Jim
05-17-2007, 07:58 AM
By Dan Cuoco
Sugar Ray Robinson is generally considered by most boxing experts as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time. I agree wholeheartedly!
But who is number two? I’d like to make a case for former bantamweight and featherweight champion Eder Jofre of Brazil. Why Jofre you ask? Because those lucky enough to have seen him in person say he was the equal of Sugar Ray Robinson. The late legendary ring historian Nat Fleischer, founder and editor of Ring magazine, favorably compared Jofre with the old-timers of the past - and declared him pound-for-pound the best fighter of his era. He repeatedly referred to Jofre as the bantamweight Sugar Ray Robinson. This is high praise when you consider that Fleischer in his long and distinguished career personally witnessed in their prime ring immortals such as Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Terry McGovern, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Harry Wills, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Benny Leonard, Kid Chocolate, Tony Canzoneri, Jimmy McLarnin, Barney Ross, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, Sandy Saddler, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and countless others.
Jofre, like Ray Robinson, was a supreme stylist and a picture book boxer with a big punch. Ray was more a stand-up boxer, while Eder used a bobbing and weaving semi-crouch style. Eder was very patient in the ring and liked to feel his way during the early rounds looking for weaknesses. He was adept at working the body to wear opponents down before moving upstairs and unloading his terrific left hook or straight right hand.
The Cyber Boxing Zone's biography of Jofre describes him as follows: “Eder had everything a great fighter must possess. He had one punch kayo power in both hands, unlike fellow bantam bangers Zarate and Oliveres. He was also as slick a boxer as either Sugar Ray and was blessed with unbelievable reflexes and defensive skills. To top off the package, he also had an iron chin and resilience of a LaMotta, Basilio, or Saad Muhammad. Perhaps his most amazing quality was his ability to adapt. Jofre was a very intelligent fighter who could change his style to adjust to any kind of opponent. He could be cute, brawl, anything…the guy was a fistic work of art, and he did all this as a vegetarian!" 1
Eder Jofre registered 24 knockouts in his first 37 fights with three draws (2 disputed) blemishing an otherwise perfect record on his way to the world title. These slight blemishes were later erased convincingly. When Jose Becerra gave up the world crown, he was matched with Eloy Sanchez in Los Angeles on November 18, 1960 and scored a sixth round knockout to win the vacant NBA world bantamweight crown. After two defenses, he unified the world bantamweight title on January 18, 1962 by destroying Ireland's previously undefeated Johnny Caldwell in 10 rounds. Over the next three years he continued to dominate the bantamweight division by knocking out deserving challengers Herman Marquez, Jose Medel, Katsuyoshi Aoki, Johnny Jamito, and Bernardo Carabello.
By 1965, Jofre had been contemplating retirement for a couple of years, but didn't because he was a national hero in Brazil. After Pele, Jofre ranks as Brazil's greatest sporting hero.
In May 1965 he went to Japan to defend his title against future hall of fame great Masahiko "Fighting" Harada. Jofre had to lose 2 pounds the day of the fight and lost a close split decision. Most ringside observers, however, felt that Jofre deserved the verdict. Thirteen months later, the now 30-year-old Jofre, (ancient by lower weight standards) returned to Tokyo for a return match. This time he came in two pounds under the limit. In an obviously weaken condition, the highly talented Harada was simply too strong for Jofre and again took a narrow decision. After his second loss to Harada he retired.
Three years later, at the age of 33, he returned as a featherweight and began one of the most successful comebacks in boxing history. In four years he ran off 14 consecutive wins (8 by knockout) to earn a shot at 29-year-old featherweight champion Jose Legra. Legra was a smaller version of Ali with an impressive record of 130-8-2 (48). Few believed the 37-year-old Jofre could pull it off. But he did! In a close fight, Jofre used his superior ring talents to win a majority 15 round decision. He next chose to defend his title against another future hall of famer, the great Vicente Saldivar, former two-time world's featherweight champion and seven years his junior. Eder dedicated the fight to his dying father. He knocked out Saldivar with a perfect left to the chin in the fourth round. Eder was stripped of the crown for failing to defend it against the WBC's mandatory challenger in 1974. He continued to fight for two more years winning seven more non-title fights before retiring for good in 1976. His incredible comeback encompassed 25 consecutive victories (13 by kayo). He finished his career with an impressive record of 72-2-4 (50 by kayo).
Eder was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. Ed Brophy, Executive Director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame described Jofre as "a sturdy, two-fisted fighter with a big punch. Remember, while most American fans didn’t get a chance to see him in action, there was a time in the early-and mid 60s where he was considered the best fighter, pound-for pound, in the world." 2 Today, Jofre is the mayor of Sao Paulo, one of the most populated cities in the world.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2650/jofreposeqt0.jpg
Sugar Ray Robinson is generally considered by most boxing experts as the best pound-for-pound fighter of all time. I agree wholeheartedly!
But who is number two? I’d like to make a case for former bantamweight and featherweight champion Eder Jofre of Brazil. Why Jofre you ask? Because those lucky enough to have seen him in person say he was the equal of Sugar Ray Robinson. The late legendary ring historian Nat Fleischer, founder and editor of Ring magazine, favorably compared Jofre with the old-timers of the past - and declared him pound-for-pound the best fighter of his era. He repeatedly referred to Jofre as the bantamweight Sugar Ray Robinson. This is high praise when you consider that Fleischer in his long and distinguished career personally witnessed in their prime ring immortals such as Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, Joe Gans, Terry McGovern, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Harry Wills, Harry Greb, Tiger Flowers, Benny Leonard, Kid Chocolate, Tony Canzoneri, Jimmy McLarnin, Barney Ross, Henry Armstrong, Willie Pep, Sandy Saddler, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson and countless others.
Jofre, like Ray Robinson, was a supreme stylist and a picture book boxer with a big punch. Ray was more a stand-up boxer, while Eder used a bobbing and weaving semi-crouch style. Eder was very patient in the ring and liked to feel his way during the early rounds looking for weaknesses. He was adept at working the body to wear opponents down before moving upstairs and unloading his terrific left hook or straight right hand.
The Cyber Boxing Zone's biography of Jofre describes him as follows: “Eder had everything a great fighter must possess. He had one punch kayo power in both hands, unlike fellow bantam bangers Zarate and Oliveres. He was also as slick a boxer as either Sugar Ray and was blessed with unbelievable reflexes and defensive skills. To top off the package, he also had an iron chin and resilience of a LaMotta, Basilio, or Saad Muhammad. Perhaps his most amazing quality was his ability to adapt. Jofre was a very intelligent fighter who could change his style to adjust to any kind of opponent. He could be cute, brawl, anything…the guy was a fistic work of art, and he did all this as a vegetarian!" 1
Eder Jofre registered 24 knockouts in his first 37 fights with three draws (2 disputed) blemishing an otherwise perfect record on his way to the world title. These slight blemishes were later erased convincingly. When Jose Becerra gave up the world crown, he was matched with Eloy Sanchez in Los Angeles on November 18, 1960 and scored a sixth round knockout to win the vacant NBA world bantamweight crown. After two defenses, he unified the world bantamweight title on January 18, 1962 by destroying Ireland's previously undefeated Johnny Caldwell in 10 rounds. Over the next three years he continued to dominate the bantamweight division by knocking out deserving challengers Herman Marquez, Jose Medel, Katsuyoshi Aoki, Johnny Jamito, and Bernardo Carabello.
By 1965, Jofre had been contemplating retirement for a couple of years, but didn't because he was a national hero in Brazil. After Pele, Jofre ranks as Brazil's greatest sporting hero.
In May 1965 he went to Japan to defend his title against future hall of fame great Masahiko "Fighting" Harada. Jofre had to lose 2 pounds the day of the fight and lost a close split decision. Most ringside observers, however, felt that Jofre deserved the verdict. Thirteen months later, the now 30-year-old Jofre, (ancient by lower weight standards) returned to Tokyo for a return match. This time he came in two pounds under the limit. In an obviously weaken condition, the highly talented Harada was simply too strong for Jofre and again took a narrow decision. After his second loss to Harada he retired.
Three years later, at the age of 33, he returned as a featherweight and began one of the most successful comebacks in boxing history. In four years he ran off 14 consecutive wins (8 by knockout) to earn a shot at 29-year-old featherweight champion Jose Legra. Legra was a smaller version of Ali with an impressive record of 130-8-2 (48). Few believed the 37-year-old Jofre could pull it off. But he did! In a close fight, Jofre used his superior ring talents to win a majority 15 round decision. He next chose to defend his title against another future hall of famer, the great Vicente Saldivar, former two-time world's featherweight champion and seven years his junior. Eder dedicated the fight to his dying father. He knocked out Saldivar with a perfect left to the chin in the fourth round. Eder was stripped of the crown for failing to defend it against the WBC's mandatory challenger in 1974. He continued to fight for two more years winning seven more non-title fights before retiring for good in 1976. His incredible comeback encompassed 25 consecutive victories (13 by kayo). He finished his career with an impressive record of 72-2-4 (50 by kayo).
Eder was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992. Ed Brophy, Executive Director of the International Boxing Hall of Fame described Jofre as "a sturdy, two-fisted fighter with a big punch. Remember, while most American fans didn’t get a chance to see him in action, there was a time in the early-and mid 60s where he was considered the best fighter, pound-for pound, in the world." 2 Today, Jofre is the mayor of Sao Paulo, one of the most populated cities in the world.
http://img257.imageshack.us/img257/2650/jofreposeqt0.jpg