the way he did, with permanent damage. That fight reminded me a lot of Hagler vs Hearns.
i watched my fair share of boxing back in the day. i saw Benn-McClellan live (on TV) back in the mid-90s and double d put it best -- it will be impossible for me to forget. what happened before the fight, during the fight, after the fight.
i remember Don King calling Gerald McClellan a "mini Mike Tyson".........i believe it took until his 11th or 12th fight for anyone to go more than 2 rounds with him. he was like a pit bull and one of the hardest punchers i ever witnessed. he took out Julian Jackson (also vicious, as double d alluded to) twice.
well, G-man almost ended the Benn fight very quickly like he did most others. but didn't. the rest is (infamous) history.
@thisistheshow (and anyone else interested) i'd recommended reading this article first to set the stage before finding the fight on youtube
A few more pickups, this is a 2014 Goodwin Champions Black printing plate 1/1 of Barbados Joe Walcott, this is the black printing plate that was used to make his 2014 Goodwin Champions card. If you're not familiar with him, he was nicknamed the "Barbados Demon", one of the hardest punchers in boxing history, he was a natural welterweight who fought heavyweights, he was ridiculously strong and knocked out heavyweight Joe Choynski, who was a hard puncher in his own right. Walcott also fought the legendary and feared Sam Langford aka "The Boston Terror", and Langford said the hardest puncher he ever faced was Walcott.
This is a 2012 Panini Golden Age National Convention numbered to /5 copies of Tommy "the hitman" Hearns. These cards are very difficult to find. No introduction necessary for Hearns, one of the hardest punchers ever, just look what he did to the legendary granite chinned Roberto Duran, he detonated a damn car bomb on him, one of the most brutal knockouts I've ever seen.
Great stuff! Seeing the Hitman made me go watch the Hagler fight again. My favorite fight. Of course the 1st round is legendary but I think my favorite part is the 3rd, after the ref calls timeout for Hagler to be checked by the ring doctor. Hagler knows that there is a risk of the fight being stopped and him losing by tko. So after that he has to finish Hearns quickly, and he does!!
@thisistheshow said:
Great stuff! Seeing the Hitman made me go watch the Hagler fight again. My favorite fight. Of course the 1st round is legendary but I think my favorite part is the 3rd, after the ref calls timeout for Hagler to be checked by the ring doctor. Hagler knows that there is a risk of the fight being stopped and him losing by tko. So after that he has to finish Hearns quickly, and he does!!
Hagler definitely sensed that the fight might be stopped on cuts if he didn't hurry up and get Hearns out of there, which he did. Marvin Hagler was on another level, to be able to take Hearns best shots like that and still keep coming, he walked through fire and brimstone that fight, Hagler was on another level. I would put Hagler up against any middleweight in history, just an absolute savage.
I picked up this card today from the legendary custom card maker mr. burns collectors corner. I love custom card makers, they make a lot of unique boxing cards when other companies simply aren't making boxing cards anymore. The fighter pictured in the card is the legendary welterweight Billy Graham, he was a master boxer with a chin made of pure diamond, in 106 fights he was never knocked down, not even once, never left his feet, and this is a man who fought the likes of all-time greats such as Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, and Joey Giardello among many others. If I were going to be a boxer, the number one thing I would want to have is an iron chin, because if you are able to absorb brutal punishment and keep coming to the final bell, then you're opponent is in serious trouble. I love guys like Billy Graham, it's like trying to hit a terminator, the damn thing just isn't going to go down.
DD
This might interest you.
I have read about it and just found a movie was made about this boxer.
This boxer was forced to fight in Auschwitz concentration camp. I believe he had about 70+ fights. The nazis killed the loser.
You were literally fighting for your life.
@jay0791 said:
DD
This might interest you.
I have read about it and just found a movie was made about this boxer.
This boxer was forced to fight in Auschwitz concentration camp. I believe he had about 70+ fights. The nazis killed the loser.
You were literally fighting for your life.
@jay0791 said:
DD
This might interest you.
I have read about it and just found a movie was made about this boxer.
This boxer was forced to fight in Auschwitz concentration camp. I believe he had about 70+ fights. The nazis killed the loser.
You were literally fighting for your life.
@jay0791 said:
DD
This might interest you.
I have read about it and just found a movie was made about this boxer.
This boxer was forced to fight in Auschwitz concentration camp. I believe he had about 70+ fights. The nazis killed the loser.
You were literally fighting for your life.
Yeah, Harry Haft was his name, I haven't seen the movie yet but I've read about it, the nazis really were the scum of the Earth.
....
I think that's a different boxer. I'm saying that based on the link and googling Harry Haft.
Yes, you're right, my mistake. Harry Haft was another boxer that the nazis did the same thing to, HBO made a film about Harry Haft's life called "The Survivor."
Picked up this original photo today of Gene Fullmer swinging a baseball bat into a heavy bag, this photo was used in the newspapers back in the 1950s. What can you say about Gene Fullmer, he was one rough customer and treated the rules of boxing as a mild suggestion. He threw the kitchen sink into every punch, and quite frankly I'd be scared to get into the ring with the man. He was like a tank that was hell bent on running you over, and he fought Sugar Ray Robinson (4 times), Carmen Basilio (twice), Dick Tiger (3 times), Benny (Kid) Paret, Joey Giardello, Paul Pender, Gil Turner (3 times), Spider Webb (twice), Florentino Fernandez, Eduardo Lausse, Rocky Castellani, Charles Humez, and gave every one of them all they could handle, just a brutal man, you practically had to try to kill him to beat him.
Another day, another purchase. This is an original type 1 photo of Tony Zale, nicknamed the "man of steel", he had been retired for 19 years when this photo was taken. Where do I begin with him, he was one of the toughest fighters to ever live, the greatest body puncher in the history of boxing, when this man hit you in the body he was looking to cave in your internal organs. The great Billy Soose once said that getting hit in the body by Tony Zale felt like being stuck in the side with a hot poker. This is another guy I would be afraid to enter the ring with, he seemed to thrive on the brutality of the sport and was famous for being able to absorb tremendous amounts of punishment and come back to win the fight. He took a ridiculous beating from the murderous punching Al Hostak only to mount a comeback and knock Hostak out. His three fights with Rocky Graziano are three of the most apocalyptic battles in boxing history, Graziano said that for years afterward he would wake up after nightmares induced by their second fight (which he won) and said it was painful for him to even look at pictures from that fight. His first match with Graziano may have been the greatest war in boxing history. After they traded knockdowns, the aging and rusty Zale looked like he was finished. Despite a fractured right thumb, he came back, and dropped Rocky for the count with a paralyzing right to the guts and hook to the jaw. The greatest body puncher in the history of the game, an all-time great was Zale. I love these photos of boxers in their older age, the gladiators of the forgotten past.
@perkdog said:
Double D, you got any 1951 Topps Ringside cards? The artwork on those are gorgeous
Double D, I been patiently waiting for you to buy a 1951 Topps Ringside card ☝️
I have been looking for a few of them, but I haven't been able to find the ones I want, I'm interested in the rare variation with the puzzlebacks, very difficult to obtain. If I find one, I'll definitely post it here with much excitement!
Speaking of difficult to obtain, I've been looking for an original copy of this photo, it is a picture of Tony Zale hitting Rocky Graziano with a wicked body shot, you can see the agony on Graziano's face. I had a lead on one a few months back, but the trail went cold. If anyone spots one for sale, let me know immediately!
@perkdog said:
Double D, you got any 1951 Topps Ringside cards? The artwork on those are gorgeous
Double D, I been patiently waiting for you to buy a 1951 Topps Ringside card ☝️
I have been looking for a few of them, but I haven't been able to find the ones I want, I'm interested in the rare variation with the puzzlebacks, very difficult to obtain. If I find one, I'll definitely post it here with much excitement!
@perkdog said:
Double D, you got any 1951 Topps Ringside cards? The artwork on those are gorgeous
Double D, I been patiently waiting for you to buy a 1951 Topps Ringside card ☝️
I have been looking for a few of them, but I haven't been able to find the ones I want, I'm interested in the rare variation with the puzzlebacks, very difficult to obtain. If I find one, I'll definitely post it here with much excitement!
Here ya go buddy!!
Wow, I've never seen that card in a PSA 9, that is unbelievable. Yes, a beautiful card, that is considered to be Rocky Marciano's rookie card, it is pretty pricey in low grade, you better have some serious coin if you want it in high grade!
I am absolutely pumped about this pickup today, it is the 2010 Ringside Boxing Black Onyx 1/1 card of Henry Armstrong. If you're not familiar with Henry Armstrong, look him up some time, he was nicknamed "Homicide Hank", and he was an absolute force of nature. The famous boxing manager Teddy Atlas call Henry Armstrong the greatest pound for pound boxer that ever lived.
And Armstrong was nicknamed "Homicide" for a reason, just a force of nature, he was the first ever triple champion, he was also called "Hurricane Henry", and the "Dark Angel of Destruction" as you can see on this 1930s poster, and with 101 knockouts the guy could seriously bang.
I just picked up this type 1 original photo of Carmen Basilio, this is the image of him that was used for his 1996 Ringside Boxing card, and this image was also used for the front cover of a book written about him entitled "The Onion Picker", which was his nickname. If you're unfamiliar with Carmen Basilio then you're not a true boxing fan, five time Ring Magazine fight of the year winner, this guy was an absolute monster, hard as freaking nails, a well oiled war machine that would just keep coming at you, just absolutely relentless. He fought in one of the toughest eras of boxing, and he was one of the reasons it was a such a tough era. Guys like, Sugar Ray Robinson, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, Kid Gavilan, Tony Demarco, they don't make em like that anymore. I often wonder how Floyd Mayweather would do in the ring with someone like Carmen Basilio, a guy different from anyone he has ever dealt with, a different type of animal.
This is the other version of the book, which features a photo of Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson on the cover, in the middle of one of their fights. I hope to obtain an original photo of the image on the front of this book as well.
One more card I picked up recently, this is a 1950 Kiddy's Favourites Ike Williams, this is the rare "name in Black" variation which is extremely difficult to find, to date PSA has only graded one copy of this card. Ike Williams was a bad man, one of the most feared fighters in boxing history, he had a mean streak and he punched as hard as any man in boxing history, he had scary power, but he often chose not to use his sleep inducer because he could also box like hell. He was capable of turning into a wolf at any moment and ripping his prey apart, and could lay some crushing combinations on you. Make no mistake about it, Ike Williams was one bad dude, and in my opinion is the greatest lightweight in history.
@thisistheshow said:
Dear Ebay Diary...one of my favorite threads!
I had to change the title of the thread, I thought it to be a little silly, but thank you for being a loyal customer. Stay tuned for more of my impulsive purchases!
@thisistheshow said:
Dear Ebay Diary...one of my favorite threads!
I had to change the title of the thread, I thought it to be a little silly, but thank you for being a loyal customer. Stay tuned for more of my impulsive purchases!
#LetsGoSwitzerlandThe Man Who Does Not Read Has No Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read. The biggest obstacle to progress is a habit of “buying what we want and begging for what we need.”You get the Freedom you fight for and get the Oppression you deserve.
@Alfonz24 said:
Great stuff DD. Admire your passion.
Thanks buddy, I'm obsessed with boxing, there's just something about it, I guess it's the personal test of one's self, digging down deep inside to see what your really made of, kind of like the Rocky movies. I also like the fear factor involved, some of these guys were genuinely scary in the ring, they struck fear into their opponents, it's fascinating!
I picked up this awesome custom card of Sugar Ray Robinson today, it is numbered to 30 copies, I love the image of Robinson on this card, it gives the appearance of him walking out of the fire of hell, which is a pretty accurate description of what kind of fighter he was, if you looked across the ring at your opponent and saw Sugar Ray Robinson standing there, you were in for a night of pure hell. There's a reason he is considered to be the greatest pound for pound boxer that ever lived, from 1943-1951 he went on a 91 fight unbeaten streak, a rampage. The great Muhammad Ali said Robinson was the best ever, Joe Louis said the same, Sugar Ray Leonard said it, among many others. He was the total package, knockout power in both hands, phenomenal speed, a master boxer, an iron chin, he had it all, the offensive fire power and boxing skills he brought to the ring were on another level. The great boxing historian once said that Ray Robinson was so good that he could knock his opponent out while falling backwards. The famous boxing fan Burt Bienstock once said that Ray Robinson was Fred Astaire with gloves on.
I just picked up this awesome type 1 original photo of Johnny Risko. A Cleveland baker turned boxer, he was nicknamed the "Cleveland rubber man" because he had an iron chin and was able to absorb a tremendous amount of blows and remain upright, he also had a devastating left hook and a ton of heart and was always very aggressive. A heavyweight in the 1920s and 30s, beat men such as the hard punching Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Tommy Loughran, and Mickey Walker, this guy is a true warrior and a legend. Jerry Fitch wrote an excellent book about him.
@thisistheshow said:
Obviously iron chin and glass jaw are common, but I feel as though I have heard rubber chin or jaw before. Am I misremembering?
You probably have heard those terms, there are many different analogies, sometimes people make them up as they go along. I heard the term "Diamond chin" recently on social media, because diamond is so hard to break.
Anyway, I picked up this 1951 Baytch Bros. Ike Williams card this morning, it is a very rare card, PSA has only graded one copy to date. I'm a sucker for hard punchers, it fascinates me how they command instant respect from their opponents because of their ability to end a fight with one shot, and Ike Williams certainly falls in that category, the guy could seriously bang. Ike Williams was unfortunately controlled by mobster Frankie Carbo, and often had to play by the mob's rules, meaning certain fights were probably fixed and Ike Williams couldn't use his power punch like he wanted to, but when he did use it, it was devastating to his opponents. When a mobster is controlled by the mob, it's referred to as "having the handcuffs on" because they can't fight like they want to due to the mob's gambling rackets.
@thisistheshow said:
Obviously iron chin and glass jaw are common, but I feel as though I have heard rubber chin or jaw before. Am I misremembering?
You probably have heard those terms, there are many different analogies, sometimes people make them up as they go along. I heard the term "Diamond chin" recently on social media, because diamond is so hard to break.
I should have been clear... Is a rubber chin a thing? Because if so having rubber in your nickname seems odd to me.
@thisistheshow said:
Obviously iron chin and glass jaw are common, but I feel as though I have heard rubber chin or jaw before. Am I misremembering?
You probably have heard those terms, there are many different analogies, sometimes people make them up as they go along. I heard the term "Diamond chin" recently on social media, because diamond is so hard to break.
I should have been clear... Is a rubber chin a thing? Because if so having rubber in your nickname seems odd to me.
I've personally never heard the term "rubber chin", not to say that it hadn't been used. In this case, "Cleveland rubber man" just means that he was tough.
@thisistheshow said:
Obviously iron chin and glass jaw are common, but I feel as though I have heard rubber chin or jaw before. Am I misremembering?
You probably have heard those terms, there are many different analogies, sometimes people make them up as they go along. I heard the term "Diamond chin" recently on social media, because diamond is so hard to break.
I should have been clear... Is a rubber chin a thing? Because if so having rubber in your nickname seems odd to me.
I've personally never heard the term "rubber chin", not to say that it hadn't been used. In this case, "Cleveland rubber man" just means that he was tough.
I get it...that term probably doesn't exist. It wouldn't be the first time I am wrong.
Awesome stuff DD. Up there with Patti LaBelle sweet potato pie.
#LetsGoSwitzerlandThe Man Who Does Not Read Has No Advantage Over the Man Who Cannot Read. The biggest obstacle to progress is a habit of “buying what we want and begging for what we need.”You get the Freedom you fight for and get the Oppression you deserve.
Picked up this awesome 2022 Wndigo Black Friday 1/1 custom card of Gennady Golovkin, I love the Black Friday back on this card, it's got a little picture of a Black Friday crowd outside of a shopping mall on the back, too cool to pass up. Of course, Gennady Golovkin is one of the greatest middleweights of all time, he had a chin made of pure titanium alloy and was never knocked down in his career, got robbed twice against Canelo Alvarez. He is past his prime now, and will probably retire soon, I will miss watching GGG fight.
then, watch this. if you want to skip to the 4th round, 13:07. the punch takes place at 13:35 and the crooked ref did indeed take his sweet time -- he didn't allow action to resume until 13:55.
then this filthy ass ref -- knowing that Pacquiao was behind on the scorecards -- waited until 1:16 of the 10th and final round (36:40) to stop the fight due to a cut near Hussein's eye.............that came from a Pacquiao headbutt, not a punch. he ruled that it came from a punch, thereby handing Pacquiao the victory.
now Padilla (the ref) is gloating and laughing about it all these years later. absolutely disgusting.
then, watch this. if you want to skip to the 4th round, 13:07. the punch takes place at 13:35 and the crooked ref did indeed take his sweet time -- he didn't allow action to resume until 13:55.
then this filthy ass ref -- knowing that Pacquiao was behind on the scorecards -- waited until 1:16 of the 10th and final round (36:40) to stop the fight due to a cut near Hussein's eye.............that came from a Pacquiao headbutt, not a punch. he ruled that it came from a punch, thereby handing Pacquiao the victory.
now Padilla (the ref) is gloating and laughing about it all these years later. absolutely disgusting.
Wow, that is despicable, I feel bad for Hussein, and he certainly watched that interview and he's pissed about it too because he went on Instagram and called the referee putrid or something to that effect. He also said that he hated the sport of boxing after that fight, he knew he had been railroaded. It just makes you sick seeing something like that happen, boxing can be a very ugly sport at times when guys get cheated out of fights like that.
Nedal Hussein, they called him "skinny", he was 19-0 at the time of that Pacquiao fight, here's what he had to say about it:
My first reaction (to what Padilla had to say]? I was just gutted,” Hussein said. “The arrogance of it. I was also really angry – I was burning. Winning that fight would have changed my life. I missed out on a couple of hundred grand and a world title fight. I would have been able to buy a house and been so much better off. With my career, I missed out on the big fights [afterwards] because of it. It set me back four years. I hated the sport after that. I just couldn’t handle the politics. I’ve spoken to Manny a couple of times over the years – but never about the knockdown or the fight. It’s not his fault – it’s nothing to do with him.”
Hussein is understandably disgusted with Padilla; not only for what he did during the fight, but also due to the third man’s complete lack of shame or remorse for doing what he did, with the Filipino referee laughing during his “confession.”
“He is meant to give people a fair shake – that’s his job,” Hussein said of Padilla.
The headbutt is what really gets me, Padilla said he knew that cut was from a headbutt, and pretended it was from a punch, what a despicable excuse for a human being.
Watching those highlights of Manny Pacquiao brings back memories, he was just a handful for any opponent, the firepower he brought into a fight, the non-stop relentless combinations he threw at you, like a machine gun. I wish Mayweather would have fought him earlier, instead of waiting until he was a washed up shell of his former self.
Comments
Thanks for sharing DD. You and I have talked a bit of pugilism and you know I enjoy it when the sport meets history. 👍👍
..
I have not, but I'll check it out.
Yes, G-man was a vicious fighter himself, and one of the hardest punchers in the divisions history. Anyone who watched that fight can never forget it, just a brutal apocalyptic encounter between two alpha males, a very violent fight. It's sad that McClellan ended up with the way he did, with permanent damage. That fight reminded me a lot of Hagler vs Hearns.
Glad you enjoyed it, boxing doesn't get talked about enough around here!
There's actually a book written about the Nigel benn vs Gerald McClellan fight titled "War Baby", I haven't read it yet but I am planning to. The fight had a very violent type build up, McClellan was a violent guy and made a lot of threats towards Nigel Benn, but McClellan had been complaining of headaches after his fight with Julian Jackson, if you're not familiar with Julian Jackson, look him up, many people consider Julian Jackson to be the hardest puncher in boxing history, although he was past his prime when he fought McClellan. Anyway, McClellan probably shouldn't have been in the ring with Nigel Benn to begin with and Gerald McClellan was seen blinking a lot which can be a bad sign of brain damage, and it's just sad the way the Nigel Benn fight did him in. McClellan went into a coma after the Nigel Benn fight and if I'm not mistaken I think McClellan is blind now. Here is the book written about the Benn vs McClellan fight.
i watched my fair share of boxing back in the day. i saw Benn-McClellan live (on TV) back in the mid-90s and double d put it best -- it will be impossible for me to forget. what happened before the fight, during the fight, after the fight.
i remember Don King calling Gerald McClellan a "mini Mike Tyson".........i believe it took until his 11th or 12th fight for anyone to go more than 2 rounds with him. he was like a pit bull and one of the hardest punchers i ever witnessed. he took out Julian Jackson (also vicious, as double d alluded to) twice.
well, G-man almost ended the Benn fight very quickly like he did most others. but didn't. the rest is (infamous) history.
@thisistheshow (and anyone else interested) i'd recommended reading this article first to set the stage before finding the fight on youtube
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-8041871/The-tragic-tale-Nigel-Benn-Gerald-McClellans-brutal-fight-25-years-on.html
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
A few more pickups, this is a 2014 Goodwin Champions Black printing plate 1/1 of Barbados Joe Walcott, this is the black printing plate that was used to make his 2014 Goodwin Champions card. If you're not familiar with him, he was nicknamed the "Barbados Demon", one of the hardest punchers in boxing history, he was a natural welterweight who fought heavyweights, he was ridiculously strong and knocked out heavyweight Joe Choynski, who was a hard puncher in his own right. Walcott also fought the legendary and feared Sam Langford aka "The Boston Terror", and Langford said the hardest puncher he ever faced was Walcott.
This is a 2012 Panini Golden Age National Convention numbered to /5 copies of Tommy "the hitman" Hearns. These cards are very difficult to find. No introduction necessary for Hearns, one of the hardest punchers ever, just look what he did to the legendary granite chinned Roberto Duran, he detonated a damn car bomb on him, one of the most brutal knockouts I've ever seen.
Great stuff! Seeing the Hitman made me go watch the Hagler fight again. My favorite fight. Of course the 1st round is legendary but I think my favorite part is the 3rd, after the ref calls timeout for Hagler to be checked by the ring doctor. Hagler knows that there is a risk of the fight being stopped and him losing by tko. So after that he has to finish Hearns quickly, and he does!!
Hagler definitely sensed that the fight might be stopped on cuts if he didn't hurry up and get Hearns out of there, which he did. Marvin Hagler was on another level, to be able to take Hearns best shots like that and still keep coming, he walked through fire and brimstone that fight, Hagler was on another level. I would put Hagler up against any middleweight in history, just an absolute savage.
I picked up this card today from the legendary custom card maker mr. burns collectors corner. I love custom card makers, they make a lot of unique boxing cards when other companies simply aren't making boxing cards anymore. The fighter pictured in the card is the legendary welterweight Billy Graham, he was a master boxer with a chin made of pure diamond, in 106 fights he was never knocked down, not even once, never left his feet, and this is a man who fought the likes of all-time greats such as Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, and Joey Giardello among many others. If I were going to be a boxer, the number one thing I would want to have is an iron chin, because if you are able to absorb brutal punishment and keep coming to the final bell, then you're opponent is in serious trouble. I love guys like Billy Graham, it's like trying to hit a terminator, the damn thing just isn't going to go down.
DD
This might interest you.
I have read about it and just found a movie was made about this boxer.
This boxer was forced to fight in Auschwitz concentration camp. I believe he had about 70+ fights. The nazis killed the loser.
You were literally fighting for your life.
https://www.thefirstnews.com/article/incredible-true-story-of-boxing-champ-who-fought-for-his-life-in-auschwitz-turned-into-major-new-film-9751
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
Yeah, Harry Haft was his name, I haven't seen the movie yet but I've read about it, the nazis really were the scum of the Earth.
....
I think that's a different boxer. I'm saying that based on the link and googling Harry Haft.
Yes, you're right, my mistake. Harry Haft was another boxer that the nazis did the same thing to, HBO made a film about Harry Haft's life called "The Survivor."
https://aish.com/the-boxer-of-auschwitz-fight-or-be-killed/
Teddy comes to mind
1948-76 Topps FB Sets
FB & BB HOF Player sets
1948-1993 NY Yankee Team Sets
Picked up this original photo today of Gene Fullmer swinging a baseball bat into a heavy bag, this photo was used in the newspapers back in the 1950s. What can you say about Gene Fullmer, he was one rough customer and treated the rules of boxing as a mild suggestion. He threw the kitchen sink into every punch, and quite frankly I'd be scared to get into the ring with the man. He was like a tank that was hell bent on running you over, and he fought Sugar Ray Robinson (4 times), Carmen Basilio (twice), Dick Tiger (3 times), Benny (Kid) Paret, Joey Giardello, Paul Pender, Gil Turner (3 times), Spider Webb (twice), Florentino Fernandez, Eduardo Lausse, Rocky Castellani, Charles Humez, and gave every one of them all they could handle, just a brutal man, you practically had to try to kill him to beat him.
Another day, another purchase. This is an original type 1 photo of Tony Zale, nicknamed the "man of steel", he had been retired for 19 years when this photo was taken. Where do I begin with him, he was one of the toughest fighters to ever live, the greatest body puncher in the history of boxing, when this man hit you in the body he was looking to cave in your internal organs. The great Billy Soose once said that getting hit in the body by Tony Zale felt like being stuck in the side with a hot poker. This is another guy I would be afraid to enter the ring with, he seemed to thrive on the brutality of the sport and was famous for being able to absorb tremendous amounts of punishment and come back to win the fight. He took a ridiculous beating from the murderous punching Al Hostak only to mount a comeback and knock Hostak out. His three fights with Rocky Graziano are three of the most apocalyptic battles in boxing history, Graziano said that for years afterward he would wake up after nightmares induced by their second fight (which he won) and said it was painful for him to even look at pictures from that fight. His first match with Graziano may have been the greatest war in boxing history. After they traded knockdowns, the aging and rusty Zale looked like he was finished. Despite a fractured right thumb, he came back, and dropped Rocky for the count with a paralyzing right to the guts and hook to the jaw. The greatest body puncher in the history of the game, an all-time great was Zale. I love these photos of boxers in their older age, the gladiators of the forgotten past.
Double D, I been patiently waiting for you to buy a 1951 Topps Ringside card ☝️
I have been looking for a few of them, but I haven't been able to find the ones I want, I'm interested in the rare variation with the puzzlebacks, very difficult to obtain. If I find one, I'll definitely post it here with much excitement!
Speaking of difficult to obtain, I've been looking for an original copy of this photo, it is a picture of Tony Zale hitting Rocky Graziano with a wicked body shot, you can see the agony on Graziano's face. I had a lead on one a few months back, but the trail went cold. If anyone spots one for sale, let me know immediately!
Here ya go buddy!!
Wow, I've never seen that card in a PSA 9, that is unbelievable. Yes, a beautiful card, that is considered to be Rocky Marciano's rookie card, it is pretty pricey in low grade, you better have some serious coin if you want it in high grade!
I am absolutely pumped about this pickup today, it is the 2010 Ringside Boxing Black Onyx 1/1 card of Henry Armstrong. If you're not familiar with Henry Armstrong, look him up some time, he was nicknamed "Homicide Hank", and he was an absolute force of nature. The famous boxing manager Teddy Atlas call Henry Armstrong the greatest pound for pound boxer that ever lived.
And Armstrong was nicknamed "Homicide" for a reason, just a force of nature, he was the first ever triple champion, he was also called "Hurricane Henry", and the "Dark Angel of Destruction" as you can see on this 1930s poster, and with 101 knockouts the guy could seriously bang.
I just picked up this type 1 original photo of Carmen Basilio, this is the image of him that was used for his 1996 Ringside Boxing card, and this image was also used for the front cover of a book written about him entitled "The Onion Picker", which was his nickname. If you're unfamiliar with Carmen Basilio then you're not a true boxing fan, five time Ring Magazine fight of the year winner, this guy was an absolute monster, hard as freaking nails, a well oiled war machine that would just keep coming at you, just absolutely relentless. He fought in one of the toughest eras of boxing, and he was one of the reasons it was a such a tough era. Guys like, Sugar Ray Robinson, Gene Fullmer, Carmen Basilio, Kid Gavilan, Tony Demarco, they don't make em like that anymore. I often wonder how Floyd Mayweather would do in the ring with someone like Carmen Basilio, a guy different from anyone he has ever dealt with, a different type of animal.
This is the other version of the book, which features a photo of Carmen Basilio and Sugar Ray Robinson on the cover, in the middle of one of their fights. I hope to obtain an original photo of the image on the front of this book as well.
One more card I picked up recently, this is a 1950 Kiddy's Favourites Ike Williams, this is the rare "name in Black" variation which is extremely difficult to find, to date PSA has only graded one copy of this card. Ike Williams was a bad man, one of the most feared fighters in boxing history, he had a mean streak and he punched as hard as any man in boxing history, he had scary power, but he often chose not to use his sleep inducer because he could also box like hell. He was capable of turning into a wolf at any moment and ripping his prey apart, and could lay some crushing combinations on you. Make no mistake about it, Ike Williams was one bad dude, and in my opinion is the greatest lightweight in history.
Dear Ebay Diary...one of my favorite threads!
I had to change the title of the thread, I thought it to be a little silly, but thank you for being a loyal customer. Stay tuned for more of my impulsive purchases!
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Great stuff DD. Admire your passion.
Thanks buddy, I'm obsessed with boxing, there's just something about it, I guess it's the personal test of one's self, digging down deep inside to see what your really made of, kind of like the Rocky movies. I also like the fear factor involved, some of these guys were genuinely scary in the ring, they struck fear into their opponents, it's fascinating!
I picked up this awesome custom card of Sugar Ray Robinson today, it is numbered to 30 copies, I love the image of Robinson on this card, it gives the appearance of him walking out of the fire of hell, which is a pretty accurate description of what kind of fighter he was, if you looked across the ring at your opponent and saw Sugar Ray Robinson standing there, you were in for a night of pure hell. There's a reason he is considered to be the greatest pound for pound boxer that ever lived, from 1943-1951 he went on a 91 fight unbeaten streak, a rampage. The great Muhammad Ali said Robinson was the best ever, Joe Louis said the same, Sugar Ray Leonard said it, among many others. He was the total package, knockout power in both hands, phenomenal speed, a master boxer, an iron chin, he had it all, the offensive fire power and boxing skills he brought to the ring were on another level. The great boxing historian once said that Ray Robinson was so good that he could knock his opponent out while falling backwards. The famous boxing fan Burt Bienstock once said that Ray Robinson was Fred Astaire with gloves on.
"That Ike Williams is a destroyer, he will destroy you."
I just picked up this awesome type 1 original photo of Johnny Risko. A Cleveland baker turned boxer, he was nicknamed the "Cleveland rubber man" because he had an iron chin and was able to absorb a tremendous amount of blows and remain upright, he also had a devastating left hook and a ton of heart and was always very aggressive. A heavyweight in the 1920s and 30s, beat men such as the hard punching Max Baer, Jack Sharkey, Tommy Loughran, and Mickey Walker, this guy is a true warrior and a legend. Jerry Fitch wrote an excellent book about him.
Obviously iron chin and glass jaw are common, but I feel as though I have heard rubber chin or jaw before. Am I misremembering?
You probably have heard those terms, there are many different analogies, sometimes people make them up as they go along. I heard the term "Diamond chin" recently on social media, because diamond is so hard to break.
Anyway, I picked up this 1951 Baytch Bros. Ike Williams card this morning, it is a very rare card, PSA has only graded one copy to date. I'm a sucker for hard punchers, it fascinates me how they command instant respect from their opponents because of their ability to end a fight with one shot, and Ike Williams certainly falls in that category, the guy could seriously bang. Ike Williams was unfortunately controlled by mobster Frankie Carbo, and often had to play by the mob's rules, meaning certain fights were probably fixed and Ike Williams couldn't use his power punch like he wanted to, but when he did use it, it was devastating to his opponents. When a mobster is controlled by the mob, it's referred to as "having the handcuffs on" because they can't fight like they want to due to the mob's gambling rackets.
I should have been clear... Is a rubber chin a thing? Because if so having rubber in your nickname seems odd to me.
I've personally never heard the term "rubber chin", not to say that it hadn't been used. In this case, "Cleveland rubber man" just means that he was tough.
I get it...that term probably doesn't exist. It wouldn't be the first time I am wrong.
Awesome stuff DD. Up there with Patti LaBelle sweet potato pie.
It's funny you should mention Patti LaBelle pie, my wife just stole the last slice of our Thanksgiving Patti pie, stole it!
Picked up this awesome 2022 Wndigo Black Friday 1/1 custom card of Gennady Golovkin, I love the Black Friday back on this card, it's got a little picture of a Black Friday crowd outside of a shopping mall on the back, too cool to pass up. Of course, Gennady Golovkin is one of the greatest middleweights of all time, he had a chin made of pure titanium alloy and was never knocked down in his career, got robbed twice against Canelo Alvarez. He is past his prime now, and will probably retire soon, I will miss watching GGG fight.
apologies in advance for cluttering your pugilistic acquisitions thread with this post, but it's boxing-related and quite interesting
first, read this:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/boxing/boxing-referee-laughs-as-he-admits-cheating-to-help-manny-pacquiao-win-fight/ar-AA14DznK?cvid=d8674373e2e84fc795d707e47f95c0bd
then, watch this. if you want to skip to the 4th round, 13:07. the punch takes place at 13:35 and the crooked ref did indeed take his sweet time -- he didn't allow action to resume until 13:55.
then this filthy ass ref -- knowing that Pacquiao was behind on the scorecards -- waited until 1:16 of the 10th and final round (36:40) to stop the fight due to a cut near Hussein's eye.............that came from a Pacquiao headbutt, not a punch. he ruled that it came from a punch, thereby handing Pacquiao the victory.
now Padilla (the ref) is gloating and laughing about it all these years later. absolutely disgusting.
you'll never be able to outrun a bad diet
Wow, that is despicable, I feel bad for Hussein, and he certainly watched that interview and he's pissed about it too because he went on Instagram and called the referee putrid or something to that effect. He also said that he hated the sport of boxing after that fight, he knew he had been railroaded. It just makes you sick seeing something like that happen, boxing can be a very ugly sport at times when guys get cheated out of fights like that.
Nedal Hussein, they called him "skinny", he was 19-0 at the time of that Pacquiao fight, here's what he had to say about it:
My first reaction (to what Padilla had to say]? I was just gutted,” Hussein said. “The arrogance of it. I was also really angry – I was burning. Winning that fight would have changed my life. I missed out on a couple of hundred grand and a world title fight. I would have been able to buy a house and been so much better off. With my career, I missed out on the big fights [afterwards] because of it. It set me back four years. I hated the sport after that. I just couldn’t handle the politics. I’ve spoken to Manny a couple of times over the years – but never about the knockdown or the fight. It’s not his fault – it’s nothing to do with him.”
Hussein is understandably disgusted with Padilla; not only for what he did during the fight, but also due to the third man’s complete lack of shame or remorse for doing what he did, with the Filipino referee laughing during his “confession.”
“He is meant to give people a fair shake – that’s his job,” Hussein said of Padilla.
The headbutt is what really gets me, Padilla said he knew that cut was from a headbutt, and pretended it was from a punch, what a despicable excuse for a human being.
Watching those highlights of Manny Pacquiao brings back memories, he was just a handful for any opponent, the firepower he brought into a fight, the non-stop relentless combinations he threw at you, like a machine gun. I wish Mayweather would have fought him earlier, instead of waiting until he was a washed up shell of his former self.