Memorable title winning performances

I recall reading that Buchanan was lowballed an offer at a rematch for minimal $$$ to come to Panama City and turned it down.

I’ll thrown in Sean O’Grady’s dismantling of the then-highly-regarded Hilmer Kenty. There was a lot of sentiment on the Bubble Gum Kid’s side because of the feeling that he was well on his way to winning against Jim “Billygoat” Watt before the goat started using his head like a battering ram and opening cuts on O’Grady, and he didn’t waste his second chance at a title.

And who can forget Thomas Hearn’s utter destruction of Cuevas. As good as any title-winning effort in history IMO, and against a well-regarded champ who was a feared puncher.

Might was well throw in Ray Leonard’s win over Wilfred Benitez in a gorgeous display of boxing skill by two masters.

 

James Toney at a 20-1 underdog stops Michael Nunn to win IBF MW Title:

1991-05-10 : Michael Nunn 160 lbs lost to James Toney 157 lbs by TKO at 2:14 in round 11 of 12

• Location: John O'Donnell Stadium, Davenport, Iowa, USA
• Referee: Dennis Nelson
• Judge: Gary Merritt 97-93
• Judge: Bob Watson 99-91
• Judge: Dalby Shirley 98-92

• International Boxing Federation Middleweight Title (6th defense by Nunn)
  
• Aired On: TVKO

Notes

• Toney was ranked fifth at middleweight by the IBF.
• Nunn was a 20-1 favorite.
• Nunn's purse was $500,000 and Toney's was $65,000.
• Toney angered Nunn with constant trash talk, and Nunn promised to give him a beating. "I'm going to punish him," Nunn said. "I'm going to enjoy punishing this guy."

From Sports Illustrated:

Toney expected Nunn to run. "He's going to find out it's no damn disco," he said. "I'll pressure him until he has to fight."

Nunn did move, but not as much as expected. Mostly he stood in front of Toney, fending off attacks with a hard jab and jarring the challenger with combinations. For five rounds Nunn fought brilliantly.

Following the fifth, Toney told [trainer Bill] Miller, "He's tiring. I can hear him breathing like a freight train. I'm going to step up the pressure."

At the end of seven rounds Nunn was ahead by three points on one judge's card, by five on another and by seven on the third. "You're losing it, son. You're losing it," Miller told Toney. "You've got to press him even more."

"Don't worry about it," said Toney. "He's not going the distance."

Nunn appeared tired in the eighth. He tarried too long in front of Toney, who found him repeatedly with jolting right hands. "Jab and move," trainer Angelo Dundee screamed at Nunn from the corner. "Get out of there. Move!"

"He's not hurting me," Nunn replied.

A minute into the 11th round of the scheduled 12-rounder, Toney missed with five hard punches. The last swing carried him face first across the ropes. Undaunted, he turned and hit Nunn with a right to the head. Nunn moved away, shaken. A little later the champion dropped his hands. He never saw the left hook that snapped his head violently sideways and put him on his back. A collective moan swept through the stadium. The last train was leaving town, and Toney wasn't on it.

Rising unsteadily at the count of nine, Nunn said to referee Denny Nelson, "I'm all right." He said it twice. He was wrong both times.

Only pure courage kept him on his feet. Like a Doberman chasing raw meat, Toney charged. A right uppercut turned Nunn around, and a looping right to the back of the neck draped him across the ropes. As Nunn turned toward the ring, two right hands to the head dropped him to his knees. Nelson stopped the fight as a white towel flew into the ring from Nunn's corner.

 

The Kenty win was top quality...and the Watt bout was a disgrace...a Scottish disgrace.

 

Damn good post Longhhorn!!

 

Came here to say this. My breakdown of that fight here https://imgur.com/gallery/ccwN4

 

I had forgotten about TVKO PPV. I used to have a "Big Dish" and watched a bunch
of "stuff" on it. Thanks for your link.

 

Wilfred Benitez when he challenged Antonio Cervantes for the title Cervantes was a 4 - 1 fav. The Colombian had made 10 title defenses and only lost because of the El Radar extraordinary skill and speed.

 

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Marciano-Walcott I...Sept.23, 1952. Marciano was floored for the 1st time in his career...cut....and blinded for 4 rounds...Joe Walcott was beating the s**t out of Marciano...Rocky...behind on all scorecards...with 2 rounds to go...looking like his undefeated streak was over...threw the BEST right hand in boxing history...and took the Heavyweight championship with a stunning 13th round KO in one of the greatest slugfests in boxing history!!!

 

With a plethora of posts, I would say their fight had as much controversy as the Ali's Liston s c r a p s.
They should have fought in the Astrodome but...not to be.
Ali held all the cards, "let's make it a world event and paint George as an wannabe quasi-'uncle tom'.
Ali could have won in Houston but, with Ali's persona, it had to be put on a 'world changing stage' with everything in his favor. In closing, their fight was basically Champion Ali vs. Challenger Foreman.