Recalling A Shattering Comeback KO! Ray Mercer Vs. Francesco Damiani

Oh, how the 1990s thrilled us as far as the heavyweight division goes!

In that fantastic decade, we saw upsets, great action fights, spectacles, and rematches. And, of course, we saw knockouts.

The year, the decade, had barely begun when Ray Mercer, a former no-nonsense Army warrior, met a slick (but he really didn’t look it) Francesco Damiani. Mercer, who would score further damaging and memorable KO’s going forward, really did pull it all out in finally getting rid of the Italian menace!

Mercer, unbeaten at 16-0, met Damiani, who was also unbeaten, this at 27-0. Mercer was the puncher, but soon enough, the fans found out how well the European fighter could box.

Like Mercer, Damiani had represented his country at the Olympics. In 1984, Damiani won a silver medal (losing to eventual gold winner Biggs). Against Mercer, Damiani was putting on a clinic. Mercer was made to look somewhat clumsy as Damiani used his fast hands, his fine boxing brain, and his effective game plan to pile up points. Mercer might never have grown discouraged, yet he did look it at times. Damiani was enjoying his ‘coming out party.’

But Mercer, one helluva tough fighting man, pulled off a stunning comeback KO in the ninth round. In the gym, Mercer had been practicing his left hook/left uppercut, and against Damiani, the shot worked a treat. Mercer uncorked his hybrid shot, and the tip of Damiani’s nose took the full force of it. The Italian went down in a heap, with both of his gloves cupping his face, in a desperate attempt to ease the sheer pain. There was blood splashed on the canvas. It turned out the punch had shattered Damiani’s nose. The pain – again, the sheer pain – must have been excruciating.

Mercer had turned things around, in so doing keeping himself in line for some bigger fights down the road. At the time of the nose-splintering KO, Mercer was behind on all three judges’ cards. “Merciless,” a hardened former army sergeant, showed his fellow fighters how to keep going, how to never give up.

Later that year, in his only other fight of 1991, Mercer scored an even more brutal and savage knockout – this one over an unbeaten Tommy Morrison. Mercer began the year with a bang, and he ended it with a vicious explosion.

As for Damiani, his career was sadly all but over, the Italian having just four further bouts.