Old Sod's Army

[bog]

As an aside from football was sorry to hear of Joe Frazier's passing today. 'Smokin' Joe was from an era when boxing was a top draw with the heavyweight division a major sporting event mainly because of Mohammed Ali. Unlike today's goings on with Haye and Audrey Harrison. Most fights with Ali nearly brought the world to a standstill. Old Smokin Joe was the first man to defeat Ali. He always seemed a humble man when interviewed unlike most of today's over-hyped specimens.
Who can forget tuning in at 3am to hear Eamons Andrew's commentary when Cassius Clay first fought Sonny Liston etc etc...   

[CorkedHat]

Being a Battersea boy we were all very excited when our local hero, Don Cockell, went to the States to fight Rocky Marciano for the world title,
Somehow I managed to persuade my old man to allow me to listen to the fight on the radio (I would have been about fourteen) and for a while there it looked as though old Don was going to cause an upset.
Alas, as the fight progressed so Marciano got on top of his opponent and even though Rocky was punching after the bell and using every dirty trick in the book, the long and short of it was Marciano was never going to lose.
The British press was in uproar about Marciano's tactics but Don Cockell never complained. Those were the days, Bog.  092.gif

[bog]

I remember Don being interviewed on Pathe News before he flew out. I have read Marciano's autobography, what a tough man he was! What of Tommy Farr's fight with Joe Louis, many reckon he was robbed in that one.  As you say long gone days Corked Hat.....   

[CorkedHat]

I remember Don being interviewed on Pathe News before he flew out. I have read Marciano's autobography, what a tough man he was! What of Tommy Farr's fight with Joe Louis, many reckon he was robbed in that one.  As you say long gone days Corked Hat.....   

My mother who was Welsh thought that Tommy Farr could walk on water.In those days we had a succession of heavyweights, some of whom were competent like Freddie Mills to those who were woeful like Brian London, but we didn't really have a world champion, This is spite of what Henry Cooper once said that overseas, you had to knock out an opponent just to get a draw.
Talking of boxers, Len Harvey who had a bit of class about him, used to own a pub in East Sheen.

[ron]

...it was the Derby Arms !

[ron]

I remember Don being interviewed on Pathe News before he flew out. I have read Marciano's autobography, what a tough man he was! What of Tommy Farr's fight with Joe Louis, many reckon he was robbed in that one.  As you say long gone days Corked Hat.....   

My mother who was Welsh thought that Tommy Farr could walk on water.In those days we had a succession of heavyweights, some of whom were competent like Freddie Mills to those who were woeful like Brian London, but we didn't really have a world champion, This is spite of what Henry Cooper once said that overseas, you had to knock out an opponent just to get a draw.
Talking of boxers, Len Harvey who had a bit of class about him, used to own a pub in East Sheen.

I noticed Brian London on U tube talking about his Ali fight....he said he was never knocked out in his career...and that when Ali was getting through his defences at will, he decided to give up by holding his hands up and turning away. Funny that.... the crowd witnessed him being caught in a corner, shipping about 13 punches in three seconds and being counted out.

[cmg]

I noticed Brian London on U tube talking about his Ali fight....he said he was never knocked out in his career...and that when Ali was getting through his defences at will, he decided to give up by holding his hands up and turning away. Funny that.... the crowd witnessed him being caught in a corner, shipping about 13 punches in three seconds and being counted out.

Boxing does strange things to the memory! Brian, who in retirement ran a club in Blackpool popular with visiting footballers, has obviously forgotten being ko'd by Floyd Patterson in his first shot at the title.
Not a bad boxer, but fortunate to get two title shots, his most entertaining bout occured AFTER he lost to Dick Richardson in Pawthcawl in 1960

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8744484.stm<

[ron]

I noticed Brian London on U tube talking about his Ali fight....he said he was never knocked out in his career...and that when Ali was getting through his defences at will, he decided to give up by holding his hands up and turning away. Funny that.... the crowd witnessed him being caught in a corner, shipping about 13 punches in three seconds and being counted out.

Boxing does strange things to the memory! Brian, who in retirement ran a club in Blackpool popular with visiting footballers, has obviously forgotten being ko'd by Floyd Patterson in his first shot at the title.
Not a bad boxer, but fortunate to get two title shots, his most entertaining bout occured AFTER he lost to Dick Richardson in Pawthcawl in 1960

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/8744484.stm<

Ah yes, I remember it well. He got fined £1000 for the "afters" in the Richardson fight ....(about £35000 at today's values..?)

My best memory of him is boxing the ears off Billy Walker in about 1965 to dent all the hype about the "Blond Bomber".