Favorite Fights between 1978 and 1984

I will always remember that Bonecrusher vs. Weaver fight on I think ABC on some weekend in 1986. Weaver is going for it, and Bonecrusher lands a right and Weaver is wobbling all over and Bonecrusher just goes off on him. Bonecrusher was rather slow but his right hand could hit. Big strong guy. When he fought Tyson in 1987 I was concerned for Tyson. I did not expect that holding fight. I expected a fast fight. I could not predict that fight.

 

* Larry Holmes vs. Mike Weaver (Wonderful fight. Totally unexpected. We were one of the few families that had HBO at the time. I remember everyone at a family party the next day asking us what had happened. I don't think Holmes even got paid, because he took a percentage. If Larry had been a quitter - like Joshua in MSG 40 years later - his heavyweight title run would've ended that night, too.)

* Matt Franklin vs. Marvin Johnson II. (Watched it at my Uncle's house. Again, family party. Everyone was in the backyard having a cookout. I was inside watching that bloody, all-time war.)

* Roberto Duran vs. Davey Moore. (Again, totally unexpected. Leading up, Duran wasn't seen as threatening anymore. It was supposed to be the fight that made Moore a boxing star and ended up nearly killing him.)

* Salvador Sanchez vs. Wilfredo Gomez. (Gomez was the guy with all the hype who had knocked out everyone he'd faced. After upsetting Little Red, Sanchez seemed to be barely keeping his belt with one close decision after another. Watching Sanchez floor Gomez and then just beat the living hell out of him before the stoppage, it almost seemed like a dream. Or maybe Sanchez had loaded his gloves. It didn't make sense. One of those fights nobody thinks about now, since Sanchez successfully defended, but Gomez was supposed to walk right through him. Sounds funny, but that was a shocking win.)

* Leon Spinks vs Bernardo Mercado (Went to the Ali-Holmes closed circuit in a convention center with my dad. Like most closed circuits back then, there was always a problem with the picture or the sound or both. This time, the sound worked fine but the picture was in black and white. I didn't mind. I'd liked Leon since he beat Ali, but his career had all but tanked. Mercado had knocked out Shavers, who was also a favorite of mine. So I thought Leon would get killed. Instead, Leon gave probably the last top performance of his career. He totally beat up the WBC number-one contender, avenged Shavers - in my young mind - and earned a shot at Holmes - which turned out to be a train wreck. But for that one night, Leon was back.)

 

Saad v. Johnson Il
Saad v. Lopez II
Boza v. Chacon II
Benitez v. Duran
Spinks v. Eddie Davis
Rosario v. Howard Davis

 

Mancini vs Frias
Curry vs Starling I and II
Arguello vs Pryor
Boza-Edwards vs Elizondo.