BOXING - What Happened On This Day???????

....speaking of Ali:

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Muhammad Ali v Henry Cooper – Arsenal Football Stadium, Highbury, London, United Kingdom, England.

Ali retains his World heavyweight title by KO in round 6 of 15, in what was the second bout between the pair (the earlier one in 1963 is found later in this thread - see 18th May)

A bad cut over Cooper, a notorious bleeder’s, left eye forcing the stoppage.

46,000 spectators turned out to witness England’s first heavyweight title bout in 58 years.

 

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Paul Briggs v Tomasz Adamek - United Center, Chicago, Illinois, United States.

Briggs challenges unsuccessfully or Adamek’s World light heavweight title, losing by MD over 12 rounds.

The pair would meet a year and a half later with the same title at stake and a similar result.

Have we seen the last of Briggsy in the ring? It would seem not from the Briggs v Green talk.

 

....here's Saturday's dose:

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Rocky Graziano dies of heart failure at 71 years of age.

Graziano is considered one of the greatest knockout specialists in history with the capacity to take out opponents out with a single punch.

Sugar Ray Robinson was quoted in 1953 as saying: "No one ever hit me harder than Rocky Graziano"

Rocky’s career record reads 67 wins (KO 52), 10 losses (KO 3) and 6 draws.

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Foster Bibron v Fred Casey - Festival Hall, Brisbane, Queensland, Aust.

Bibron wins the vacant Australian heavyweight title, and the 4th and final meeting between the pair.

The ledger would end at 2 wins a peice - Bribron by 2 stoppages and Casey by a stoppage and a pts result.

 

....and something for Sunday:

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Birthdate of 3 future world champions:

Carlos Zarate (1951), ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler (1954), and Phillip Holiday (1970).

 

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Aussie great Les Darcy dies from blood poisoning at 21 as a result of an infected tooth.

The 'Maitland Wonder', nipped in the bud at 46 wins (29 by KO) and 4 losses and a mountain of sadly unfulfilled talent.

 

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Muhammad Ali v Richard Dunn - Munich, Germany.

Ali retains his World heavyweight title by KO in round 5 of 15, in what would be the last KO of Ali’s long and illustrious career.

Dunn is nothing if not courageous in defeat. At one stage throwing a punch at Ali whilst on his knees.

 

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Paul Malingnaggi v Lovemore Ndou - City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, UK.

Malingnaggi retains the IBF Super Lightweight Title he took from Ndou a year earlier, by SD over 12 rounds.

 

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Muhammad Ali KO 1 Sonny Liston - St. Dominic's Hall, Lewiston, Maine, USA.

Ali retains his World heavyweight title, in the most controversial ending ever to a championship bout, by KO in the very first round of 15.

Midway through the first round, Liston fell to the canvas. Referee ‘Jersey’ Joe Walcott appeared confused after Ali refused to go to a neutral corner. Ali stood over Liston, yelling at him to "Get up and fight, sucker!" Ali then posed over him, with his fists in the air celebrating the knockdown.

While Walcott tried to sort things out, a full 20 seconds elapsed, and by then Liston had gotten to his feet and resumed boxing. Walcott then stopped the fight, awarding Ali the win by KO.

The blow that ended the bout became known as ‘the phantom punch’ after Ali said later he was unsure whether or not the punch actually connected.

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A picture of this KO is of course one of the most published sports photos of all time.

 

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Rodrigo Valdez v Bennie Briscoe - Stade Louis II, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

'Rocky' Valdez wins vacant WBC middleweight title by TKO in round 7 of 15.

Valdez does to Briscoe what Carlos Monzon couldn’t do in 2 fights, and a combined 25 rounds - stops him!

 

Good stuff.

Dunn was gutsy wasn't he - certainly wasn't intimidated - just outclassed.


Got a great oldie for tomorrow - you won't have been at that one unless you are over 100 years old Josey.

 

A fighter with the unlikely name of Jack Root will be the focus Josey. Today's the anniversary of his birth back in 1876, and he was the very first to do something.....

 

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Birthdate of Jack Root.

Who the hell was Jack Root you might ask?

Jack Root was the first-ever World light heavyweight champion, winning the title in April 1903 in a bout against Charles ‘Kid’ McCoy.

Although billed merely for the American title, this bout, held at Light Guard Armory, Detroit, Michigan, USA, became recognized as being the first World light heavyweight title contest.

Root floored McCoy in the 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, and 9th rounds; and in all he was down 7 times, and was saved by the bell in the second round.

In the 9th round, McCoy's brother sprayed Root in the face with ammonia while the two clinched near McCoy's corner – aint brotherly love wonderful!

After the full alotment of 10 rounds had been completed Root was declared the winner, and later recognised as the first World light heavyweight champion.