In the opinion of plenty of fight fans, when it comes down to which ring warrior is deserving of wearing the unofficial crown of most exciting fighter of all-time, it comes down to two men: Arturo Gatti, AKA “The Human Highlight Real,” and Matthew Saad Muhammad, AKA “Miracle Matt.”
When Was Muhammad vs. Lopez II?
We have been treated to some great fight action this weekend, but the fight that took place on July 13, 1980, was super-special, in fact, almost agonising to watch. Gatti went through sheer hell in order to win and to thrill us, and he did it numerous times.
So too did Saad Muhammad. And the fight/absolute war the former Matt Franklin somehow managed to win on this day 45 years ago, his victory coming in almost otherworldly fashion, ranks for some as THE greatest action fight in boxing history.
It was in McAfee, New Jersey, where light heavyweight king Muhammad met old foe Yaqui Lopez in a rematch of an NABF title fight (that was not a bad fight at all, but was a fight that would be thoroughly eclipsed by the X-rated violence that would go down in the sequel).
Now making the fourth defence of the 175-pound title, Muhammad, who had carved out a reputation as a must-watch warrior who had an astonishing ability at turning a losing fight around, of being able to save a seemingly lost cause, would score his most you had to see it to believe it comeback.
Lopez was tough, but Muhammad wasn’t human. That’s how it looked in this titanic battle. The first seven rounds flew by, the action close and ultra-competitive. Then, in the eighth round, the fight reached a whole other level, a level of back-and-forth, and back-and-forth warfare rarely seen.
Muhammad came out fast at the start of the round, looking to work Lopez over. Lopez had worked his way to a good lead, and now Muhammad was looking to make his latest big fight turnaround.
Lopez, bleeding, let his own mitts go in fast, accurate fashion. But Muhammad, fighting as though this was the final round, drove Lopez into the ropes. Lopez roared back. Muhammad came back again himself, and he was cracking home with hooks to the body and head.
Why “Miracle Matt” Saad Muhammad?
Then, Lopez let loose with a brutal salvo of hurtful shots that would almost certainly have finished plenty of other fighters. Lopez was hitting the champion with everything with both hands, with Yaqui scoring with something like 25 to 30 punches! Muhammad was a beaten man, surely.
But no, after taking a heck of a going over, the Philly legend, his head snapping back, his gas tank seemingly empty, came back hard. Chopping away, Muhammad forced Lopez back to the ropes, the challenger no doubt in a state of disbelief, and the champ finished the round by landing more hurt on the man who had been battering him almost senseless mere seconds before.
If Hagler-Hearns is the greatest round of boxing ever seen, round eight of Muhammad-Lopez II gives it a heck of a run for its money.
Lopez was still in the fight during the following rounds, and the action was still top-notch. But Muhammad was now in control, and slowly but surely, he was wearing his man down. In round 14, Muhammad sent Lopez down no less than four times. Mexico’s Lopez showed amazing heart himself by getting up time and again, but eventually, the referee had to do the humane thing and stop the fight.
It was a fight that people who were there or who watched live on TV will never, ever forget. Quite simply, Matthew Saad Muhammad gave us a fight that forever cemented his reputation as one of the most never-say-die fighters who ever lived. Muhammad, more so than at any other time in a career that was filled with epic mid-fight comebacks, earned that “Miracle Matt” nickname.