Bob Probert vs. Darin Kimble – 3/10/91
To tell the story of the Probert vs. Kimble fight, first you have to go all the way back to the beginning of the 1990-91 season when Bob Probert, then reigning Heavyweight champ, lost to a young up and coming gunslinger named Troy Crowder. Crowder bloodied Probert and to prove it was no fluke, went on a tour of destruction throughout the NHL. In addition to beating the champ, Crowder destroyed Craig Coxe-of Probert vs. Coxe 1 and 2 fame-then went on to KO Jeff Chychrun, one of the Flyers new henchmen. Crowder, the machine, was having a rookie season for the ages and seemed unstoppable, unbeatable and had set the league on fire with his victories.
The fans, the league and even the players were looking ahead to a Probert-Crowder rematch to determine who was top dog in the Heavyweight ranks. The potential rematch really gained a lot of steam and I remember an interview where Probert mentioned that he felt like he was more or less expected to win with all the pressure he was under. Since the upset loss to Crowder, Probert was also going on his own tour of destruction throughout the league. Probert ran through guys like Shane Churla, Jay Miller, Bob McGill, Stu Grimson and YES even Dave Brown to get to that rematch with Crowder. To make things especially clear to Mr. Crowder and the rest of the NHL, he demolished Dave Brown –one of the leagues most feared enforcers-as a tune up fight for the Crowder rematch.
For Troy Crowder, his first full year in the NHL was going along swimmingly. He had beaten the league’s best fighter, thrashed everyone put in front of him and was now setting his sights on the rematch that everyone knew was coming. The hype had been building for this rematch since the moment the linesmen pulled Crowder away from a bloodied and beaten Probert. There was no way Probert would let that stand. Not a prime Detroit Red Wings era version of Probert. He was already famed for avenging a loss. He was coming.
Enter Darin Kimble.
Kimble first broke in during the 88-89 season with the Quebec Nordiques. I remember he started off with a great brawl against Basil McRae and later a beauty vs. Jay Miller, then of the LA Kings. The following year he bloodied Marc LaForge badly and beat Dave Brown and I remember thinking he was another up and comer. He was a wide open, toe to toe style fighter with fast hands who was fast proving that he had a punchers chance vs. anyone. He also gave us some great action fights with that all out style of his.
Kimble came ready to rumble when the Nordiques paid a visit to the Meadowlands Arena on a cold night in late January. He was going to take a shot at the man who beat the man. Crowder was more than happy to oblige. He was brimming with confidence-he beat the champ, went on a win streak and was gearing up for the big rematch. He had power, size and was more like a right handed Dave Brown with each victory. All he had to do was get past Kimble.
Kimble had other plans. These two desperate desperados met at center ice and immediately went toe to toe. Kimble was able to take the fight to Crowder with his usual toe to toe style. Kimble fired away with rapid fire rights and Crowder looked like he was trying to match Kimble’s speed and use his reach. Kimble then got free of his jersey, and Crowder had to readjust to holding onto Kimble’s t-shirt while still firing right hands. Kimble then landed one square that buckled Crowder and dropped him to his knees. The linesmen ended the fight, which, like the Probert-Crowder fight, sent shock waves throughout the NHL. Crowder –The Machine-had been beaten.
It was on that note that Crowder went into the much hyped rematch with Bob Probert. Probert entered Joe Louis arena that night with revenge on his mind. I wonder if he heard about the Kimble fight or if he even cared at that point? The focus was on Crowder and setting things right. Probert and Crowder would fight not once, but twice that night. One, a convincing win; the other, a controversial fight. When the dust settled, Probert once again reigned supreme and was enjoying one of his finest campaigns.
Probert in 90-91 was like Michael Corleone in The Godfather. He was settling all family affairs and he was leaving no stone unturned. Anyone that was perceived as a threat was taken out. Now on the outside looking in, there wasn’t anything really there between Probert and Kimble. They had never fought and played in two different conferences so they rarely saw each other. There was no bad blood built up over time, no past rivalry. But Kimble had done something that Probert wasn’t able to do, even during that great 90-91 season when he was tearing up the league and righting wrongs and such. Kimble had gotten to Crowder first.
In a strange twist of fate, after posting his greatest victory in his young career, the Quebec Nordiques shipped Kimble to the St. Louis Blues. You’d think the Nordiques would hold onto a beauty like Kimble but I like to think the Blues just wanted him more. It was in St. Louis that the Blues would play host to the visiting Detroit Red Wings on March 10, 1991. Kimble had gotten himself into a few fights since he arrived in early February but now would be the real test. Probert was in town.
What was interesting about the Probert-Kimble fight is the Vial-Kimble tune up fight leading up to it. While Kimble and Vial duke it out, Probert is right there on the ice taking in the action. The camera actually pans over to Probert keeping an eye on things. I always thought of Probert as studying Kimble in this fight. Instead of watching Kimble on a video tape, he had the chance to see him up close and in person. Or maybe he just liked watching a good fight.
Later in that same period Probert and Kimble would meet up. In Probert’s early years he might’ve been sucked into one of them Kimble-esque toe to toe style fights. I’m sure that’s what Kimble wanted-a nice crash and bang affair. But Probert was too polished, too experienced a fighter to be sucked in like that. The exuberance of youth had faded as he entered his prime and Probert was now more of a cold and calculating fighter who combined his long reach and excellent stamina in fights. So instead of diving in to a face punching duel the way Crowder did, Probert would use his reach.
When they first dropped the gloves and squared off it almost looked like Probert smiled at Kimble just before they came to grips. Maybe it’s just the fan boy in me but I liked to think I saw Probert’s toothless grin. When they finally engaged they began to swing out, both fighters coming up short with their initial salvo. Instead of going toe to toe Probert was trading punches from long range, throwing one while using his reach to stay away from Kimble’s counter and then firing again. Then Probert doubled up his right hand catching Kimble coming in and rocked him. This was a sweet sequence and one Probert had used before. That was basically it for Kimble.
After landing that big right hand Probert took control of the fight and never let go. He was all over Kimble with a series of right hands, many of them clean shots. Kimble did his best to stay upright but it was fast becoming a mauling. After tearing away at Kimble with rights, Probert switched to his left to continue the pummeling. After Probert landed a few left hands the linesmen jumped in to mercifully end the fight. Probert skated to the box victorious having whipped all challengers to his throne. Kimble skated to the box slowly, disheveled and thoroughly worked over.
For Bob Probert the 90-91 season would be one of his truly best years as an enforcer. For one who looks into these things, it might be one of the best single seasons for an enforcer ever. After suffering an early season defeat, Probert went on a rampage throughout the NHL to reestablish himself as the league’s top dog. He gave us a thrilling trilogy of fights with a young contender as well as other memorable moments in a season that rivaled his great year in 87-88 in terms of fighting. Probert would reign for the next few seasons and eventually go down as arguably the game’s greatest fighter of all time.
90-91 was bittersweet for Darin Kimble. On the one hand he was able to defeat Troy Crowder who seemed like an unstoppable force that year. Then, after his most notable victory to date, he was traded just like that to St. Louis where he ran into the Probert express. Kimble would play the next few years with the Blues and continued to get into great fights. He would eventually play for the Bruins and Blackhawks in an NHL career that wound down in the 97-98 preseason where he, as fate would have it, fought an ageing Blackhawks version of Bob Probert.
But that was Kimble: Always game and had a punchers chance vs. anyone.
