DECEMBER 19, 1981 DWIGHT BRAXTON KO 10 Matthew Saad Muhammad

36 years ago today! Where have the years gone? Great yr culmination for Braxton!

 

I remember watching this fight back then. I think it was the first fight I ever watched when a world title was on the line. I was 10 years old.

 

Love both fighters. Hate to see Saad Muhammad go out like that. But, it was an inevitable changing of the guard to a worthy adversary.

 

I was thinking about this fight earlier this morning when I noticed the date.

 

YES. This!

 

Did Dwight have a size advantage over Saad?

 

V

 

In his pants?

 

No, definitely not what I was referencing, but thank you.

 

As per the Saad quote, every yr these week starting a week before, on Sunday I binge watch Franklin/Saad dvd set up through Martin. Then in subsequent nights I watch first Braxton vs Langley, next night Rossman, next night Scott, culminating on today December 19 @ 4:30 with the Wide World of Sports showing of the fight with Howard Cosell. Twisted, maybe childish, but my Christmas Holiday Tradition. Braxton was Braxton, literally and figuratively for only two more fights after and then like magic..........poof, he was gone and the hungry in shape animal was no more. Qawi was **** compared to Braxton. So get out your career dvd sets gents, grab a cold one, which I promise you it was very much that day outside aand watch Braxton interviewed wearing heavy long underwear and then intros (no Buffer hyperbolic bullshat in those days), then the bell about 5:02. NOW! 1981 again for the next hour. Breathe it in. It truly doesn't get any better than this.

 

Classic days when the Champion did his best to NOT avoid his obvious challenger, even if the champ might get beat. (Throw out all the bull frapp by the ABC's that tried to block such great fights).

 

I long for those days brother. Life was better. Boxing MUCH better. 15 rounds! ROT IN HELL JOSE SULIAMAN! Knockouts. Even fights ending in knockouts. No setup fights unless you were a Duva fighter or Gerry Cooney. Fcuk, the next month January you had Navarratte-Choi, Pedroza-Laorte, Benitez-Duran. And all but the last on regular tv. I loved Saad. SAW him live often in Philly. I tell you this, the Franklin of 77-Lopez2 1980, KOs 1981 Braxton. Franklin was a warrior and the hardest hitting lt.-heavyweight I EVER saw. Matt was used up by end ' 81. The Matt I saw live against Douglas, Johnson 1 and Kates untimately hunts down and destroys a Dwight. Sleep well campio'n. Your fighters heart lives on in all that experienced you.

 

Franklin-Saad in the 77-80 era was a true beast. ^^^

 

I agree Saad was starting to decline by the time he lost to Braxton. I would not say he was used up. He certainly was used up after the second Braxton beating.

I do think, however that peak Braxton would pose very troublesome even for the peak Saad. Braxton's defense was exceptional. I do think Saad may be successful with the type of left hook/uppercuts he showed in many of his prime fights. He didn't seem to try that punch much against Braxton. Peak Saad may have beaten peak Braxton but I wouldn't say it's close to certain that he would do so. He wasn't shot for the first Braxton fight and it was very one sided. He really didn't hit Braxton much.