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

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Joe Frazier v Oscar Bonavena - Madison Square Garden, New York, USA.

'Smokin' Joe Frazier wins by MD over 12 rounds.

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...Smokin' Joe.

The undefeated Frazier is dropped twice in the second round, before going on to a close fought victory.

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...statue of Bonavina.

For more on Oscar Bonavina see the 'Where Are They Now' thread.

 

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(25 years ago today)



Michael Spinks v Larry Holmes - Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.


Spinks wins the IBF heavyweight title by SD over 15 rounds.

Michael Spinks becomes the first Light heavyweight champion to capture the heavyweight Title.

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Spinks bulked up for the bout by using a 4500 calorie a day diet, and joined brother Leon (1978 vs Ali) as the first set of brothers to have won world heavyweight titles.

 

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Young Stribling's final harrah.


Young Stribling v Maxie Rosenbloom - Sam Houston Hall, Houston, Texas, USA.

William 'Young' Stribling's career comes to an end with a points win over 10 rounds.


In 289 career bouts Stribling was stopped just the once - by Max Schmelling.

'Slapsie' Maxie Rosenbloom would go on for another 6 years and finish with a career total of 298 bouts.

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...Stribling (right) pictured with Tony Gora.

Gora, a 1932 Stribling opponent, described Stribling as the dirtiest fighter he'd ever seen!

 

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Fernando Vargas v Shibata Flores - Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

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Vargas wins the vacant WBA super welterweight title by KO in round 7 of 12.

Vargas would go on to lose the title in his first defence against Oscar De La Hoyer.

 

A very talented boy whose courage knew no bounds Josey.

Not sure if the 3 or 4 part video series featuring the reunion between Pintor and the Owen family is still on the Net?

I watched it a few years ago and fought back the tears mate.

 

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Gene Tunney V Jack Dempsey - Soldiers Field, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Tunney retains his World heavyweight title by UD over the surprisingly short duration of 10 rounds, in what became known as the 'Battle of the Long Count'.


The earlier fight between Tunney and Dempsey had been moved out of Chicago because Dempsey had learned that Al Capone was a big fan of his, and he did not want Capone to be involved in the fight. Capone reportedly bet $50,000 on Dempsey for this the rematch, which fueled rumors of a fix.

Dempsey was favored in both fights, largely because of public betting which heavily tilted towards Dempsey.

The rematch would draw a gate of $2,658,660 (approximately $22 million in today's dollars). It was simultaneously the first $1 million gate and the first $2 million gate in entertainment history.

The fight took place under new rules regarding knockdowns, whereby the fallen fighter would have 10 seconds to rise to his feet after his opponent went to a neutral corner - the same rule as is in place today.

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In the 7th round, with Tunney trapped against the ropes near a corner, Dempsey unleashed a combination of punches that floored the reigning champion. It was the first time in Tunney's career that he'd been knocked down.

A staggering Tunney grabbed the top rope. Dempsey, who was used to standing over opponents so he could rush straight back in after they got up, forgot he was required to go to the neutral cormer. The referee ordered Dempsey to go there, but he didn't move. This gave Tunney precious time to recover.

By the time Dempsey finally walked to a neutral corner, Tunney had been down for somewhere between 3 to 7 seconds (depending who's account you read). The referee couldn't start the official count until Dempsey reached the neutral corner, but was still able to count to 9 before Tunney got up.

It's highly likely that if Dempsey had of gone straight to the neutral corner the referee would have counted out Tunney, and Dempsey would have won back the world title.

On the fight film, a clock was later superimposed which recorded Tunney's total time on the floor as 13 seconds!

Hence this bout being remembered as 'The Battle of the Long Count'.

 

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Rocky Marciano v Jersey Joe Walcott - Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Marciano wins the World heavyweight title by KO in round 13 of 15.

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This fight is rated by many as one of the greatest fights of the 20th century.

The undefeated Marciano's first defence of the title was the rematch with Walcott. It would result in a 1st round KO win to Marciano and retirement for 'Jersey' Joe.

Marciano would go on to 49 wins from 49 fights, including 43 KOs, before hanging them up.

 

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Joe Louis v Max Baer - Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, USA.

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The undefeated, yet to be world champion, Louis, wins by KO in round 4 of 15.

Baer had lost his world title to 'The Cinderella Man' James Braddock in his previous fight, and Louis always considered this victory over Baer as his finest career performance.

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...Louis & Baer go to war.

 

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Wladimir Klitschko v Samuel Peter - Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.

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Wlad wins a title elinimator on PTS over 12 rounds. But not before being sat on his backside twice in the 5th round, and once in the 10th.

 

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Glen Johnson v Roy Jones Jr. - FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

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Johnson retains the IBF light heavyweight title by KO in round 9 of 12.

The second of 3 losses in a row for Roy (Tarver beat him either side of this bout) and the previously untouchable Jones is starting to look vulnerable.

 

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'Sugar' Ray Robinson v Jake LaMotta - Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

'Sugar' Ray won on PTS over 12 rounds.

This was the 5th fight between the pair - 'Sugar' Ray 4/1 to the better.

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Tony Zale v Rocky Graziano - Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York, USA.

Zale retains the World middleweight title by KO in round 6 of 15.

This was the 1946 Fight of the Year.

Graziano was down for a count of 5 in the first round. Zale was on the floor at the bell for round two for a count of 3.

Zale had to be propped up and led around the ring carefully as he waved to the crowd after his left-hook KO'd Graziano. He "looked like a man who had been in hand-to-hand combat with a buzzsaw."

The following January 22, Zale would win the Edward J. Neil Memorial Award for doing the most for boxing in 1946.

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...Zale and Graziano going at it.

 

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Marvelous Marvin Hagler v Alan Minter - Wembley Arena, London, UK.

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Hagler wins the WBA & WBC world middleweight titles by TKO in round 3 of 15.

Marvelous Marvin, and that's actually his legal name, wins his first world title belts on his second attempt. His first resulted in a draw against reigning WBA & WBC champion Vito Antuofermo, the same fighter Minter won the titles from.