Rocky Marciano’s legendary 49-0 record: For it to be truly broken, must it be a reigning heavyweight champion who reaches 50-0?

04/02/201704/01/2017 James Slater

Back in 2015, when Floyd Mayweather tied beloved heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record, the late ex-champ’s brother, Peter Marciano, was less than moved. It would have been better, more newsworthy, more impressive, he said, if another heavyweight champion had equalled his brother’s astonishing numbers, not a welterweight.

Just recently, little star Roman Gonzalez was getting a ton of press as he closed in on “The Rock’s” record, but as we know, “Chocolatito” lost in a big upset and fell to 46-1 in the process. Now publications and boxing sites are talking about Thailand’s Wanheng Menayothin, the reigning WBC minimumweight champ who yesterday improved to 46-0 with a non-title six-rounder victory. Can he break Marciano’s record they are asking (or, in a sacrilegious move, some have asked if Menayothin can break Floyd’s 49-0 record!)

“Terrible Tim” in the house; Witherspoon speaks on his great career and on Joshua-Klitschko

04/01/201704/01/2017 James Slater

Former two-time heavyweight champ “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon was a guest of honour in a pub in York, UK last night, promoting his excellent and revealing biography “Terrible Times.”

The Philly legend spent around four hours chatting with a surprisingly small number of fans (making the experience all the more intimate and special); telling us so many stories from his great career: like the time he was thrown out of Gerry Cooney’s gym for being too rough and tough a sparring partner, how he was so massively inspired by sparring and training with the great Muhammad Ali (even though, as Tim said, he knew Ali “was sick” at the time; in the early ’80s), about how he would have loved to have fought Mike Tyson in the 1990s, about how great his era of heavyweights was in comparison to today’s.

30 Years Later – Valdez / Ramirez / Magdaleno / Stevenson Score Hagler vs. Leonard

04/01/2017 Top Rank

It took place on Monday, April 6, 1987 at Caesars Palace and it was promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank®. The SuperFight: Hagler vs. Leonard, with Marvin Hagler defending his middleweight title against Sugar Ray Leonard, making a return after a three-year absence from the ring and a big question mark about his surgically-repaired eye. It was one the biggest and most successful sporting events of that era. Caesars Palace was sold out with 15,000 spectators and an estimated 400 million more watching worldwide via closed-circuit or on pay-tv. The media credentialed for fight week was close to 1,1000. It was the quintessential promotion of that time and the foundation on which mega fights are now promoted. And the result? It is as hotly debated today as it was 30 years ago when the judges’ scores were read that night. Dave Moretti scored it 115-113 for Leonard. Lou Fillippo scored it 115-113 for Hagler. Jo Jo Guerra scored it 118-110 for Leonard, making him the new middleweight champion, and completing one of the greatest career comebacks in boxing .

Lennox Lewis-Shannon Briggs was a heavyweight rumble to remember!

03/29/201703/28/2017 James Slater

One year short of two full decades ago today, WBC heavyweight king Lennox Lewis met lineal ruler Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and a surprisingly fun fight took place. The two men with a big punch and a big personality, Briggs especially when it comes to the latter, slugged it out for five thrilling rounds.

Video: Ken Norton vs Larry Holmes – Classic Fight Recap

03/27/2017 Rummys Corner

Rummy’s Corner proudly presents another edition of a new ongoing series that will explore some of the greatest bouts in the rich history of professional boxing. This week’s second installment of “Classic Fight Recap” features the epic fifteen round heavyweight championship contest that took place on June 9, 1978, between WBC heavyweight champion Ken Norton (40-4-0) and undefeated challenger Larry Holmes (27-0-0), which took place in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Video: Jersey Joe Walcott vs Rocky Marciano – Classic Rivalry Recap

03/27/2017 Rummys Corner

This week Rummy’s Corner proudly presents the latest edition of a new ongoing series that will explore some of the greatest bouts in the rich history of professional boxing. This week’s installment of “Classic Fight Recap” is actually a two-in-one classic rivalry recap. Featuring the epic two fight series between former heavyweight champions Jersey Joe Walcott and Rocky Marciano. Their first epic encounter took place on September 23, 1952, and they would have a high profile rematch the following year on May 15, 1953.

50 years ago: Ali stripped and refused license to fight – but think what might have happened if he’d been able to box on

03/24/201703/22/2017 James Slater

A half century ago (March 22, 1967) the greatest heavyweight champion boxer in the sport’s long history was, quite disgracefully, stripped of his world title. Even worse, Muhammad Ali – who was still unashamedly being called Cassius Clay by certain people who basically knew no better – was refused the right to box, to earn a living.

It was the height of America’s most unpopular (some would say needless) war, and Ali, having been ordered to fight in Vietnam, refused and was almost universally vilified as a result. Called a traitor and other things, Ali had been transformed from a jovial, entertaining star fighter to a cowardly non-fighter. It would be years, almost four, before Ali would be exonerated and referred to by his real name by all.

Video: George Foreman vs Ron Lyle – Classic Fight Recap

03/22/2017 Rummys Corner

There have been many extraordinary slugfests in the long rich history of professional boxing, but few of the magnificent wars that have taken place over the years can match up to the epic clash that took place on January 24, 1976 between former heavyweight champion George Foreman and former title challenger Ron Lyle. The bout was an absolute battle for the ages that had everything a boxing fan could hope for in terms of exceedingly crowd pleasing back and forth action.

Video: Floyd Patterson vs Ingemar Johansson – Classic Rivalry Recap

02/27/202403/19/2017 Rummys Corner

This edition of Rummy’s Corner proudly presents the latest episode of a new ongoing series … read more

40 years ago today: Jimmy Young-George Foreman – “He beat the devil out of me!”

03/18/201703/17/2017 James Slater

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

But at the conclusion of his frustrating fight with Jimmy Young, Foreman would soon have nothing but God and a new life on his mind. It was “Big George’s” fight with Young – won by Young via 12 round unanimous decision – that forever changed the Texan giant’s life; or rather it was the fight’s aftermath that did the changing.