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As fans, there has been and always will continue to be moments when we realise we are watching something special. As we're all different and each have our favourites, I thought it'd be interesting to ask you guys if there has been a moment in boxing that defines why you love the sport.
Great Topic Bz!
The first moment wher the hairs stood on the back of my neck was when i first saw Ali KO foreman. I felt as if the fight was live and was so emotionally involved, to this day i watch that fight, know what's coming yet i'm still captivated by every second in evry round, as if upon rewatching it Ali could get knocked out.
Another was Sugar Ray Leonard putting Benitez down the first time with his jab. It was the first entire Leonard fight i saw and i remeber how delicate he looked, yet his accuracy, sppeed and attitude had my jaw on the floor with his supremacy.
guess it has to be the moment I got into boxing and that was seeing the over-hyped sensationalist "I'm Back" TV advert for Leanord v Hagler fight
After that advert I became intrigued by the sport - so guess that's the moment I have to pick
strange eh ;)
A friend of mine showed me a tape of Hagler Hearns, and ive never looked back i could feel the excitement as if it was live.
CC on that.  I remember somthing similar happening to me...   ^-^Quote:
Originally Posted by hitmandonny
Actually come to think of it...  The first time I saw the Marciano Walcott!
Yeah Marciano Walcott must have been quite the talking point back in the day! It weas an entertaining fight even without the savage ending!
I have many moments that I've loved, but Round 10 of Corrales-Castillo was the best moment for me and is the first one I show my friends as a clear definition of why I love the sport.
Two moments for me.
1. Me and my dad watching a late night promo for the Tyson - Berbick fight. My dad who used to be the kind of guy who would listen to fights on the radio and would watch local boxing matches had completely given up on boxing by this stage. After nearly passing out at how good Tyson looked in the promo we both decided to get up early in the morning to watch the fight. We werent the only ones either, when I went back to school it seemed like everyone in the playground was talking about the fight and we were only about 9 or 10 at the time.
2. Chris Eubank v Nigel Benn build up to the first fight. Again, watching it with my dad. Benn was a big name at the time and Eubank was barely known, but we saw this young upstart talking like an effeminite member of the royal family. Saying how barbaric boxing was and that Benn was just a brawler and he could never lose to a brawler.
Me and my dad decided we had to see if he could back up his patter, and its a good job we did, as we witnessed one of the UKs best ever fights and without a doubt the Uks most popular and intriguing boxing rivalry. It was like The Beatles v The Rolling Stones of boxing.
It may suprise people from outside the UK but shortly every Eubank fight was a massive event. Even people who didnt like boxing wanted to see him. Granted, many wanted to see him lose but when Eubank came into the ring it was a real adrenaline rush and Eubank really got people going in a way that I doubt will happen again.
Oh also i have to mention at eight years old i cried my eyes out seeing the decision after Ali-Frazier 1...Embarassing That.
That is my favourite golden oldie moment. I actually started typing that one but decided Corrales-Castillo was my ultimate.Quote:
Originally Posted by hitmandonny
Also Lewis handing out a one sided beating to Tyson, and the first Tyson-Holyfield fight go on the list.
Gettin to watch Marciano vs Walcott....Marciano started my interest in boxing.Going from "Marciano is the best that ever lived". To gradually learning about the brown bomber and Joe walcott and then thirsting for real knowledge.Eventually becoming a proper fan and gaining a real knowledge of the "sport".Not to mention the political ties boxing has in its history.which funnily is another of my great interests, politics.
But like i say the Brockton Blockbuster started it for me.Almost idolised Marciano at one point...and when someone gave me the full fight on DVD with commentary. I got to watch the man himself in action.
Mine has to be Hatton beating Tszyu and Mosley beating De Le Hoya in there first fight.
Barrera Morales 1
Benn-Eubank I. Harry Mullan said it started the modern era of boxing and I agree. The whole build-up was amazing, this smug-as-can-be black guy pretending to have a silver spoon in his mouth and denouncing Benn as 'intolerable', 'primitive puncher', 'shallow-minded puncher', 'fraudster' etc and boxing as 'barbaric', 'grotethque blood-thport', and 'a mugs game'. It really was a 'boom', Eubank just came from nowhere and it seemed everyone wanted to see Nigel Benn knock this arrogant fuckers block clean off
What was so intriguing was Eubank claimed to be a boxing master and a grand chess player in the ring etc, yet boxing insiders all thought he was crap. Nobody had really seen Eubank fight yet, so it was interesting to say the least.
The fight itself quickly became a see-saw epic, it was a Sunday night and I was just glued to the screen.
Eubank won everyone over with his post-fight speech and proposal, as if he hadn't (begrudgingly) with his fighting heart in the match itself.
Of course, by the time of the Watson 'robbery' he was hated even more than he was before the Benn fight, but in the end he won everyone over for good when his splattered eye socket from the Thompson cruiserweight fight was splashed over all the papers, so this whole thing was atleast a taster for things to come.
Benn-Eubank I - you'll never beat it!
The actual 'moment' I suppose was the face-off before the fight, because you just knew nobody could be as confidence as Eubank was appearing without KNOWING he was going to do as he said and make Benn look silly and cane him (because he wouldn't be able to live with the embarassment otherwise, surely?), while Benn - the most exciting fighter and hardest puncher ever - was really giving off a calm-before-the-storm thing and you could just tell that he really did really, really, really want to hurt this guy
It was something intangible before the bell had rang
Another 'moment', perhaps more of a confirmation, was just after the bell rang to end the second round
Well I have a few but perhaps the first one and one that still gives me the same effect is...
Ali Vs Spinks 2---
I was just a little little guy I think 5 or so and watched the fight with my Dad who was a HUGE Ali fan and heartbroken at the fact Ali lost the first fight with Spinks (more or less bothered him to see his favorite get beat by a guy with 8 fights....people have to remember Ali at that time was not just a top caliber fighter but an icon to the public in general).....In the rematch Ali boxed beautifully to win a UD and regain the title....
The fight itself was not the part that always stuck with me though....If anyone has ever seen the original broadcast when they announced Ali winning the title back for the 3rd time it was mayhem....people went nuts!!!!......It gave you chills that made the hairs on your arms stand up....all you could hear was "AAS DONE IT...HE HAS REGAINED HIS TITLE...HE IS THE THREE TIME HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD....ALI HAS DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE..." the announcers were yelling and as excited as the crowd...huge moment for the sport....it's most celebrated fighter made history and regained the title for the third time when he was washed up so to speak....
ever since that night I would look at these boxers when I was a kid like they were supermen.....
Over the yearsthere have been many more....
Arguello showing heart and trying to fight his way back after being battered and dropped by Pryor,,The devestation Tyson brought to the sport in his almost effortless KO of Berbick...He was the first true bad ass since Liston
The war between Hearns and Leonard,,Gatti/Ward,,Salvador Sanchez who looked like the kid next stores goofy big brother showed never judge a book by it's cover and would just be a machine in the ring.....
Those are the ones from the top of my head....
In this sport you truly can not pick one favorite moment because there are so many fighters so many great moments...just as you start to think of one 3 or 4 more just pop in your head
My favorite moment was Douglas v. Tyson. We were all just hoping that someone would take Tyson out, he was a great boxer, but definately the villain role and since I was a child at that time I looked at boxing as if it were wrestling. But Douglas was brilliant in that a fight, unfortunately a performance he could never repeat. That was the moment that made me a fan because I realized anything could happen in a fight and even a 45/1 underdog has a chance.
CC on that one! Hatton beating Tszyu was one of the ones that came to my mind!Quote:
Originally Posted by Boxerharvey
Also...I loved Benn vs McClellan and I think Calzaghe schooling Lacy still gives me a hardon!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BubbleBox
Benn Vs McClellan :o...that was a tragedy how could you love that fight!!!
You know I didn't mean that! I just loved the hype surrounding it before hand and it was a great fight!Quote:
Originally Posted by Daxx Kahn
I hated what happened after the fight! Mcclellan is a hero!
Quote:
Originally Posted by BubbleBox
Just wanted to clarify....never know what some people do or don't get their kicks out of...not saying you in particular
In truth watching The Benn/McClellan fight still gives me chills. Watched it one night with the commentary off as Pacheco irratates me. To fill the abscence of sound I let Media player play through a playlkist and tevery genre of music seemed to go with this fight...
Ironically (or perhaps not) the last round and a half coincided with Faithless's "insomnia" eerie.
My favorite moment?
#1 Would have to be Lewis letting off on Rahman in the rematch. I was practically devastated in their 1st fight and I think I tried my hand at voodoo dolls with needles stuck in them I was so pissed. Turns out Lennox only needed to pay attention to his fight instead of trying to be Hollywood. Shot Heard Round The World?? That was Lewis/Rahman II
#2 This year when Pavlik showed what he is on the big stage; laying hands on Taylor and Miranda. Though he took the belt from JT, both fights are favorite moments for me.
#3 Funny enough, at the time this happened it was devastating to me, but now it's one of my favorites: Kostya opening Judah's eyes and showing him what his true calling should have been; dancing. It is very funny to watch and one of those things for me that never gets old watching, especially when it's tagged with Benny Hill music, lol.
Barrera giving Hamed a boxing lesson lmfao.
I have to say I use this one to do the same... I use the Gatti Ward fights aswell!Quote:
Originally Posted by bzkfn
I have a friend who I am actually cornering for his fight on saturday. His girlfriend didn't understand why we liked to punch/watch people get punched in the face. We told her there is more to it... there is stratagy and heart and courage. We wanted to show a glimpse into the reason we love fighting and that sometimes you can find a gem even if it is for no belt. I tore open my Gatti Ward trilogy and had her pick.
She was astounded that these men did not forld under the brutal beatings they were giving and recieving and that right when she thought one was winning the other would land a brutal blow to punctuate the round or turn the tide.
She has since become a type of a fan and asks many questions. She watches fights like one of us, now. She anylizes and breaks apart rounds. It really is fun to watch the love of a sport in its infancy!
I forgot to mention how happy I was watching Oliver McCall have all his medications run out of his system when he met my boy Lewis in Part II. Wanted to see Lewis beat the shoes off him, but Oliver did it himself so Lewis had to only watch and wait for the meltdown before he got the Victory.
Holmes jumping off a car and drop kicking Berbick.
No doubt, that was crazy!! I loved it when Cobb told people he stuck to his gameplan and kept charging forward and getting punched in the face by Holmes :laugh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker
In recent memory there are two that stand out to me....when roy jones beat ruiz, and when hopkins caught tarver with that huge shot in thier fight.
For me these are my all time fav 's
1. Tommy Hearns starching Duran.
2. Tommy Hearns starching Cuevas.
3. Tommy Hearns and Marvin Hagler throwing bombs at each other for 3 rounds.
All classic moments for me as a Hearns fan.
biggest laugh for me was Tyson handed his A.S.S by Evander Holyfield ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
And Holyfield handed his E.A.R. ;DQuote:
Originally Posted by Dark Lord Al
"Oh my God he's won the title back at 32 ! "
Mine has to be Kostya making Zab break dance with that monster right hand.
Frazier beating Ali second Corrales miracle comeback, third Mike Tyson's entrance in the Spinks fight, I dont think I have ever been more excited to see a fight then that moment. I was a youngster and Tyson was just the baddest mofo ever at that point.
I hav a few........,Steve collins beating Eubank,it was great for Irish sport....,plus it was great to c the cocky twat get beat...
Calzaghe kicking Lacy's ass,i hate the fact the yanks nevr give british fighters a chance in big fights.....,Joe was a joy to watch that night.....
But my best moment was prob seeing Hatton dethrone Kostya,i had seen nearly all of Ricky's fights and just knew he was goin to do it..
for me my moment wasnt he greastest but it was actually the first time i watch a full boxing match.
i was at my cousins house and he was watching spinks vs. judah 2
didnt kno who they were, all iknew was i saw zab in the ring, and spinks coming out with nelly performing and his entourage coming out with 4 titles which made me think this guy must be good.
and then int eh 9th rd the guy gets TKO, and spinks lost all his titles in his hometown
i felt at the time that this sport was awesome. =)
the embarrassment cory felt, and the feeling of winning, i was shaking my whole the whole time.
Daniel Zaragoza-Paul Banke 2 at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood. It's the first fight I ever saw live. I was like 11 years old. Banke scored a brutal knock out over Zaragoza
Well I don't have just 1, I have several I've been VERY lucky and fortunate to attend some special events.
In no particular order.
Chico vs. Castillo I - Sitting ringside for possibly THE GREATEST fight in the history of boxing to date. I'll carry that entire story of how I got the tickets all the way to watching the replay a few days later. That night I met Lacy, Winky, BCD, JCC Sr., JCC Jr., SSM, Toney, JMM, Beristain. Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong & Mexican actor Diego Luna.
RMarquez vs. Vasquez I - Sitting ringside for a candidate for FOTY 2007. My girl and I made the short trip to Carson. What a fight and what a night. Watching Vasquez drop Marquez and Marquez shaking it off and coming back on him. Then watching Marquez comeback and stop Vasquez. That night I met Erik, Floyd Sr., Julio Diaz, Bobby Chacon, Giovanni Segura. I also met Goldberg & Mario Lopez and his dancing girl.
For those who missed the thread here's the link: http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxing_fo...c,43924.0.html
World Boxing Hall of Fame - I recently visited the World Boxing Hall of Fame for this years inductees. What a day it was and privelage to be there with those guys. I met so many fighters that day Ricardo Lopez, Carlos Ortiz, Earnie Terell, Tony Lopez, Mando Ramos, Armando Muniz, Yaqui Lopez, George Benton, Bobby Watts, Greg Haugen, Rodolfo Gonzalez, Mike Weaver and many more. I also had the opp. to talk to Chicos wife and they let me touch his fighting shoes and robes and his IBA Belt.
For those who missed the thread here's the link: http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxing_fo...c,53897.0.html
Presser Conferences- I was at the press conference for ODLH vs. PBF, I had the opp. to meet again SSM, talk and shake hands with Freddie Roach and I also managed to get my Ring Magazine with PBF on the cover signed by PBF. I was also at the press conference for MAB vs. Juarez II where I had the opp. to meet MAB.
For those who missed the thread here's the link: http://www.saddoboxing.com/boxing_fo...c,36460.0.html
Meeting: Cotto, Margarito, Ponce De Leon, Andrade, Lou Duva, Julio Gonzalez.
About 5 years back when Bruce Seldon was making an ill-fated comeback he was fighting this kid with HUGE Man Tits. And he was getting his ass whipped, after about 4 rounds, his corner gave him a pep talk that went something like this:
Trainer: "C'mon Bruce, you're getting beat by a man with Titties!"
The HBO team had to hold back their laughter, I on the other hand was laughin my fukin ass off. ;D ;D ;D
When hatton beat tszyu. I believe i will feel this again on the 8th of dec when he beats FM