Johnny Boudreaux - Muhammad Ali's Would-Be Successor

A look back at Johnny Boudreaux, heavyweight contender from the mid-1970s.

[@triplejunction7073]

Being labeled as “ The Next Ali “ was a kiss of death to so many promising young heavyweights in the late 70s-early 80s ..

[@cedricliggins7528]

Greg Page and Michael Does come to mind.

[@getsmart3701]

"The Next anybody" is the kiss of death, in any era, being "the next Ali in the 70's/80's probably just made it a hundred fold worse...Joe Bugner comes to mind.

[@Aristotelezz]

Jeremy Williams the next Mike Tyson, Carl Williams the next Larry Homes...

[@shaned7158]

Remember the white ali,rich did a video already on him.forget his name maybe one of you already typed it

[@johnjamele]

@@Aristotelezz I remember KO Magazine calling Williams "the future of the heavyweight division."

[@theparalexview785]

I remember him well, including that televised about against Ledoux. Boudreaux had all the gifts, physical assets and skills but not the mindset to persevere through setbacks. OTOH, I'm glad to hear he did well after boxing. That's more important.

[@johnjamele]

FAR more important. Glad he walked away with his brain cells intact; so many of these fallen fighters don't stop falling until they are dead.

[@davidgmorris181340]

Didn't realize Foreman was already doing color commentary in the 1970s

[@slimmsayton]

George Foreman, calming down boxing riots for decades

[@Thelategreatjohnnybratton]

Thanks Rich. I have been chuckling for years over Howard losing his rug. I spoke many times with Scott who was involved with the kind of boxing commission in Minnesota. It’s not called the boxing commission any longer because former wrestler Jesse Ventura when he was governor changed the name. Scott was a very hard man. Tough as nails and a really good guy. He died of ALS some years ago. RIP

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Cosmocat. I liked Ledoux a lot as a commentator.

[@Rockstar-bq5fm]

Always happy to see fighters find life after boxing, there’s been so many Boudreaux’s out there and not all land on their feet like him

[@oncall21]

What a great ending for Boudreaux's life outside of the ring and what a fearless training partner at the beginning of his career! Ron Lyle, Sonny Liston! When you mentioned the name Don King I knew where this was going to go. Thanks for sharing Rich!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

My pleasure, oncall21.

[@gareth1974barrington]

I really enjoyed watching this

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Gareth.

[@markriley5863]

Another fantastic upload Rich. I must admit I am 60 years old but have never heard of Boudreaux before. Living in England and not discovering Boxing News until 1981 we didn't hear about a lot of US fighters unless they were fighting a Brit or for a World title.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Mark. Yeah, Boudreaux was on the fringe, no surprise you didn't hear of him in the UK.

[@JosephMiller-hu7bq]

Fighters like him are forgotten great fighters and history & fans will have to think and go oh yes i remember him so thanks for this video he is a what couldve been

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Joseph.

[@2short1968]

Another video gem....👍The best channel when it comes to talking boxing and the history of fighters. "Pops"#truschoolsports 🥊🥊

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you very much, 2short1968

[@brucegasboxingjazzandmore864]

I remember that Ledoux fight like it was yesterday. Thanks for the doc. Very good

[@johnjamele]

we need a Ledoux doc!

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Bruc.e

[@lightoffaithbiblefellowshi1908]

He became a Baptist pastor in Houston Texas

[@MaximusWolfe]

We know

[@erich1780]

I'm glad he left the sport and didn't end up destitute. The legendary NY boxing writer Flash Gordon uncovered King's US Boxing Tourny. Flash's Tonights Boxing Program was the best read for Boxing in NYC.

[@lordburlap4514]

So many tried to fight like Ali…but Ali was one of a kind….simple as that…

[@brianbattaglia2187]

Always a pleasure Mr. Rich, love the ones i’ve never heard of or have the unique + sorted pasts + endings

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Brian.

[@mikelevenson7271]

A really talented guy..I always wondered what became of him.. thnx rich

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Mike.

[@RonColeman-zy5cd]

Yeah I remember him I really thought he might be someone to watch but he faded bad. Glad to hear he done good for himself. Rich it is so great hearing of these fighters that most never heard of. You are the real boxing man thank you buddy I so enjoy these fighters

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Ron, glad you enjoyed another trip down memory lane.

[@chriso1585]

Brilliant documentary thanks

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Chris.

[@chriso1585]

I wrote that for the Kevin Rooney episode but I bet this one is good too

[@a-bovea-ve-rage]

Howard Cosell was an asset to the sport..

[@Nada11488]

Thank you, Rich.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Nada.

[@jeremyseaton4898]

Wow, what a life! And a happy ending as well. Great video!

[@2383Scorpio]

Good video Rich. I remembered watching the fight where LeDoux's knocked Cosell's toupee off after he was robbed of a decision against Boudreaux. Keep it up.

[@biggieyorke8415]

Johnny Boudreaux is not a fighter I’ve heard of before this video.Interesting story,good to know things ended well for him,better than many boxers.

[@abudujana13]

Thanks for the video, RICH THE FIGHT HISTORIAN

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, abudujana

[@leeinoregon1326]

Thanks, Rich, that was fantastic. I love your channel and especially enjoy being reminded of some of those I'd almost forgot.

[@TimberlandStomper420]

Glad you’re mentioning an unheard of fighter to most

[@johnpittsii7524]

Thanks for the video Rich ❤

[@82buffnasty]

George Foreman the peacemaker.

[@TempusFugit1159]

George was just glad he didn't have to face Boudreaux in the ring!

[@geraldfriend256]

@@TempusFugit1159 Ok but I got Big George by stoppage

[@TempusFugit1159]

@@geraldfriend256 I was just joking about George being scared of the "next Ali".

[@MaximusWolfe]

@@TempusFugit1159 Foreman would have murdered him.

[@phillandon4127]

Cosell's wig took the hardest hit of the night.

[@towers950]

Class work again Rich ! I look forward to everyone you produce. Cheers

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thank you, Kim.

[@chrisjenkinson7059]

He looked pretty good for a while. Not everyone can become a World Champ. Pleased to hear he did ok after boxing. Well done.

[@GTSpeac]

Another boxer from the wonder era of boxing that I knew nothing about. Thanks for sharing RTFH

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

My pleasure, Mehdi

[@bocha2311]

Howard Cosell's toupee was knocked off during the melee 😂

[@shaned7158]

If anybody wants to mimic ali's style and fight like him you better have a concrete chin.we sometimes forget that ali's chin kept him standing until the end so he could get the decision. Where has other fighters would of been knocked out from those punches ali was taking.

[@zaidkhan-uq2bk]

Cosell holding onto that toupe. The 70's boxing scene was really something

[@jamesholbrook7785]

I remember Boudreaux fighting. I haven’t heard his name in almost 50 years. I think it was the Tate fight I watched, since he was from Knoxville. I miss Howard Cosell.

[@MarkJackson-wc2xh]

"Down goes my rug!" 😂

[@Dannys_Dimensions]

This is a good one!!!!

[@bookah8787]

Were back in England one of my Pitbulls passed away I knew he wasn't feeling well he was 13 though that's a good life, watch some boxing take my mind off it , nice one Richie mate 👍

[@bookah8787]

Do you watch MFC Richie? Puts the UFC to shame lol that's what fighting is your getting demolished broken neck back whatever it's a fight.

[@bookah8787]

And then you have to switch it off and be yourself again it's like a drug , dirty everything is allowed you'll get your teeth smashed out with the nut anything goes, true fighting worth a look 👍

[@bookah8787]

More organised now by far obviously you can see it on TV , real killers .

[@bookah8787]

The Canadian lightweight Daniel larviere is one to watch true warrior as they all are .

[@bookah8787]

I've only ever seen kimbo slice and Jorge the kid fighter get away with it legally on a KZbin vlog rest in power kimbo ✊

[@freedomlovingamerican5496]

He was a big hulking guy to have such a finesse boxing style.

[@HarryHeath-pb6rv]

Scott went off woe!

[@g.sergiusfidenas6650]

Is good he made something else his life's goal and something came out of it, the sport is already tough enough even with the tank full of motivation and he clearly was running on fumes in that regard after his first defeat.

[@jameswarner8038]

A squirrel flying over a cliff

[@donnellvickers6314]

Wow he had a jab like Ali, good video RICH 👍

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, Donnell.

[@danielE.muhammad7622]

Thanks for this video

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Sure thing, Daniel.

[@Da_Publick]

"The crowd doesn't believe it! LeDoux doesn't believe it! George Foreman, what do you think?!" Pre-Grill Foreman: 🤐

[@RELopez-mk4ic]

I watched this circus live on television. Ledeoux clearly won the fight. I knew then, Don King was no good!

[@alpha_trooper8187]

Great little documentary from the past Rich. Never heard of Johnny before but I suppose its an interesting case of how important the mind is the fight game. Fun fact, Im pretty sure it popped to mind for most hardcore boxing fans when they say it but this is actual the first of two times that George Foreman had to intervene during a fight after the match and protect the reporters/commentators, the second coming nearly 20 years later during the Bowe vs Golota Riot. Also Howard Cosell's toupee falling off had me weak, you got a great sense of humor Rich 🤣

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, alpha trooper. Yeah, you're dead on correct on how Foreman played the peace keeper in there twenty years later.

[@ArtistFormerlyKnownAsShitlord]

Nothing in boxing makes my bile rise quite as badly as hearing the name "Don King" mentioned alongside any fighter. The man is vile, and it was no shock at all to see that his event was fixed. The main tragedy being that it besmirched Boudreaux's name.

[@triplejunction7073]

Ironically, even though he got robbed, it was Ledoux who wound up getting the big fights afterwards…

[@martinburke11]

@@triplejunction7073 Probably because he did what millions of people wanted to do: kick Howard Cosell in the head.

[@bookah8787]

In full bloom, that is a fantastic movie watched it on the flight, if you haven't already seen it I recommend it 👍

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

You got me curious and I looked up the trailer. Looks very interesting! Thanks for the recommendation, bookah.

[@bookah8787]

@@RichtheFightHistorian no worries Richie, yeah I enjoyed it

[@bookah8787]

Man I have to be so careful with what I text on this KZbin lol like I'm a naughty kid 😂 no pycopath with intelligence get off my dick KZbin you should know by now man is dangerous don't resist lol

[@bookah8787]

I guess we just don't see eye to eye KZbin whoever watches what I put I'm just truthful and truthfully I'd evaporate you on camera Infront of ya little girlfriends dem ya batty boi can't even breathe 😄

[@bookah8787]

023 man's took risk's by 024 I'll have 4 more cribs make ps buy sticks just copped a house with marble floor and matching prints do not try me 😂✌️

[@AndrewWilliams-kw6bc]

Remember the big stink, his win over Ledoux caused, all the magazines were full of it, memories !

[@triplejunction7073]

How about George Foreman as the peacemaker for that little fracas after the LeDoux fight ?

[@donavonhoward114]

Lol, I purposely went to the comment section just to see this comment. I thought to myself, "was I the only one who saw how good George was at settling guys down during heated moments". The guy was all class, even back then. Foreman would be a great trainer in some boxers corner.

[@triplejunction7073]

That was totally off-script George..

[@dr.doolittle4763]

I remember when Scott LeDeux beat him in a televised match but got screwed by biased judges.

[@MaximusWolfe]

Ledoux should have attacked the judges instead. That was a travesty. He controlled that fight start to finish. Boxing continues to have some of the most incompetent and/or corrupt judges in sports. See Dave Moretti.

[@mightyoaks77]

Big George says it's cool, it's cool.....😂

[@CalvinMiller-w7k]

Great documentary! By the way u should do a documentary about Tim Witherspoon I heard he was a very underrated fighter during his rain as champion.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

I agree. Spoon is definitely underrated.

[@Horseracingtip]

Don king fixed that fight. So many fixed fights in Boxing

[@Samacun]

Howard Cosell tupé went flying 😅

[@dontbeasucka.61]

I heard of him but never seen him fight

[@elontayor]

the next ali wasn’t a heavyweight, it was a middleweight by the name of ray leonard

[@John-zz5gt]

I would like to request one on Cookie Wallace. Thank you sir

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

That's a bit problematic as there really isn't a whole lot of bio information on him. That's a wait and see project.

[@John-zz5gt]

@@RichtheFightHistorian thanks anyways. It's too bad because he fought in arguably the greatest era of Heavyweight boxing. He also holds an amatuer victory over Ken Norton. Thank you though.

[@randquadrozzi1280]

I believed the decision cause the winner had don king backing him up.That simple.

[@LONELYOLDFATUGLYHOMELESSBUM]

boudreaux could've turned me brain into a chateux

[@RUDEMASTER]

You should do one on scott ledau

[@thewisetzar5363]

A sad case of an Ali successor would be Greg page

[@daveforgot127]

Sad the boys and girls club doesn't do boxing anymore

[@dklang]

Boudreaux was not the next Ali. Didn't have the skills or poise for that. Ledoux got robbed, Johnny didn't win that fight. He was never among the best. No way was he in a class with Ali.

[@GavinFox-uk9sn]

Hey rich can you do Max Baer

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Yes, he's on the list just don't know when I'll get to him yet.

[@strangerintown3676]

How about video on Howard " KO " Smith, a hard puncher backed by Hollywood money Mike " Mannix " Connors being a backer. I think eye trouble retired him if I remember right.

[@RichtheFightHistorian]

Thanks, I'll look into Smith more.

[@shaned7158]

Why did he attack him its not his fault for the decision. Unless something else happened or was said but we couldn't tell.

[@KingWilder87]

I see no comparison

[@Wendelvendel]

I know you have obligations to your patrons but... In terms of growing the channel you need to have space for people not on patreon. The charismatics voice has patreon picks and responds to the comments. Your channel may not be sustainable if you are stuck dancing for just a few loyal patreons....

[@PROFESSOR-I.C.]

Much corruption in ex-con Don King promotion fights.

[@shaned7158]

He had amazing skill just didn't use it has much. Thier were so many times he could of let his hands go and didn't. No way they could of did anything when he was punching because he was extremely fast for a heavyweight.

[@JosephMiller-hu7bq]

Maybe if he had Dundee he may have fone better.

[@mozfonky]

don't think i ever heard of him. Ali had a lot of wannabees, some of them really close to his ability but didn't have the character or maybe a few key physical attributes.

[@antoniorich8054]

So as a Christian does he tell the truth now and admit Scott Ledoux whipped his arse ?

[@triplejunction7073]

That bad decision was the first domino to fall in a series which brought down the entire crooked tournament..

[@Thelategreatjohnnybratton]

@@triplejunction7073 yes And it almost ruined Ring Magazine which fixed their ratings. I remember the editor was Nat Laboux the nephew or other close relative of Nat Fletcher the founder of The Ring which for years was the Bible of boxing. It was a terrible time yet Don King goes on. It’s disgusting