I'm not looking for Ali/Frasier. I'm looking for Ali vs. Frankenstein. For real.
January 20, 2011 9:14 AM Subscribe
I'm looking for the craziest fights of all time.
I'm trying to put together a list of unusual, crazy and surprising fights. For instance, there was one fight my grandfather always told, I think with Gentleman Jim Braddock, where he fought all comers for a 24 hour period and ended up beating somewhere over 10 men in a day. THAT is the sort of thing I'm looking for. Examples I'd love?
-Guy fights a bear in a ring and wins.
-Fighter is doped but still wins.
-Fighter against an opponent with the world's most loaded gloves and still pulls out a victory
That said, it doesn't need to be a fight in a ring. All it needs to be is some sort of battle without guns or major weaponry where one man beats someone else.
I'm trying to put together a list of unusual, crazy and surprising fights. For instance, there was one fight my grandfather always told, I think with Gentleman Jim Braddock, where he fought all comers for a 24 hour period and ended up beating somewhere over 10 men in a day. THAT is the sort of thing I'm looking for. Examples I'd love?
-Guy fights a bear in a ring and wins.
-Fighter is doped but still wins.
-Fighter against an opponent with the world's most loaded gloves and still pulls out a victory
That said, it doesn't need to be a fight in a ring. All it needs to be is some sort of battle without guns or major weaponry where one man beats someone else.
I'm a big boxing fan, and could suggest some great boxing fights that might come close to what you're looking for, but most would require a familiarity with the specifics of the fight, and wouldn't be as viscerally amazing as what it seems you're looking for.
I'll keep thinking, but in the meantime, here's a wikipedia article you might want to look over. Human-Baiting.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:20 AM on January 20, 2011
I'll keep thinking, but in the meantime, here's a wikipedia article you might want to look over. Human-Baiting.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:20 AM on January 20, 2011
(and if you want, like, freak-show size mismatches, look for very early UFC. They even did a "david vs. goliath" themed full-card, I think. I don't remember the name. If I'm remembering correctly, the skill level was pretty low, and the fights sloppy and a bit too barbaric.)
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:23 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:23 AM on January 20, 2011
I remember watching this live in an obscure Black Forest pub as a 13-year old. It sure was surprising, and comes pretty close to your bear image somehow.
posted by Namlit at 9:25 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by Namlit at 9:25 AM on January 20, 2011
(Was speaking of the "skill level" and barbarity of those fights, specifically. Not at all calling MMA as a whole unskilled or barbaric. That'd be very far from the truth.)
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:26 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 9:26 AM on January 20, 2011
Purring. (Actually, there's probably more stuff in The Journal of Manly Arts.)
posted by zamboni at 9:27 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by zamboni at 9:27 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
The John Wayne fight from The Quiet Man remains, IMO, the greatest fight scene in movie history. Oh sure, not as flashy as something from Hong Kong...
It used to be available on Youtube, but not anymore, unless you want to watch mashups that don't preserve the humor.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:28 AM on January 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
It used to be available on Youtube, but not anymore, unless you want to watch mashups that don't preserve the humor.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:28 AM on January 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
The hotel hallway fight in Inception is pretty cool.
posted by jozxyqk at 9:29 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by jozxyqk at 9:29 AM on January 20, 2011
Which one was the Ultimate Fighter matches where the two guys are friends, giving each other high fives in the ring? One guy finally breaks the other guy's ribs with a punch, but just before the injured guy goes down, he knocks out the other guy with one lucky punch.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:31 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:31 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the first Forrest Griffin / Stephan Bonnar fight is considered one of the key moments that brought the UFC to real mainstream status.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:33 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:33 AM on January 20, 2011
From http://www.ibhof.com/pages/about/inductees/oldtimer/jeannette.html
Jeannette's most famous fight occurred on April 17, 1909, when he met McVey in Paris. The pair had fought a lackluster bout there two months before. The dissatisfied crowd had showered the ring with programs and other debris, and rumors began to circulate that the two had treated the fight as a mere exhibition. Eager to dispel that notion, Jeannette and McVey agreed to fight to the finish with no round limit. The resulting battle was one of the greatest marathons in boxing history. McVey scored the first of his 27 knockdowns in the first round. In the sixteenth McVey countered a Jeannette uppercut with a right to the jaw that most likely would have finished Jeannette-had he not been saved by the bell.
Jeannette went down in the next round, the 21st time in seventeen rounds that he had hit the canvas. Looking beaten after nineteen rounds, Jeannette miraculously revived and seized control of the fight. As the bout moved past the 40-round mark, Jeannette began to floor McVey with regularity, but still could not put him away. In the 42nd, Jeannette dropped McVey seven times. Finally, after 49 rounds, McVey could not continue. Despite having been knocked down 27 times, Jeannette had triumphed in this unbelievable test of endurance, courage, and boxing ability. This fight underscores Jeannette's indomitable will.
posted by cali59 at 9:34 AM on January 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Jeannette's most famous fight occurred on April 17, 1909, when he met McVey in Paris. The pair had fought a lackluster bout there two months before. The dissatisfied crowd had showered the ring with programs and other debris, and rumors began to circulate that the two had treated the fight as a mere exhibition. Eager to dispel that notion, Jeannette and McVey agreed to fight to the finish with no round limit. The resulting battle was one of the greatest marathons in boxing history. McVey scored the first of his 27 knockdowns in the first round. In the sixteenth McVey countered a Jeannette uppercut with a right to the jaw that most likely would have finished Jeannette-had he not been saved by the bell.
Jeannette went down in the next round, the 21st time in seventeen rounds that he had hit the canvas. Looking beaten after nineteen rounds, Jeannette miraculously revived and seized control of the fight. As the bout moved past the 40-round mark, Jeannette began to floor McVey with regularity, but still could not put him away. In the 42nd, Jeannette dropped McVey seven times. Finally, after 49 rounds, McVey could not continue. Despite having been knocked down 27 times, Jeannette had triumphed in this unbelievable test of endurance, courage, and boxing ability. This fight underscores Jeannette's indomitable will.
posted by cali59 at 9:34 AM on January 20, 2011 [2 favorites]
Cool Papa Bell - Scott Smith vs Pete "Drago" Sell
I had the same exact thought.
posted by Crashback at 9:47 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
I had the same exact thought.
posted by Crashback at 9:47 AM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
Is your grandfather by any chance James Woods?
Whoa... "Midnight Sting"? Never seen that title before. It's Diggstown! The novel is good too, albeit quite different from the movie.
posted by staggernation at 9:47 AM on January 20, 2011
Whoa... "Midnight Sting"? Never seen that title before. It's Diggstown! The novel is good too, albeit quite different from the movie.
posted by staggernation at 9:47 AM on January 20, 2011
Cool Papa Bell - Scott Smith vs Pete "Drago" Sell
Yes! Great fight with a crazy ending.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:00 AM on January 20, 2011
Yes! Great fight with a crazy ending.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:00 AM on January 20, 2011
Response by poster: I'm not necessarily looking for real fights but it'd be preferential. Something I'm definitely looking for - real if possible - is some examples of fights during boxing exhibitions:
http://ballardboxing.tripod.com/id81.html
Fighting three guys at a time, fighting one handed, etc - the things that fighters did when they barnstormed between real bouts.
posted by rileyray3000 at 10:27 AM on January 20, 2011
http://ballardboxing.tripod.com/id81.html
Fighting three guys at a time, fighting one handed, etc - the things that fighters did when they barnstormed between real bouts.
posted by rileyray3000 at 10:27 AM on January 20, 2011
Seanbaby may be of some help here.
The Top 8 'Oh Shit!' Moments from Mixed Martial Arts
The Top 10 Ragdoll Physics Moments in Mixed Martial Arts
Worst Life Ever: The Story of Kazuyuki Fujita's Skull
The 10 Worst MMA Fights of All Time
The 6 Least Sportsmanlike Moments in MMA
The 10 Most Insane Acts of Violence in Kickboxing History
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:38 AM on January 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
The Top 8 'Oh Shit!' Moments from Mixed Martial Arts
The Top 10 Ragdoll Physics Moments in Mixed Martial Arts
Worst Life Ever: The Story of Kazuyuki Fujita's Skull
The 10 Worst MMA Fights of All Time
The 6 Least Sportsmanlike Moments in MMA
The 10 Most Insane Acts of Violence in Kickboxing History
posted by Faint of Butt at 10:38 AM on January 20, 2011 [3 favorites]
Also from the Journal of Manly Arts, Gouge and Bite, Pull Hair and Scratch: The Social Significance of Fighting in the Southern Backcountry
posted by electroboy at 10:46 AM on January 20, 2011
"I saw more than one man who wanted an eye, and ascertained that I was now in the region of -gouging,'" reported young Timothy Flint, a Harvard educated, Presbyterian minister bound for Louisiana missionary work in 1816. His spirits buckled as his party turned down the Mississippi from the Ohio Valley. Enterprising farmers gave way to slothful and vulgar folk whom Flint considered barely civilized. Only vicious fighting and disgusting accounts of battles past disturbed their inertia. Residents assured him that the "blackguards" excluded gentlemen from gouging matches. Flint was therefore perplexed when told that a barbarous looking man was the "best" in one settlement, until he learned that best in this context meant not the most moral, prosperous, or pious but the local champion who had whipped all he rest, the man most dexterous at extracting eyes
posted by electroboy at 10:46 AM on January 20, 2011
I got a huge kick out of the fight on Surreal Life when Vanilla Ice threw a drum set at Ron Jeremy.
posted by bolognius maximus at 11:01 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by bolognius maximus at 11:01 AM on January 20, 2011
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear-baiting Guy really did fight a bear.
posted by Felex at 11:16 AM on January 20, 2011
posted by Felex at 11:16 AM on January 20, 2011
Do you know Mas Oyama?
"He was also known for fighting bulls bare-handed. In his lifetime, he battled 52 bulls, three of which were purportedly killed instantly with one strike, earning him the nickname of "Godhand".
posted by anti social order at 12:40 PM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
"He was also known for fighting bulls bare-handed. In his lifetime, he battled 52 bulls, three of which were purportedly killed instantly with one strike, earning him the nickname of "Godhand".
posted by anti social order at 12:40 PM on January 20, 2011 [1 favorite]
So, it's totally fictional, but you can't let this thread exist without mention of The Great Outdoor Fight.
3 DAYS. 3 ACRES. 3,000 MEN.
posted by The Michael The at 12:58 PM on January 20, 2011
3 DAYS. 3 ACRES. 3,000 MEN.
posted by The Michael The at 12:58 PM on January 20, 2011
At some point Sokaku Takeda fought a lot of construction workers with a sword - it would later be dubbed "The Fukushima Incident". Though the standard folklore number is 50 and more exaggerated ones can be found, the fact is, anyone who fights several construction workers and gets noted as an "incident" means some serious shit went down.
posted by yeloson at 4:32 PM on January 20, 2011
posted by yeloson at 4:32 PM on January 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:15 AM on January 20, 2011