Ten years ago today: Joe Calzaghe beats Mikkel Kessler in his “finest fight”

11/03/2017 James Slater

Joe Calzaghe, arguably the finest super-middleweight in history, scored a huge win a decade ago today when he decisioned Danish hero Mikkel Kessler over 12 gripping rounds. Today when looking back, Calzaghe, who of course retired at a perfect 46-0, has a number of fights to look back on and feel very, very proud.

But Joe has one fight as his pick for his finest, his best; the one he is most proud of. It is the win over Kessler that took place in Cardiff in front of around 50,000 fans. Some fans may point to Calzaghe’s great win over Jeff Lacy as his finest showing, some to his win over Bernard Hopkins.

25 years ago today this Halloween: Lennox Lewis ices Razor Ruddock in terrifying performance

10/31/201710/30/2017 James Slater

Sometimes in heavyweight boxing a fighter, with just one win, arrives on the world stage and captures the attention of anyone and everyone interested in boxing in a massive way. This was exactly what happened on this day, Halloween, in 1992. Lennox Lewis may already have been known to a good share of fight fans, due to his winning the Olympic gold medal in 1988, but his performance on this night really catapulted the Brit to superstardom.

35 years on: Is Holmes-Cobb still the most one-sided world heavyweight title fight ever?

10/24/2017 James Slater

In the list of infamous, never to be forgotten fights, the world heavyweight title fight taht took place 35 years ago next month – between defending champ Larry Holmes and unimaginably tough challenger Randy “Tex” Cobb – holds its own distinctive place in fans’ memories.

James “Buster” Douglas: Could he have been great?

10/23/201710/23/2017 James Slater

Defining fights: they’re something all great fighters have on their record. But when you hear the name James Douglas, or Buster as the former heavyweight king was/is known, it’s tough to pick his defining fight. Was it that stunning night in Japan when Douglas fought his defining fight, or was it that weak night in Las Vegas, a few months later when Buster gave us the fight he is today best remembered for?

The Comeback Kings: Seven greats who made it all the way back

10/22/201710/21/2017 James Slater

Comeback: “a return by a well-known person, especially an entertainer or sports player, to the activity in which they had formerly been successful”

7. Sugar Ray Robinson.

Sugar Ray had more than earned the accolade as the finest boxer in history pound-for pound, as a welterweight and a middleweight. But Ray wanted more. He moved up to light heavyweight and in June of 1952 challenged Joey Maxim for his world title. Robinson was way ahead on the scorecards, but going into the latter rounds of the fight – fought under a temperature of 104 degrees – Robinson hit the wall. He was suffering from heat prostration and had to quit on his stool at the end of thirteen rounds. Sugar Ray announced his retirement afterwards. It stuck for two and a half years.

When the “O” goes – fighters who were never the same after losing for the first time

10/22/201710/20/2017 James Slater

Some fighters, be they at the start of their career, at the middle or even coming towards the end, come back stronger after suffering their very first defeat, while other fighters are never, ever the same again after tasting the pain of losing.

Great fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, Bernard Hopkins and James Toney have over the years proven how there is so much more than holding an unbeaten record in boxing; each legend returning from a loss with a vengeance. However, some fighters, a number of them closing in on greatness at the time, were all but finished, at least compared to what they had been, after losing their “O,” their prefect record.

Happy Birthday, Evander Holyfield – “The Real Deal” hits 55 today

10/19/2017 James Slater

Today a successful, if still young promoter, all time cruiserweight and heavyweight great Evander Holyfield celebrates his 55th birthday today. Now long retired, the only four-time heavyweight ruler is busy with his new venture, even though, as good a shape as he has kept himself since retiring, Evander still looks like he could fight.

But what on earth would there be left for this living legend to achieve!

30 years ago today: Mike Tyson KO’s Tyrell Biggs – Tyson’s peak performance?

10/16/2017 James Slater

Thirty long years ago today, a peak, or near-peak “Iron” Mike Tyson retained his heavyweight titles with a quite ruthless, nasty display of utter dominance. Tyson met a fighter he disliked in Tyrell Biggs and what was seen by some as a possible test for Tyson turned out to be something of a massacre.

Though Biggs, then unbeaten and having captured attention due to his winning of the 1984 Olympic gold medal up at super-heavyweight, had a decent opening round in which he used his height, his speed and his educated left jab to good effect, Biggs was doomed as soon as he signed the contract. Tyson disliked his 15-0 challenger – so jealous was he of him due to his own failure to make the team for Los Angeles in ’84 – and how it showed.

Twenty years ago today: The great Joe Calzaghe begins his reign of dominance with tough decision win over Chris Eubank

10/11/2017 James Slater

Exactly twenty years ago today in Sheffield, England, a great fight saw a great fighter crowned as world champion for the first time. It was on October 11 in 1997 when Welsh legend Joe Calzaghe met Chris Eubank in a battle to decide the vacant WBO super-middleweight title (Steve Collins, who had dethroned Eubank to take the belt had retired, thus vacating the strap).

Eubank, a love him or hate him figure of British boxing, was coming towards the end of his own superb career, while the unbeaten “Pride of Wales,” at age 25 the younger man by seven years, was approaching his prime. What’s more, Calzaghe was approaching an absolutely stupendous run as a truly dominant word champion – one who would never, ever taste a single defeat.

Jimmy Young Vs. George Foreman: The fight that ended Foreman’s career but ultimately brought about his rebirth

10/09/2017 James Slater

Upon entering the ring in the Coliseo Roberto Clemente stadium in Puerto Rico just over 40 years ago, former heavyweight king George Foreman had Muhammad Ali on his mind; in particular he had thoughts of a rematch with the man who had shocked, stunned and beaten him three years earlier playing on his mind.