Boxing history articles
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.
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.
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.
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.
This edition of Rummy’s Corner proudly presents the latest episode of a new ongoing series that will … continue
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.
This week Rummy’s Corner proudly presents the debut edition of a new ongoing series that will explore some of the greatest bouts in the rich history of professional boxing. This very first edition of “Classic Fight Recap” features the epic bout that took place on December 10, 1958, between reigning light heavyweight world champion Archie Moore (174-21-9), “The Old Mongoose”, and Canadian contender Yvon Durelle (79-19-2), “The Fighting Fisherman”.
Of all the sad, even shocking endings to a great boxing career, the way the once untouchable Sugar Ray Leonard went out against Hector Camacho (RIP) has to rank pretty highly in the doom and gloom stakes.
It was no Muhammad Ali taking a prolonged beating at the hands of Larry Holmes (this fight, not Ali’s last, but often thought of as such; Ali actually having another sad affair, against Trevor Berbick a little over a year later), but the sight of “feather-fist” Camacho hammering what was left of Sugar Ray – the man who had stood up to anything and everything great punchers like Tommy Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Roberto Duran were able to put on him – into the canvas inside five rounds was disturbing viewing all the same.
Joe Frazier’s loss became Laurence Tureaud’s gain. According to Sylvester Stallone, the legendary former heavyweight king was all set to take the part of Clubber Lang in the third installment of the fantastic “Rocky” series, only for “Smokin’” Joe to suffer a flashback in pre-movie sparring with Sly, hitting him with a shot that opened up a nasty cut, requiring six stitches.
Paterson, NJ, March 8-Legendary Hall of Fame boxing manager and trainer Lou Duva, the patriarch of one of the most influential families in the sport, passed away today at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. He was 94. He died of natural causes, according to his son Dino Duva. A fiery and charismatic character, Lou Duva’s career spanned seven decades in the corners of boxing champions.
Duva handled the careers of 19 world champions, and most notably trained heavyweight titlist Evander Holyfield, and welterweight kingpins Pernell Whitaker and Meldrick Taylor – all U.S.A. Olympic medalists – just to name a few. Duva’s first world champion was middleweight Joey Giardiello, who won the title in 1963.