How far could he have gone in that era as a professional? Fullmer, Giardello, Tiger, Griffith, Benvenuti, could he have beaten these guys and secured a legacy as a MW great?
Or would he have failed to delivery as so many promising amateurs do?[/QUOTE]
Reading this thread reminded me of an incident, l:
Boxing teams in a gym have distinct personalities, some gregarious 'n outgoing, some focused on the work, but Eastern Euros are like a police state, suspicious 'n tight-lipped.
So, one day at Wild Card a new Eastern Euro heavy came to train 'n I watched him spar; 'n his coach gave me a big wave 'n smile, which was so outta character, I kept lookin' around, sure it was meant for someone else.
He pointed at me to the other members of his team, 'n they were all smiles and waving. Think Charles Bronsons turned to Roberto Benignis.
After the sparring session, the coach came over 'n gave me a bear hug, "Laszlo!"
He'd mistaken me for Laszlo Papp, the great Hungarian Olympian. Soon as he learned I wasn't, the Iron Curtain slammed shut.
Or would he have failed to delivery as so many promising amateurs do?[/QUOTE]
Reading this thread reminded me of an incident, l:
Boxing teams in a gym have distinct personalities, some gregarious 'n outgoing, some focused on the work, but Eastern Euros are like a police state, suspicious 'n tight-lipped.
So, one day at Wild Card a new Eastern Euro heavy came to train 'n I watched him spar; 'n his coach gave me a big wave 'n smile, which was so outta character, I kept lookin' around, sure it was meant for someone else.
He pointed at me to the other members of his team, 'n they were all smiles and waving. Think Charles Bronsons turned to Roberto Benignis.
After the sparring session, the coach came over 'n gave me a bear hug, "Laszlo!"
He'd mistaken me for Laszlo Papp, the great Hungarian Olympian. Soon as he learned I wasn't, the Iron Curtain slammed shut.
