Most Classless Act You've Seen In The Build-Up To A Fight?

At the weekend I was watching a few videos on youtube and came across the Freddie Roach/ Alex Ariza gym fight, where Ariza kicked Roach in the chest (after some alleged homophobic/ racial comments from Roach). I also saw the Bellew v Stephenson weigh-in where Bellew tried to headbutt Stephenson - I thought both were pretty classless acts and it got me thinking what are the other incidents that you can recall in the build-up to a fight that hav been unsavoury or classless.

One that springs to my mind is Hopkins who i think ripped up a Puerto Rican flag in the build-up to the Trinidad fight (i might be wrong on this one, but fairly sure it happened!....

Any other examples?.....

Just starting with the big guys...

Chisora - Wlad
Ali - Frazier
Tyson - Lewis

I am sure Jeff/Rodders will come up with loads from the turn of the century

Pretty much anything by David Haye, though maybe they're more desperate than classless. The punching of the Valuev cutout springs to mind.

Its hard to know what is a classless act and what is an act of publicity these days. Seems we cant have a big fight unless at least one fighter is undefeated or there is 'genuine bad blood'.

Hopkins and Calzaghe were good friends before they fought yet still managed to find controversy in the build up. wouldn't surprise me if it was the same for the Tito fight.

Galted wrote:Pretty much anything by David Haye, though maybe they're more desperate than classless.  The punching of the Valuev cutout springs to mind.

you see this was just cheap publicity. Haye and Valuev got along very well. Its even said that Valuev knew this was his last fight and was happy to take one last pay off and leave Haye as the new champion for Sauerland

Another one i have thought of was Bentt and Hide rolling around in a puddle in their suits in the build-up to their fight.
Hide was probably the one to blame i think, but overall it did leave a bit of a stench!!

The guy who pooped on Carl Froch's doorstep daily for six weeks in the build-up to the George Groves fight.

Police were baffled by the crimes and failed to realise that the t*rds were all laid out in sequence and if Froch had bothered to pick them up and place them in his lawn in the same way they'd been delivered to his house, he'd have realised that they spelled "WARRIOR? (the question mark shaped one was a piece of art on it's own) You make me sick you boring oaf. Blah Blah Blah trenches, lines in the sand, more trenches, elite fighters in the division. just shut up you ridiculous specimen of cretinous tedium"*

* This is what the final message would have spelled out if my the attacker's car hadn't developed engine failure and I'd he'd not got a very sore bottom from rubbing my his ar5e on his lawn like a dog with worms.

The Lewis-Bruno build up was pretty classless. I'm sure underwear was thrown at someone and someone labeleld Frank an "Uncle Tom"?

Bowe and his entourage were pretty scummy. He slugged Larry Donald and was kept behind glass against Jorge Gonzalez after the pair almost came to blows -- Gonzalez threw a glass of ice at him and Bowe thried to hurl an entire glass back at him.

Naz Hamed reduced a media member to tears in the build up to his fight with McCullough in Atlantic City -- nasty piece of work when he wanted to be.

There are dozens I'm sure.

Thought the Uncle Tom slur came during the McCall fight. I remember him bursting into tears when being interviewed by Ian Darke and Darkie (ironic) said "I'm sure no-one thinks that Frank" whilst whispering to his producer that he'd ask Bruno about starring in a revamp of "the Black and White minstrel show" at a more appropriate time/place

Think the Mancini-Bramble fight is the most classless act I've seen.......A lot of the other stuff is handbags.......

Bramble kept bringing up Duk koo kim and the fact Mancini killed him .....during the build up to their fight to "gain an edge"..........Mancini struggled as anybody would with taking a life in the ring..Relying on his deep faith to bring him through the dark times...

Just pretty awful really to either chuck it at someone or to have it chucked at you.......

There are places you don't go...

what year was the Mancini fight that you just gave an example of Truss? And was it Ray Mancini? -
My boxing knowledge doesnt go that far back but going to see if I can find any details on it on Wiki.
I think this one wins it to be fair....

I also remember Benn v McKlellen (spelling!) being fairly unsavoury, with McKlellan hinting that he would 'kill' Benn....leading to the infamous post-fight inteview 'you listen to me Gary'!

84..............Doubleheader with Bumphus-Hatcher...........Another grudge fight......with an explosive ending and after fight!!!

Mancini lost a controversial decsion in the rematch........Bramble got a witchdoctor to put a hex on Mancini at the press conference in the second fight.

DAVE667 wrote:Thought the Uncle Tom slur came during the McCall fight. I remember him bursting into tears when being interviewed by Ian Darke and Darkie (ironic) said "I'm sure no-one thinks that Frank" whilst whispering to his producer that he'd ask Bruno about starring in a revamp of "the Black and White minstrel show" at a more appropriate time/place

Bruno issued Lewis with a writ at the final presser. The writ sought "an injunction to restrain Lewis from further publishing or causing to be published any words to the effect that the Plaintiff is an 'Uncle Tom' or any similar libel."

At least he was a British Uncle Tom..

Tyson vs Ruddock?

Tyson labelled Ruddock a transvestite and said: "You're sweet. I can't wait for
you to kiss me with those big lips of yours".

Bet he regretted that when he went inside.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:At least he was a British Uncle Tom..

Nice.....

My comment was sarcastic.......But Bruno did play the game.........He said to Honey in a KO magazine interview.......

"I told him If he's nicer he can make so much more money" or words to that extent......

They suggest a that there was a bit of selling out in there......You'd agree ??

That chap who killed Kellermans brother.

Lost the fight, the opponent went to shake hands, and he got smashed in the face and broke his cheek as far as i remember.

A few years later, he killed Kellermans brother and burnt his house down i believe (i also think it was with a hammer that he killed him with, not sure.)..

never the less, scumbag.

hazharrison wrote:Tyson vs Ruddock?

Tyson labelled Ruddock a transvestite and said: "You're sweet. I can't wait for
you to kiss me with those big lips of yours".

Bet he regretted that when he went inside.

If you haven't had a transvestite.......You don't know what you're missing..

Hmmmm....black-magic on an opponent before a fight...not sure on that one!

Didnt Mayorga slap ODLH in the build-up to their fight? - got his just deserts in the fight though.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:My comment was sarcastic.......But Bruno did play the game.........He said to Honey in a KO magazine interview.......

"I told him If he's nicer he can make so much more money" or words to that extent......

They suggest a that there was a bit of selling out in there......You'd agree ??

I dunno about selling out. Common sense really.

How can we forget the recent Broner-Malignaggi presser including Paulie's "side piece" and the fact it was deemed hilarious he'd slapped her about.

Class acts (including the media who chuckled along). Homphobia, misogyny it really had it all.

hazharrison wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:My comment was sarcastic.......But Bruno did play the game.........He said to Honey in a KO magazine interview.......

"I told him If he's nicer he can make so much more money" or words to that extent......

They suggest a that there was a bit of selling out in there......You'd agree ??

I dunno about selling out. Common sense really.

Oh, if only Az were here to point us in the right direction as to what constitutes an astute black sportsman making the most of the opportunities the magnanimous white overloads have deemed him worthy to receive and a shucking and jiving uncle tom sellout who is force to debase himself on the white altar of white opinion because the white overloads have deemed him unworthy to receive anything approaching an opporutinty to rise above.

As you can see it's a complex issue and what's needed to a man who can answer the tough questions without behaving like an hysterical girl's blouse.

I thought Bruno was smart to do it!!............But he did play the game.......

and why not..

I bet he's still got a few quid left from those HP sauce ads

and....

As we've seen, you never know what's around the corner and I shudder to think what Frank's life would have been like if he hadn't endeared himself to/annoyed the **** out of the British public to such a degree.

Often wonder If some of Frank's problems were down to how he thinks some people portrayed him......

People like our departed friend.......

Did anyone else have an issue with Floyd Mayweathers behaviour in his HBO Face-off thing with Miguel Cotto....the one where he delays the face-off because he is on his ipad betting thousands of pounds on American football games?
i thought it was thoroughly disrespectful to Cotto and everyone else involved in the filming and the viewers who had to see it.
Do and bet however much u want in your private time but dont rub it in ours and Cotto's face!

Or am i being too sensitive?

He was dismissing Cotto...........It was all mind games !!.........Floyd had better things to do etc !!

Cotto is a smart guy he didn't bite.........

Frank was in turn, a loveable British hero and brain dead knucklehead who made his living hitting other braindead knuckleheads harder than they could hit him.

He was infinitely more popular when losing his World title fights than he ever was when he finally won the belt. I think his biography was called "Bruno - Zero to Hero" and no doubt, if they were to update it, it would be called "Zero to Hero...and back again! (A Hobbit's Tale)"

People don't like others to get too big for their boots. It won't be long before the Andy Murray backlash begins in earnest....I've already started criticising those Team GB athletes who got an MBE and then decided to retire or have a season off to recover from injury.

Greg Rutherford...runs a bit then jumps a long way = MBE.Not sure what transferable skills he can bring to the job market unless there's a role for people who want to help others believe in human Kangaroos

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He was dismissing Cotto...........It was all mind games !!.........Floyd had better things to do etc !!

Cotto is a smart guy he didn't bite.........

Agreed it was part of the mind games - and Cotto didnt rise to it - but did find it all a bit classless.............but then plenty of things from Floyd in the 24/7 episodes as well....like the argument with Floyd Snr/ racial slurs on Manny etc.....so ipad gambling is tame in comparison i suppose (but then how much of what Floyd does is 'real' and how much of it is for the image?).

You're right all this knighthood crap............For earning lots of bucks for yourself in sport Is stupid.........

Whilst selfless people helping out for nothing in Priories, Raising money for charity or helping out those in need here and abroad get nothing in lots of cases !!

SugarWarrior wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He was dismissing Cotto...........It was all mind games !!.........Floyd had better things to do etc !!

Cotto is a smart guy he didn't bite.........

Agreed it was part of the mind games - and Cotto didnt rise to it - but did find it all a bit classless.............but then plenty of things from Floyd in the 24/7 episodes as well....like the argument with Floyd Snr/ racial slurs on Manny etc.....so ipad gambling is tame in comparison i suppose (but then how much of what Floyd does is 'real' and how much of it is for the image?).

I doubt even he knows. Saying that, if he can keep it together in the circus bubble he surrounds himself with, it could be his greatest feat yet.

He's had 16 years of experience...

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:He's had 16 years of experience...

He's only reached Michael Jackson levels of detachment from reality in the past few -- flunkies whose sole purpose is to carry hand sanitiser and whatnot.

The build-up to the fight between Alex Howell and me in 1983 was pretty classless, lots of insulting each other's mothers and writing each other's grannies' phone numbers on toilet doors.

Fight turned out to be a damp squib anyway as, by the time she got to the bike sheds, I'd legged it.

No one could afford bikes at our school. The bike sheds were just called "sheds".

That piece of sheet Garcia and those stupid fcuking Mexicans making fun of Freddie Roach was really bad