Donald Curry Documentary -The Lone Star Cobra
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- A look back at the career of Donald Curry, former undisputed welterweight champion fighting out of Fort Worth, Texas.If you wish to donate/support the channel please click here:
For me at least, saying "he could have been champ but..." is definitely sad, BUT saying "he could have been one of the greatest but..." is even more melancholy. The second one applies to Donald Curry. Man I remember how absolutely loaded 147-154 was in the 80's. Thx for another beautiful doc Rich.
Thanks, Marcos. Curry is a different type of 'could have been' as you said.
@@RichtheFightHistorian definitely.
@@RichtheFightHistorian The Donald Curry that decimated Milton McCrory would decimate Floyd Mayweather!
LOADED
@@thejughead138 everyone could have , but always would have an excuse after Floyd whooped their asses
Canelito was tooo young and only had 45 fights
Or Pacroid was washed up but went on to win more championships after he took his ass whooping
So yeah , Curry could of but would of had an excuse
There was a recent entry on Twitter from Curry's son saying that he believes that his father is suffering from CTE. He was asking people in the boxing community to help him to get a proper diagnosis and treatment for his father. It was sad to read because we remember these fighters when they were in their prime but don't really know what happens to them after they hang up their gloves
So very true
Yes you are right in saying that. I Really hope The Boxing World and Community gets Behind Donald Curry and his Family ,he deserves to be taken care of after all he gave to Boxing.. God Bless D.C ❤️🌞⭐️
Curry had the same problem Larry Holmes had following in the footsteps of Ali, Curry followed in the footsteps of Sugar Ray Leonard, that's a very tough act to follow.
I think Curry's mistake was he spent too much of his career trying to emulate Sugar Ray Leonard by following that same path instead of being himself and focusing on carving out his own path, as if he had an identity problem.
And like Holmes he had no charisma and followed a guy who had it in bucket fulls.
nah, if leonard had stuck around, he'd have had to fight him and he wasn't as good.
@@neneshubby you could see the anger in Curry’s eyes when he fought he wanted to hurt people he wanted to knock them into next week. You never got that impression from Sugar Ray Leonard.
Curry was always one of my favorite fighters. I used to read all the boxing mags, and followed him closely. He admitted his weakness was fast food/bad diet, and that he really didn’t like boxing. He definitely peaked in the McRory fight, and not long after that victory his physical conditioning never reached the same level again. He had a very unique style, and even though he was orthodox I think his opponents had trouble reading his body language and attacks. Had he only been a bit more disciplined, motivated, and better managed.
As Al Bernstein once said, "The best lefthook in the business". Donald Curry had an accuracy in punching that was insanely on point. He never threw many punches but when he did he was deadly! His lefthook KO of Milton McCrory is still one of the best I've ever seen.
I totally agree, when I saw that punch I was dumbstruck. I was a kid in England and I thought that is why they call him the cobra. I never seen anything like it since, kind of like an overhand left hook. Unreal.
What a Punch that was against McCrorry , blink and you would have missed it, Curry was at his Peak that night he became UNDISPUTED WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION ⭐️
@@robatkin7580 You guys must've lost your minds when Honeyghan made him quit!!
@@exspiravit6920 Every fighter loses at some point
I wonder if he was naturally left handed. I can’t find anything on that though.
Curry was one of those fighters that was beautiful to watch. He embodied the hit and not get hit art that is boxing. He’d barely move his head just enough to slip a punch. Fantastic left hook too. Brilliant fighter.
One of the most not talked about boxers but one of the best that's for sure.
Wow, had been waiting on this one. In terms of pure ability, he was one of the best. It’s a shame he couldn’t sustain the passion and focus to truly be one of the greatest. Thanks again, Rich. You are awesome
Even though, Donald Curry’s career ended sad, I still enjoyed watching this documentary of him. Thanks a lot for posting this video of The Lone Star Cobra.
Sure thing, he was one of my favorites from the 1980s.
Donald was arguably the third greatest welterweight of the 1980's--behind Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns. His defense was tight, and he was technically brilliant. His knockout of Milton McCrory to unify is still one of the best knockouts I've ever seen. It's sad that he stayed at 147 too long and was completely drained when he lost to Lloyd Honeyghan in what I still consider to be one of the biggest upsets of all-time.
Yes the Cobra was just like a cobra his stance was ready his feet were ready to move plant and fire his guns hands up sound defense think he looked past Honey and was drained that loss took him from his best but he was one of the best welterweights of all time in the top 5 that's only my opinion but he was beautiful to watch yes Lord
Talking about upsets in boxing, Barry McGuigan losing to Steve Cruz has to be right up there. Although McGuigan would have won if the fight hadn’t taken place in the heat and humidity that it did.
@@mrkipling2201 That was, I believe, one of the last 15-round title fights before the WBA followed the WBC and shortened them to 12 rounds. I can't imagine going 15 rounds outdoors in Las Vegas during the summer. I'm surprised McGuigan didn't get killed. Bob Arum messed his career up with that fight.
@@bengolfs1 absolutely spot on. I still don’t know the reason for the fight taking place at that time of day.
@@mrkipling2201 Probably so it could be shown at prime-time in the UK and Ireland, where McGuigan was a huge star. Really horrible idea. If I recall correctly, ringside temperature was over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Inhuman conditions for the both of them, but Cruz had advantages in that he lived and trained in Texas and had a counter-punching style, whereas McGuigan was an all-action swarmer. Barry gradually weakened before getting knocked down in the 10th. He was still ahead on points going into the 15th round but completely fell apart and made it to the finish on sheer guts. Was never the same fighter after that.
Donald Curry would be a Superstar today.
He's still one of Boxing's greatest Technicians - stance, hand position, movement were all textbook perfect. Excellent on both Offense and Defense.
Add to that one-punch KO power in both hands
His Chin only became suspect later in his career after the Honeyghan loss and the McCallum KO loss.
I know in the states they class a stoppage as a KO but the facts are that the fight was stopped due to a but cut on the bridge of Colin Jones nose. I remember watching this (I was a big Donald Curry fan) and was disappointed when Sugar Ray had to retire, I fight between him and Donald would of been a classic. Going back to the footage the reason why Jones was kneeling on the canvass in his corner was because he was distraught that his last chance of being a world champion was over. He was a extremely good boxer but unfortunately suffered from getting bad cuts, it’s just that Curry was in a different league. Thank you very much for these great uploads, your doing great work for us boxing fans.
Wasn't a pretty site seeing Jones distraught as he would of gone the distance but he was taking too many shots, sad how alot of these so called greats end up
Donald Curry is my favorite fighter and yes he was in a different league at this point. McCrory STRUGGLED with Colin and Donald really dominated him. I never understood why they rated Milton over Donald early in their careers. And although it was still a shock when it happened if you look at their common opponents Curry destroyed the same fighters Milton went the distance with. Donald deserved his HOF induction
I was at the Jones fight. Really bad cut. Had to be stopped.
@@brianseneca3546 Not sure, but McCrory was with Kronk, who were churning out champion fighters at the time. I knew a long time before the two fought that Curry was a much superior fighter.
@@johnniea4684 yeah I thought so as well, but I remember they ranked McCrory above Curry for quite a while before and a little after both won portions of the 147 pound title. Common opponents Stafford and Jones showed me who was better. Milt struggled and IMO lost to Jones the first fight and wasnt particularly impressive against Roger. Donald destroyed both of them.
He’s my cousin. Had one of the best amateur careers. Had one of the best amateur careers ever. Had over 400 fights only losing 4. He would have had a more successful boxing career had he won the Olympics. 1980 was the year the year the United States boycotted the Olympics. In my opinion his downfall was when his sister Angie got killed on that Motorcycle. They were very close. Mentally he never was the same afterwards. I don’t think anybody in the world could beat him at that time. I believe he was the first one to be crowned the best pound for pound. That’s pretty impressive considering that was in Marvelous Marvin Hagler era.
Yup, I remember Don when he was a kid in the 1970s. Very quiet, kinda shy. Incredibly talented but you'd never think of him as a fighter... until you saw him in the ring. I remember hearing that death in the family really set him back.
I've often thought about Don, Bruce and Graylin and wish them well. Boxing is a tough, unforgiving game that seems to take more than it gives back.
That's messed up...
It's also messed up that his opponents intentionally tried to butt him, even added butting in their training to gain an edge on Curry.
I just learned about this today while watching another video.
I see Mike McCallum, who is one of my all-time favorites, also attempting to butt him in their fight.
@@kidmack3556 Remember he was the first pound for pound champion ahead of Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard
@jr36831
What I remember was that he was well on his way to being the best ever in the division.
But no, I don't remember that only because the one and only "Sugar" that would be Sugar Ray ROBINSON was and will forevermore be the Pound For Pound Champion.
Tell your cousin we miss him, and what happened to him was wrong.
@kidmack3556 I agree with you Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest. Floyd Mayweather is a insult to the greatest fighter ever pound for pound.
Donald Curry, Gerald McClellan, and Manny Pacquiao will always be my favorite boxers of all time. Curry had it all but very bad business decisions and simply being lazy would cost him dearly. In boxing, DISCIPLINE is Everything.
Shocked to just find out that Curry is suffering from CTE..... One of the best pure boxer/fighter that I've seen. God Bless You Donald Curry.
Sad news indeed. Took a lot of punishment in the Norris fight, which was brutal. Also got nailed hard when down, which was a Norris signature move. That and the effects of 404 amateur contests as a kid and teenager had to be contributors.
Best left-hook ever thrown to KO McCrory. He was an absolute killer until the Honeyghan fight and never the same after.
Absolutely agree.
Have seen a lot of matches over the last 40 years, never seen a better punch thrown than that.
Absolute perfection. Truly a cobra's strike. Also, Check out the right hand he helped himself to after. That was pretty awesome also. A deadly finisher in his prime. Truly the talent to have been one of the g.o.a.t. was Donald.. just didn't work out that way.
Oh the irony of fir me one of the goat left hooks was thrown by mike mccallum ... knocking curry spark out ! 😳
@@serenityinside1
It was a desperation punch by McCallum, no science or set up in it, he was getting a boxing lesson n he threw it in hope. He had a hail Mary answered. Dumb Luck.
Curry vs McCrory on the other hand, was science, it was set it, it was near perfect.
No irony in it.
Curry got caught by a punch from a World Champion in a punching contest.
Thats about as ironic as getting wet when ya take a shower.
Honeyghan beat the chocolate of of Curry.
@@SPIDERM0OSE how you figure Mike(Body Snatcher) McCallum through that out of desperation when McCallum throw a body punch before that left hool
Wow great video with lots of rare footage! I didn't know he fought Starling twice! The first I knew of Curry was when he fought our Colin Jones (who was as tuff as they come) Curry was touted as been one of the best pound for pound in the world then. With his compact powerful deadly accurate style, he surely was.
A prime Curry would of given SRL loads of trouble, what a great match up that would of been.
One more observation, Mills Lane blimey, nearly got McCrory killed, they didn't get 20-25 seconds to recover in them days!
Donald Curry in his prime at welterweight, hell of a fighter. 🥊
One of the best welterweights of all time
This man Rich keeps coming with great documentaries and this is now the best boxing channel in the world, bar none. Curry is an all time great and we hope to see him in London one day.
Thank you, John.
Donald was a friend and
still is, way back from Morningside Cardinals hood football team along with his brother Graylon. This cat was at one time the best pound for pound boxer on the planet. Circumstances in the game and and his personal life had him lose his motivation at one point. He looked so forward to fighting Ray Leonard but the sugar man retired. The personal family tragedies and internal management problems all combined to lead to his demise. Still a great boxer who is still the best fighter to come out of the DFW area and next to Big George one of the best out of the State of Texas period. An accurate, efficient boxer with machine like precision, a superb counter puncher who Floyd Mayweather idolized and taylored that part of his boxing style after. A true legend!
Curry had it all, no doubt. It's still hard to believe the way he declined so fast.
One of the more-puzzling careers. Hit some really high notes before inexplicably fading out.
A lot of fighters who have 400 amateur fights don't have long pro careers
@@bigmouthpiece1 Yeah I know, but it was just weird. This guy who looked like the best fighter in the world. Loses to this guy I never heard of. Then that guy never looks the same again either. Something about how abrupt it was just took me aback.
@@bennylevine387 I hate to bring up Mike Tyson like a person who doesn't know much about boxing but he is my generations best boxer. Once he was K.O. he was never the same. Opponents discovered that once he was knocked down he wouldn't usually get up again and after prison and Holyfield he was done with.
@@littlebucks912 For sure, that was sudden too. But with all the bad headlines, a few iffy performances leading to that, you could still sort of see it coming. With Curry it was just like he was instantly gone.
100% agree
Been a fan of the Lone Star Cobra since I first saw him on abc sports, Marlon Starling 1st fight.. He was simply poetry in motion with a deadly strike 🐍 followed his career until the end. Donald was something special!!! They don't make them like him anymore.✨👑✨🥊🥊
#TheKingCobra🐍🥊🥊
#UndisputedWelterweightKing🥊👑🥊
I always felt that Donald Curry could have been an All -Time Great. I was following his career for a while. I noticed a drop in his level of performance and didn’t understand what was going on with him. Prior to that drop, he was such an expert. I loved those tiny little defensive moves he would make that always put him in position to land those brutal left hooks of his. I didn’t know what was going on with him. He was a super talent. His brother Bruce had his moment in the sun as well. Rich, you are an amazing fight historian! Your videos bring to light so many behind the scenes facts! Thanks again for an excellent video!
My pleasure, Sylvester. At his best, Curry was a master of defense and feints.
The Lonestar Cobra was a All Time Great one of the longest Reigning if not the longest Welterweight Champion of the 80's early to mid 80's . His reign started on Feb 13, 1983 up until Sept 26 , 1986 . Longer uninterrupted Streak than Leonard or Hearns . He was the first Welterweight and Curry had to have been first fighter ever to unify the WBC, WBA and IBF belts at the beginning of the Three Belt Era . Unlike Leonard Curry didn't cautiously pick his opponents with multiple episodes of ring absences which lasted two to three years at a time like Leonard. Curry's Pro Career was Consistently Active and uninterrupted from 1980 thru 91 including his 400-4 Amateur Career. Unlike Leonard and Hearns , Curry fought a Prime Mike McCallum and Michael Nunn when they were at their best which Hearns Leonard and Duran didn't do. The Ray Leonard that came back in 1984 against Kevin Howard would have been defeated by Curry if they would have fought during that time. No discredit to Leonard or Hearns but Curry s a All Time Great because he Fought the Very Best even when he was past his prime years. The 1983-86 Cobra was as good as any Welterweight Champion there ever was .
Medina Garcia I couldn’t have said it better myself.
One of my FAVORITE boxers, could do it all, but here's what I thought what held him back the most from becoming one of the BEST EVER: 1. I don't think he ever really liked boxing, and knew he was really good, and 2. with over 500 amateur fights to his name, he peaked early and by 26, was shopworn, plus with other personal issues, he also lost complete interest early.
Good point well made 👍. A long amateur career toll on a fighter usually gets forgotten . No wonder a fighter like that loses motivation and enjoyment of the toughest sport. Living like a Spartan since childhood? Who wouldn’t?!!
How it feels good to see that documentary....
He is my absolute favorite fighter ever.
Only few people really know about his ability, before the fall...
I made a Facebook group : Donald Curry, the lone star Cobra, since last year, for, I hope, it will change...
Oh man thanks for covering Donald Curry. He’s from my hometown and was the best of Dave Gorman’s stable. Gorman had Ft Worth rocking in the 80’s with champions Stevie Cruz, Gene “Mad dog” Hatcher and the great Lone Star Cobra Curry. Too bad Curry got off track in his career. I feel he could have been a superstar. Still, he remains the fighting pride of Ft Worth! 🥊👊🏻
I think Gorman could have been on Emanuel Steward's level with fighter development. Shame what happened on the business side of things.
Yup, it's a shame Fort Worth didn't support it's pro boxing the way it did the amateurs.
Hard to believe now, when Fort Worth's amateur boxing activity is a tiny fraction of what it used to be. But in the 1970s-80s it was among the premier towns for top level amateur boxing, and the center of Texas amateur boxing. Quite an accomplishment considering Dallas, Houston and the rest of the state also contributed some outstanding amateur fighters.
But we just didn't seem to have the knack for making the transition to the pros. I always thought Gorman and a couple other trainers and managers would gain the financial support of the town's wealthy elite, but it just didn't materialize.
And some of our best amateurs and pros struggled after retirement, as do many ex fighters. It's a brutal game and other than a relative handful of long-time fans, our hometown heroes seemed to have been forgotten.
One problem may have been an over-enthusiastic assistant district attorney trying to make a reputation on Donald Curry's back after Don was accused of some crimes.
At the time I was a newspaper reporter covering the police and fire beat, and happened to meet that assistant DA at some local theater or entertainment venue fundraiser. I'm not sure how the subject came up, perhaps I mentioned something about Don Curry or boxing in general. But that assistant DA had a pretty hard attitude about Curry and zero regard for the struggles, temptations and bad advice young athletes are subjected to.
Anyway, my impression was that Fort Worth's power elite found boxing to be an outdated embarrassment by the 1980s and wished it would go away. This town is TCU purple and mostly interested in the Frogs.
WHEW..INCREDIBLE. As a side note, I got particular satisfaction when my local guy Marlon “Moochie” Starling stopped Lloyd Honeygan, who had whipped Donald who in turn had beaten Marlon twice (much more convincingly the second time around). Well done Rich. I hope you can somehow take these documentaries and publish them and make a ton of money.
Thanks, uncjim.
Excellent post. Loved the Magic Man. His dismantling of Honeygan was one of the most masterful technical boxing exhibitions ever. We’re talking Ali-level here.
People who haven’t watched the fights you referenced really should, just to see how damned good those guys we’re.
@@PhilAndersonOutside Thank you Phil.
Then Marlon got absolutely destroyed twice by Roy Jones.
@@JohnWilliams-sq7cj Nope..he never fought Roy Jones.
Great documentary...Marlin Starling was a real good welterweight. For Curry to defeat him, spoke volumes #truschoolsports
who would you take? Chavez or Starling at a 145 catch weight?
@@uncletony6210 Tough one. Chavez was never a welter, but I think the version that moved up to fight Whitaker, when he was 31 outworks Starling, who could be too patient.
@@johnniea4684 He fought over 140 (technically welter) a good 20 or so times. But I think he was less effective with every pound he put on over 140. Unlike Duran, for example, who brought his power with him to welter, Chavez's power seemed to stay at 140. And because of that, I think Starling beats him. 147 power vs 140 power.
@@uncletony6210 Yeah, decent shout
straight to favourite's playlist
Our man was Colin Jones in Wales. Remember that fight in Birmingham when Curry messed up Jones and gave him a beating. Donald Curry then was a superstar in the making. We could not believe it when Lloyd Honeyghan beat him. Huge upset.
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen well done sir 💯🥊
Hey thanks, Lozz.
These boxing docs are without doubt the best I’ve ever seen, - and they’re always consistently great too. Thanks Rich.
Criminally forgotten/hardly mentioned these days. He was P-4-P the best in the world and the left hook that felled McCrory was the best punch I've ever seen thrown. That's like no one talking about Mayweather or Canelo in 35 years time! Honeyghan is another virtually forgotten fighter who never really got the credit for beating Curry away from home.
Absolutely agree with you about that left hook. It's so fast, so smoothly delivered and absolutely devastating. I had a VHS in the late eighties of 'Greatest Knockouts', or something similar, and that hook was the one I rewinded the most. The right hand for the second was lethal too. Mills Lane really didn't need to count after that one.
The Curry that fought Honeyghan was a weight drained shell of his former self
@@bamog4560 true, it wasn’t the same Curry. But it was also the best night of Honeygan’s career and he deserves credit for that.
@@PhilAndersonOutside Yep a very good point , that was Honeyghan at the top of his game
@@PhilAndersonOutside yes honeyghan deserves credit like as curry had beaten boss fighters like starling with injuries. Lloyd took his chance on night
Another great video, I didnt realize how good he was as I seen him late in his career.
This is one of the greatest shows offered on the internet!! Rich the Fight Historian is beyond description!! He offers no opinions.! Only facts! Great graphics, fight videos, paper clippings, -you name it!! I've turned on several friends to this channel!! Just 1,000% fascinating! There's not another "show" like this on the "internet" anywhere! I'm a subscriber to over 300 podcasts and shows. I know what i'm talking about!! Thank you RICH!!
Wow, hey thanks Rick, I appreciate the support.
Man, I am here to say that this is a fighter I had really forgotten about,Donald Curry was the REAL DEAL,a quiet assassin,Thanks for this documentary!!
You bet, Roy.
Rich, your channel is amazing. I send these videos to my friends as microcosms of the rich history of boxing so they can understand how great it was back in the day. Also, your music selection is on another level. Thank you for your work Rich!
Hey thanks, Luke. I appreciate it.
terrific choice my friend, he is the definition of a all of famer, great fighter at his best those days u had to do it in the ring not outside ,keep up the good work
This is an excellent channel! I love how you are keeping alive the memory of some great pro fighters that may have been forgotten.
Thank you, DeDona1
I'll second that sir, this is a great channel & shows how many truly great fighters & fights there have been in the rich history of boxing!😊👍
I grew up around Dons relatives and knew Don a bit. The guy didnt have a mean bone in him. Very nice guy just a regular kid same age as me. Its really difficult to see what has happened to him the last few years. For a time he was as good as there was.
I waited to watch this one, relishing it so could could soak it all in. You can’t find this anywhere else, a bit of the fighters history, unseen footage and back story. A complete masterpiece! Always the right choice on the soundtrack too, spot in, I Love this, I Love your work Rich. Thank you very much for all the effort you put in on these. These fighters deserve only these kind of masterpieces. 🤩🐜
Thanks so much, soprano4ny.
Curry was a likable fighter, he seemed really quiet.,until his punches landed. Never wasted energy moving his hands and arms around like a lot of fighters do. Really liked Curry, hope everything is going well for him. Thank you for putting this together Rich !
Sure thing, Edward.
Best boxing videos on UA-cam without question, absolutely quality 👍
Thanks so much, Gman.
Growing up watching boxing on ESPN I got to follow Donald Curry's path to the title. I have watched many fighters over the years, and I truly think Curry had the potential to have been a Sugar Ray Robinson. Sadly, that didn't happen, but he was still a great champion and one of the best of his era.
Wowwww,,,,,,,,,,this breaks my heart. I always wondered what happened to Donald Curry. Really heart breaking. I was there at the beginning of his career.
EXCELLENT DOCUMENTARY! SUPERB FIGHTER!!
Thanks for the video, RICH THE FIGHT HISTORIAN
Glad you enjoyed it!
All those years ago I worked at Sainsbury’s with Loyd Honeygan’s dad ( night shifts) when Loyd beat the fighter that many said was the greatest pound for pound fighter out there. That was some upset... great again. Especially the info about the trainers. Much enjoyed. Thanks.
Cool. Yeah, Honeyghan was supremely confident going into that fight.
In his prime Curry was exciting to watch. Beautiful combinations ( if you know what you're seeing)
One of my all time favorites. I loved the guy. Great,great fighter
Great to see Mr Mills Lane reffing some of these fights. What a gem he was to boxing. RIP
He should have stopped the McCrory fight after the first knockdown though
Donald Curry and Errol Spence are similar in so many ways. By that I mean the Curry at 147 before the Honeyghan fight. He was incredible there for a minute. Boxing is a tough sport, besides having skill, you also have to work hard and have a little luck on your side in regards to injuries and things you can't control..
Glad you said before the Honeygan fight as Lloyd destroyed him! The bell went ding and Lloyd went dong!
Right they're both from Texas
@@TheRealTomahawk More than that. They are both big welters, Curry used to walk guys down with a jab, he had great body shots, good power, solid, all around fighter. Like Spence. Curry was a stud, it just didn't last.
@@stevebrindle1724 Yes, but not long after, Honeyghan was wrecked by guys like Starling, who was a good fighter, Mark Breland, who was also good, then he got trashed by Vinny Pazienza, who was.... Vinny Pazienza. Curry struggled to make the weight for that fight, and that's a given. Was not his night and Honeyghan capitalized. Honeyghan was entertaining though.
Curry would have knocked Errol Out....Errol way too easy to hit...and Donald had a wicked hook at 147..Hell even at 154 he clocked Mike McCallum almost knocking him down.
One of my favorite fighters. Met him and Milt Mcrory before their fight
Seemed to believe his own hype and definitely sold lloyd honeyghan short who was at his peak,strange how he changed his management /advisor who subsequently ripped him off
With Honey he had a bad night that effected his performance but God he was getting better and smoother all the time slicing and dicing opponents
Years ago I worked at Saainsburys in Vauxhall, London, on the night shift with Loyd Honegan’s dad when Loyd beat Curry. A lifetime ago…. That was huge…
Probably a good dude. Got a taste of the lime light. Dumped the people that helped him and ran into guys that robbed him. Too bad.
This is another great vid. I only knew him from his defeat to our own Lloyd Honeyghan in the 80s.
Great documentary of a great fighter.
So close but yet so far. Many thanks for sharing Rich.
Great job Rich.Your docos are always so interesting.I remember the McCalllum fight.That was a massive shock! Bodysnatcher was very underated.Keep up the great work
Thanks, Paul.
His son is on twitter w/ an update that he’s dealing w/ CTE. If you guys can help spread the message.
Oh, I missed this one, back then.
Another masterpiece, Rich; thank you so much.
Thanks, Risbo
Good job on a story about a complex boxer and the issues surrounding him, thorough and fair.
The editing really pulls it all together, between fight footage and the complications behind the scenes that eventually undermined Donald Curry's career and life.
It's a treat watching clips of his peak performances. Don mastered a classic Texas boxing technique that was commonly taught back then: stiff left jab, straight right, followed by the counter straight left cross again (or thrown like Razor Ruddock's "smash"), instead of the expected left hook. I saw that technique in many top Texas amateurs. It would drive opponents off balance toward the ropes where they'd be smothered with infighting, hooks and uppercuts. When Don threw a left hook it often caught opponents off guard, as against McCrory.
But Curry's style demanded top physical conditioning and perfect execution. Despite his height, long reach and effective jab, he preferred to fight in close, swarming and crowding opponents. While he could move laterally effectively, it was always either defensive, or to reset for attack. Like Tito Trinidad, he needed to set his feet or be moving forward to punch, even to throw a jab. That cost him against Honeyghan, and whenever he encountered an opponent who was stronger or fitter. And as McCallum revealed, that tendency to keep his head high and hands low was risky if Curry made a split second error in timing.
But at his peak he was something special.
An interesting educated literate post - not always the case on here ( see above 🙄). Thanks 👍
Those Curry/Starling fights were classic. Curry had the skill and Starling had the heart. It's a shame one had to lose.
One of the best ever, greatest out of the lonestar state
The best fighter no question about great fighter
One of my all time favorites 👍😊👍
Love your videos and appreciate the work you put into them, always good to look back at ones I’ve missed keep it up 🙏🏽
Thanks so much, Erik.
Thank you for this video tribute to the Lone Star Cobra. We forget how good he was.
Thanks, Cedric. The Cobra had fantastic technique in so many facets of the game.
What a fantastic mini documentary, I really enjoyed this: Donald Curry was an exceptional boxer, Very calculated great ring IQ and plenty of heart and guts, some say he was over ratted but Nonsense , I just think he’d had a lot of tough fights and it all caught up on him that night in Atlantic city against an inspired Lloyd Honeyghan , It’s no secret he was finding it hard to make Welterweight and perhaps he should have moved up to light middleweight however after watching this it just goes to show the management issues and judgments also effects everything just as fighting the wrong fight does , But after all he was not just a world champion but an Undisputed one , I also believe he won a WBC light middleweight strap as well so making him a 2 weight champion, that’s some going, But about all he was a fine sportsman always fought fair and square and I never remember him resorting to dirty tactics or being a load mouth, always carried him self well , just sad to hear he lost a lot of what he worked for due to poor management , I hope he found peace after Boxing ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌞🙏
Exactly. Fighter aren't robots, they are people just like the rest of us, with all the failings, poor judgements etc that afflict us all to varying degrees.
As well as fighters their have been some really interesting trainers who really did take someone who knew nothing to being a world champ
Great video Donald was one of my favorite fighters
Donald Curry I'll always remember as a great, great boxer puncher. With fantastic speed and power. Just lacked the discipline to stay motivated and hungry to keep winning at a high level. But he had all the physical tools. Like a poor mans Ray Leonard.
Love the piece Rich📽👌🏾💯. Donald Curry was a great fighter that fought with alot of patience and had a strong left jab that I believe was underrated . Unfortunately he made alot of bad decisions when he got rid of his longtime trainer and his cut man and decided to hire that other man who looked like he was a crook from the beginning smh. And that's the exact same thing that Mike Tyson did and it costed him millions of dollars and the championship belt when he decided to fire his trainer and cornermen and do a deal with the devil and let don king take over his management smh. And right after that Mike went over to Tokyo to fight Buster Douglas and ended up getting beat up and knocked out by an underdog🥊💪🏽🤔💯But despite Donald Curry's bad decisions that he made and how his life ended up in the end, I still admire him for what be brought to the table as a professional boxer and what he was able to accomplish in the ring and by becoming the undisputed welterweight champion of the world as well 🏆🥊💪🏽💯he's definitely a legend in the history book of boxing for sho and at the end of the day we all are human and we all make mistakes in life 👍🏾🙂💯
Thanks, Barry. Curry was one of my favorites from the 80s. Such a technical marvel.
I absolutely agree řich. He was a very patient and smart fighter👍🏾👍🏾🙂💯
I have seen many other boxing docs but this is my first from this channel. Very well done, I like the included fight highlights!
Thank you Josh. Welcome to the channel.
Great video, plus a great learning tool. Alot of great boxers get overshadowed, by just talking about the typical names people always mention in boxing.
What a beautiful fighter, i watched him as a kid slaughter Jones, I've watched the McCrory fight 100 times, i still dont see that left hook coming...Give Honeyghan his due, he saw a depleted fighter, fought dirty and had perhaps the best reflexes i have seen in a fighter!!
Curry is now penniless and suffering from CTE as a result of his boxing career. Another tragic story to add to the countless others.
Perfection to watch. Constantly changing levels nothing wide, great balance and poise a perfect fighter what the thump happened in his head. Overwhelmed by Honeyghan and scorched in 5 by McCallum it's such a shame he was a purists dream to watch.
Looking through the comments here, and I do get that there is going to be alot of Curry fans. But Lloyd Honeyghan doesn't seem to get any credit for what he did. Just let me set the scene here: Donald Curry was, at the time, seen to be almost invincible and Honeyghan was given no chance. Think Tyson/Douglas and you will understand where I'm coming from. The Honeyghan win has gone down as one of the finest wins by any British boxer away from home, and it could quite possibly be the best ever. So, for people to say that Curry wasn't interested in the fight, or just didn't turn up, is doing Honeyghan a tremendous disservice. Lloyd Honeghan went to the states with nothing and came back the undisputed Welterweight Champion of the World.
Well, this is a video on Curry. I'm sure Rich will do one on Honeyghan at some stage. I agree with you that it seems unfair to detract from Lloyd's win. He was given absolutely no shot, but took his chance and fought great. Do I think he beats Curry if Don isn't dead at the weight? Absolutely not. Curry was simply a much better fighter. But, all that being said, nobody forced Curry to agree to fighting at a weight he couldn't make any more; he could and should have vacated the belt. He was always big for the weight, and had struggled to cut down to 147 for years. None of that was Honeyghan's responsibly and like you say, nobody thought he'd survive more than 6 rounds beforehand. If Curry had blasted him out, he'd have been a footnote. He deserved his big win and was one of the division's best fighters for a number of years.
Remember the fight against Colin Jones, split him right across the bridge of the nose. For a time curry was unbeatable, at least at welterweight and rightly considered as a great fighter. I don't think he would have beat hagler, honeyghan was too strong. Hagler is another level.
The honeyghan fight was a massive upset at the time. Greatest performance of Lloyd's career.
His lack of dedication when he became a star ruined him
Bro you are awesome!!!
IN HIS PRIME
ONE OF THE BEST EVER
Another great story Rich
Thanks again!
Enjoyed watching this era of fights true warriors
Really well done. Thanks for making this. I distinctly remember how great he looked, P4P best in the world after the McCrory KO, then how bad he looked against Honeygan months later It seemed like overnight he went from a sensation, to washed up.
Thanks, Phil.
He was more than flash in pan had great three years or more as champ beating some great opposition
@@willleon9165 Very true. It wasn't just the McCrory win. Curry was great for several fights. The win over Starling was extremely impressive considering how skilled Starling was. Curry's plastering of LaRocca, Jones, Baez were all impressive displays of skill. That's what made the completely lackluster fight with Honeygan so puzzling.
@@PhilAndersonOutside weight drained wasn't he? Lloyd was no mug like
@@willleon9165 Exactly. He stayed at welterweight too long. Leaving the trainer that took him to the top (like mike tyson) he was never the same
The amount of snakes in boxing, that ruin guys lives is incredible. Curry and many other fighters that earned good money should never be broke.
Another excellent documentary.
Thanks, Rick.
Unbeatable in his prime..
Thanks for the upload on one of my favorite boxers.
My pleasure, he was one of my favorites from the '80s as well.
I understand the mental part. I fought him on 1987. Problems lead to failures, could have beating him without my own problems
I find it interesting how a lot of these guys with long amateur careers seem to fizzle out in the pros
I agee to many battles You dont need it just spar with pro fighters.I spared mostly Pro Champions.I was so good in armature boxing.Golden Glove Champion with only 4 amerture fights.Great sparing Pros taught me.
lots of them become greats too
Some of that is because time is still time. Some turn pro to make the best of their viable years as fighters, but the pro game is not as forgiving. Just being able to survive at least 10-12 rounds with no standing 8 count is a shock to some.
Incredible music, amazing footage, knowledgeable and engaging narration - you should be making professional documentaries for a living, not just entertaining the likes of us. Curry's fall from grace is an enigma but I sense he had congenital mental issues like his brother. A tendency to depression seems evident, for example.
Thanks, Rookh. Curry was certainly enigmatic.
I knew Bruce in the amateurs and from high school, and the younger Curry brothers slightly back in the amateurs - Graylin, and Donald (then Sample, taking the Curry name later). Don and Graylin were much younger and smaller, so I only watched them train and box local smokers and tournaments.
Of the three Graylin was the guy with the big personality. He was the showman in the ring, flashy and quick. I remember him whispering tips to my younger brother between rounds sparring at the Golden Gloves gym on Jacksboro Highway just next to downtown. Whatever Graylin told him worked. My brother caught me with a right behind the ear on the neck that felt like it paralyzed me for a split second. I was wide awake but couldn't move for a moment. My brother looked terrified and climbed out of the ring. Funniest moment I'd ever had boxing. He could easily have knocked me out cold.
Donald was very quiet. I'm not sure I remember him saying anything. Some of us didn't make the connection with Bruce and Graylin until later, after Don changed his last name from Sample to Curry. He had the most solid skills, far advanced for his age and experience.
Ronnie Shields was like that back then too, very quiet, looking sleepy eyed between rounds, never saying much. It was funny later to watch him as a pro trainer, hollering and cussing to motivate his fighters. Far from the kid I remembered back then.
Bruce and I were about the same age and size, but I was a novice class boxer while he was an experienced open class boxer with a state Golden Gloves title at featherweight. We sparred a couple of times at lightweight or light welterweight the year he was prepping for the Olympic trials. He took it easy on me. Back then Bruce was more of a sly boxer/puncher, a bit like a miniature Ken Norton, and not easy to tag. He had subtle moves to make you miss. As a pro he tended toward reckless slugging at times, but not as an amateur.
I don't recall anything odd about Bruce back then, but we weren't close friends. But we spent a weekend on a drive to Shreveport with a small team coached by Winky Groom, about half a dozen of us in a station wagon, and a couple of days and one night at a motel. I won my novice division at lightweight and came away with my one and only cut, under the eye from my opponent throwing elbows. Bruce boxed Ronnie Shields, with Bruce winning a squeaky tight decision that I thought Ronnie earned. They were both the best I'd ever seen in person in the amateurs, and at that time only Ray Leonard and Howard Davis were better in that lightweight/light welterweight class in the US.
But, again, I never noticed anything off about Bruce then or in class at school. But he mostly kept to himself. The Brooks brothers, Monroe and Overton, knew Bruce better. Monroe is gone but Overton is still around, training horses and enjoying the cowboy life.
And of course Jesse Reid talked about their troubled partnership in an insightful article for a Las Angeles newspaper back in the 1980s after everything went wrong for Bruce. But whatever happened, it wasn't obvious to most of us back when he was an amateur.
My impression from reading many interviews of Don, and listening to him in video interviews, is that he's a really gentle guy who happened to be incredibly talented as a boxer but never really had the mentality, toughness and meanness to cope with the inherent violence and corrupt system.
And, yeah, there may be some depression, possibly related to repeated head trauma. I've known several local retired pros who struggled with depression, substance abuse and transitioning back to whatever normal life is supposed to be. Boxing is a brutal sport and we tend to overlook the aftermath.
@@theparalexview785 Wow, incredible to be talking to be talking to someone who has encountered such legendary names. The shot behind the ear thing is interesting, that kind of shot was what dazed Anthony Joshua when Ruiz beat him.
Wow what a career!! Thanks Rich!!
My pleasure!
Donald Curry had a great career in Boxing. When he fought McCoy I thought he would lose but he really surprised me. Kronk Gym fighters were really taking the Boxing world like a storm. Another great Boxer and a great video Rich! Thank you.
Thanks Eric, he was one of may personal favorites.
I love what Lloyd said at the press conference before the fight: ‘I’m gonna smash his face in’ yup ragamuffin you did
I remember him n Mike mccullum as a child....the good Ole days of boxing when u couldn't duck but 4 so long
Thank you. 👍
This video is a work of art, that brilliantly chronicles the career and life of this dynamic and brave warrior. Well done, Rich. You can quote me on that.
Thank you very much, Pleaver.
1 of the best welterweight ever imo
Excellent documentary sir. It’s great to see these warriors of the past doing their magic in the squared circle. Being from the UK, I remember when Honeyghan beat Donald but was too young to remember how good this man was. The Raggamuffin Honeyhgan had his greatest win that night. Respect to both. Imagine if The Cobra was about in this day and age with social media etc. I will be watching your videos in the future, really excellent content for boxing fans like myself. Peace and respect.
Thank you, Frank.
Best channel ever.