Boxing Info: Tyson following path of past greats in Youngstown

ByBoxing Press

Chevrolet Centre in Ohio, October 20 on PPV

Legendary boxer “Iron” Mike Tyson will follow in the path of past greats when he kicks-off the “Mike Tyson World Tour,” a series of four-round exhibitions, on an October 20th pay-per-view event at the Chevrolet Centre in Youngstown, Ohio.

Tyson (50-6, 44 KOs), former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, headlines against veteran Corey “T-Rex” Sanders (23-10, 15 KOs), who knocked out current World Boxing Council heavyweight title-holder Oleg Maskaev in the eighth round of their 2002 bout, in a four-round exhibition in the inaugural show in Youngstown.

The first leg of “Mike Tyson’s World Tour” in Youngstown will be broadcast live in North America on cable and satellite pay-per-view beginning at 10:30 PM/ET, 7:30 PM/PT. The event is being produced and distributed for Pay Per View by Queensbury Media and Integrated Sports and will be available in more than 50-million homes in North America via iN Demand, TVN, DirecTV & Dish Network in the USA, Viewer’s Choice & Bell ExpressVu in Canada. The suggested retail price for the PPV telecast is only $29.95.

One of the primary reasons Youngstown was selected to kick-off “Mike Tyson’s Tour,” presented by Sterling Promotions, was the blue-collar city’s rich boxing tradition. In 1926, two months before he defeated Jack Dempsey for the world heavyweight title, the great Gene “The Fighting Marine” Tunney was involved in a three-round exhibition against Harold Mayes in Youngstown. Seven years later, world heavyweight title-holder Primo “The Ampling Alp” Carnera boxed two-round exhibitions with Mayes and Frankie Edquer on the same night in Youngstown.

Two other world heavyweight champions, Jess “The Pottawatomie Giant” Willard in 1914 and Ezzard “Cincinnati Kid” Charles in 1946, fought sanctioned fights in Youngstown. One fight
prior to capturing the world middleweight championship, Tony “Man of Steel” Zale knocked out Baby Kid Chocolate in 1940. Zale fought three other times in Youngstown, including once when he was world champion in 1947, knocking out Cliff Beckett in the sixth round of their non-title bout. Henry “Homicide Hank” Armstrong, one month before he won the world featherweight title, knocked out Bobby Dean in the first round of their 1937 bout in Youngstown.

Other Hall of Fame boxers who fought in Youngstown (see chart below for more details) include Jack “The Giant Killer” Dillon, Battling Levinsky, Joey Maxim, Harry “The Pittsburgh Windmill” Greb, Frankie Genaro, Tommy Gibbons, Sammy “The Rockford Sheik” Mandell and Young Stribling.

Former lightweight champion 1982-84 Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini and his father, Lenny, were born and raised in Youngstown, where arguably the hardest-hitting heavyweight of all-time, Earnie “The Acorn” Shavers (74-14-1, 68 KOs), first learned how to box. The 2-time world heavyweight title challenger Shavers grew-up in neighboring Warren.

Tickets, affordably priced at $25.00, $50.00, $100.00, and $200.00, are on sale and available at the Chevrolet Centre Box Office or on line at www.gettix.net or at Gettix outlets. For more information call 330.746.5600 or go to www.chevroletcentre.com.

Doors will open Oct. 20 at 7 PM/ET with the first bout at 8 PM/ET. All fighters and matches are subject to change.

Youngstown’s Rich Boxing History
Date Hall of Fame Boxer Decision Opponent

Nov. 22, 1911 Jack Dillon WND12 George Chip
Feb. 1, 1912 Jack Dillon WND12 Billy Berger
Apr. 14, 1913 Jack Dillon WD12 George Chip
Mar. 27, 1914 Jess Willard ND12 Tom McMahon
Jan. 17, 1917 Battling Levinsky ND12 Bob Moha
Jul. 24, 1919 Harry Greb WND12 Joe Chip
Sep. 1, 1919 Harry Greb WND12 Jeff Smith
May 27, 1921 Tommy Gibbons WKO2 Ray Smith
May 8, 1924 Young Stribling WD12 Billy Conley
Aug. 14, 1924 Sammy Mandell W12 Eddie Wagner
Feb. 26, 1925 Frankie Genaro ND10 Eddie O’Dowd
1926 Gene Tunney EX3 Harold Mayes
Sep. 21, 1937 Henry Armstrong WKO1 Bobby Dean
Nov. 3, 1939 Tony Zale WKO3 Al Wardlow
Feb. 29, 1940 Tony Zale WKO4 Enzo Iannozzi
Jun. 12, 1940 Tony Zale WKO4 Baby Kid Chocolate
Sep. 13, 1941 Joey Maxim WD8 Lee Oma
Jun. 13, 1946 Ezzard Charles WKO5 Shelton Bell
May 8, 1947 Tony Zale WKO6 Cliff Beckett