Boxing history articles
Who was the greatest ever 168 pound, or super-middleweight, champion? Most fans may say Roy Jones Junior, others Andre Ward. While others still may say Joe Calzaghe deserves the distinction, or maybe Sugar Ray Leonard. Well, the WBC has just listed its ten greatest super-middleweight champions: the Top-10 finest 168 pounders to have worn the illustrious green belt.
Like with all lists of this kind, no way will everyone be happy, but here is the WBC Top-10:
It was forty years ago today when massive underdog Leon Spinks upset The Greatest, in defeating Muhammad Ali to take the world heavyweight crown. Spinks, a veritable novice, shocked the world by winning a fifteen-round split decision in Las Vegas. Was Ali finished, for good? It looked like it, but as we know, The Greatest came back and scored one last win – a revenge win over “Neon Leon.”
Jack Dempsey is known throughout the world as one of the greatest heavyweights in history. Very much a man way, way, way ahead of his time, Dempsey’s crouched, ultra-aggressive approach shocked audiences; his naked aggression being seen as “uncivilised” and “barbaric” in its nature. Yet Dempsey was hugely successful as a prizefighter, eventually capturing the world title and in time becoming a true hero.
Some people will never, ever forget the great Gerald McClellan, or his incredible displays of boxing brilliance, savagery and bravery. The former world middleweight king was, as fans know, permanently injured in his epic and brutal battle with British warrior Nigel Benn – the February 25, 1995 fight producing an indelible piece of modern day boxing history.
Former featherweight king “Prince” Naseem Hamed celebrates his 44th birthday today. The super-powerful southpaw – long retired and long content to live a low-key existence, vastly overweight, in fact barely recognisable from his peak fighting days – by his own admission retired too soon.
By David Vaught, a family member of the great Archie Moore – Floyd Mayweather has become a very controversial figure in boxing. It seems like boxing fans either love him or hate him. He was a great defensive boxer, and he has now retired undefeated. The purpose of this article, however, isn’t to debate Mayweather’s skill, but to look at the way some fans judge a boxer on their boxing record alone.
Now that he’s officially retired from the sport (for now at least) the tributes are coming in for all-time great Roy Jones Junior – and deservedly so. One of the former multi-weight champ’s most lauded wins is his 2003 decision win over John Ruiz up at heavyweight; this Jones masterpiece seeing him crowned as a heavyweight champion.
In the words of Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson was “a baaad man!” Way ahead of his time and having to fight rabid racism along with his opponents, “The Galveston Giant” was strong enough, mentally and physically, to be able to overcome odds that would seem unfathomable to a modern day fighter.
Even the cerebral Sugar Ray Leonard never knew when to quit. The toughest thing in the toughest sport of all, boxing, is being able to walk away; knowing when enough is enough. Time and again, great and special fighters fought that one fight too many. It was going to be different with Ray Charles Leonard, though – Sugar Ray was smart, very smart.
55 years ago today, in Santa Fe, a 20 year old Carlos Monzon KO’d Ramon Montenegro in a couple of rounds to secure his pro debut. All these years later, and plenty of people refer to Argentina’s former middleweight world champion as THE best 160 pounder in boxing history.
Monzon himself famously said he was a better fighter at middleweight than was the legendary “Sugar” Ray Robinson. What is sure is the fact that Monzon at one time held the division record for most world title defences – 14 in all. During this time, from November of 1970 to his final fight in July of 1977, “Escopeta” was busy taking on and defeating the best.