This page will be the starting point for a database listing as many sparring partner connections as I can find. I say "connections" because sometimes the facts of sparring, as we all know, can cause different recollections. It's meant as a general help to anyone, for any reason. Please, bookmark it and I will be adding to it, little by little, with links to sources, the Boxrec pages of the fighters, some quotes about it that I found helpful/interesting/amusing, etc, If they are very big names, I'll likely eventually link this to a special sparring profile page for that fighter alone, or if they're well known for sparring but not necessarily a big name (e.g. Steve Forbes, Malik Scott) I may give a separate also. Many of the less popular names will only be mentioned going one way, under their more popular sparring partner.
For everyone else, I'll either keep them on this page or divide them into multiple pages by alphabetical order, with possibly a separate page for each letter. The format might change if I find a better way to do it than the way I begin. Thanks so much for any feedback. If you have corrections that aren't of typo natures (which are also welcome) please link me to a source. Hopefully, this will be a big enough reference by the end of the year that we will have a very useful tool for those looking up this kind of thing. If you like how it turns out, please share with anyone you think might be interested. The more traffic I get, the more likely I am to continue working on this site. Here are the names from all the records I've kept:
Alphabetical order, by surnames:
A:
Adamek, Tomasz:
1. Vyacheslav Glazkov;
The talk was that Glazkov had success with Adamek, whom he'd later defeat.
Source: Stated on NBC Sports Broadcast leading into Glazkov's fight with Tomasz Adamek
2. Derrick Rossy: For Adamek's match with Nagy Aguilera.
Source: Tomasz's personal blog
3. Bobby Gunn: For Adamek's match with Nagy Aguilera. (Adamek had already defeated Gunn years prior)
Source: Tomasz's personal blog
4. Mariusz Wach: For Adamek's match with Przemyslaw Saleta and Mariusz's match with Alexander Povetkin: Wach says: “I spent 20 rounds with Adamek, going full speed with no mercy. He’s fast. . ."and also refers to Adamek as his buddy.
Source: Fight News
*Fight News claims Adamek had 7 total sparring partners for Przemyslaw Saleta.
Alexander, Devon:
1. Miguel Cruz:
Source: Commentator Ray Flores says they sparred 36-40 rounds during Cruz's fight with David Grayton. He says Cruz said he picked up quite a bit of tricks from the sparring.
2. Amir Imam
Source:
3. Cletus Seldin:
Source: https://www.ringtv.com/522221-cletus-seldin-says-he-deserves-a-title-shot-has-adrien-broner-in-his-targets/
Algieri, Chris:
1. Marcos Rene Maidana:
For his bout with Ruslan Provodnikov:
Source: Ring
2. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez
For his bout with Ruslan Provodnikov:
Source: Ring
3. Brandon Rios
For his bout with Ruslan Provodnikov:
Source: Ring
In a brief interview, Rios mentions:
''I worked with him a couple times."
"He's a great boxer."
and having faced Manny Pacquiao, tabs Algieri to defeat him in their scheduled bout but also mentioned Algieri's lack of power.
Source: Hustle Boss
4. Zab Judah: This was for Algieri's match with Manny Pacquiao. Judah remarked that he thought Algieri had "decent power"and was a physically strong person and Manny should not underestimate his power. He said Algieri is also a "slick boxer".
Source: Bad Left Hook
Secondary source: Dontae's Boxing Nation
5. Michael Brooks: For Algieri's match with Manny Pacquiao. Brooks claims to have been sparring Algieri for years, since 2005, when Algieri was still a kickboxer.
Source: Hustle Boss
Ali, Muhammad:
1. Jimmy Ellis
2. Larry Holmes
3. "Big" Roy Williams
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography
4. Willy Moran (likely spelled as Willie, on boxrec):
Source: The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey, By Muhammad Ali, Hana Yasmeen Ali
5. Greg Page: Some sources have Page as being a known sparring partner of Muhammad Ali as early as the age of fifteen.
Source: BET
6. Tim Witherspoon: Witherspoon says Ali actually gave him his nickname ''Terrible" due to how tough he was in sparring.
Source: The Observer
Secondary Source: Sports Illustrated
Alvarez, Saul:
1. Francisco Santana: For Canelo's match with Josesito Lopez. Francisco says: He basically says he's trying to learn from Alvarez and he's much more mature than most fighters his age.
Source: Hustle Boss (August 2012 interview)
2. Abraham Lopez: (we're uncertain which Abraham Lopez to link to) For Canelo's match with Josesito Lopez: Santana mentioned that they both sparred Canelo in 2012.
Source: Hustle Boss (August 2012 interview)
Angulo, Alfredo:
1. Amir Khan, for Angulo's match against Saul Alvarez. Alfredo says: "I believe that the velocity that Amir fights with is really helping me out with my reflexes through this camp. . .I've been sparring with Amir Khan virtually every day through this whole camp on all of the sparring days, and we're boxing about three or four rounds each day."
2. Tony Hirsch, for Angulo's match against Saul Alvarez. Alfredo says: "Tony Hirsch is another sparring partner who has been working with me. He has been an integral part of the training camp as well."
Source: Ring
Arreola, Chris
1. Damian Wills, for Chris' match with Jameel McCline
Source: East Side Boxing
2. Cisse Salif, for Chris' match with Jameel McCline, and for his match with Vitali Klitschko.
Source for the McCline match: East Side Boxing
Source for the Vitali Klitschko match: My Boxing Fans
3. Rod Willis, for Chris' match with Jameel McCline
Source: East Side Boxing
4. Lance Whitaker: For Chris' match with Vitali Klitschko.
Source for the Vitali Klitschko match: My Boxing Fans
5. Malik Scott: For Chris' match with Vitali Klitschko.
Source for the Vitali Klitschko match: My Boxing Fans
Augustama, Azea:
1. Ahmed Elbiale/Elbiali
Source: Miami Herald
B:
Beck, Owen:
1. Deontay Wilder: Beck claims that Wilder's sparring, like his fight with him was "Pretty much no good either. He was complaining about his elbows, about tendinitis. . .We didn't spar but I think two rounds, maybe." He picks Bermane Stiverne against Wilder by fifth-round knockout. He thinks Stiverne hits harder than Wilder having both fought and sparred Wilder and sparred Bermane. He feels Wilder and his team were okay to his face but disrespected him behind his back. He feels Wilder is a very disrespectful person. He also says he feels he observed that Wilder specifically doesn't like to get hit with body punches.
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
2. Bermane Stiverne: Says he is an "awesome guy to be around" and that he's had good work with him. He says Stiverne hits harder than Deontay Wilder, having sparred and professionally fought Wilder. He picked Stiverne to defeat Wilder by fifth-round knockout and says Bermane's hands feel like bricks. He says he had to move in sparring with him because he couldn't stand toe to toe with him, that Stiverne was simply too powerful.
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
3. Chris Byrd:
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
4. Lamon Brewster:
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
5. Lennox Lewis: He says he used to play basketball with Lennox.
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
Boone, Darnell:
1. Kelly Pavlik: Mentioned that Pavlik was about 22-0, so likely about 2004. Boone says this is after trying to talk the man running the gym into letting him spar, when Boone had never learned to box, let alone spar. This was Boone's very first sparring session, according to him. He eventually got them to let him pick a guy to spar and he picked Kelly, not knowing who he was. He says: "We went about a round and a half; he beat me from corner to corner, but after the rounds were over, he gave me a hug and said, 'Man, you got heart. You would do real good in this sport.' And I have been boxing ever since."
Source: Fight Hype(2014 interview)
Bradley, Timothy:
1. Lucas Matthysse, for Bradley's match with Juan Manuel Marquez, noted as even being Bradley's first spar back after his concussion-inducing match with Ruslan Provodnikov. Bradley says that Matthysse was a harder puncher than Provodnikov.
Source: USA Today
2. Terence Crawford: Tim says: "In camp, I like to get beat up. He did that. He beat me up." and mentioned Crawford is naturally right-handed but fought lefty. It was in India and for Tim's match with Devon Alexander. "The thing that I like about him is, is that he makes adjustments. . .Sometimes I will press, and I will press hard. And most people, most people, what they do is they will crumble. They will crumble, you know, and he didn't. . .He's a dog."
He also mentions they sparred for TIm's match with Joel Casamayor. Tim says the first camp with Terence was hard, but the second one was harder because of the adjustments Terence made, and that they talked about their sessions and learned from each other. He also says he is a future champion and would no longer be a sparring partner for anybody and that they can't kill each other in sparring again and they know each other too well now and have to have their own camps, each of them.
Terence says: "It was rough." and "Tim Bradley a bull." He also says that a lot of people don't see Tim as a great boxer but a slugger that just comes forward but that it's not like that when you get in the ring with him.
"With Tim it was way different than I ever sparred anybody. You know, like, he took me in his house, you know, took me to see football games. So, I looked up to him like a big brother. We done had personal bond conversations. You know, he done gave me a lot of great advice that I ain't got from nobody, you know, really. So, I looked at him totally different, you know. His family embraced me, they all liked me, you know. We went on little trips, like going to see them play soccer and stuff like that so I felt like I was part of the family."
Source: Hustle Boss, April 2013 interview.
Broner, Adrien:
1. Errol Spence (When Spence was still an amateur)
Source: Boxing Scene
2. Hank Lundy
Source: Boxing Scene
3. Robert Easter
Source: Robert Easter, while commentating on FS1 for PBC, during the Ryan Karl VS Kareem Martin match in November of 2017
Bruno, Frank:
1. Jeff Sims:
2. Leroy Caldwell: Commentator mentions Caldwell was brought over "at considerable expense, for three weeks"
Caldwell says in an interview featured on the broadcast: "I think he's the strongest heavyweight right now that's coming up I even seen." and that he "trains like a mad dog". He goes on to say he's been hit by Earnie Shavers, Cleveland Williams and George Foreman, and that there was no difference between their punches and Frank's.
Source: During the fight broadcast of Frank Bruno VS Floyd Cummings
Bute, Lucian:
1. Daniel Judah: For his 2011 bout with Brian Magee
2. James McGirt Junior: For his 2011 bout with Brian Magee
Source: Boxing Scene
Brewster, Lamon:
1. Lennox Lewis: Lamon says: "Lennox Lewis was great, and a good friend."
Source: East Side Boxing
2. James Toney: Lamon says:" James gave me so much experience and he always gave me advice and encouragement." He says that the best (for sparring only, I have to assume) he ever sparred with were Toney and Lionel Butler, despite sparring Lennox Lewis.
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Lionel Butler: Lamon says: "Lionel, he tested me the hardest in the gym, with his unforgettable power."
He says that the best (for sparring only, I have to assume) he ever sparred with were Lionel and James Toney, despite sparring Lennox Lewis.
Source: East Side Boxing
Burns, Ricky:
1. Luke Campbell: For Ricky's match with Terence Crawford. Ricky says: “The sparring with Luke went really well and I couldn’t be more pleased,”
Campbell says: “I was expecting a tough spar and that was exactly what I got,”
Source: Ring
2. Kevin Mitchell:
Source: Ring
C:
Campillo, Gabriel:
1. Andrzej Fonfara: Campillo mentions that this work was done in Chicago in an August 19, 2014 interview.
2. John Jackson: Campillo mentions that this was in the Virgin Islands in an August 19, 2014 interview.
Source: Boxing Scene
Charles, Don:
1. Danny Williams:
Source: Boxing Scene
2. James "Bonecrusher" Smith:
Source: Boxing Scene
3. Henry Akinwande:
Source: Boxing Scene
Charr, Manuel:
1-3. Nikolay Valuev, Sina Sinan Samil Sam and Cengiz Koc: Charr says he began sparring them in Berlin and "They were no problem for me."
4. Alexander Povetkin: Charr said "He had a lot of problems against me. I have no respect for him and I would fight against him every time, with or without money."
Source: 2007 interview with Andrew Wake at East Side Boxing
Chambers, Eddie:
1. Tyson Fury:
Source: British Boxers
2. Wladimir Klitschko: Chambers became an opponent of Wladimir later, being badly knocked out by a single left hook in the final seconds, having been shut out on points up to that knockout and unable to invade Wladimir's space. The sparring took place at least sometime in 2006, for "a couple weeks". He became an opponent of Klitschko in 2010. Eddied said:
"There were times I saw things, like with my jab, honestly, I was outboxing him. I was moving around - pop! I was like 'Man, it's working.' If I can keep going like that, you never know."
Source: http://articles.philly.com/2010-03-19/sports/25215111_1_wladimir-klitschko-eddie-chambers-heavyweight-title-belts
3. Jessie Hart: Hart is an undefeated Super Middleweight prospect at this time, Chambers was training for his 2013 match Thabiso Mchunu, which he lost decisively in his bid to step down from heavyweight to cruiserweight. Chambers calls Hart a "shining star prospect".
Source: East Side Boxing
4. Tony Thompson: It was mentioned leading up to a scheduled fight between the two which did not take place. The bout was an eliminator to decide which would rematch Wladimir Klitschko for the heavyweight championship. Chambers was forced to pull out for a back injury.
Source: On The Beak
5. Tony Bellew: For Tony's rematch with Nathan Cleverly, mentioning he guessed he'd sparred what must be over 100 rounds on the eighteenth of November, 2014. Tony's commentary about Eddie was glowing, saying:
"...Eddie Chambers is a Grade A fighter-skills, speed, power, he has everything, and he just doesn't get the respect he deserves, in my opinion."
"If Eddie Chambers came 20 years earlier, Eddie Chambers would be heavyweight champion of the world. No two ways about it."
"He doesn't get the respect he deserves, in my opinion."
He also said Chambers against Bermane Stiverne is a 50/50 fight, even though he rates Stiverne as a brilliant fighter since the amateur days.
Source: Interview with Michelle Joy Phelps
6. Hughie Fury: Chambers says in a November of 2014 interview: "We train like mad all the time, me and Tyson. Tyson helps step my game up to another level. Having Tyson and Hughie Fury to spar with has been great. When I spar with someone else now it's like sparring your little sister. I don't look forward to the sparring."
Source: ESPN
Chaves, Diego:
1. Luis Carlos Abregu
Source: Mentioned by HBO commentator Jim Lampley during HBO broadcast of Brandon Rios VS Diego Chaves. Also mentioned is that Chaves figures Abregu is very comparable to Brandon Rios in fighting style.
Note: I am assuming that Jim Lampley is referring to Luis Carlos Abregu, but he actually says "Juan Carlos Abregu'.
Secondary Source: Boxing Scene
Chaves says he's worked with "Carlos Abregu" and it is assumed he means Luis Carlos Abregu.
2. Marcos Rene Maidana: Chaves says he's worked with Maidana for Maidana's fights with Kotelnik, Victory Ortiz, Victor Cayo and others.
Source: Boxing Scene
Cherry, Edner:
1. Emanuel Augustus (Burton, formerly): For his last two weeks of training camp for Paulie Malignaggi (20070
2. Irving Garcia: For Paulie Malignaggi (2007)
Source: The Fight Writer
Chisora, Dereck:
1. Mariusz Wach: Chief Sparring Partner for Dereck's rematch with Tyson Fury, in the initial lead-up (the fight was postponed), Wach says: “Chisora is a very, very, strong fighter, he certainly surprised me with his strength. Even at this stage, with six weeks still left until the fight, he is physically prepared and as strong as bull,”
Source: East Side Boxing
Secondary Source: Behind The Gloves
2. Alexander Ustinov:
Source: Sky Sports
3. Nathan Cleverly: Cleverly's father and trainer Vince Cleverly said "He has handled heavyweights in sparring like Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora, and they have hit him with their best shots and not moved him." Vince said this in the lead-up interviews for Nathan's defense against Sergey Kovalev.
Source: ESPN
Cleverly, Nathan:
1. Dereck Chisora: Cleverly's father and trainer Vince Cleverly said "He has handled heavyweights in sparring like Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora, and they have hit him with their best shots and not moved him." Vince said this in the lead-up interviews for Nathan's defense against Sergey Kovalev.
Source: ESPN
2. Tyson Fury: Cleverly's father and trainer Vince Cleverly said "He has handled heavyweights in sparring like Tyson Fury and Dereck Chisora, and they have hit him with their best shots and not moved him." Vince said this in the lead-up interviews for Nathan's defense against Sergey Kovalev.
Source: ESPN
3. Lateef Kayode: This was in Los Angeles for his defense against Shawn Hawk (2012), at Wild Cardy gym. Vince Cleverly, trainer and father, says: "[Kayode] went at Nathan like a bull, but Nathan handled him,"
Source: ESPN
Cotto, Miguel:
1. Willie Monroe Junior: Noted in 2012
Source: Generation News
Conn, Billy:
1. Max Baer: The source says Conn was training for Young Corbett III, at Duffy's Gym, in Oakland and that Conn rocked Baer badly in sparring while Baer was clowning around. Conn was likely in the 160's and Baer around 220, and notoriously durable.
Source: Book, Billy Conn - The Pittsburgh Kid, by Paul F. Kennedy
Cruz, Miguel:
1. Devon Alexander:
Source: Commentator Ray Flores says they sparred 36-40 rounds during his fight with David Grayton. He says he picked up quite a bit of tricks from the sparring.
Cunningham, Steve:
1. Tyson Fury: Cunningham became Fury's sparring partner after a seemingly contentious relationship with him as an opponent.
2. Chris Byrd:
Source: Interview with Chris Byrd for his Youtube Channel Byrd's Eye View
3. O'Neil Bell: Cunningham says it was when Bell was a professional and Cunningham was an amateur. He also says he got the better of it far more often than Bell and that this later caused Bell to vacate or be stripped of his Cruiserweight title, to avoid Cunningham.
Source: Interview with Chris Byrd for his Youtube Channel Byrd's Eye View
Curry, Donald:
1. Tony Montgomery: Montgomery went on to become a Curry opponent, disqualified for headbutts.
Source: Los Angeles Times - 1987, listed as former sparring partner
D:
Diaz, Jorge
1. Manny Pacquiao: For Manny's first fight with Juan Manuel Marquez: Diaz says "Man, he was paying everyone a hundred bucks a day. A hundred bucks, come on, for three rounds." Diaz also says he probably sparred with Manny in this camp for 6-8 weeks somewhere.
Source: Discussed in interview with EsNews.
Also from this same interview:
2. Joel Casamayor (assumed to be Joel, only says "Casamayor").
3-4. He mentions the Ruelas brothers when he "was a kid," assuming Gabriel Ruelas and Rafael Ruelas.
5. Z Gorres:
6. Gerry Penalosa, mentioning he was very aggressive when he first sparred him and turned into a slick fighter.
7. Rey Bautista:
8. Glenn Donaire (specifies not Nonito)
De La Hoya, Oscar:
1. Antonio Margarito: Margarito said he bloodied Oscar twice, and that Oscar's camp wanted him to go very easy on him, while Oscar was allowed to do his worst. Margarito was generally angered by the sparring, he indicated.
Source: Boxing Insider
2. Shane Mosley: In the amateurs, leading up to Oscar's run for the Olympic gold medal, and as a professional, leading up to Oscar's 2007 match with Floyd Mayweather Junior.
Source: ESPN
3. Ivan Calderon: Temporary trainer for Oscar, Freddie Roach, had Calderon spar Oscar in preparation for Oscar's 2007 match with Floyd Mayweather Junior. This became a very big deal because Roach spoke of tremendous difficulty in Oscar's hitting the tiny Calderon and he deduced that Oscar could not pull the trigger on a small, fast southpaw. Therefore, when it came time to discuss Roach's most famous fighter, Manny Pacquiao, facing Oscar in 2008, Roach figured it was easy pickings, apparently, and went over this point very publically. Calderon, for his part, was very respectful of De La Hoya, while not being particularly contradictory about Roach's comments.
Source: Boxing Scene
Dempsey, Jack:
1. Martin Burke: Burke says, having sparred Dempsey recently for six rounds in a week and then professionally fighting Gene Tunney over the distance: "The six rounds with Dempsey were worse than the whole 15 with Tunney."
Source: ESPN, VIA L.A. Times
Dolton, Domonique:
1. Wladimir Klitschko:
Source: Commentator Ray Flores mentioned that Dolton had sparred Wlad, twice, during Dolton's match with Jamontay Clark. While I have no source for the fighters mentioning the sparring themselves, directly, Domonique mentions being a fan of Wlad in an interview where he mentions that he's a cool guy who told him a joke he laughed at all day, the first time he met him in the gym. He noted that Wlad was serious about training but cool outside the ring.
2. Aaron Pryor Junior
Source: Mentioned during the broadcast of his fight with Jamontay Clark, by commentator Ray Flores.
3. Andy Lee
Source: Mentioned during the broadcast of his fight with Jamontay Clark, by commentator Ray Flores.
Donaire, Nonito:
1. Bruno Escalante:
Source: The Philippine Star
Dunne, Bernard:
1. James Toney:
Source: The Sweet Science
Dunne says: "Toney is the most naturally gifted boxer I have ever seen. He is also half mad." and also touches on Toney', racially-oriented trash talk. I believe this was at the Wild Card Gym. He mentions busting Toney's nose, and seeming to have his respect.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book.
2. Manny Pacquiao:
Source: The Sweet Science
Dunne has said of Pacquiao: "Manny is astonishingly gifted - so quick with both hands. Trading blows with him is a mistake simply because he can take your best shots and land more. He has an abundance of energy, relentlessly coming at you for twelve rounds."
Dunne says they sparred hundreds of rounds together and that Fredie Roach said he was the only one to "handle" him in the gym. Dunne says he enjoyed sparring with Pacquiao.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book.
3. Johnny Tapia:
Source: The Sweet Science
Dunne says he was brought to a Big Bear camp by Freddie Roach for Tapia's match with Marco Antonio Barrera. Dunne makes clear that he feels he schooled Tapia, who'd tried to go all out on him and, though Freddie Roach had warned Dunne of Tapia's crazy temperament, Dunne obliged Tapia's aggression a little too much and was sacked for it.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book.
4. Carlos Hernandez:
Source: The Sweet Science
5. Shane Mosley:
Source: The Sweet Science
6. Wayne McCullough: The Sweet Science article mentions "After watching a 15-year-old Dunne spar with the-then world bantamweight champion Wayne McCullough in 1995, many observers believed the teenager would follow in the footsteps of his compatriot,"
Source: The Sweet Science
7. Nate Campbell: This was apparently more than once and they disliked each other tremendously, according to Dunne, leading to very rough, very dirty spars.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book
8. Scott Caan, actor, son of James Caan, told Freddie Roach he'd like to step in with Dunne. Roach was apparently impatient about this and OK'd the sparring, but told Dunne after some light sparring to basically go lay it on him and not waste his sparring minutes. Dunne obliged, mentioning Scott and he got along well, and he was a tough enough guy, but after he went professional on him, Caan said he'd had enough.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book
9. Willie Jorrin: Dunne doesn't seem to respect Jorrin and seems to think he's a bit of a pampered sparring partner who doesn't approve of being hit.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book
11. "Speedy" Gonzalez: Dunne mentions sparring a fighter by this name. There is more than one. This one is referred to as a Mexican Featherweight. I'm not sure which fighter to link to.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book
Duran, Roberto:
1. Mickey Rourke: Rourke says: "Scary. I sparred with him at the later stages of his boxing life when I had some height and strength on him. But he was so crafty."
Source: BBC Interview
2. Sergio Mora: (2016) 35-year-old Mora says he'd already done five rounds with Shane Mosley, who Duran was training, and Duran wanted to demonstrate on him for Mosley. "The man still has the machismo and sees all the angles but there’s no way his body allows him to pull the trigger anymore.”
Duran was 64-years-old and training for exhibition bout with Julio Ceasar Chavez Senior.
Source: RING
E:
Easter, Robert:
1. Jamontay Clark
Source: Easter mentions this during Clark's match with Domonique Dolton, as he commentated for PBC on that night. He mentions Clark has a lot of power behind his long punches and that he is very skilled and sparred him in the Cincinatti area.
2. Austin Trout
3. Adrien Broner
4. Anthony Peterson
5. Lamont Peterson 6.
F:
Fonfara, Andrzej:
1. Blake Caparello, for his match with Adonis Stevenson.
2. Gabriel Campillo, for his match with Adonis Stevenson.
Source: Andrzej Fonfara Fan Site
Foreman, George:
1. Sonny Liston:
Source: Mentioned many times in interviews, mentioned in print, in his autobiography By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman
Forbes, Steve:
1. Floyd Mayweather Junior:
2. Marcos Rene Maidana:
3. Manny Pacquiao:
Source: EsNEWS
.
4. Ricky Hatton: For Hatton's match with Jose Luis Castillo.
Steve says: ''Hatton punches to the body good, but I know how to defend there, so I can’t say that he bothered me. But he did send one guy to the doctor’s office, so that says a lot about his body attack."
Source: Seconds Out
Frazier, Joe:
1. Ken Norton:
Ken saying "After three rounds with Frazier, boxing Godzilla for 10 rounds was nothing!"
Source: Going the Distance : The Ken Norton Story
2. Larry Holmes:
Source: Larry mentioned it on Sky Sports' Ringside, among other places
3. Jerry Quarry: Listed as between their first and second matches.
Source: East Side Boxing
Froch, Carl:
1. David Walker:
Source: http://www.saddoboxing.com/1660-kid-dynamite-walks-comeback-trail.html
Fury, Hughie:
1. Eddie Chambers: Chambers says in a November of 2014 interview: "We train like mad all the time, me and Tyson. Tyson helps step my game up to another level. Having Tyson and Hughie Fury to spar with has been great. When I spar with someone else now it's like sparring your little sister. I don't look forward to the sparring."
Source: ESPN
Fury, Tyson:
Tyson Fury Sparring Reference List
G:
Garcia, Mikey:
1. Evgeny Gradovich: Evgeny says about a potential fight with Garcia: "Everything can happen. Right now we spar with Mikey and I think it’s good for us."
Source: Ring
2. Manny Pacquiao: For Erik Morales rematch, three weeks at Wild Card Gym. Mikey says he's was probably nineteen or twenty and they had him spar Manny for sometimes up to eight rounds straight and were pleased enough to hire him as the main sparring partner. He says he felt his biggest thing was his speed, more so than his power. As of his interview with Hustle Boss, in September of 2012, he considers Edwin Valero to have been the hardest puncher he'd sparred, though implies it may have been because he was about fifteen years old that made it seem more than it was.
Source: Hustle Boss
3. Edwin Valero:
Source: Hustle Boss
Garcia, Roberto:
1. Gennady Golovkin:
2. James Kirkland:
3. Alfredo Angulo:
4. Amir Khan:
Source for 1-4: Mentioned during the Friday Night Fights broadcast featuring Garcia VS Norberto Gonzalez, in the preceding match of Kamil Laszczyk VS Daniel Diaz, by commentator Bernardo Osuna
Gavern, Jason:
1. Anthony Joshua: Gavern became an opponent of Joshua's after their sparring. The sparring was said by the commentators of Sky Sports during the fight to have been very one-sided and leaving Gavern rating Joshua among the top three guys he'd sparred, with Wladimir Klitschko.
Source: Sky Sports Broadcast of his match with Joshua
Geale, Daniel:
1. Jake Carr:
Source: The Australian
2. Garth Wood:
Source: The Daily Telegraph
Glazkov, Vyacheslav:
1. Wladimir Klitschko: For Alexander Povetkin
Source: Stated on NBC Sports Broadcast leading into Glazkov's fight with Tomasz Adamek
2. Tomasz Adamek: The talk was that Glazkov had success with Adamek.
Source: Stated on NBC Sports Broadcast leading into Glazkov's fight with Tomasz Adamek
Golota, Andrew:
1. Nate Tubbs: For his 1998 bout with Tim Witherspoon
Source: Sun Sentinel
Golovkin, Gennady:
We have a long list for Gennady on file and for limited space in this lost, we've got a separate page for Golovkin here:
Gennady Golovkin's Sparring Profile: A Sparring Partner Reference List
Grano, Tony
1. Vitali Klitschko, three weeks for Vitali's fight with Albert Sosnowski
2. Joe Mesi:
Source: Boxing Scene
H:
Harris, Maurice:
1. Vitali Klitschko: Harris says that he worked with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko in the same year, 2005(read further). He worked with Wladimir for Wlad's match with DaVarryl Williamson and Vitali for his match with Danny Williams. To make a slight correction, Harris likely worked with both in 2004, when both of those matches took place. Harris says this is the last time he worked with them, up until the time of a 2012 interview with Boxing Talk.
Source: 2012 interview for Boxing Talk
2. Wladimir Klitschko: Harris says that he worked with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko in the same year, 2005(read further). He worked with Wladimir for Wlad's match with DaVarryl Williamson and Vitali for his match with Danny Williams. To make a slight correction, Harris likely worked with both in 2004, when both of those matches took place. Harris says this is the last time he worked with them, up until the time of a 2012 interview with Boxing Talk.
Source: 2012 interview for Boxing Talk
3. Edmund Gerber: Harris says he sparred Gerber in Germany before facing him professionally.
Source: 2012 interview for Boxing Talk
Haye, David:
1. Mariusz Wach, for canceled fight with Tyson Fury: Haye says: "Wach is one of the toughest men I've ever shared a ring with. You couldn't even budge him with a baseball bat. Some nights I've wanted to try."
2. Alexander Dimitrenko, for canceled fight with Tyson Fury
3. Deontay Wilder, for canceled fight with Tyson Fury: Haye says: ""Wilder punches about as hard as anybody in the division right now"
4. Richard Towers, for canceled fight with Tyson Fury
Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/david-haye-sparring-partners-beat-tyson-fury-507125
5. Michael Sprott:
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/sprott-hired-wladimir-klitschkos-sparring-partner--20228
6. Dillian/Dellian Whyte:
Source: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/boxing-tyson-fury-sparring-dillian-whyte-michael-sprott-155758663.html
7. George Groves: For George's match with Martins Kukulis.
Source: George Groves' on personal blog, September 2009
8. David Price:
Source: Frank Warren's site
Hearns, Thomas
1. Caveman Lee
Source: East Side Boxing
2. Dujuan Johnson:
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Milton McCrory:
Source: East Side Boxing
4. Marlon Starling: Emanuel Steward says: "In fact, he broke Marlon Starling’s jaw when Marlon came in to spar with him. Marlon was giving him some good boxing, too. They were really going at it hot and heavy and the next day he came into my room after training and told me that his jaw was hurt."
Source: East Side Boxing
5. Ray Leonard: Tommy reportedly got the better of Ray in their initial session, according to Emanuel Steward. This was for Ray's fight with Floyd Mayweather Senior.
Source: East Side Boxing
Source 2: Ray says of the Hearns sparring: "He was good. I enjoyed working with him then."
Source: People Magazine
6. Curtis Parker:
Source: East Side Boxing
7. Mike McCallum:
Source: Ringside Report
8. Mickey Rourke: Rourke says: "I once did a little sparring with Tommy Hearns. He hit me at two in the afternoon and I went down to a knee. At four in the morning, I was still throwing up."
Source: Rourke interview to the BBC
Hide, Herbie:
1. James Oyebola:
Source: Boxing Monthly
Holloway, Rashad:
1. Manny Pacquiao: A regular sparmate, used for at least Pacquiao's match with Oscar De La Hoya, Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto.
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
2. Garth Wood: For Wood's first match with Anthony Mundine
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Holmes, Larry
1. Muhammad Ali: Holmes was hired for Ali's match against Ken Norton, 1973 rematch.
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography, his own words.
2. Ernie Butler, Butler invited him to spar and to teach him. Larry accepted.
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography, his own words.
3. Earnie Shavers, hired for Shavers to train for Jerry Quarry, hired by Don King. Larry notes it's the first time he's paid for sparring.
Also for Earnie's match with Jimmy Ellis.
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography, his own words.
4. Bernard Benton:
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography, his own words.
5. Jody Ballard, implied after January of 1977
Source: Larry Holmes: Against the Odds, Autobiography, his own words.
6. Joe Frazier:
Soure: Larry mentioned on Sky Sports' Ringside
Holyfield, Evander:
1. Michael Bentt: Bentt is noted as chief sparring partner for Evander during his heavyweight title reign.
Source: Go Carribean Expo
2. Mike Tyson: Pat Nappi, the head coach of the U.S. Olympic Boxing team, had Holyfield volunteer to spar Mike, from a lower weight class. It was reportedly heated enough that Nappi stopped it after one round and took place a full dozen years before their first pro match and left Holyfield so confident that he would tell a friend "I whooped his a**. He ain't ever forgot that and I ain't ever forgot that."
But Tyson is thought not to recall much from the sparring session, supposedly, saying only "I think he hurt his arm. He wasn't feeling well."
Source: The Post Game
3. Tommy Martin: Unverified as happening, but the article in the Sun Sentinel says he was specifically invited by Holyfield after seeng footage of him sparring Andrew Golota. Holyfield wanted Martin to help him prepare for his first match with Lennox Lewis, which took play in March of 1999.
Source: Sun Sentinel
4. David Tua: When asked about Holyfield in Juneo of 2010, while not directly about sparring, he said “Fantastic and superb athlete. One of the greatest champions that I admire and I have the utmost respect for. Not only because of his finesse but because of his heart. It’s mad admiration, not only as a boxing fan but as a person."
Source: Boxing Insider
A current upload link of footage, marked 21st of October, 1996: YouTube
5. Kirk Johnson:
Source: Boxing Scene
Hopkins, Bernard:
1. Gabriel Rosado:
Source: 15 Rounds
In an 2014 interview after Rosado had faced Gennady Golovkin and Peter Quillin, Rosado said the biggest puncer he'd been in the ring with was Bernard Hopkins in sparring. This was also before Rosado faced David Lemieux.
Source: EsNews
2. John David Jackson: Jackson says: "He was my chief sparring partner while I was champion."
*Jackson held the WBO Light Middleweight title in calendar years 1988-1993 and WBA Middleweight Champion in calendar years 1993-1994
Source: John David Jackson in interview with BillyCBoxing
3. Vyacheslav Shabranskyy: Jim Lampley mentioned on HBO during Sullivan Barrera VS Felix Valera, since Shabranskyy would be fighting Sergey Kovalev that night, that Hopkins had referred to him as "Iron Fist" after sparring with him.
Hunter, Michael:
1. Wladimir Klitschko (2011, spent weeks with Wladimir for David Haye match)
2. Ismayl Sillah:
Source: EsNews
Mentions that Wladimir is the toughest person he's sparred, Sillah is second.Source: Sky Sports News Interview
3. Hasim Rahman Junior:
Source: Hustle Boss
I:
Imam, Amir:
1. Erickson Lubin: Doug Fischer said: "Imam (14-0, 12 KOs), a talented boxer with good technique and power, is among the few fighters who can give Lubin quality sparring rounds."
Source: Fight Word
Secondary source: Click here to go to ReySanchezNews video of them sparring
2. Dennis Galarza:
Source: Click here for sparring footage from ReySanchezNews
J:
Jacobs, Danny:
1. Curtis Stevens: For Stevens' 2013 bout with Elvin Ayala, eight rounds, also while Jacobs was training to fight against Billy Lyell, which did not happen. Jacobs said Stevens was in tremendous shape, despite initially coming to camp overweight.
Source: Ring
2. Chris Algieri:
Source: Danny Jacobs says directly that he and Algieri spar and hit each other in the face, while talking about how close they are, and Algieri's many roles in Jacobs' camp, including officially as nutritionist, all on HBO's broadcast of Jacobs VS Maciej Sulecki, in April of 2018.
Jacobs, Gary:
1. Ian John-Lewis: Ian says: "In 1989 I was hired to spar with the very good fighter Gary Jacobs from Scotland, we had a week of intensive sparring and to be honest we kicked the hell out of each other on a daily basis."
Source: Ring News 24
Johnson, Jack:
1. Joe Choynski, technically. Joe is quoted as saying: "A man who can move like you should never have to take a punch." This took place after their bout.
Source: PBS
Johnson, Kevin:
1. Wladimir Klitschko:
2. Artur Szpilka: Kevin says "He's a great fighter. . .Szpilka has a great future ahead."
3. Bryant Jennings:
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/johnson-discusses-artur-szpilka-vs-bryant-jennings--73361
4. Nikolay Valuev: Valuev says: "To tell you the truth, the American is nothing special as a boxer. We worked with him only because of his speed - he has fast left hand."
and says that Valuev was his sparring partner for his 2006 title defense Monte Barrett and they have sparred more than once. This is from a 2009 interview, leading up to Vitali Klitschko's match with Johnson.
Source: Boxing Scene
Jones Junior, Roy:
1. John Scully
Jones, Mike:
1. Manny Pacquiao:
2. Antonio DeMarco:
Source: Dontae's Boxing Nation
Joshua, Anthony:
1. Richard Towers:
Source: Sky Sports
2. Joe Joyce: May 2014
Source: Daily Mail
3. Tyson Fury:
Source: Tyson Fury, in interview with Steve Bunce
4. Wladimir Klitschko: August of 2014, for Klitschko's winning bout with Kubrat Pulev
Source: Fight News
5. Jason Gavern: Gavern became an opponent of Joshua's after their sparring. The sparring was said by the commentators of Sky Sports during the fight to have been very one-sided and leaving Gavern rating Joshua among the top three guys he'd sparred, with Wladimir Klitschko.
Source: Sky Sports Broadcast of his match with Joshua
Judah, Zab:
1. Floyd Mayweather Junior: Their session was a mutual preparation, as both had scheduled matches, Judah against Rafael Pineda and Mayweather against DeMarcus Corley. This took place in April of 2004. True or false, the story goes that Mayweather gave Judah a terrible hiding for a scheduled four-round spar. Roger Mayweather was quoted as saying he stopped it to prevent Judah getting anymore damage, as I've rephrased it. There is more to the story, if you follow the ESPN link from the pre-fight coverage of Zab and Floyd's professional match together.
Source: ESPN
1b. Judah apparently sparred Mayweather again for Mayweather's 2015 match with Manny Pacquiao. There was a minor controversy as claims came out that Mayweather was knocked down or even out in sparring. Zab Judah and Leonard Ellerbe denied that this took place. The rumour was given some depth in that it was also claimed Floyd badly beat Judah after he was put down.
Source discussing Leonard Ellerbe on the matter: Sky Sports
Source discussing Zab Judah on the matter: Fight Saga
There was also another minor controversy that involved these men sparring at this time and it involved Jeff Mayweather discussing Floyd dominating Judah in sparring (much like it is rumoured with their initial sessions).
Jeff Mayweather then personally apologised on the Mayweather Boxing Channel and said he wasn't the type of person to "throw someone under a bus" and he apologised to Floyd for leaking something from his camp. He said he wasn't in an interview but a casual conversation with a member of the press. He said that he implied everyone in camp with Floyd was getting "the business" with Floyd and the only person noteworthy to the journalist was Zab Judah, who he'd not initially specified and it was used as a headline for the story. He also says he considers Zab Judah a friend. "It was casual conversation and casual conversatin became an interview without me knowing it." Mayweather does stand by what he said, but apologises for it getting out the way it did, with Judah being specified in the way he was.
Source: Mayweather Boxing Channel
2. Paulie Malignaggi: Malignaggi denies this ever happened and says he would've remembered. Judah says it did happen, when Malignaggi was still an amateur.
Source: Ring
3. Ed Paredes:
4. Chris Algieri: For Algieri's match with Manny Pacquiao
Source: Bad Left Hook
Secondary source: Dontae's Boxing Nation
5. Victor Rosado: Paulie Malignaggi mentioned this in the lead-up to his match with Judah:
“I worked out at 8 o’clock in the morning and he worked out at night. One day I stayed all day and waited for him. . . He sparred this guy Victor Rosado, who had fought on the Golden Gloves. He was beating the brakes off this guy. Zab was so fast and so tough. This guy was a top prospect. I left thinking this guy (Judah) is so special and this is why people are talking about him."
Source: Ring
K:
Karl, Ryan:
1. Jermall Charlo
Source: Mentioned by commentators during his match with Kareem Martin.
2. Erislandy Lara, at Plex Gym.
Karl says: "We sparred Lara for the final week of his camp for his last fight with Terrell Gausha, because we’re the same height and reach and everything. That was a surreal experience since Lara’s the trickiest guy I’ve ever been in the ring with. He’s awkward, he’s slick and his range is unreal."
Source: PBC
3. Semajay Thomas
Source: PBC
4. Justin Pauldo
Source: PBC
Khan, Amir:
1. Jose Benavidez:
Source: Discussed in interview with EsNEWS.
2. Manny Pacquiao:
Source: Boxing Scene
3. Alfredo Angulo, for Angulo's match against Saul Alvarez. Alfredo says: "I believe that the velocity that Amir fights with is really helping me out with my reflexes through this camp. . .I've been sparring with Amir Khan virtually every day through this whole camp on all of the sparring days, and we're boxing about three or four rounds each day."
Source: Ring
4. Francisco Santana: For his rematch with Lamont Peterson. He calls Khan a good friend now.
Source: Hustle Boss (August 2012 interview)
5. Stan Martyniouk: For his match with Chris Algieri. Stan was brought in by Virgil Hunter for this fight, having been known as Manny Pacquiao's sparring partner for Chris Algieri as well.
Source: Unrivaled: Amir Khan, airing on Spike Network
Klitschko, Wladimir:
Wladimir's list is too long to fit in this post. Please, click here for a full listing:
Klitschko, Vitali:
1. Wladimir Klitschko: Wladimir says: "The last time we sparred, and that was years ago," he said, "I broke my leg. After that, we said no more."
Source: http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/22/sports/la-sp-dwyre-20110723
2. Dillian/Dellian Whyte:
Source: Source: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/boxing-tyson-fury-sparring-dillian-whyte-michael-sprott-155758663.html
3. Richard Towers:
Source: Sky Sports
4. Phil Jackson: Phil mentions Wladimir is a harder puncher than Vitali Klitschko. He mentions sparring with Klitschko at the time of Klitschko's fight with Ray Mercer. He said of the Klitschko brothers "They're just real polite, real good people, man."
Source: East Side Boxing
5. Tony Grano, three weeks for Vitali's fight with Albert Sosnowski
Source: Boxing Scene
6. Nicolai Firtha, for Vitali's match against Manuel Charr
Source: http://www.recordpub.net/sports/2013/07/13/randolph-native-nicolai-the-stoneman-firtha-returns-to-the-ring-tonight
7. Travis Walker:
Source: East Side Boxing
8. Raphael Butler:
Source: East Side Boxing
9. Alexander Ustinov:
Source: The New Zealand Herald
10. James Toney: Pepper Roach says: "James Toney, he sparred both Klitschkos at Freddie's gym. He looked good with both of them. He didn't dominate them. But he looked good with both of them. . .You know James plays with people. . .He spun both of them around, patted them in the a**. They were mad but that's how James is."
Source: EsNews interview with Pepper Roach
11. Maurice Harris: Harris says that he worked with both Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko in the same year, 2005(read further). He worked with Wladimir for Wlad's match with DaVarryl Williamson and Vitali for his match with Danny Williams. To make a slight correction, Harris likely worked with both in 2004, when both of those matches took place. Harris says this is the last time he worked with them, up until the time of a 2012 interview with Boxing Talk.
Source: 2012 interview for Boxing Talk
Kovalev, Sergey:
1. Gennady Golovkin:
“Kovalev was afraid of Golovkin when he was in the ring with him. . .I couldn’t spar them too much because Kovalev showed Gennady too much respect in the ring."
"When he did spar Gennady, Sergey would fall apart and wouldn’t pose much of a challenge for Golovkin. It was either too much respect or too much fear.”
Source: Fight Saga
Kovalev says:
"He hits like a sledgehammer."
Source: English translation of a Kovalev interview from this site: Kovalboxer.com
2. Guillermo Jones: Having watched the footage, Kovalev looked badly outsized but clearly scored more.
Source: Video shown on article at Boxing.com
3. Peter Quillin: Peter says: "I been in there with Kovalev as a sparring partner where Gennady Golovkin trains with Abel [Sanchez]. He helped me get ready for a fight and he definitely can crack. And not to say that I was dropped or anything, but he's definitely fighting from his own end of the struggle,"
Source: Fight Hype
Other sparring notes:
Trainer, John David Jackson said in an interview with Ring: "Sergei spars heavyweights; he hits that hard." and "I’m going to have to start bringing in cruiserweights. We’re getting sparring partners leaving without being paid because they don’t want any part of Kovalev.”
Source: Ring
l:
Lara, Erislandy:
1. Ed Paredes:
Source: ESPN2 Broadcast of Friday Night Fights, during his match with Alfonso Gomez, commentators quoting him.
2. Manny Pacquiao: This is a rumour which was flatly denied by Lara to Boxing Scene. He says he never sparred Pacquiao and that his team was never even contacted to spar him.
Source: April 5th Interview with Boxing Scene
Leapai, Alex:
1. Solomon Haumono, for his challenge against Wladimir Klitschko
2. Sonny Bill Williams:
Source: Herald Sun
3. Kali Meehan, for his challenge against Wladimir Klitschko
4. Willis Meehan, for his challenge against Wladimir Klitschko
5. Michael Kirby, for his challenge against Wladimir Klitschko
Source: Courier Mail
6. Bowie Tupou, for his challenge against Wladimir Klitschko
Source: Sports Times
Lee, Mike:
1. Andre Dirrell: For his match with Peter Lewison, 2014. Mike says: "Andre Dirrell taught me so much. That kid can switch, righty, lefty, taugt me different tricks."
2. Denis Grachev: For his match with Peter Lewison, 2014.
3. Anatoliy Dudchenko: For his match with Peter Lewison, 2014.
Source: Boxing Scene
Lemieux, David:
1. Jean Pascal: They are regular sparmates.
Source: Ring
Leonard, Ray:
1. Aaron Pryor:
Source: Acknowledged by both men during a press conference. Ray mentioned both knocking each other down.
2. Tommy Hearns: Tommy reportedly got the better of Ray in their initial session, according to Emanuel Steward. This was for Ray's fight with Floyd Mayweather Senior.
Source: East Side Boxing
Ray says of the Hearns sparring: "He was good. I enjoyed working with him then."
Source: People Magazine
3. Darin Allen (also listed as Darrin Allen): For Ray's rematch with Thomas Hearns.
Allen claims, essentially, that Ray beat him up early in sparring as he was still getting his bearings in the new environment with the legendary star in his camp, and he slowly turned it around until he was dominating Leonard, even carrying him, perhaps not to lose his gig as the sparring partner. He says he was called at three in the morning by JD Blythe and offered $500 a week to be there, while in serious need of the money.
Source: Darin Allen (also listed as Darrin Allen)
4. Lindsey Morgan: Mentioned as one of Ray's sparring partners for the Hearns rematch by Darin Allen.
Source: Darin Allen (also listed as Darrin Allen)
5. Quincy Taylor:
Source: Los Angeles Times
Lewis, Lennox:
1. Malik Scott:
Malik says: "Lennox Lewis is the hardest puncher I ever been in the ring with." ---This quote is from after he had sparred Wladimir Klitschko, it should be noted.
Sources: EsNews
2. John Ruiz: Emanuel Steward says: "And Ruiz, I asked him once about fighting him and he said, “I sparred with him once”. He said, “The way he fights I don’t even want to spar with him” because I was going to bring him in to spar with him at one point.
He said, 'Oh! He would throw a punch, and grab, and clinch, and it would be an ugly fight!' "
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Lamon Brewster: Lamon says: "Lennox Lewis was great, and a good friend."
Source: East Side Boxing
4. Crawford Ashley: For his 1998 match with Zeljko Mavrovic, in a Big Bear, California training camp.
Source: Sun Sentinel
5. Rick Phillips: For his 1998 match with Zeljko Mavrovic in a Big Bear, California training camp.
Source: Sun Sentinel
6. Luan Krasniqi: For his 1998 match with Zeljko Mavrovic in a Big Bear, California training camp.
Source: Sun Sentinel
7. Owen Beck: Beck mentions they used to play basketball together.
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
Liston, Sonny:
1. Jim Robinson: At one time, he was Liston's chief sparring partner.
Source: Stars and Stripes
2. Jay Nady: The famous referee said he couldn't remember who Liston fought that he helped him prepare for but that he remembers he won and it was a Reno fight, about 1970 or 1971. The only person this likely could have been with those numbers was for Liston's match with Chuck Wepner.
Nady also says, regarding Liston/Ali II:
"Sonny Liston was a really good man and I'm sure he wouldn't have gotten knocked down without being punched."
Source: Box Today interview, 2013
3. George Foreman: This is well known and Geore has mentioned this in many places, giving Liston much respect and saying Sonny was the only man to ever push him back in the ring.
Source: Among other sources, Georg'es book By George: The Autobiography of George Foreman
Lomachenko, Vasyl:
1. Shakur Stevenson:
Source: Ring
Source: Stevenson interview for ThaBoxingVoice
Lotierzo, Frank:
1. Michael Spinks:
2. Dwight Muhammad Qawi:
Source: East Side Boxing
Lubin, Erickson:
1. Amir Imam: Doug Fischer said: "Imam (14-0, 12 KOs), a talented boxer with good technique and power, is among the few fighters who can give Lubin quality sparring rounds."
Source: Fight Word
Secondary source: Click here to go to ReySanchezNews video of them sparring
M:
Macklin, Matthew:
1. Peter Quillin: This was at Wild Card Gym.
2. Michael Medina: This was at Wild Card Gym.
3. Stanyslav Kashtanov: This was at Wild Card Gym.
4. Rashad Holloway: This was at Wild Card Gym.
Source: 15 Rounds
Malignaggi, Paulie:
1. Zab Judah: Malignaggi denies this ever happened and says he would've remembered. Judah says it did happen, when Malignaggi was still an amateur.
Source: Ring
2. Sadam Ali: Malignaggi says to RING Magazine he has known Ali since Ali was a kid and that it makes him feel old. The HBO staff commented while noting Malignaggi's presence in Ali's corner against Francisco Santana, had sparred with Ali in the lead up to the match and coached him as they went through sparring. Malignaggi also comments to RING that he needed the work with southpaws, as he prepares to fight Danny O'Connor.
Source: Mentioned during the HBO broadcast of Sadam Ali VS Francisco Santana. Malignaggi worked Ali's corner for this match.
Mares, Abner:
1. Jhonny Gonzalez:
Source: ESPN
2. Daniel Ponce De Leon:
Source: ESPN
Margarito, Antonio:
1. Paul Williams: Reportedly about three years prior to their fight. Each camp seemed to say their man got the better of it.
Source: Fight Writer
2. Oscar De La Hoya: Margarito said he bloodied Oscar twice, and that Oscar's camp wanted him to go very easy on him, while Oscar was allowed to do his worst. Margarito was generally angered by the sparring, he indicated.
Source: Boxing Insider
3. Rodney Jones: For Margarito's 2007 match with Paul Williams. Jones was reportedly the prinicipal sparring partner and had handed Margarito his third professiona loss in 1996, which would be his last loss until 2004.
Source: Fight Writer
4. Cleotis Pendarvis:
Source: Ring
5. Ricardo Williams:
Source: Ring
6. K.C. Martinez:
Source: Ring
7. Austin Trout:
Source: Ring
Martin, Tommy:
1. Andrew Golota:
Source: Sun Sentinel
2. Lennox Lewis:
Source: Sun Sentinel
3. David Tua:
Source: Sun Sentinel
4. Evander Holyfield: Unverified as happening, but the article in the Sun Sentinel says he was specifically invited by Holyfield after seeng footage of him sparring Andrew Golota. Holyfield wanted Martin to help him prepare for his first match with Lennox Lewis, which took play in March of 1999.
Source: Sun Sentinel
Martinez, Aaron:
1. Allan Martinez (brother). He said he used experience against his brother, a southpaw, to help him against Robert Guerrero, though it wasn't clear that he sparred him specifically in the lead up to Guerrero. It is currently unclear if this is Allan/Allen/Aalan Martinez but he is referenced as a professional fighter.
2. Alfredo Angulo: Martinez calls Angulo very heavy-handed and a friend of his during Angulo's match against Delray Rains on NBC Sports. It is unclear when this took place or how often, any other details.
Martirosyan, Vanes:
1. Andre Ward: He says they sparred as amateurs in the Olympics together, in a January 2015 interview with Elie Seckbach. He says it was good sparring. He'd like to fight Ward in the pros, feeling certain he'd beat him and that he didn't feel size was an issue, that Ward was a small Super Middleweight.
Source: EsNews
2. Julio Cesar Chavez Junior: This was a 2011 spar for Martirosyan's match with Saul Roman and Chavez Junior's match with Sebastian Zbik.
Source: Boxing Scene
3. Sergey Kovalev: Vanes says this was four rounds and Sergey is "lethal" with both hands, has skills, is awkward. This was in a Seckbach interview in 2014.
Source: EsNews
Martyniouk, Stan:
1. Manny Pacquiao: For Pacquiao's fight with Chris Algieri.
Source: Boxing Scene
2. Denis Shafikov:
Source: Boxing Scene
Mayfield, Karim:
1. Manny Pacquiao:
Source: 2013 Interview in EGOSWORLD1
2. Sergio Mora:
Source: 2013 Interview in EGOSWORLD1
3. Danny Garcia:
Source: 2013 Interview in EGOSWORLD1
4. Zab Judah:
Source: 2013 Interview in EGOSWORLD1
5. Andre Ward: Ward says: "Mayfield's a tough fighter. He's from my area. I sparred with him a ton of times, very awkward, heavy-hands, a tough fighter to fight."
Source: Andre Ward, during the final minute of the fourth round of Thomas Dulorme VS Hank Lundy, working as the HBO commentator.
Mayweather, Floyd (Junior): Floyd's reference on file is too long for this post. Please click the following for a full listing on his separate page:
Mayweather, Roger:
1. Vince Phillips:
Source: Hustle Boss
2. Camacho (assumed Hector, senior):
Source: Hustle Boss
3. Jimmy Paul:
Source: Hustle Boss
4. Freddie Roach: Roach told Dontae's Boxing Nation that they had one sparring session, he thinks four rounds. He also says he was bested but later made a crack when Roger wanted to spar again that he already did his roadwork that morning and that ever since Roger and Roach have been "enemies". He says they never sparred again but that Roger was fun to watch in the gym. He also says Roger hadn't developed the power he would later. Roach also says: "I don't think I hit him once. I think he hit me a couple times." He mentions Roger telling him he knocked Roach out and that he replied he knew Roger was better than him but "It's been forty years and who gives an (expletive)."
Source: Dontae's Boxing Nation
4. Greg Haugen: Freddie Roach remarked that Roger beat up Haugen in sparring and that Haugen had been very mouthy in the gym and used racial expletives in the gym beforehand.
Source: Dontae's Boxing Nation
McCall, Oliver:
1. Mike Tyson:
Source: Chicago Tribune
Secondary source/video footage: Steve Lott's youtube channel
2. Danell Nicholson: "So I got the best sparring for him, and Danell was like a Muhammad Ali at that time, very much on his toes. In fact, in the training camp we had here in Kronk, Danell always had the upper hand over Oliver because he was just so fast."
Source: East Side Boxing
Oliver also said himself that he trained with Nicholson as his trainer ahead of Nicholson's planned rematch with Andrew Golota, which was unofficial, and mentioned that he thought he was in top form.
Source: BoxingNewsPL
3. Michael Spinks:
Source: Chicago Tribune
McCallum, Mike:
1. Tommy Hearns: Mike says he sparred roughly 100 rounds with Hearns in a 2007 interview and "I used to beat on Thomas Hearns. We had great workouts. Sometimes Tommy would get the better of me, and sometimes I’d get the better of Tommy. I think more times I’d get the better of him then he’d get the better of me."
Source: Ringside Report
2. Bunny Grant: McCallum says he sparred Grant when he was only 17-years-old and that Grant was a boxing hero of his.
Source: Ringside Report
3. Milton McCrory: Mike says:
"He was a great sparring partner and he had my number for a minute! He was one of the toughest to spar with and I sparred with him a lot."
Source: Ringside Report
4. Duane Thomas:
Source: Ringside Report
5. David Braxton:
Source: Ringside Report
McCrory, Glenn:
1. Mike Tyson: McCrory said "Against Mike I wasn’t scared and more than held my own. He never had me on the floor or had me in serious trouble and Mike himself would tell you that."
2. James "Bonecrusher" Smith: For Smith's fight with Frank Bruno
3. Bert Cooper: Glenn says he got the better of Cooper in sparring.
Source: Live Fight
Ladarius Miller:
1. Otuo "Junior" Saba: The source is actual video published in early 2014.
Source: Hustle Boss
Monroe Junior, Willie:
1. Miguel Cotto:
Source: Generation News
Monzon, Carlos:
1. Rudy Chaves
Source: HBO Broadcast of Rudy's son's match with Brandon Rios, Diego Chaves, mentioned by Jim Lampley.
Mora, Sergio:
1. Roberto Duran: (2016) 35-year-old Mora says he'd already done five rounds with Shane Mosley, who Duran was training, and Duran wanted to demonstrate on him for Mosley. "The man still has the machismo and sees all the angles but there’s no way his body allows him to pull the trigger anymore.”
Source: RING
N:
Negrete, Oscar:
1. Michael Conlan: His main sparring partner for Oscar's bout with Rey Vargas, which he did lose.
Source: http://ucnlive.com/oscar-negrete-smaller-fighter-huge-opportunity/
2. Oscar Valdez:
Source: http://ucnlive.com/oscar-negrete-smaller-fighter-huge-opportunity/
3. Jessie Magdaleno:
Source: http://ucnlive.com/oscar-negrete-smaller-fighter-huge-opportunity/
Nietes, Donnie:
1. Brian Viloria
Source: Source: https://www.ringtv.com/529030-brian-viloria-donnie-nietes-put-egos-aside-help-sparring/
Norton, Ken
1. Joe Frazier: Ken saying "After three rounds with Frazier, boxing Godzilla for 10 rounds was nothing!"
Source: Going the Distance : The Ken Norton Story
O:
Orozco, Antonio:
1. Timothy Bradley: Tim says: "Tough, tough guy." who kept coming forward and banging to the body. This was meant to be preparation for Bradley's match with Diego Chaves.
Source: Timothy Bradley on the truTV broadcast of Orozco VS Emmanuel Taylor
2. Victor Ortiz: Meant to have taken place in Kansas.
Source: Espinoza Boxing, on Twitter
3. Brandon Rios: Meant to have taken place in Kansas.
Source: Espinoza Boxing, on Twitter
4. Emmanuel Taylor: For Orozco's match with Humberto Soto. After Orozco beat Taylor, he invited Taylor to help him prepare as a sparring partner for a match with Humberto Soto. Taylor is said to have given Orozco's trainer many suggestions on his improvements after their sparring.
Source: HBO Broadcast, Jim Lampley mentions it during the second round of Antonio's fight with Humberto Soto.
Ortiz, Luis:
1. Mike Mollo: Mollo says this training helped him for his 2013 rematch with Artur Szpilka.
"It’s simple. This time I learned how to fight a southpaw. I never knew how to before. I’ve been down in South Beach at the 5th Street Gym sparring with Luis Ortiz. He’s way better than this kid. I now know how to face a southpaw."
Source: Q & A for andrzejfonfara.com
P:
Pacquiao, Manny:
For a full listing of all the information we have on file, please click the following link:
Manny Pacquiao's Sparring Profile: A Sparring Partner Reference List
Paredes, Ed:
1. Erislandy Lara
2. Luis Collazo
3. Zab Judah
Source: ESPN2 Broadcast of Friday Night Fights, during his match with Alfonso Gomez, commentators quoting him.
Parker, Curtis:
1. Michael Spinks:
2. Dwight Muhammad Qawi:
3. Thomas Hearns:
4. James Shuler
Source: East Side Boxing
Perez, Alex:
1. Miguel Cotto:
Source: Doghouse Boxing
2. Sergio Martinez:
Source: Doghouse Boxing
3. Felix Sturm:
Source: Doghouse Boxing
4. Joel Julio:
Source: Doghouse Boxing
Peterson, Anthony:
1. Robert Easter
Source: USA Today
2. Adrien Broner
Source: USA Today
3. Lamont Peterson
Source: USA Today
4. Austin Trout
Source: USA Today
Peterson, Lamont:
1. Robert Easter
Source: Robert Easter, while commentating on FS1 for PBC, during the Ryan Karl VS Kareem Martin match in November of 2017
Porter, Shawn:
1. Manny Pacquiao
Source: http://www.cleveland.com/sports/index.ssf/2014/01/boxer_shawn_porter_on_being_a.html
2. Haskell Lydell Rhodes, for Porter's match with Phil Lo Greco. Porter says: “I’ve been in the ring with Lydell,” said Porter. “He actually gave me a little bit of trouble the few times I’ve been in the ring with him. He’s really awkward. He’s kind of wild and unorthodox."
Source: Hustle Boss
3. Fred Wilson Junior: This is before Fred Wilson Junior turns pro, in the preparation for Porter's match with Kell Brook.
Source: Boxing Scene
Postol, Victor:
1. Ruslan Provodnikov:
Source: Max Kellerman, during the HBO broadcast for Postol VS Selcuk Aydin: "Postol was asked yesterday "How was it sparring with Provodnikov?" He said "It's alright. I survived."
Povetkin, Alexander:
1. Manuel Charr (future opponent): Charr said "He had a lot of problems against me. I have no respect for him and I would fight against him every time, with or without money."
Source: 2007 interview with Andrew Wake at East Side Boxing
2. Travis Walker: Walker says "They treat you real good in that camp as well." Travis also says it was a camp in Russia and "I don't think he's out there trying to kill nobody. He's trying to learn as well."
Source: Interview with Pro Boxing Insider
Price, David:
1. David Haye:
Source: Frank Warren's site
2. Kali Meehan: Sparring him at a David Haye training camp, Price says he handled Meehan and other sparring partners with ease.
Source: Frank Warren's site
3. Kubrat Pulev: Price says: "Recently, I’ve been across to spar the Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev, the current European champion. He really impressed me. He does the simple things very well. He spars just how he fights and we had war after war. One day he’d get the better of it, next day I’d be on top. Right now, I’d have to concede he’s a couple of steps above me because he’s faced better opposition but the spars were even."
Source: Frank Warren's site
4. Dereck Chisora: David says: "As I say, we’ve sparred and there’s big mutual respect."
Source: Frank Warren's site
Pryor, Aaron:
1. Howard Davis (mentioned on HBO's Legendary Nights by Pryor, Aaron claiming he was a paid sparring partner who "beat him up a couple times" and lost the job because of it) Davis was a former amateur opponent of Aaron's. He claims to have been sparring Davis for $500 a week.
2. Ray Leonard (mentioned by Pryor on HBO's Legendary Nights, by Pryor, insisting he knocked Ray down in sparring as a pro and amateur, in sparring) Leonard mentions during a press conference that they had knocked each other down.
Pryor Junior, Aaron:
1. Domonique Dolton
Source: PBC commentator mentions that while Dolton had Aaron Pryor Junior as a sparring partner, his opponent, Jamontay Clark, idolized Aaron Pryor Senior. This is mentioned during Dolton and Clark's match.
Pulev, Kubrat:
1. David Price: As amateurs and professionals.
Source: Sky Sports
David says: Price says: "Recently, I’ve been across to spar the Bulgarian, Kubrat Pulev, the current European champion. He really impressed me. He does the simple things very well. He spars just how he fights and we had war after war. One day he’d get the better of it, next day I’d be on top. Right now, I’d have to concede he’s a couple of steps above me because he’s faced better opposition but the spars were even."
Source: Frank Warren's site
2. Robert Helenius: Helenius mentions this as for his bout with Gbenga Oluokun, in March of 2010.
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Tervel Pulev: Kubrat says: "When I am in Bulgaria, we sparred sometimes but the problem is that when we are in the same ring, we always start a war,"
Source: Doghouse Boxing
4. Nikolay Valuev: Kubrat says: "I spar with all the heavyweight fighters from Sauerland Events like [Nicolay] Valuev, [Robert] Helenius, etc. It’s competitive sparrings but it’s done during the trainings, very different in the official match. The heavyweight division needs some attraction."
Source: Doghouse Boxing
Q:
Qawi, Dwight Muhammad:
1. James Scott: They were sparring partners in prison, and professional opponents.
Source: http://articles.philly.com/1987-12-04/sports/26206078_1_dwight-braxton-international-boxing-federation-cruiserweight-junior-heavyweight-title
2. Michael Spinks: Listed as before they fought for the title.
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Frank Lotierzo:
Source: East Side Boxing
4. Curtis Parker:
Source: East Side Boxing
R:
Rubio, Marco Antonio:
1. Egidijus Kavaliauskas: For his match with Gennady Golovkin.
Source: EsNews
2. Oleksandr Gvozdyk : Undetermined but likely for his match with Gennady Golovkin.
Source: EsNews
3. Anthony Mundine: For Mundine's match against Sergey Rabchenko and Rubio's match against Golovkin.
Source: ProBoxing-Fans
Russ, Lamar
1. Edwin Rodriguez: For his bout with Andre Ward.
2. Gennady Golovkin: Russ says he was in three camps for him and he is pound for pound top five fighter).
"He's an all-around fighter."
"He's actually improved my game."
Source: Boxing Socialist
S:
Saludar, Froilan:
1. Noli Morales
2. Edward Penerio
3. Mark Macabales
Source: PhilBoxing
It is noted that Froilan's first 12 round sparring session took place here, for his title eliminator with McWilliams Arroyo, against these three fighters, four rounds a piece.
Santa Cruz, Leo:
1. Manuel Roman: It is mentioned that they were sparring partners before they fought in September of 2014.
Source: ESPN
Scott, Malik:
1. Wladimir Klitschko: Malik calls him a "supreme athlete".
Sources: EsNews
2. Lennox Lewis: Malik says: "Lennox Lewis is the hardest puncher I ever been in the ring with."
Sources: EsNews
3. James Toney:
Sources: EsNews
4. Tyson Fury: Scott mentioned in an interview with Elie Seckbach, that he was impressed with Tyson Fury when he sparred him, adding that Tyson busted both of his eardrums in their sparring and then took him out for dinner, apologising. Malik added that if Fury got a fight with Wladimir Klitschko, another of Malik's many sparring partners, he'd have to pick Fury.
Source: EsNews
5. Chris Arreola: For Arreola's match with Vitali Klitschko.
Source: My Boxing Fans
Scully, John:
1. Vinny Pazienza:
Source: Boxing News 24
2. Roy Jones Jr:
Source: Boxing News 24
3. James Toney:
Source: Boxing News 24
Shimmel, Jordan:
1. Adonis Stevenson (for his 2013 match with Chad Dawson) Shimmel says: "He hits like a heavyweight and he's a southpaw so that's a little bit more awkward for me,"
2. Wladimir Klitschko (for his 2013 match with Francesco Pianeta)
Source: MLive
Sillakh/Sillah, Ismayl:
1. Denis Lebedev: Ismayl basically says he didn't think much of Lebedev as a boxer before sparring him but admits he's a good boxer, however hanging with him in sparring gave him confidence that he would do well in the division. The interview is from October of 2014.
Source: Hustle Boss
2. Michael Hunter:
Source: EsNews
Spinks, Michael:
1. Dwight Muhammad Qawi: Listed as before they fought for the title.
Source: East Side Boxing
2. Curtis Parker:
Source: East Side Boxing
Sprott, Michael:
1. Wladimir Klitschko:
2. David Haye:
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/sprott-hired-wladimir-klitschkos-sparring-partner--20228
Stander, Ron:
1. Mighty Joe Young: For Stander's bout with Joe Frazier. Ron says: “Two weeks before the fight, in Boston I was sparring Mighty Joe Young, from Brooklyn, and he tapped my nose, and broke my nose. You can’t stop the fight or postpone it, you get one chance at a chance of a lifetime.”
Source: The Sweet Science
Stevenson, Adonis:
1. Shimmell, Jordan: (for his 2013 match with Chad Dawson) Shimmel says: "He hits like a heavyweight and he's a southpaw so that's a little bit more awkward for me,"
Source: MLive
Stevens, Curtis:
1. Danny Jacobs: For Stevens' 2013 bout with Elvin Ayala, eight rounds, also while Jacobs was training to fight against Billy Lyell, which did not happen. Jacobs said Stevens was in tremendous shape, despite initially coming to camp overweight.
Source: Ring
Stiverne, Bermane:
1. Joseph Parker: Bermane was training in the same camp as Floyd Mayweather for his rematch with Chris Arreola, while Parker was training for his eventually rescheduled match with Sherman Williams.
Source: Stuff
T:
Tarver, Antonio:
1. Curtis Harper. During his walk to the ring, Antonio Tarver, while not expressly saying "I sparred Curtis Harper" did say Harper was in his training camp for a few months and said "I know he sparred guys like Chris Arreola, because he was in my camp for about two months." and "I know a little bit about Harper, and he's a solid guy, he can fight and he has really deceptive power." We're assuming that he remarked on deceptive power means he felt it more likely than saw it or heard about it. But since it wasn't certain, we're making note. He doesn't say which training camp he was in.
Theophane, Ashley:
1. Floyd Mayweather Junior:
Source: Ring
2. Ishe Smith
Source: Ring
Thompson, Lionell:
1. Chad Dawson
2. Carl Froch
3. Lucian Bute
4. Troy Ross
5. Isaac Chilemba
6. David Lemieux
In the May 2013 interview about his career to the Boxing News 24 source, Thompson says of his considerable sparring experience: “I know it’s only sparring, but I’ve more than held my own against world champions and top contenders. I’m like Marvin Hagler. He kept winning but didn’t get recognition until he beat Tommy Hearns.'
Source: Boxing News 24
Secondary source, Ross Thompson mentioned in interview with Chris Mannix, for NBC Sports, leading into their broadcast of Thompson's fight with Sergey Kovalev, speaks of his confidence in the short notice fight because he's been sparring Dawson and Chilemba.
Thurman, Keith:
1. Jeff Lacy (a super middleweight titlist)
Source: https://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/keith-thurman-why-one-time-is-the-real-deal/
2. Winky Wright (a light middleweight titlist and middleweight and light heavyweight title challenger)
Source: https://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/keith-thurman-why-one-time-is-the-real-deal/
3. Antonio Tarver (light heavyweight Ring champion and major titlist)
Source: https://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/keith-thurman-why-one-time-is-the-real-deal/
4. Andre Berto (rumoured to have knocked Berto unconscious)
Source: https://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/keith-thurman-why-one-time-is-the-real-deal/
5. Lenroy Thomas (a heavyweight fighter)
Source: https://www.boxingnews24.com/2013/03/keith-thurman-why-one-time-is-the-real-deal/
6. Shawn Porter (future opponent)
Source: https://www.ohio.com/akron/sports/area-boxer-shawn-porter-aims-to-take-title-from-former-sparring-partner-keith-thurman
7. Edner Cherry:
Soure: http://www.fighthype.com/news/article25310.html
8. Clarence Booth:
Source: https://www.fite.tv/video/clarence-booth-sparring-partner-for-/a1f78c3ceb6eaff7a55116fb25fb4b/
9. Ruben Ozuna:
Source: https://www.fite.tv/video/ruben-ozuna-sparring-partner-for-kei/e737387a94d47d9d2081baf57ee15be3/
Other sparring notes:
For his match with Jan Zaveck, Thurman didn't want to name his sparring partners, saying in an interview with Max Boxing: "I don’t want to name any names. We just worked with some local guys. I had two main sparring partners. One had speed and good footwork and the other guy was strong and physical. We worked with the speedy guy to keep my reflexes sharp and maintain my hand/eye coordination. We had good sparring."
Source: http://www.maxboxing.com/news/max-boxing-news/keith-one-time-thurman-looks-to-make-it-an-early-night-on-saturday
Toney, James:
1. Wladimir Klitschko: Pepper Roach says: "James Toney, he sparred both Klitschkos at Freddie's gym. He looked good with both of them. He didn't dominate them. But he looked good with both of them. . .You know James plays with people. . .He spun both of them around, patted them in the a**. They were mad but that's how James is."
Source: EsNews interview with Pepper Roach
2. Vitali Klitschko. Pepper Roach says: "James Toney, he sparred both Klitschkos at Freddie's gym. He looked good with both of them. He didn't dominate them. But he looked good with both of them. . .You know James plays with people. . .He spun both of them around, patted them in the a**. They were mad but that's how James is."
Source: EsNews interview with Pepper Roach
3. Pepper Roach
Source: EsNews interview with Pepper Roach
4. Gerald McClellan:
Source: Ring
5. Lamon Brewster:
Lamon says:" James gave me so much experience and he always gave me advice and encouragement." He says that the best (for sparring only, I have to assume) he ever sparred with were Toney and Lionel Butler, despite sparring Lennox Lewis.
Source: East Side Boxing
6. Malik Scott:
Sources: EsNews
7. John Scully:
Source: Boxing News 24
8. Nick Diaz: It should be noted that Diaz also sparred with boxer Andre Ward.
Source: MMA Mania
9. Terry Porter: ca 2003, a 1999 opponent of Toney's.
Source: ESPN
10. Danny Green: Reportedly, this was a gym war classic.
Source: ESPN
11. Bernard Dunne:
Source: The Sweet Science
Dunne says: "Toney is the most naturally gifted boxer I have ever seen. He is also half mad." and also touches on Toney', racially-oriented trash talk. I believe this was at the Wild Card Gym. He mentions busting Toney's nose, and seeming to have his respect.
Source: My Story, Dunne's book.
12. Mickey Rourke:
Source: Rourke interview to the BBC
Extra notes on James Toney sparring:
Steve Kim, in interview with Bloody Elbow, said of Toney's training habits and condition:
"Again, we're talking about a guy who's boxed for most of his life, and it's not even the fights that really effect you guys, it's the sparring. Round after round. You spar at least two, three times a week and you get your head jarred a lot. That's one of the misnomers about headgear. Headgear does not protect the brain. The headgear is there to protect from cuts if fighters should clash against each other, but the notion that a blow can be softened by a headgear is absolutely not true. That's been neurologically proven. And the one thing that I never agreed with, even his own trainer Freddie Roach, that in place of hard training -- traditional training like running, doing exercises, not eating a lot -- James would really spar his way to a fight. I've never seen a guy spar so much, and he was so good at it that he would never really hit the heavy bag, didn't like doing the mitts all that often, didn't do many calisthenics. He liked to spar an inordinate amount of rounds and days."
Source: Bloody Elbow
Towers, Richard:
1. Wladimir Klitschko: Dom Ingle, Towers' trainer said: "With Klitschko there was only Richard and Deontay Wilder left standing."
2. David Haye:
3. Anthony Joshua
4. Mike Perez:
5. Sam Sexton
6. Vitali Klitschko:
Source: Sky Sports
Trout, Austin:
1. Sergio Martinez:
Source: Fight Hub
2. Antonio Margarito:
Source: Ring
3. Anthony Peterson: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
4. Robert Easter: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
Secondary source: Robert Easter, while commentating on FS1 for PBC, during the Ryan Karl VS Kareem Martin match in November of 2017
5. Lamont Peterson: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
6. Hank Lundy: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
7. Jamel Herring: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
8. Alantez Fox: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
9. Jarrett Hurd: at Barry Hunter's Headbanger's Gym, for his match against Luis Grajeda.
Source: Ring
Tyson, Mike:
1. Oliver McCall:
Source: Chicago Tribune
Secondary source/video footage: Steve Lott's youtube channel
2. Greg Page:
Source: East Side Boxing
3. Glenn McCrory: McCrory said "Against Mike I wasn’t scared and more than held my own. He never had me on the floor or had me in serious trouble and Mike himself would tell you that."
Source: Live Fight
4. Patrick Lumumba: In an interview, Glenn McCrory, former Tyson sparring partner, said Lumumba had beaten Tyson up in sparring.
Source: Live Fight
5. Jimmy Clark: This took place when Tyson was 17-years-old. One person has headgear. It's not Tyson.
Source: Video footage at Steve Lott's youtube channel
Tua, David:
1. Julius Long: For his match with Alexander Ustinov.
Source: Otago Daily Times
2. Evander Holyfield:
Source: Interview with Boxing News
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbYb8bglnBo
U:
V:
Viloria, Brian:
1. Zou Shiming: For Viloria's match with Juan Francisco Estrada: Brian says: He's been a great help in training camp," The time was listed as 30 rounds for the two.
Source: https://ph.news.yahoo.com/viloria-spars-chinese-legend-095057650--spt.html
2. Donnie Nietes
Source: https://www.ringtv.com/529030-brian-viloria-donnie-nietes-put-egos-aside-help-sparring/
W:
Walcott, Joe (Barbados):
1. "Sailor" Tom Sharkey: Their manager, Walcott and Sharkey, Tom O'Rourke is quoted by Nat Fleischer as saying: "I had to stop Walcott from sparring with the sailor because Joe dumped him on his ear one afternoon in the gym."
Source: Cox's Corner Profiles
Ward, Andre:
1. Nick Diaz:
Andre says: "I sparred Nate, probably once, and I sparred Nick several times. . .Tough guys. . ."
Source: EsNews Interview, published 31st of December, 2011
2. Nate Diaz:
Andre says: "I sparred Nate, probably once, and I sparred Nick several times. . .Tough guys. . ."
Source: EsNews Interview, published 31st of December, 2011
3. Karim Mayfield: Ward says: "Mayfield's a tough fighter. He's from my area. I sparred with him a ton of times, very awkward, heavy-hands, a tough fighter to fight."Source: Andre Ward, during the final minute of the fourth round of Thomas Dulorme VS Hank Lundy, working as the HBO commentator.
4. Glenn Donaire: When Ward was still an amateur. Ward says: "Well, with my amateur career, I was already battle hardened before my first pro fight. You know the reigning champion now Nonito Donaire? Well, I used to spar a lot with his brother Glenn Donaire. I was only 90 pounds or so, and Glenn wasn’t that big, but he was a man and he was strong, and he brought it every day. He pushed me, and I went from running around the ring like a rabbit, to swinging and then running, to finally holding my ground and being able to hang with the older, bigger fighters"
Source: Fight Fan
5. Vanes Martirosyan: He says they sparred as amateurs in the Olympics together, in a January 2015 interview with Elie Seckbach. He says it was good sparring. He'd like to fight Ward in the pros, feeling certain he'd beat him and that he didn't feel size was an issue, that Ward was a small Super Middleweight.
Source: EsNews
Whitaker, Pernell:
1. Arturo Gatti: Arturo Gatti says this was for "4-5 years"
Source: ESPN
2. Floyd Mayweather Junior:
Source: Floyd Mayweather Junior, in multiple interviews
3. Hector Camacho: If you're unfamiliar with this incident, you'll really want to read the source article. It's a doozy.
Source: Daily Press
Whyte, Dillian/Dellian:
1. Vitali Klitschko
2. Tyson Fury:
3. David Haye:
4. Dereck Chisora
Source: https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/boxing-tyson-fury-sparring-dillian-whyte-michael-sprott-155758663.html
5. Wladimir Klitschko: For Klitschko's bout with Alexander Povetkin
Source: http://www.boxingscene.com/wladimir-klitschko-taste-british-sparring--70273
Wilder, Deontay:
1. Owen Beck: Beck claims that Wilder's sparring, like his fight with him was "Pretty much no good either. He was complaining about his elbows, about tendinitis. . .We didn't spar but I think two rounds, maybe." He picks Bermane Stiverne against Wilder by fifth-round knockout. He thinks Stiverne hits harder than Wilder having both fought and sparred Wilder and sparred Bermane. He feels Wilder and his team were okay to his face but disrespected him behind his back. He feels Wilder is a very disrespectful person. He also says he feels he observed that Wilder specifically doesn't like to get hit with body punches.
Source: January 2015 interview with BAYLORIC and Ingram Jones.
2. Avery Gibson
Source: Alabama Media Group Video
3. Wladimir Klitschko: For Wladimir's match with Mariusz Wach: Wilder says: "They loved it so much that I became the head sparring partner. I did 45-plus rounds with that man. Sometimes, everybody would be ready to spar, but it was just me."
Source: http://ringtv.craveonline.com/news/176045-wilder-2
James Ali Bashir, Wladimir's co-trainer, says he was working the corner with Deontay Wilder and Richard Towers in sparring Wladimir and both were knocked down trying to be aggressive and that he was impressed with their aggressiveness against Klitschko.
Source: From a great interview with Ingram Jones on the BaylorIC Youtube Channel, published March 09, 2013
4. Isaac Chamberlain: This took place for one month in Alabama, U.S.A., leading up to Chamberlain's professional debut against Moses Matovu, and Wilder's match with Bermane Stiverne. The sourced interview is detailed, but gives a very postive outlook on the sparring and Wilder himself.
Source: Sky Sports
5. David Haye: For David's canceled fight with Tyson Fury: Haye says: ""Wilder punches about as hard as anybody in the division right now"
Source: Currently unavailable, must have accidentally deleted this link.
6. Kevin Johnson: Johnson went on a rant about Wilder's lack of skill, quoted on Boxing Scene in 2014, but in an interview with Behind The Gloves in 2015, he didn't talk down about Wilder, but rather than take the opportunity to, he said:
"Can't say nothing bad about Deontay, can't say nothing good. Because, uh...Well, I can't even say nothing bad like that, because, that guy, back when he live in Alabama, and I lived in Georgia, back when both of us couldn't get no work, that guy come right up to Georgia, on Saturday and Sunday, me and him sparred thirteen rounds a day."
Source: Boxing Scene (2014), Behind The Gloves (2015)
Williams, Paul:
1. Carlos Quintana: For his first match with Sergio Martinez. This was after Williams' two fights with Quintana.
Source: ESPN
2. Antonio Margarito: Reportedly about three years prior to their fight. Each camp seemed to say their man got the better of it.
Source: Fight Writer
Witherspoon, Tim:
1. Lightning Bob Smith: Smith apparently fractured Tim's jaw in sparring and kept him out of the ring for nearly a year.
Source: Sports Illustrated
2. Muhammad Ali: Witherspoon says he did so well with Ali that Ali gave him his nickname "Terrible".
Source: Sports Illustrated
3. Gerry Cooney: Tim stated his decidedly low opinion of Cooney's technical skill and that he basically dominated him and was so hard on him he'd been kicked out of Cooney's camp and that was with sixteen ounce gloves to Cooney's 12.
Source: Sports Illustrated
4. Greg Page:
Source: Sports Illustrated
5. Trevor Berbick:
Source: Sports Illustrated
6. Michael Spinks:
Source: Sports Illustrated
7. Eddie Mustafa Muhammad:
Source: Sports Illustrated
8. James Scott:
Source: Sports Illustrated
X:
Y:
Z:
Work that bag,
Basement Gym Boxing
Nice little website. I think you could add Golovkin to Angulo and Alvarez's lists, and Harry Greb, George Godfrey, and Bill Tate are easily proven to have been Jack Dempsey's sparring partners at one point.
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Where are John Ruiz and Andy Ruiz? Two world champions.
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