“There’s no way I could ever beat him. He’s just too big and too strong. I’m just glad he didn’t kill me. He’s a magnificent fighter.†The words of a drug free; free thinking; lucid speaking Mike Tyson; after the bout with Lewis. High praise indeed from a fighter who despite massive flaws; knows his…
A classic rivalry between two different boxing styles and personalities. Duran who was stepping up to welterweight had been the lightweight champion for 6 years between 1972 and 1978. Leonard was a 1976 Olympic Gold medallist and had won the WBC welterweight championship from Wilfred Benitez in a classic boxing match with a 15th round…
The general consensus is that the 70s was the golden era of heavyweight boxing, and that this helps Ali be perceived as the “greatest’ champion of the division. But some on this site claim Tyson as the best. So I thought I would put Tyson back 25 years, so that his career time mirrored Ali,…
KEN NORTON – SHOULD HE REALLY BE IN THE HALL OF FAME? Seven and a half years ago the very personable and popular Ken Norton was enshrined in Boxing’s Hall of Fame. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. I met Ken a couple of years ago in Canastota. His rapport with the fans…
Who wins in a battle of the class of 2004 against the class of 1994? Below is my take on the battle from 126 up, as my current knowledge of anyone 122 and under is criminally poor. Pacquiano-Johnson at 126 Boom Boom Johnson was at his pomp around this time, in the middle of 12…
For most of the 1960’s and part of the early 1970’s Canadian George Chuvalo was a mainstay in the talent rich heavyweight ratings. RING Magazine founder Nat Fleischer called George on of the most durable fighters he had ever seen. In his long distinguished career the rock jawed Chuvalo was NEVER off his feet. Amazing…
30th of September 1995, as far as I’m concerned it all started to go down hill from there. Naseem Hamed had just relieved Steve Robinson of the WBO featherweight title and should have been on the road to being a boxing legend, but as we all know it didn’t work out entirely to plan. A…
Below is my all time Heavyweight tournament; What if a mythical tournament could be made up of all the heavyweight champs since the use of Queensberry rules started the modern era of boxing? Now there have been 35 champions since Corbett took out Sullivan in 1892; to win the first World Title, so to make…
So after 19 years “Iron’ Mike finally has decided to hang up his gloves. We all know that he has pretty much been in semi-retirement for the last 3 years, but I think the death of his manager Bill Cayton was the final straw. But what a career! Tyson leaves us with a 64 fight…
THE FORGOTTEN GREAT WHITE HOPE As Muhammad Ali ruled the heavyweight division in the mid 60’s, white hope contenders came and went. Henry Cooper, George Chuvalo and Karl Mildenberger all were vanquished by the “Greatest”. When Ali was forced to relinquish his crown in 1967, the best of the white contenders was probably Jerry Quarry….
If ever a boxer was a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, it was Puerto Rico’s Esteban De Jesus. This former one time claimant of the W.B.C. lightweight title may have been the best Puerto Rican 135 pounder since Carlos Ortiz. Unfortunately he boxed during the era of possibly the…
History was to be made on this momentous day in 1908. For the first time ever in boxing history a black man was to fight for the World Heavyweight Championship. Sure black men were allowed to fight for lesser weight titles but not the biggest prize in sports. Jack Johnson was born in 1878 in…