In the late 1970s, Page was one of the great amateur talents, compared, of course, with Ali. I'll always remember though one fight as part of the US boxing team where he came in under-trained and overweight. The fight was on ABC and called by Cosell who I remember to this day saying "Greg has come into this tournament a little bit heavy...I don't like that! There's no reason for a young man of his talents to let himself get out of shape like that". Greg was 19 years old. That was the beginning of this great boxing talent's frustrating underachievement throughout his career. Blessed with blinding hand speed, great footwork, a terrific left jab and an iron chin, Page could have been a dominant force for many years in the division. He won championships yes, but he never fulfilled his limitless potential. In this fight, near the end, if not at the end of his years as a serious and ranked fighter, you see what he could have been had he taken boxing seriously. He's in the best shape he had been in for over a decade and you see glimpses of the movement, the ability to slip a punch and the best chin in the heavyweight division. He was unaffected by some titanic punches Ruddock landed in the early rounds. It is absolutely tragic how he ended up and one could say, his durability allowed him to stay in the ring and fight on well after he should have been retired. Unfortunately, boxing and Don King ate him up, drained him dry and spit him out. Financially strapped, he fought on for small paychecks in obscure places until his great iron jaw broke and left him helpless and debilitated. I followed his entire career from his amateur crowning as the heir apparent to Ali's throne until he died from the health effects of a traumatic brain injury in the ring that left him a helpless invalid and I have never seen a more tragic story. Greg had his personal demons, that is true but he also fell victim to boxing's most ruthless con man and the heartless nature of the fight game. RIP to the late and great Greg Page.
@@lyrics2challenged Thats what he said about being hit by Earnie Shavers in the second round of their 1977 fight. Ali was in desperate shape but his aura was so great, he conned Shavers into believing he wasn't hurt by faking rubbery legs. It was a pivotal choice for Earnie, he chose to not go after Ali and his chance was gone. Ali was one punch from being gone.
@@charleslee1644 I was 12 when Teo blew out Duane Bobick in the '72 Olympic games and 16 years old when he sent John Tate halfway across the ring and on his butt in a corner during the '76 Montreal Summer games. Yet despite those performances, I didn't think his stiff, upright and mechanical style would have been a match for Page or anyone else with movement. Of course, we never saw his stamina tested given the amateur format and any talk he would have given a seasoned heavyweight professional a solid challenge were nonsense. Despite all of his accolades and gold medals, he never fought a fight over 9 minutes in length and never had to deal with professional experience and tactics. Could he have beaten 1 or 2 of the dogs in the heavyweight division at that time?...maybe but Foreman, Lyle, Norton, Ali, Frazier, Holmes etc would have knocked him out. Too stiff, mechanical and upright with questionable stamina and toughness. Can you imagine what a 28 year old Larry Holmes would have done to him with his movement, jab and hard, fast overhand right? It would have been no contest.
Ruddock is a true legend, but he could have been even better if he'd combined two versions of himself--the jabbing boxer from his earlier career and the slugger of the latter part--together in one package.
It was good to see Floyd Patterson working Razor's corner. Something about his demeanor that I like. No yelling. No profanity. Just talking to the man in a normal voice. Showing his concern. "How do you feel"? And then talking to him in a pretty normal voice.
After seeing Ruddock labour to victory over an already faded Greg Page here, it's no wonder he was blown away early by Lennox Lewis eight months later. Those two brutal encounters with Mike Tyson in 1991 clearly affected Ruddock tremendously. He took an enormous amount of punishment from Tyson in those fights including suffering a broken jaw. After losing to Lewis and then Tommy Morrison a couple of years later, Ruddock's career took a nose dive and he never featured at top level again. For me, he was never an 'A' grade fighter like Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Lewis and Riddick Bowe for the simple reason that he never learnt to box properly. Instead of setting up power punches behind a stiff left jab, he would just throw them wildly in the hope that they would connect. If he had actually learnt to box properly, he probably would have been one of the best heavyweights of all time, given his awesome punching power and enormous physical strength. I think both Ruddock and Page for that matter, were a waste of talent. At least Page was in shape for this fight though and pushed Ruddock hard before finally been clubbed into submission. Joe Cortez should have stopped the fight before the bell sounded because Page was completely helpless on the ropes for about three seconds before the final gong. Page's corner also stupidly tried to convince Cortez and the ringside doctor that Page was okay by saying 'don't worry, you all right' to Page as he was stumbling back to his corner. It was bad refereeing and bad corner work as far as I am concerned. I think Page was badly damaged after this fight and it's sad that he fought on until well in his 40s before suffering a terrible brain injury at the hands of Dale Crowe. That injury eventually led to Page's death some years ago. Truly a sad story if there ever was one.
When seeing Page fight I cant help but think of how great he would have been had he worked harder and took his career seriously.He possibly would have ranked amongst the top ten heavyweights of all times.
my father did work hard- he too had LIFE issues that wore him down JUST LIKE WE LET LIFE WEAR US DOWN. there boxers and athletes aren’t exempt to LIFE challenges
Craig Jackson it is sad to see. it just goes to show you mental health training is equally important. these athletes be going through sooooooo much, on the low. and are scrutinized for it
@@aliciadaniellepage4405 That's very true, you must be so proud of your Dad there should be more help for ex boxers. Where are all the promoters once the're career is over look at the state of poor Leon Spinks and so many more from the past it's a disgrace.😞
Now you might understand why Riddick Bowe drew so many comparisons to Greg Page in the early 90s. Both could have been great fighters/champions, if only they would have been serious about their boxing careers.
This may have been the last fight where Ruddock was still considered one of the top heavyweights. I believe that he, then, faced Lennox Lewis in October of that year, and was utterly destroyed, in 2 rounds.
I thought he fought Tyson later but your right. Anyone can get knocked out by Lewis or Tyson, I remeber odds for Lewis fight, Ruddock was odds on, but what it says online, is that they lower odds before fight. as peole backed Lewis, so level in betting., I wonder if Lewis beats Tyson in 1992, he might have.
This fight saddens me greatly. Two very good heavyweights who should have had at least 3 years of reigns as heavyweight champions. They just let themselves fall off the cliff. RIP to Page.
Ruddock could be inconsistent at times, he wouldn't use combos he kept swinging and missing more punches then he connected with early in the fight, still he had tremendous power behind his punches, i still to this day think he was one of the only boxers that could match Tyson punch for punch. Ruddock i believe got screwed in the first fight, not that i think Ruddock won that fight, the referee shouldn't of stopped and Ruddock was just starting to gather some momentum and at least making the fight more interesting. Ruddock"s rematch with Tyson was close and most Tyson fans bolster how Tyson broke Ruddock's jaw, and forget to mention that Ruddock to his credit ruptured Tyson's Eardrum during that 2nd fight. Personally I think if Ruddock had used a little more of a defensive approach in his fighting, and not leave himself open to his opponent as often as he did, he probably could of beaten Tyson in at least one their fights.
For a tall fighter with a long reach Ruddock had one of the worst jabs. I dont know maybe he had a good jab but he sure didnt like to use it. If he would have worked that power behind a good jab he would have been better.
Totally agree, and i have said that for many years. He had the size, but more or less just used his left hook and left uppercut. Jab??!! No. And didn´t have that great right either so he couldn´t be a true champion.
Lennox Lewis say on the ring article the best I faced.under the heading best jab.he names razor Ruddock as having the best jab...that Ruddock had a really good jab,before he hit the canvas
Greg page a hardest hitter n stamina. The punches he survived even Mohd Ali could not tolerate but he didn’t give these chances to RR. Page will always be remembered as the toughest opponent.
Funny how these fighters from 80s and 90s get labelled as top fighters when they fight each other. However when Mike Tyson destroys them they all of a sudden get labelled as bang average or as some would ignorantly label as nobodies!! Tyson deserves way more credit for ripping up the whole top 10 in the era that he did.
I think Floyd Patterson compared Ruddock to Marciano to boost his confidence, because nothing could be further from the truth. Marciano never let himself fall in to smother himself for a rest - he kept good spacing with his footwork, & if he was in a clinch he looked to shake his arms free for punching room. Ruddock was nothing like Marciano if we're being honest.
Trying to live up to being the 2nd coming of Ali didn't help Greg one bit. He had talent, fast hands, hard punch, but a very leaky defense. He got hit with lots of shot that he should have blocked or slipped. I watched his last fight against that no talent, no class jerk, almost made sick. RIP Greg.
He was WAY better then than in '92. He had the foot speed and the hand speed to give Razor all kinds of problems. He wouldn't just stand there and trade bombs.
Greg Page was the biggest waste of natural talent in boxing. With the heart to fight & dedication to training he could've been champion for many years. A total waste of talent.
Wtf happened to Razor when he'd those Fights with Tyson he'd a snappy Jab a vicious Uppercut & Movement, he gave Tyson a fright at times doesn't look like the same Boxer, Crazy Fight though!!
Funny. page fighting out of Vegas. His brother bragged about "the house Greg used to own" in Vegas. "Had an 8 car garage!" All the while Greg was laying in the ghetto home he grew up in, dying. Didn't have a pot to piss in.
Robert Stroud NOW SIR- i have to correct you. As this is MY FATHER, and i too, LIVED IN THAT HOUSE WITH THE 10 car garage (NOT 8) + 3 car garage + two stair cases + a wholeeee lot of other cool shit. NOW LET ME CORRECT YOU SOME MORE- the house my father died is wasn’t ghetto... it was actually a pretty cool home, he did die in there because of the neglect he received from his “care giver” but you should shut the hell up about shit you know nothing about. he had a nice pot to piss in that’s why his TWO daughters were taken care of after his passing... but let me remind YOU, HE HAD THE MIND OF A 12 YEAR OLD AFTER THE ACCIDENT.... soooo to avoid me going completely in on your ass PLEASE FACT CHECK BEFORE YOU SPEAK ON SOMETHING YOU DIDNT WITNESS IN REAL LIFE, fool.
@@aliciadaniellepage4405 much love and respect for you and the rest of the family. I knew cellus and Darryl personally, I was there when Whitney wanted to box,. Coach was a hell of a man and NOBODY CAN TAKE AWAY FROM THAT. RIP CELLUS 🤞🏿