if you could change one moment in boxing what would it be?

Sonny Liston being embraced as champion after winning the title.

Joe Frazier retiring after FOTC and launching a successful music career.

Duran taking the Leonard rematch seriously.

 

Jack Johnson swings but misses Stanley Ketchels chin and Stan goes on to win a UD.

 

Duk Koo Kim's corner throwing in the towel after the 13th.

Jesse James Hughes deciding not to go "hunting" in the Bottoms that last time and not getting murdered.

 

Beautifully played!

I tell ya what - Big Cat can come back and destroy Holmes for the belt - after Larry is awarded the decision against Norton -in a fight so close that many felt that Ken, as Champ should’ve retained his title - Larry not having done enough to “take” the belt from Ken.

Angry, Ken immediately retires but shortly thereafter attends the Holmes v Williams fight and is introduced to the spectators as one of the most loved and admired ex HW Champs.

Ken then walks over to Williams’ corner and whispers something into Cleve’s ear.

Williams gravely listens and then nods to whatever was said to him. First bell, Williams tears out of his corner and absolutely flattens Holmes with the mightiest of left hooks in under 10 seconds.

Williams later reveals that Ken whispered to him “You are my idol Big Cat. The best of ALL tome. You would’ve won the title all those years ago but copped some bad breaks and decisions. Now’s your time Cleve…go get that SOB who stole my title”.

Cleve said the thing that really inspired him were Ken’s final, parting words “Cleve, they say I’m well built but man, you are and will always be boxing’s TRUE Adonis!”

 

Cus D'Amato or Jim Jacobs living another 10 years.

 

Eddie Cotton winning the decision over Jose Torres on August 15, 1966.

 

Aside from altering chain of events that led to fatalities in the ring, mine would be Jeffries defending against Johnson & Dempsey defending against Wills, at the closest possible point to each fighter being equidistant from their respective peaks.

 

Tyson may still have dumped them for King, never underestimate a boxers greed.
King is an insidious individual, imo a narcissist and a sociopath who would have still found a way to isolate and entice Tyson. Robin Givens also did alot of damage to Mikes mind, he dumped rooney because of her and NEVER really spoke to him again.
Weve seen it many times in boxing where a fighter ends up dumping the team that got him to the dance in search of greener pastures.

 

Fatalities and irreversible damage caused to fighters aside, it would have to be title opportunities for black fighters in the 1930s and 1940s, particularly at middleweight and light-heavyweight - take your pick over which one:

World Middleweight title shot for any of Charley Burley, Holman Williams, Jack Chase, Eddie Booker, etc

World Light-heavyweight title shot for any of Ezzard Charles, Jimmy Bivins, Lloyd Marshall, Archie Moore (he got one in the end, at least - but in the 1950s), etc

 

Gene Tunney getting counted out against Dempsey.
So Jack becomes the first guy to regain the title.

 

Ahh yss. Tragic

 

The moment when Corrie Sanders decided he didn't really need to train for Vitali Klitschko

 

Biggest for me would be Muhammad never fighting again after the third Frazier fight.

 

Sorry you asked for one but here are a bunch of them!

Sonny Liston gets his shot at the title 2 or 3 years before he did.

Len Harvey, Alan Rudkin, Jock McAvoy or Dave Charnley becoming world champions.

Walter McGowan having tougher skin.

Larry Holmes gets the decision in Spinks 1 and reaches 50-0 before Mayweather.

Chris Eubank or Nigel Benn get to fight Michael Nunn and/or James Toney in a round robin.