We Can Be Heroes.5 Sporting heroes prt 1

After watching the unedifying and,frankly,shameful,post fight brawl between British boxers Haye & Chisora---More akin to the pub carpark on a saturday night,all it needed was a harpie screaming "He ain't worth it" to complete the whole sorry tale---It got me thinking about sporting heroes.(Don't worry,these two clowns don't get anywhere near the list)

I have narrowed it down to five as it probably devalues it having more...

As we're on Boxing i'll start there...

1) Joe Frazier.

Smokin Joe Frazier lands a right hook on his nemesis Ali.

Joe Frazier's boxing career will always be bound up with Mohammed Ali's.A true sporting great can only be hailed as such when judged by their opponents and there's not much doubt that Ali was the greatest boxer ever.However he was'nt my hero.It was Joe.

In the early 70's the World Heavyweight division was  the healthiest it's ever been with such names as Ali,Norton,Spinks,Forman,Holmes and Frazier.I don't think i'm making any outrageous claims by saying in their prime anyone of those would be a class above today's heavyweights.

Ali was the media darling,clever,witty and available at all times.Joe was more circumspect in playing the media game.Thus he was painted as being the nasty truculent fighter compared to Ali's happy go lucky attitude.This picture was of course wrong for both of them...Both were Pro's to their very core and did whatever they felt right to win.

Joe was the reigning Champion when they first fought in 1971 at Madison Square Garden New York.The back story was that this was Ali's return after being banned for three years after refusing to be drafted for the Vietnam War.Indeed the flames were fanned when he accused Joe of being an "Uncle Tom" An insult that hurt Joe till his dying day.

This was a particular slap in the face as Joe had gone out of his way to help Ali while he was banned from boxing.Joe never forgave Ali for this lack of respect to not only a fellow boxer but an erstwhile friend.

Joe regained the title by on a unanimous decision.

They fought each other another two times.Once more in New York.It was a non title fight which Ali won and finally the third bout was the "Thrilla in Manila" Again Ali insulted Joe by calling him a "Gorilla".It was a no quarter given toe to toe battle with Ali once again won but admitted later that he had "Never felt so close to death"

Sadly Joe died late last year. RIP Joe.

2)Kenny Hibbitt

Kenny scores V Everton in the Molineux snow

Kenny made his debut for Wolves coming on as a sub in a 0-1 defeat to West Brom in April 1969.Not long after his £5,000 move from Bradford Park Avenue--Ask your dad---His last game was in 1984.Inbetween he played 574 league & cup games for the club scoring 114 goals in the process.

But bare facts alone can't describe the thrill i got in watching Kenny in his Old Gold shirt surge towards goal from midfield and cracking in a 25 yarder into the top corner.
 Kenny was a rare English footballer,equally proficient with either foot and he had an unerring quality of finding the back of the net,A sort of modern day Frank Lampard but better...

He was part of the most successful Wolves team i have seen.For about five years we were a top six side,with Kenny running the show from the middle of the park.How he never won at least one England cap is beyond comprehension.
In this period we came close to winning many cups.Including getting to the UEFA cup final,FA Cup semi final and league cup semi final.However the only bit of tangible silverware was the league cup win over a star studded Manchester City at Wembley in 1974.

King Kenny---The original one---scored the opener with his brother-in-law,John Richards, grabbing the late winner in a 2-1 win.

He also helped Wolves to their 1980 triumph against the European Champions Nottingham Forest in the same competition.

Kenny once grabbed all the goals in a 4-2 win over Newcastle,a rare feat for a midfielder,made even sweeter by having his brother Terry lining up for the opponents that day...

He finally left the club in 1984 when we were seemingly in terminal decline but returned as assistant manager with Bristol Rovers in 1989 to help them  inflict our only home defeat of the season.It did'nt matter though as the Wolves fans gave their returning hero a rapturous welcome.

Finally some superb old footage of Wolves in the black & White era for fans of a certain age.Watch out for a fantastic and brave diving header from yer man...I was somewhere right behind the goal in the North Bank.

Part 2 will be later in the week...