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Dan Blocker used to box for his hometown's entertainment
Before Dan Blocker was entertaining on "Bonanza," he was entertaining on the streets of his hometown.
Dan Blocker was known to many as a gentle giant. Standing at over six feet, the Bonanza actor was known for his tenderness, rather than viciousness. It seemed that both Hoss and Dan Blocker preferred to keep things cool and calm...but that doesn't mean that they both couldn't scrap with the best of them.
According to Copley News, Blocker was once pressed by a group of columnists as to whether he had any experience in fighting. Apparently, Blocker smiled and responded in the affirmative. He explained, "Back in my little old hometown, which was rural ranch America, you understand. We had about 800 people. They'd come from miles around on Saturday night to see the entertainment, which was me fightin.'"
Apparently, Blocker would leave himself open on Saturday nights for any potential challengers who felt that they could best him in a fight.
Blocker explained, "Well, now they'd rope off a part of the main street in O'Donnell, a little bitty town, you understand. And then I'd take on all comers. Anybody wanted a scrap, I was there to give it to them."
To any doubting Blocker's strength, you aren't alone, but you are incorrect. When pressed on how he performed in those fights, Blocker announced, "Never lost a fight. I was as big then as I am now — that's 275 pounds. Or roughly thereabouts, give or take some."
In fact, so confident was Blocker in his strength, that he claimed he would be able to beat champion Floyd Patterson in a fight. He said, "Sure, I could whup Floyd Patterson. Give me two, three months to train — maybe take off a chunk of blubber — and I'll whup him easy."
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