By Ted Sares – If you do, he’ll break your heart just about every time.
Joe Louis (1951)
Joe Louis did it in 1951 when he fought Rocky Marciano for purse money with which to pay back his taxes to an unforgiving government. When he was brutally knocked through the ropes in the eight round, millions wept openly. As a 14-year old, I was one of them.
Earlier, “The Brown Bomber” had done the same thing to Billy Conn in their second fight in 1946 and earned Billy the Associated Press’s annual “Flop of the Year” award. Millions of hearts, particularly Irish ones, were broken after that one..
But when the great Sugar Ray Robinson dropped his last bout in 1965 to Joey Archer, many savvy boxing people expected it. Sugar was well past his prime. Nevertheless, he lost with dignity and grace.
Muhammad Ali (1980)
When Muhammad Ali lost to Larry Holmes in 1980, he lost with neither dignity nor grace. And once again, I wept along with millions. My heart had been broken, for I had fallen in love with Ali by then. But like so many before him, he could not resist the clarion call; he could not stay away. And he paid the price.
Ray Mancini (1992
In 1992, the ultra-popular Ray Mancini made an ill-advised comeback by taking on rugged Greg Haugen. Ray heard the call and foolishly answered it. Haugen fulfilled the role of ring villain perfectly as he took out “Boom Boom” with head snapping shots in the seventh round. Perhaps it was a kind ofredemption for what Ray had done to Bobby Chacon in 1984. However, Chacon, unlike Mancini, finished his great career with seven straight wins against stiff opposition.
Leonard and Duran (1997-99)
On March 1, 1997, another Sugar, Sugar Ray Leonard, made a poorly thought-out comeback and disappointed his legions of fans when he was mugged and mauled by Hector “Macho” Camacho in five vicious rounds in Atlantic City. It was a brutal end to a great career. Two years later, Roberto Duran joined Sugar Ray in a heartbreaking episode when he was stopped by William Joppy in three savage rounds. This was ugly stuff to watch.
Mike Tyson (2004-5)
After Lennox Lewis KOd Mike Tyson in 2002, “Iron Mike” redeemed himself to some extent with a spectacular icing of Clifford “The Black Rhino” Etienne. However, that set him up for his big fall when he was taken out viciously by Danny Williams in just four cantos. Hulking Kevin McBride put a finisher on the gut wrenching process when Mike quit on his stool in 2005 in Washington D.C.
Who can forget how Arturo Gatti was savaged by Alfonso Gomez in 2007. It was a horrific experience for hard-core Gatti fans to watch as his face was broken up by the younger fighter.
The great Roy Jones Jr. could have retried after beating John Ruiz but didn’t. He could have retired after beating Anthony Hanshaw, but he didn’t. No, he had to let his legions of fans down. And so he was humbled over twelve rounds by Joe Calzaghe.
De La Hoya (2008)
Most recently, Oscar De La Hoya was subjected to a beat down by Manny Pacquaio that surely broke the hearts of his many fans and put a dent in his legacy.
There are many other examples that affirm and punctuate the dangers of falling in love with a boxer. Some might say that Nigel Benn’s first loss to Steve Collins was a heart breaker, but Nigel’s fighting spirit was all but gone after the tragic McClellan fight. If only he had retired right there and then. Chris Eubank also lost to Collins and that was hard to take as well.
Breaking the Mold
A few broke the mold. Rocky Marciano or Carlos Monzon never broke anyone’s heart; they simple broke jaws. Lennox Lewis beat everyone he ever faced and then got out. Hagler and Foreman left while the getting was good. So did Ricardo Lopez, Brian Mitchell, Larry Holmes, Tommy Hearns, and Steve Collins–but not Dariusz Michalczewski. And Tito Trinidad broke hearts aplenty in 2005 and again in 2008.
Henry Maske broke hearts in 1996 but won them back eleven years later with a remarkable win over Virgil Hill.
Bernard Hopkins
These days, Bernard Hopkins appears to be one fight away from either leaving with his great legacy fully intact or in breaking our hearts. Let’s hope it’s the former. Ricky Hatton is still viable, but time may be running out. What will it be?
James Toney, however, seems determined to stick around and finally get that one final beating that many just might remember him by. It doesn’t have to be, but it appears inevitable. Time will tell.
Joe Calzaghe
Now it’s Joe’s turn to join those who broke the mold. He announced his retirement with a perfect record and a guaranteed legacy as one of the truly great fighters and clearly one of the greatest British boxers ever. His fans have fallen in love with him over the years and rightly so, but will he stay retired or will he too hear that clarion call that someone like Chad Dawson or Carl Froch is out there waiting? Will the temptation be too great?
Remember, if you fall in love with a fighter, he’ll break your heart just about every time.
Visit the author’s updated website at www.tedsares.com which now focuses entirely on boxing.