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.
Boxing History
Boxing history articles
The sad end to a glorious career: Sugar Ray Leonard and the two fights he never should have taken
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: The great Carlos Monzon makes his pro debut
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.
Ike Ibeabuchi: What might have been
Though he was released from a US prison some months back (or is it years?) there will be no ‘George Foreman- style comeback’ for the man who turns 45 years old today. Nigerian powerhouse Ikemefula Charles Ibeabuchi: how great, how special might he have become had he not lost the plot and got himself put away for the charge of attempted rape, in Las Vegas in 2009?
Frank Bruno: A National Treasure
The eternally popular Frank Bruno is a national treasure in this country. Every time ‘Big Frank’ entered the squared circle to fight, the entire British nation was behind him. A true crossover star, Bruno became a household name after just a few pro bouts. But what was it like to fight Bruno, and try and knock him out in front of his partisan fans?
George Foreman and the time he fought five men in one night – imagine a top heavyweight doing that today!
“Muhammad ‘whatever he wants to call himself’ can’t beat no George Foreman,” Foreman after beating five guys in one afternoon in 1975.
Heavyweight immortal Jack Dempsey once took part in an exhibition where he fought five men in one night, but the only other former heavyweight king to have faced that many men in one afternoon – over one hour – is living legend George Foreman. As fans know, “Big George,” in an attempt at battling the demons he was tortured by after losing his unbeaten record and world title to the one and only Muhammad Ali, took on five fringe contenders/journeymen types in Toronto Canada in April of 1975.
When the great Julio Cesar Chavez lost his unbeaten record – 89-0-1!
Simply unbeatable in his prime years – 1984 to 1993 – Mexican icon and all-time great Julio Cesar Chavez tore through the super-featherweight, lightweight and super-lightweight divisions, capturing world titles in each weight class and retaining them for a substantial amount of time.
Chavez ducked no-one and he hadn’t even heard the term “cherry pick.” Among the fine fighters Chavez defeated: Mario Martinez, Ruben Castillo, Roger Mayweather, Rocky Lockridge, Edwin Rosario, Jose Luis Ramirez, Meldrick Taylor (twice) and Hector Camacho.
Champions (not quite) Forever: Ali, Frazier, Norton and the sadness of their final fights
It’s proven so, so hard for a number of great fighters to exit the sport on a win. So often we’ve seen legends battle on for too long; taking that ‘fight too many.’ Sadly it happened to at least three of the immortal heavyweights featured in the now 30 year old “Champions Forever” video tribute (still a fantastic watch a full three decades on).
45 years ago today: “Down goes Frazier! Down goes Frazier!”
A long 45 years ago today, a young and undefeated fighter from Texas named George Foreman met a near 3-1 betting favourite in the form of the likewise unbeaten “Smokin’” Joe Frazier, as the Philadelphia warrior attempted to defend his world title for a fifth time.The two punchers met in Kingston, Jamaica in a bout dubbed “The Sunshine Showdown,” and those fans who witnessed the fight saw a shockingly violent affair, where the 24-year-old challenger with the 37-0 record utterly annihilated the 29-0 world ruler.
30 Years Ago Today: Tyson crushes old champ Holmes in passing of the torch
Three full decades ago today, “Iron” Mike Tyson, at his absolute peak, scored a crushing, somewhat disturbing to watch KO over former champ and all-time great Larry Holmes. The fight, staged in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was dubbed “Heavyweight History,” and though the match-up was much maligned in certain quarters, it did prove to be a passing of the torch – a most graphically violent one.