Boxing History Archives

On This Day 21 Years Ago – Thomas Hearns Has His One And Only Pro Fight In England

April 10, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - But the king many of these fans were so thrilled to be seeing, for the first time at pro level in the UK, was the one and only Thomas Hearns – one of “The Four Kings” who so lit up the sport in the 1980s: Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran (the only other member of this exquisite quartet to still be fighting here in 1999).

34 Shares

British boxing fans were so excited. It was going to be great: a sold-out, rocking MEN Arena in the heart of Manchester, packed to the rafters with knowledgeable boxing fans … Read more

A remarkable boxing journey like no other 1972 Olympic gold medalist Ray Seales

April 10, 2020April 9, 2020 by Bob Trieger | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Imagine being the lone boxer from your country to capture an Olympic gold medal, only days after the infamous Munich massacre. Now imagine also having won a remarkable 338 of 350 amateur matches, having fought a trilogy as a professional with "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, being declared legally blind in both eyes (having entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr. pick up a six-figure medical bill), regaining sight in one eye, then working as a teacher of autistic students for 17 years.

Imagine being the lone boxer from your country to capture an Olympic gold medal, only days after the infamous Munich massacre. Now imagine also having won a remarkable 338 of … Read more

On This Day – Heavyweight Warrior Roy “Tiger” Williams Was Born

April 9, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Something of an enigma, 1970s heavyweight contender Roy “Tiger” Williams today celebrates his 75th birthday. But don't go expecting any interviews with, or appearances by Williams. Who knows what Williams is doing these days, where he is located (please feel free to offer any info if you have it, much appreciated). What is known is how tough, dangerous and physically strong Williams was.

Something of an enigma, 1970s heavyweight contender Roy “Tiger” Williams today celebrates his 75th birthday. But don’t go expecting any interviews with, or appearances by Williams. Who knows what Williams … Read more

25 Years Ago: When Old Man Larry Holmes Almost Edged Oliver McCall To Regain The WBC Title

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - It was a darn good thing for Oliver McCall he wasn't fighting the Larry Holmes who defeated Ken Norton to win the WBC heavyweight championship. That version of Holmes, the 1978 version; the peak version of “The Easton Assassin,” had long since gone by the time ol' Larry challenged McCall in an effort at regaining the crown he had won in that superb battle.

55 Shares

It was a darn good thing for Oliver McCall he wasn’t fighting the Larry Holmes who defeated Ken Norton to win the WBC heavyweight championship. That version of Holmes, the … Read more

30 Years Ago – When Donovan Ruddock Detonated His “Smash” On Michael Dokes

April 8, 2020April 8, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - For some, the scary and brutal KO Donovan “Razor” Ruddock scored over Michael Dokes some 30 years ago this week (April 4, 1990) ranks as THE most destructive they have ever seen. In recent times, only Ray Mercer's nasty annihilation of Tommy Morrison rivals it for most bloodcurdling heavyweight knockout.

For some, the scary and brutal KO Donovan “Razor” Ruddock scored over Michael Dokes some 30 years ago this week (April 4, 1990) ranks as THE most destructive they have … Read more

Warrior Frankie Randall Battling Parkinson’s And Pugilistic Dementia

April 7, 2020April 7, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Another stark reminder of how brave all fighters have to be, how much risk they take by fighting for a living, is the recent revelation that Frankie Randall is now battling both pugilistic dementia and Parkinson's. Each time a boxer steps into the ring, he or she faces danger, and years later, when the career is over, there is the fear that a condition such as those the former 140 pound king who upset the great Julio Cesar Chavez is battling, can appear.

62 Shares

Another stark reminder of how brave all fighters have to be, how much risk they take by fighting for a living, is the recent revelation that Frankie Randall is now … Read more

Showtime Boxing classics to air starting April 10

April 7, 2020April 6, 2020 by Showtime Boxing | Leave a comment

Boxing History - SHOWTIME Sports will continue to serve boxing fans during the current hiatus from live sports, announcing today SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS with regularly scheduled replays of legendary bouts from the network’s deep archive of world championship boxing. SHOWTIME BOXING CLASSICS will air on three consecutive Friday nights beginning April 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME. The telecasts will also be available via the SHOWTIME streaming service and SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

April 10: DIEGO CORRALES vs. JOSE LUIS CASTILLO I & II April 17: PAULIE AYALA vs. JOHNNY TAPIA I & II April 24: LUCAS MATTHYSSE vs. JOHN MOLINA, MICKEY BEY … Read more

The “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda” Chronicles—Corrie Sanders (Heavyweights Vol. I)

April 7, 2020April 6, 2020 by Jeff Meyers | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Corrie “The Sniper” Sanders represents a prime example. Cornelius Johannes “Corrie” Sanders was a South African heavyweight who competed from 1989 to 2008. Sanders grew up in Brits, South Africa, and was of Afrikaner descent. Sanders’ athleticism was manifest from the day he learned to walk. As a schoolboy, he stood out as a gifted athlete, playing cricket and rugby at a level high enough to be recruited to national level competition. He was known for his speed as well—an outstanding youth sprinter who broke 11 seconds in the 100 meters in his teens. Later, he honed his golf game to near-professional standard, a scratch golfer who competed in pro-am tournaments.

86 Shares

woulda, coulda, shoulda An expression of dismissiveness or disappointment concerning a statement, question, explanation, course of action, or occurrence involving hypothetical possibilities, uncertain facts, or missed opportunities. Wiktionary – Wiktionary: … Read more

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson classic fights on ESPN2 this Tuesday

April 7, 2020April 6, 2020 by Top Rank | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Ali-Foreman: Ali was a 4-to-1 underdog against Foreman, who entered the fight at 40-0 with 37 KOs and two title defenses under his belt. The historic battle, dubbed “The Rumble in the Jungle,” became iconic after Ali employed the “rope-a-dope” tactic to tire out and ultimately stop Foreman in eight rounds.

This Tuesday, April 7, will be a night of heavyweight legends on ESPN2 when the network airs a special programming lineup featuring classic heavyweight fights. The seven-hour encore presentation will … Read more

Leonard vs Hagler: The Most Re-Watched, Re-Scored Fight In History

April 6, 2020April 6, 2020 by James Slater | Leave a comment

Boxing History - Leonard, inactive and having undergone retinal surgery, had never before boxed as a middleweight. Hagler was unbeaten in 11 long years and he was finally getting the fight he had craved, even obsessed with, for around half that time. What’s more, Hagler had recently crushed the man who had given Leonard his toughest (arguably at least) fight. There could be only one winner on the evening of April 6th, 1987, right? Wrong. Stunning the boxing world, 4-1 underdog Leonard boxed a near masterpiece as he frustrated Hagler, made him lunge and miss and generally wormed his way right into the shaven-skulled southpaw’s head.

443 Shares

It’s anniversary time again for THE most argued about fight in all of boxing history: Sugar Ray Leonard WS12 Marvin Hagler. It was 33 years ago today when Leonard pulled … Read more