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Great boxing photos
Saint Ezzard
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in Sports Talk
The title of the thread is self explanatory.
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Hector Camacho walks to the ring dressed as a Roman Gladiator.
Max Baer shows the media his broken hands.
Jake LaMotta looks in the mirror at his Middleweight championship belt.
A damaged George Chuvalo throws a left hook, God Chuvalo looks so savage.
Fritzie Zivic, "The Croat Comet" poses for the camera, Zivic was one of the dirtiest fighters in the history of boxing and he made no bones about it.
Sonny Liston walks with a kid during a training session in Miami.
Joe Louis could give you a stare that would send shivers down your spine, ice cold, totally emotionless. The Brown Bomber didn’t have to work too hard at intimidating people; his record and reputation accomplished that all by themselves. One of the most fearsome punchers in boxing history, Louis left a path of destruction that unnerved all the heavyweights of his day. Add his cold, distant stare and unflappable demeanor and many of Joe’s opponents were searching for the exits before the first round got underway. Or, as renowned trainer Ray Arcel, who backed numerous Louis opponents, put it: “If you are training to fight Joe Louis and you can’t sleep and that’s on your mind … it takes everything away from you. I remember I walked Johnny Paychek into the ring against Joe and his knees were actually trembling.”
I actually own this photo of Joe Louis walking back to his corner after knocking down Johnny Paycheck and you can see the expression on Louis's face, just a totally emotionless blank stare. In general, Louis was a nice guy, but he became genuinely frightening when it came to boxing, almost not human. He took it serious, that's probably one of the reasons he was only beaten once in his prime, avenged that loss brutally, and was undisputed heavyweight champion for 11 straight years. Nobody in the history of boxing had a more dominant reign than Joe Louis.
Ring magazine ranked Joe Louis number 1 on their 100 greatest punchers of all-time list, not just because he was a hard puncher, which he was, one of the hardest in boxing history, but because of how he punched. He was a very methodical puncher, waited for the right time to strike, and when he decided to unleash his attack, not many people made it through the storm. Once he went in for the kill, he hit you with hard, accurate punches in succession. A lot of power punchers will hit you with a bomb and back off and survey the damage or admire their work, not Louis, once he decided to unleash a bomb, if it didn't take you out, he followed it up with another, then another, then another. He wanted to make sure to finish the job.
The late trainer Cus D'Amato and 18-year old Mike Tyson just prior to Tyson's pro debut against Hector Mercedes in 1985.
Sugar Ray Robinson standing next to his Pink Cadillac outside the cafe he owned.
Julio Cesar Chavez throwing a brutal left hook to the body, Mexican fighters are some of the toughest people on Earth, you practically have to kill them to beat them, they're famous for that left hook to the body.
I have these 2 photos of Tyson and Clay/Ali residing on my personal "Wall of Fame".
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Awesome photos, that Ali is one of, if not the most famous sports photo ever taken. I would love to see the asking price if the original type 1 photo of that image ever popped up at auction, gotta be over $1 million.
Sung Kil Moon, "The Beast of Yeongam", he reached the top of the sport with no fancy skills to boast of, just a with a chin filled with cement and sandbags for fists.
One of the most feared fighters in boxing history, "Terrible" Terry McGovern poses for the camera. He was like a bantamweight version of Mike Tyson, and much like Tyson in the 80s, McGovern left a devastating trail of destruction in his era, he was from Brooklyn and he fought in the early 1900s. His reputation is well known in the boxing community.
This is a book about Terry McGovern, the title of the book says it all.
Miguel Cotto stops Zab Judah in round 11 of their 2007 fight. I love this image of Cotto with the blood stained trunks, Cotto was one of the best body punchers ever, he had a great left hook to the liver.
Sailor Tom Sharkey, he was the epitome of a tough Irishman. He was a late 1800s and early 1900s heavyweight contender. Sharkey was built like a tank, he was known for his rough style and ferocious in-fighting, and he was one of only two fighters to go the distance with James J. Jeffries. Between two fights, Jeffries and Sharkey fought 45 rounds of bloody combat, once for the heavyweight title. Like many fighters, Sharkey developed a cauliflower ear on his left ear, and at a few points he grew self-conscious of the injury and his ear's appearance. In fact, Sharkey often faced a direction that would hide his cauliflower ear when taking photos. His fights with James J. Jeffries were brutal. Sharkey's nose was broken, two ribs broken, his shoulder dislocated, his face cut up, and his left ear horrifically swollen, yet Jeffries could not stop him, and Jeffries stood 4 inches taller and had 30 lbs on Sharkey. This is one guy you wouldn't want to step into the ring with, no matter how much punishment you dished out on him he just kept coming at you. His fighting style was very simple, he cared very little for defense, he just bored in and swung for the fences. He was an actual sailor and had tattoos of a nautical star and ship on his chest, back when tattoos were rare, and the tattoos really gave him and intimidating look, not that he needed it.
Before his fights, Theodore "Tiger" Flowers, "The Georgia Deacon", would recite Psalm 144:1, "Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight," he was a devout Baptist and deacon, and would carry a Bible into the ring as well. He was the first black middleweight champion of the world. How good was Tiger Flowers? Good enough to beat Harry Greb twice, many people consider Harry Greb to be the pound for pound GOAT of boxing.
Bob Fitzsimmons, "Ruby Robert", he fought in the late 1890s into the early 1900s, one of the greatest pound for pound fighters in the history of boxing, also one of the hardest punchers in the history of boxing. He invented the solar plexus punch, a devastating punch to the body. He was a Blacksmith by trade which undoubtedly helped him develop his power, he was also the original weight division jumper, he became undisputed champion in the Middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions, and he carried his punching power with him through every division, a true pound for pound all-time great. Here he is pictured feeding his pet lion, he owned several lions throughout his life, one of which was named Senator Reynolds. He even took these lions with him when he traveled.
Bob Fitzsimmons as a Blacksmith.
Bob Fitzsimmons in a fight pose.
This is one of my favorite photos of Bob Fitzsimmons, he reminds me of Yul Brynner from the film "Westworld", you know the robot that went haywire and stalked the tourists down at the end of the film like a Terminator, that robot wasn't a joke. Anyway Fitzsimmons was no joke, he was an intimidating guy, he could punch like a mule kicks. I'd give my left pinky finger to own the original copy of this photo.
Bernard Hopkins, middleweight and light heavyweight, one of the greatest to ever do it, his career is legendary, Middleweight champion for almost 11 years, making 20 defenses of his title, unifying the middleweight championship in 2001, winning titles at age 46 and 49, a career that spanned 28 years. In Bernard Hopkins’ career, two very different stages can be distinguished: in his early years in the ring, he was a machine of destruction, a brutal fighter who showed no mercy to his opponents. However, in his later years he transformed himself into a wiser, more patient and cunning fighter, capable of employing defensive techniques and tactics that allowed him to accumulate points without resorting to a knockout, making the most of his experience and skills to even out the disadvantages that age imposed on him. His nickname was "The Executioner", here he is seen making a ring entrance wearing an executioner's hood.
James Braddock, the legendary "Cinderella Man", a film was made about him starring Russell Crowe, if you haven't seen it I highly recommend it. His story is one of the greatest in sports history, James Braddock earned the nickname "Cinderella Man" due to his remarkable comeback story during the Great Depression. He went from being a struggling boxer, reliant on government assistance to feed his family, to winning the heavyweight boxing championship of the world against all odds, despite everything life threw at him. As far as being a fighter is concerned, he had good boxing skills, a brutal right hand, and iron chin, and tremendous heart and determination.
The man in my avatar, the great Ezzard Charles, "The Cincinnati Cobra", one of the top 5 pound for pound fighters of all-time, some people actually consider him THE greatest, and you can certainly make a case for it, he was that great. From December 1944 to May 1951, he was beaten once. I'm not even going to go over his list of accomplishments, it's too deep to get into. Let's just put it this way, the number of champions, contenders, and fringe contenders that he beat in three weight classes, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight was absurd.
Ezzard Charles knocks down Jersey Joe Walcott.
A mural dedicated to Ezzard Charles on a building in Cincinnati.
And it lights up at night!
Oscar "Battling" Nelson, about as scary as a fighter as you could ever encounter, the guy could take punishment like nobody's business, they didn't call him the "Durable Dane" for nothing. Case in point, in 1910 he went 40 rounds with Ad Wolgast in what is still known today as one of the most apocalyptic fights in boxing history. His fighting style was pretty straightforward, damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead. Here's a good write-up about the kind of fighter Battling Nelson was, it sums him and his era up perfectly:
I love reading his fight writeups. I believe nothing describes Nelson more perfectly than one of the descriptions on Boxrec of his fight against Martin Canole.
"Canole was ahead by such a large margin in the first three rounds that over 100 people left the stadium"
Nelson went on to win the Canole fight by KO in the 18th round.
Truly an underrated champion here. A beast under a 20-45 rounder. He has wins over Joe Gans, Terry McGovern, Young Corbett ll, Aurelio Herrera (who's an underrated contender), and a draw against Abe Attell. The man had unlimited stamina and good power on top of a diamond chin. Sadly some people judge him by his slightly less than shiny record because of the 6/8 rounders he fought in which weren't his specialty plus his post Nelson-Wolgast 2 career. Nelson developed brain damage and was half the fighter he once was, being stopped by Owen Moran and completely brutalized by Freddie Welsh, along with losing to fighters he was completely superior to in his prime. Back in the day they just didn't care though, and fighters could just keep fighting even with that kind of damage sadly. And Nelson loved the fight game.
He went 31-9-9 from 1902-1909, averaging 7 fights a year and notching wins over top guys. Do note he got revenge on most of those losses. His biography "The Durable Dane" by Mark Allen Baker is a good read.
On another note
Battling Nelson vs Floyd Mayweather at 135, 45 rounds, 1900s ruleset. 4oz untabbed gloves, no rehydration, Floyd doesn't get to bitch over minor details, 16ft ring with no post coverings, is a wet dream of a fight.
To see Floyd, who would be winning up until around round 20, slowly dawn upon him what a nightmare of a fighter he's in with. Then you see the fear, the worry, the anxiety begin. Floyd realizes he's tired.
And Nelson isn't stopping.
Floyd's eyes are thumbed, his head is shaken, it's blazing hot out, he's taken a few headbutts in the clinch, the ref isn't listening to his complaints. His back is scratched up from being slammed on the uncovered metal ringpost.
And Nelson. Keeps. Coming.
Nelson KO32, if Floyd makes it to round 32. I don't know, something sits right with me about a raised to win, protected, and always in control of every minor detail of the fight, Floyd Mayweather being broken mentally and physically by a man born with little talent but a hellish mindset and stamina. Not to mention that shiny unbeaten record would be gone.
Here's a photo from his 40 rounder with Ad Wolgast in 1910, this fight is legendary, best way to describe it would be, it was the apocalypse in a boxing ring. Honest to goodness, if today's fighters had to fight a Battling Nelson or an Ad Wolgast, they wouldn't know what the hell they were getting into. These guys were a different breed, pain, suffering, and bleeding profusely was just part of the job to them and they were perfectly at-home with it, that was their mindset.
Here's an advertisement for the Nelson vs Wolgast fight in 1910.
Ad Wolgast was pretty much on the same level as Battling Nelson, Wolgast is a legend as well, he was nicknamed "The Michigan Wildcat" because that's how he fought, like a wildcat. This is Ad Wolgast up close.
Whatever you're going through in life, no matter how hard it is, if you have a Battling Nelson mindset, you'll get through it. It's funny because I talk about this stuff to my wife all the time, and if I'm having a bad day and I start to whine or complain, my wife will look at me with a scowl on her face and say, "Come on Battling Nelson, tough it out!" That always gets me back on track. Sometimes she'll even thumb me in the eye. Just kidding about the thumb. 😭😭
Great shot of Battling Nelson training with a dummy.
Battling Nelson in his later years, you can see the damage in his face from the years of fighting. What a beast.
Ad Wolgast sitting on his farm.
Ad Wolgast sitting in his throne.
Great book about Battling Nelson.
The last fight of Sonny Liston's career came in 1970 against Chuck Wepner, Liston won the fight when it was stopped in round 9 on cuts. Sonny Liston had one of the greatest jabs in boxing history, it was like a shotgun blast coming at you, he could knock you out with his jab alone, and he bludgeoned Wepner with that jab, he broke Wepner's nose and opened up some nasty cuts. Of course Wepner was famous for bleeding easily, that's why he was nicknamed "The Bayonne Bleeder."
Liston's poleaxe jab, my God look at Wepner's face.
You have to hand it to Wepner, he was tougher than leather, he bled easily but he could take one heck of a beating, you just couldn't knock the guy out, Liston practically killed him and still couldn't put him away, Wepner didn't know the meaning of the word "quit." Of course Wepner was the inspiration for the Rocky movie franchise, without Wepner there is no Rocky Balboa. The whole movie franchise started because of the Wepner vs Ali fight in 1975, Sylvester Stallone was in attendance at that fight and he saw how much Heart Wepner had, a huge underdog going 15 rounds with the great Ali, and that's what gave Stallone the idea for Rocky Balboa. Notice in the movie how similar Apollo Creed is to Ali, the boxing style, the trash talk, the cockiness, he's Ali, the whole thing was based on Wepner going 15 with Ali.
God I love this stuff, boxers are the closest thing we have to ancient Roman Gladiators. MMA as well, have to give them their dues.
The Golden Bantam, Eder Jofre from Brazil. This man was hard to beat, he was only beaten twice in his career, both losses coming at the hands of the same man, Japan's Masahiko "Fighting" Harada, and both fights were close wars. Eder Jofre finished his career with a record of 74-2. Jofre had an iron chin, great power in both hands, great boxing ability, just a well rounded fighter with few weaknesses. Epic image of him.
Eder Jofre grew up in a boxing family, his family owned a boxing gym down in Brazil and he was basically born into the sport, this is a photo of him as a kid.
This is Jofre at his best, Eder Jofre vs Jose Medel. Now, Jose Medel had serious power, he could whack, and he was an excellent counterpuncher, especially with his back to the ropes. And Jofre could whack as well, this is a wild west shootout right here, both guys throwing everything and the kitchen sink at each other until something breaks. The crowd is going nuts the entire time, they realize they're watching an all-out war. Medel is in the White trunks.
David Tua, one of the hardest punchers in the history of the sport, his left hook was brutal. Had a chin made of pure granite as well.
I just have to say, my favorite fight David Tua was involved in was his fight with Ike Ibeabuchi, it's a showcase on why boxers are some of the toughest people on this planet, it's amazing neither guy died in that fight. Two power punchers eating huge bombs from each other for 12 rounds with neither guy budging an inch, no clinching, nothing, they ate everything thrown at one another, just ate it and kept slugging. They punched each other 1,730 times, to this day it's still the record for punches thrown in a heavyweight fight. These two heavyweights, both approaching their peak, both men in tip-top shape, willing to walk through anything to get to the other side and pick up the victory, gave us a heavyweight barn-burner that sent fans and boxing experts into a frenzy. It was non-stop action, hammer-and-tongs style, from round one to the final bell. And despite their best efforts, neither guy was ever able to put a dent in the other.
The same guy that took the photo of Ali standing over Sonny Liston also took this photo, Neil Leifer is his name, he was a photographer for Sports Illustrated, he took a lot of great boxing photos, a lot of them of Muhammad Ali. This is an epic photo taken from above the ring looking down at Cleveland Williams after being knocked out by Ali, with Ali celebrating, arms raised straight in the air, just an epic shot. Quick fact, Neil Leifer is the only photographer in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
FLAT OUT: Ali vs. Williams, November 14, 1966
In a way, this picture was four years in the making. In 1962, as construction began on the Astrodome in Houston, SI assigned Leifer to document its progress. (“They would be playing baseball indoors,” says Leifer. “No one could imagine it!”) Leifer made four trips to the site; he shot the digging of the hole, the early building phase, and opening day on April 9, 1965. “One of the things I remember seeing,” he says "was that the lighting rig was very unusual. They could bring it up or down.” At most fights, the lights were 20 feet over the ring, so if you shot straight down you couldn’t get wide enough to capture the entire ring and press rows. But at the new Astrodome, Leifer says, “the lights would be 80 feet over the ring—high enough for me to mount my Hasselblad with a 50mm lens and strobe lights and do a shot from directly over the center of the ring. When I saw that, I thought this would a good picture no matter what. But if a fighter fell flat on his back, it would be great.” And great it was. So great, in fact, that in 2012 Sports Illustrated named it the single greatest sports photo of all time. Not boxing photo; sports photo. A marvel of clarity and composition—the ring, the ropes, the rows of reporters, their hands all pointing inward. And the champ’s arms a perfect and unwitting reflection of his foe lying flat, vanquished on the canvas, like some kind of sad snow angel.