In an interview with Behind The Gloves, for his upcoming bout with Anthony Joshua, Kevin Johnson was asked about several of today's heavyweights and dropped an interesting piece of history with a current major heavyweight titlist in Deontay Wilder: "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."
That did not sound like your usual Kevin Johnson hustle talk. It sounds like a respect for Wilder's dedication that was not on display during his "rip" on Wilder's skills, which was almost certainly Kevin Johnson's usual hustle talk. It's hard to disregard that kind of dedication, traveling like that every week to get good, consistent sparring in. That sounds like championship work ethic and hunger to hone your craft. Amusingly, it seemed that Johnson talked himself out of going on some kind of rant against Wilder or whatever he could do against Wilder, for the camera, and went ahead and said this instead. It shows a little respect for a guy he'd probably rather try to talk himself into a payday against, I'd say.
This page is designed to be as complete as possible a reference list and
guide to the sparring of multiple division champion Manny Pacquiao as can
be found. It is part of our main page list for finding sparring partner
history, to be found here:
1. Mike Dallas Junior, for at least Manny's match with Joshua Clottey.
Source: Discussed in interview with EsNEWS.
2. Jose Benavidez, for at least Manny's match with Joshua Clottey.
Source: Discussed in interview with EsNEWS.
3. Jorge "Kid Flash" Diaz: 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.
4. Ruslan Provodnikov: Pacquiao's chief sparring partner for 2012, before his first match with Timothy Bradley.
Trainer to both, Freddie Roach says: “The first day they sparred, Ruslan wore his regular headgear and he
just got marked up so badly that I had to buy him one with the bar on it
to protect him. . .He has that really light skin that
bruises pretty easily.”
5. Shawn Porter: Porter was meant to be in camp in 2009 for Pacquiao's match with Miguel Cotto.
Source: Boxing Scene
Shawn mentioned in January of 2014 that he was in two training camps with Manny and that Manny was humble and approachable. He said Manny is a very hard worker.
8. David Rodela: Has been in Pacquiao's camps to double digits. He was mentioned as Pac's sparring partner for Antonio Margarito, in the HBO 24/7 Episode 3 lead-up documentaries to that fight.
Source: Yahoo! Sports Sports Illustrated
9. Ray Beltran: A regular for Pacquiao's camps. He was mentioned specifically as Pac's sparring partner for Antonio Margarito, in the HBO 24/7 Episode 3 lead-up documentaries to that fight.
Source: Sports Illustrated
"It's very intense training."
"It's hard to explain because even without throwing punches, you're working."
"He make you work harder than you can even imagine."
". . .I think it's the hardest fight I ever had, you know?"
12. Amir Khan: For Manny's bout with Antonio Margarito and Khan's bout with Marcos Rene Maidana.
Source: Boxing Scene
While, it should be noted, in response to a proposed bout between the two, and after Amir Khan had left Roach for another trainer, Roach was quoted about the sparring as saying: "Pacquiao knocked him out in the gym. It's no big fight. . .He had Amir down at least four times."
Amir Khan was very frustrated by Roach's comments about their sparring sessions and in a December 2014 interview said that he'd not only never been knocked out by Pacquiao in sparring, ever, but that he'd never been knocked down in any sparring and Pacquiao didn't come close to putting him down. He did admit that he and Pacquiao did hurt each other at times.
18. Steve Forbes: For Pacquiao's fight with Joshua Clottey. "We would only go like three or four rounds." Source: EsNEWS
19. Robert "Scrappy" Ortiz
20. Mikey Garcia: 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.
Before the sparring took place, Martyniouk said that he grew up watching Pacquiao and wanted to learn as much as he could from him and knew what to expect having watched him spar before, saying:
"What surprised me a lot is he doesn't go easy on his sparring partners. . .He brings the heat and is very explosive. With his style, you never expect what he's going to throw. He ends up hitting you with the punches you don't see, and that's what hurts you."
23. Rashad Holloway: Rashad was mentioned as Pac's sparring partner for Antonio Margarito, in the HBO 24/7 Episode 3 lead-up documentaries to that fight.
Rashad says:
"When you get the better of him, at times, like, I mean, you're getting the better of the pound-for-pound best. And back then he was the pound-for-pound best, you know, with no question. . . and it's always a challenge.
"He's a good dude. To be able to share the ring with a guy like that, man, it's just, it's a special experience."
25. Viktor Postol: For Pacquiao's match with Chris Algieri. Pacquiao reportedly broke Postol's nose but Freddie Roach, who trained both Pacquiao and Postol, kept him in camp and said he was both a "tough kid" and better than Algieri himself.
Source: South China Morning Post
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.
28. Justin Juuko: Juuko has mentioned that Pacquiao is "very strong" and "very awkward" when discussing him. He also mentions that he thinks a fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather would be a 50/50 fight in his opinion. Juuko faced Mayweather in 1999.
29. Jose Luis Castillo: For Pacquiao's match with Miguel Cotto. Beforehand, Castillo said "I was invited for my body punching, which Cotto does, and for my ability to apply constant pressure on my opponents."
Source: Boxing Scene
Pacquiao's camp implied the sparring was very worthwhile.
Secondary source: Fight News
30. Willie Price/Pryce: It is unclear which boxer was mentioned but he was mentioned as Pac's sparring partner for Antonio Margarito, in the HBO 24/7 Episode 3 lead-up documentaries to that fight, as one of the "more sizable" partners.
Other sparring notes:
*For his match with Antonio Margarito, Margarito used Austin Trout as a sparring partner to prepare for Manny's southpaw stance. Margarito also used K. C. Martinez, Cleotis Pendarvis and Ricardo Williams for this purpose.
As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source
with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like
what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the
more likely we are to keep going, at this stage, and building our material.
This page is designed to be as complete as possible a reference list and
guide to the sparring of multiple division champion Floyd Mayweather Junior as can
be found. It is part of our main page list for finding sparring partner
history, to be found here:
As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source
with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like
what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the
more likely we are to keep going, at this stage, and building our material.
1. Tony Pep (then past opponent)
Pep says: "Every day I turned up with a plan to unsettle him. It only took him a
few seconds to adapt to whatever I threw at him. He's a special
fighter."
11. Luis Arias:
Arias and Mayweather's promotional company and gym had a contentious dissolution of their connection, with Arias telling Boxing Scene that he felt it was connected to his friendship with sons of Mayweather's friend Hasim Rahman, Sharif Rahman and Hasim Rahman Junior, who were suing Mayweather for a variety of legal allegations stemming from a filmed sparring match at Mayweather's gym. Arias basically says he was given no reason and cut loose only for his assumption that he was close with the Rahman brothers.
15. Malik Bosile: Bosile says he sparred Floyd for Floyd's match with Robert Guerrero. Bosile says Floyd joked with him about his Louisiana background by saying "Ain't no good boxers in Louisiana. I'm gonna cook you. I'm gonna cook you and you'll be done like a turkey." but calls Floyd a "Real good guy."
Source: EsNews
16. Errol Spence: One of Mayweather's chief sparring partners for his match with Robert Guerrero. Errol says: "I learned a lot from him. . . he’s
patient, he’s always composed no matter what situation he’s in. I like
that. It’s been a great experience sparring Floyd Mayweather especially so early in my career. . ."
Source: Ring
17. Jesus Gonzalez: Jesus says they sparred back in 2004 and that he learned a lot and what hard work is. He says he is not surprised by where Floyd is in the sport now. "If you want to be the best, you've gotta train like Floyd." He also says "T. B. E." and whether to your chagrin or satisfaction, I think you know what that stands for by now.
21. Zab Judah: 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.
22. Joseph Elegele: For Floyd's 2013 match with Robert Guerrero: Elegele said: “Floyd, he’s a very, very smart dude. . .He knows the
game in and out. He’s been on top for a long time. He knows what moves
to make. He’s a very smart dude. We had a quick sparring session, but
while it lasted it was real nice. I learned a lot from it.”
1. In a rumour that was laughed off by most, Media Take Out reported that a "snitch" informed them of an unnamed sparring partner knocking Mayweather down on a left hook to the body. All a week before his 2013 fight with Saul Alvarez. I don't take the rumour any more seriously than most. But entertaining it, the anonymous source says he got up to beat his sparring mate to a "bloody pulp" in the aftermath of the knockdown.
2. During the HBO broadcast of Floyd Mayweather Junior VS Arturo Gatti (June of 2005), in the sixth and final round, Larry Merchant remarked:
"In case you're wondering whether Mayweather will get tired, he sometimes spars ten or fifteen minute rounds, with different sparring partners moving in, to increase his stamina."
As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source
with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like
what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the
more likely we are to keep going, at this stage. This page will be
filled in with quotes and notes I find interesting, whether informative,
odd or funny or any other form of interest. Thanks for checking in.
Work that bag,
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This page is designed to be as complete as possible a reference list and
guide to the sparring of major world Middleweight titlist Gennady Golovkin as can
be found. Whatever claim of sparring, I will try to track it down and source it. It will be updated as I get more information to add. It is part of our main page list for finding sparring partner
history, to be found here:
Tyrell says: ''I'm gonna tell you the truth, man, that Golovkin dude, he's no hype. He punch so hard, man, he punch through the headgear, man."
"He has freakishly unreal power, man. But people don't know, I knocked him down in the first round when I came to sparring, and after that he beat me up every other day, it was nasty."
"I knocked him down in sparring, man, Abel Sanchez got the video, they might not want to show that, but I heard the HBO announcers saying he's never been down in sparring. I dropped him to the body, you know what I'm saying? But, he took it, he took it out on me the rest of the day."
"He don't do nothing real special, he just hits so hard you can't even implement your game plan because he hits so hard."
"He's a nice guy. He invited me out. I was up there and we sit down and ate but after in sparring he tried to kill me."
2. Lamar Russ:
Russ says he was in three camps for him and that he is a pound for pound top five fighter.
"He's an all-around fighter."
"He's actually improved my game."
Source: Boxing Socialist
Secondary source: Abel Sanchez taking questions from Hustle Boss:
Abel says Golovkin went easy and Golovkin isn't an "abusive fighter". He says Golovkin sparred three rounds with Peter Quillin on the same day as five rounds with Chavez Junior, at the Wild Card Gym. He mentions Freddie Roach is always accomadating when he brings in guys who need good sparring partners. Roach, of course, had worked with Chavez Junior and Quillin, despite both being campaigning middleweights.
6. Saul "Canelo" Alvarez: Specifically mentioned, for Alvarez's match with Ryan Rhodes and Gennady's match with Kassim Ouma. These are both June 2011 matches.
Source: Ring
Source for Rhodes and Ouma camps: Boxing Scene
Via translation to English by another party, Alvarez is meant to have confirmed: "I've sparred with Golovkin many times." while in the lead-up to Alvarez's fight with Floyd Mayweather Junior.
Source: EsNews
This exchange took place in the interview regarding Alvarez and Golovkin's sparring:
Kellerman: Canelo Alvarez will never get within a 100 miles of Gennady Golovkin. Young: Why?
Kellerman: In September I asked Golovkin about Alvarez because people were asking about that fight and he basically said that when he sparred with Alvarez (in Big Bear, California) he had to take it easy because he didn’t want to hurt him.
“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.”
Kovalev says: "He hits like a sledgehammer."
Source: English translation of a Kovalev interview from this site: Kovalboxer.com
8. Peter Quillin:
"That never happened, that he ran me and Chavez out of the gym."
''We just did regular sparring. It ain't like he's like knocking me out, knocking all over the ring. That never happens to Kid Chocolate."
Abel Sanchez, Golovkin's trainer, says that Peter and Gennady sparred only one time, telling Hustle Boss in an interview in June of 2013. He said Golovkin sparred three rounds with Quillin and five rounds with Chavez Junior on that day. He said they try not to show each other too much, being in the same division but that they worked well together. He says this took place at Wild Card and also that he's sure either would fight the other but that the problem was Peter fighting for a different television channel.
10. Shane Mosley: Shane says: "He has great punching power. Very heavy-handed." and that he started working with him before Golovkin was a world champion, guesses 2009 or 2008. Shane also says "He's very strong, very disciplined and he works hard." He also mentions at this time that he stills spars with him at times or his son does.
Source: VIDEO HERE
Speaks about it here in an interview published in March of this year: Hustle Boss
13. Ryan Coyne: For Golovkin's match with Gregorz Proksa. Coyne is known as both a Cruiserweight and Light Heavyweight prospect at this time.
Coyne says:
“I’ve sparred with heavyweights who can punch, including Mariusz Wach
and Mike Perez, nobody has hit me as hard as Golovkin. His power is out
of this world.”
16. Farah Ennis: Ennis boxes as a Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight. Farah says: "He's the strongest dude I ever sparred. And I been in there with heavyweights, cruiserweights."
17. Dhafir Smith: Smith boxes as a Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and even Cruiserweight.
Sourch: Doghouse Boxing
18. Paul Mendez: Mendez boxes as a Middleweight and Super Middleweight.
Source: EsNews
19. Ola Afolabi: Afolabi is a Cruiserweight title challenger who has been the distance with Marco Huck three times and is a sparring partner to Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko.
Source: EsNEWS
20. Carson Jones: Jones has been all over the weight classes from Welterweight to Light Heavyweight.
Source: Hustle Boss
21. Ryota Murata: Murata is thought to be a Middleweight prospect, with most of his fights taking place barely inside Super Middleweight early in his career yet.
Source: Asian Boxing
22. Julius Jackson: Julius, a Super Middleweight prospect, says: “Sparring with Gennady Golovkin is amazing. I've learned
a lot of things about balance, strength and power punching. He's one of
the hardest punchers right now in the sport of boxing and he focuses a
lot on key exercises that I've begun to work into my routine.”
This is his second trip to spar with Golovkin, the article says, and this time it is for Golovkin's defense against Daniel Geale.
Source: St. Thomas Source
Jackson would come to Golovkin's aid once again to help him prepare for his fight against Marco Antonio Rubio.
The source article cites a quote to BaylorIC:
“The rumors are true, GENNADY GOLOVKIN is an animal. I’ve never been hit
as hard from anybody else and I’ve sparred heavyweights,” Jackson said
to Bayloric.
23. Shane Mosley Junior: This is assumed, as Mosley mentions only that his son, without naming names, spars with Golovkin at times.
Source: Hustle Boss
24. Fredrick Lawson: Leading up to Golovkin's bout with Marco Antonio Rubio and Lawson's bout with Ray Narh.
Source: It was mentioned on ESPN2's broadcast of Ray Narh VS Fredrick Lawson and also Allsports, the Ghanian sports site.
25. Chris Hunt, interviewer for Men's Fitness, took time from his interview of Gennady Golovkin in the lead up to Golovkin's match with Marco Antonio Rubio to do some presumably very light sparring with him. Hunt said it was one of the coolest things he'd ever done and thanked Gennady for not killing him.
26. George Groves: For Golovkin's match with Daniel Geale.
George says:
“He’s a compact fighter, yeah. He packs a punch."
"He definitely hit me with a
few shots, you know, and I hit him back with a few shots.'
"Great, absolutely priceless bit of
sparring. . .Perfect timing."
"If there was any doubts about, you know, myself, my ability, my, you know, temperament, my mind, whatever, to go back in and spar with another world
champion, one of the best pound for pound in the world right now, who was a week away from fight fitness, a week away from his
fight, you know, and spar well- perfect.”
"Ornelas gave his all and got in his share of shots but it was obvious who the more accomplished fighter was."
~Observer, Anson Wainwright, who mentions just before their first of several sparring sessions, Abel Sanchez showed Ornelas footage of Golovkin VS Bute in the amateurs, because Ornelas had just come back from sparring Bute in Canada to spar Golovkin in Big Bear, California, USA.
It was noted as the Fall of 2011, or some time before Ornelas' match with Beibut Shumenov (2012) and Golovkin's match against Lajuan Simon.(2011).
Source: Max Boxing
28. Roberto Garcia:
Source: 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
29. Marcos Rene Maidana: Oddly, in a 2014 interview with EsNews, through a translator, it was mentioned that Maidana thinks he remembered sparring Golovkin in Germany and feeling his power.
Source: EsNews
31. Sullivan Barrera: Only implied in the source and they have been pictured working together, but it is unclear if they were real spars. It was mentioned in October interview, while he was preparing to fight Rowland Bryant and probably during Golovkin's training camp for Marco Antonio Rubio.
Source: Boxing News 24
Extra camp notes:
1. For his match with Daniel Geale, Geale trained with Jake Carr playing the part of Golovkin.
Source: The Australian
2. For his match with Gregorz Proksa, Doug Fischer for Ring, says that all of his sparring rounds were four minutes a piece.
Source: RingTV
3. Marco Antonio Rubio used Egidijus Kavaliauskas for his match with Golovkin. Source: EsNews
As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source
with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like
what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the
more likely we are to keep going, at this stage. This page will be
filled in with quotes and notes I find interesting, whether informative,
odd or funny or any other form of interest. Thanks for checking in.
This page is designed to be as complete as possible a reference list and guide to the sparring of heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko as can be found. It is part of our main page list for finding sparring partner history, to be found here:
As always, for any corrections you think you have, please post a source with your comment, unless it's something like a simple typo. If you like what we do, please, bookmark, share, etc. The more traffic we get, the more likely we are to keep going, at this stage.
2. Francesco Pianeta: For Thompson rematch. Pianeta would later get a chance to challenge Klitschko and would say about sparring him "I was in Wladimir’s camp as a sparring partner last year. I saw his
weaknesses and will use them for me. I know many experts see me as the
underdog but I like this role and will shock the boxing world when I
knock out Klitschko!“
Source: The Sweet Science
10. Deontay Wilder: For 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.
11. Sherman "The Tank" Williams: Leading to his brief sparring for Klitschko's match with Alex Leapai, he'd sparred twice with Wladimir and six other times with Vitali Klitschko.
Has sparred twice with Wladimir and six other times with Klitschko’s brother, recently retired world champion Vitali, at the time of this source's article:
Source: The Sweet Science
12. Vyacheslav Glazkov: For Alexander Povetkin
Source: Stated on NBC Sports Broadcast leading into
Glazkov's fight with Tomasz Adamek
13. Michael Sprott: For David Haye and Alexander Povetkin
17. Eddie Chambers, 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."
Chambers became Wladimir's opponent in 2010, shut out on the cards heading into the twelfth round, knocked out by a single left hook, unconscious, in the final seconds of that final round.
James Ali Bashir, Wladimir Klitshcko's co-trainer, said: "He surprised me, because, one day, Wladimir knocked him down, I mean sat him down, with a hard-a** hook-a hard hook. Bam! I mean, FOOM, he's sitting on the floor and he's like, looking up like 'What the hell happened?' You know, he was just sitting on the floor looking, man, he was just like 'What in the world?' and we had to help him up, say 'Hey, man. You come on out this ring, man, before you get killed.' You know? And he wanted to keep going. I said 'No, no, no, there ain't no shame in that. Get out this ring, man.'
Bashir says that Towers had given him the surprise of saying that Wladimir was only the tenth fighter he'd ever sparred in his life. He also says Richard Towers is a really good person and he loves him. Bashir 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.
19.
Jarrell Miller: For David Haye (2011): Jarell says: "His defense is
superb, with his head movement and a lot of people don't know that,
don't see it the way-how we see it." He says it's his second camp with
Wladimir.
Source: Told Sky Sports News, mentioned: http://www.boxingfutures.com/opinion/0609-klitschko-training-camp
20.
Michael Hunter: For David Haye (2011), while still an amateur. He'd
become a 2012 Olympian. He says Wlad hurt his back and had him out of
fighting shape for a little while from leaning down on him. Says he's a
"big and smart dude." and "actually pretty fast". He says that he's been
working with him "a couple weeks now".
Also for Jean Marc Mormeck, 2012.
Source: Sky Sports News Interview
Source: Ring Polska
Later,
in a 2013 interview, when asked by Elie Seckbach "Who's the toughest
guy you ever sparred" he would reply "I would have to say Wladimir
Klitschko."
Source: EsNews
Later also for Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News
26.
Phil Jackson: Phil mentions Wladimir is a harder puncher than Vitali
Klitschko and Lennox Lewis both. 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
27. Andy Lee: First record of this partnership that I have is when Wladimir was training for his second match with Chris Byrd in 2006. Emanuel Steward, then Wladimir's trainer, said:
"Wladimir told me after beating Byrd that Andy
was much harder to hit than Byrd and much faster, too. For the first
day, Andy's speed really gave Wladimir problems and by the time we got
Wladimir to the actual Byrd fight, Chris Byrd was slow in comparison to
what Wladimir had been having with Andy in sparring."
Source: Seconds Out
The second specific match Lee worked with Wladimir for was his unification bout with Sultan Ibragimov.
Source: HBO
The third specific match I am aware of is for Lee's scheduled match against Daniel Urbanski and Wladimir's match against Dereck Chisora. Neither fight happened at the time.
Secondary Source: RTÉ (Raidió TeilifÃs Éireann)
29. Samuel Peter (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones.
30. Teke Oruh (unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones.
31. Jakarta Nakuru(unverified, for Charles Shufford)
Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones. Nakuru is assumed as he's mentioned only as "Jakarta" and a local heavyweight, from where Nakuru did fight.
32. Tony Tubbs(unverified, for Charles Shufford) Source: The now defunct Bragging Rights Corner, in my notes, from a writer listed as Stephen Jones.
34. 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
35. Anthony Joshua: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News
36. Emmanuel Nwodo: For Klitschko's September bout with Kubrat Pulev, August of 2014
Source: Fight News
41. Rene Dettweiler: This was meant to have taken place in Klitschko's training camp in Mallorca/Majora, a Spanish island with a gym converted from a ballroom, and one Klitschko would use again later. Boxing Scene has this mentioned in a 2006 article, saying Dettweiler went to Klitschko's camp in March, so it's assumed the camp was for the Chris Byrd rematch, which took place in April of 2006.
43. 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
44. Joseph Parker: Parker was apparently invited to Klitschko's next training camp. I have no record of them sparring before, though there is record of previous invites to the Klitschko camp.
Source: TVNZ
Parker was apparently asked by Wladimir's camp to spar two earlier times, including for Wladimir's match with Kubrat Pulev but both other times the timing coincided with his own matches very poorly and it wasn't feasible. Parker's trainer, Kevin Barry, mentioned "I want Joe to work with Klitschko because he is the measuring stick. I think it would be a huge growth thing for Joe and a very good mental test for Joe to be with the elite of the elite. There's no doubt about that. There's Klitschko, then there's the rest. That's our yardstick, so I'm very keen for him to go."
Source: Boxing Scene
Update: The sparring took place and it was for Klitschko's match with Bryant Jennings.
46. Murat Gassiev: For Klitschko's match with Bryant Jennings and Gassiev's match with Felix Cora Junior. Abel Sanchez says Gassiev "did" well, according to FS1's commentators during broadcast of Gassiev's match with Cora Junior. This was meant to be at least one 3-round sparring session with a few others scheduled.
Source: FS1 commentating, PEC,
47. Domonique Dolton:
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.
Extra notes:
1. For the first match with Sam Peter: Emanuel Steward mentions to those covering the camp that Wladimir is closing in on 120 rounds of sparring for the fight and “The most I’ve ever had a fighter spar before a fight.”
Source: The Sweet Science
2. For his bout with Alex Leapai, Klitschko's camp made an offer to hire David Tua, who could've used the money, but decided out of loyalty to Leapai to reject the offer.
Source: Courier Mail
3. At some point, a Klitschko's camp, likely Wladimir Klitschko's camp, but possibly Vitali's, offered contender Bryant Jennings a spot as a sparring partner. Jennnings' camp declined, despite knowing the money was good.
Bryant says: “I think you have to go to their camp (as a sparring partner) so they
can test you, see what you’re all about, so they can figure out what
they’re getting into … whether or not they can handle you. . . That seems to be the only way. A lot of
their opponents have been their sparring partners, so that’s one
strategy (for moving to the front of the line). But I don’t want them to figure me out just yet. I want them to find out what I’m all about when we get in the ring.”
5. For his bout with Wladimir Klitschko (2005) Eliseo Castillo sparred with Michael Grant (Former opponent of Lennox Lewis at the time), Lance Whitaker and Jameel McCline (former opponent of Wladimir's at the time) to prepare him for Wladimir.
6. Bryant Jennings prepared for Wladimir Klitschko with Gerald Washington. Jennings and Washington had said this, while Fred Jenkins, Bryant's trainer, told Ingram Jones he would not confirm it, coyly. Washington complimented Jennings conditioning and intelligence.
Source from Washington: https://www.facebook.com/GeraldWashingtonFanPage/photos/a.456948307755771.1073741831.254265691357368/743102835806982/?type=1
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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."
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.
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."
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."
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:
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
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.
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
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
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."
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."
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".
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.
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.
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."
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)
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,”
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.
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,"
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.
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.
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").
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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
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."
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.
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. 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
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
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."
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
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
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
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."
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."
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
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."
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
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
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.
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.
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
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."
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."
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
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:
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
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.”
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
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
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.
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)
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!' "
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."
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
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.
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
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
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:
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)."
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.
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.
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."
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
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.
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
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.
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:
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.
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."
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."
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."
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
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.'
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:
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."
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."
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."
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
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.
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."
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
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
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
Andre says: "I sparred Nate, probably once, and I sparred Nick several times. . .Tough guys. . ."
Source: EsNews Interview, published 31st of December, 2011
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"
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
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.
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.
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."
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.
