A fight where it was not only boxing, but also a personal matter

Example:
Roberto Duran Vs Ray Leonard 1

 

FOTC - at least on Frazier's side.

 

Tyson made a lot of his fights personal.

 

Thilla in Manila

 

Hagler - Hearns is a great example from my era.

It had the chance to build up for years as Tommy's camp pulled out of a fight years before they actually fought. By the time they climbed into that ring that fateful night it had festered up into something genuine. The spectacle is there for all to see. The passion......the fistic animosity......the wholehearted attempts to knock each others head off.........it all culminated into what we witnessed in the ring that night. Richard Steele said they fought like cats and dogs in there and a lot was said by both during.

Even better is that they both let it all hang out that night and expunged it from there system. There was nothing but enormous mutual respect thereafter. When Steward wanted to talk leg massages Hearns stopped him in his tracks telling him it was Marvin's time.

That's what myself and Pat conveyed in recent months, it's not just the fight it's the entire event when talking Hagler - Hearns. If you didn't live it live you will never quite get it.

 

Great stuff JT. As usual, I remember it well. The animosity between the two was real prior to the fight. When it was over, nothing but mutual respect......
Though the fight itself gets a little overrated in my opinion, the 1st 2 in a half minutes of that 1st rd was truly spectacular. Especially when considering the caliber of the fighters fighting like that.
Very few Middleweights in history would've survived either of those warriors that night.

 

"what's my name?"

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Thanks Flash. I completely agree with you which is the norm.

Just on the fight getting a little overrated, that's why i like to expand to include the overall event and talk about living it. Now i know you lived it from memory but man did the entire picture make this something special. After Hagler struggled with Duran and Hearns completely annihilated him suddenly we all knew this was a very live event and we waited so long for it which only ,made if better as Hearns result vs duran made us all that much more eager.

Jeez i could go on and on

 

Great mention.

 

Tyson vs Holmes. As it was said, Tyson had premeditated revenge for Ali ever since Holmes beat Ali.
Another good one was Bobby Chacon vs Bazooka Limon 4.

 

Drugs, Robin Givens, and Don King will do that to you.

 

I believe Mike was fifteen when Holmes took Ali apart. Cus took him to see the fight on pay per view . On the way home they didn't say a word. One day Cus and Mike were in the car and Cus called Ali and put Mike on the phone and Mike told him he would get Holmes for him.

 

Emile Griffith-Benny Paret III

At weigh ins, The insult leveled by Paret was "Maricon" which means you know what.

Griffith had worked in a women's hat factory, and later designed hats. In 1962 allegations of homosexuality were considered fatal to an athlete's career and a particularly grievous insult in the culture both fighters came from. Griffith was enraged by Paret's taunt at the weigh-in, and it set the tone for the fight that evening.

 

De La Hoya-Vargas

 

Hearns vs Barkley 2

Tommy was an obnoxious whiner.