Well we are back for the 17th installment of Fight of the week, where we review, rescore and remember some historic fights of the past. This week the FOTW time machine takes us back 30 years ago (wow I am old!) to June 15, 1991 at HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas, USA. I am not sure where this fight ranks on your list of greatest fights ever, but I do know this fight deserves it place in those conversations. These 2 warriors would battle for the entire 36 minutes, neither guy would ever be the same again. But on this night, for all of history they left their mark on boxing forever! So climb aboard and buckle up as we revisit one of the great and brutal fights in boxing history! This content is protected
I do take requests and try to get them in whenever I can, except when their are multiple requests lol. This one is for @George Crowcroft some super fly representation!
Another good selection for FOTW. I didn't know anything about either fighter but after watching the fight I did some research and found that both died early. Apparently Anifwhoshe never recovered from the damage he took in this fight. I scored the fight for Quiroga 115-114 or 6-5-1 in rounds. I gave RQ rounds 1,2,3,5,9,10, I scored round 8 EVEN, and gave AA rounds 4,6,7,11,12. It might have been a different fight if not for the cut, but who knows? Both fighters gave all they had. Quiroga used good angles inside and for an inside fighter did well on the outside too. Anifowhoshe had a great right hand. He could use it as an uppercut or as a cross with the same speed and from the same place. Two of the judges scored heavily for Quiroga, maybe because when he hit Anifowhoshe, it was more noticeable because Anifoshoshe's head would snap back. A guy as tall as AA at 115 pounds probably had to give up something in strength and durability?
There is a documentary about Robert Quiroga entitled One Chance. His brother uses Robert's name in his anti bullying campaign in San Antonio schools. Kid Akeem was a force; I remember watching him come up on ESPN way back when. The damage they sustained in this fight is mind-boggling. Two guys with championship heart and will to win put it all out there.
Knowing now what happened to Kid Akeem after the fight I don't want to sound like I enjoyed seeing someone get hurt, but I don't know if I've ever seen a better fight (It was not apparent that Kid Akeem was hurt during the fight). I was thinking the whole fight, "I hope these two didn't fight again for a long time after this one." I can't remember the ref ever having to break a clinch, it might have happened but I can't remember it. Quiroga fought an almost perfect fight the first two rounds, after that the cut might have slowed him some, Kid Akeem looked like he had everything physically and mentally to be as good as anyone. If anybody here likes to watch fights, even if you don't score this one, it's well worth your time to watch.
This fight made the commissions go to larger gloves. If my memory is correct those guys fought in 4s. The damage to Quiroga's face was horrific.
Remember this fight from my childhood. Quiroga gave an interview in KO Magazine not long after. Both men were never the same again. RIP Kid Akeem.
I remember that interview well. Quiroga spent a lot of time railing against 6-ounce gloves in that one. I can see why, frankly.
He sure did. From memory they weren't used widely all over the world at that point, just under some commissions. I'll have to dig it out.
