the FIGHT that made ME a FAN

I have to agree that Holy/Tyson I turned me into a die-hard boxing fan. That fight had everything...the hype and the drama...the good guy and the bad guy...it was a perfect fight!!

 

Jermz, I was a young fan before this fight. But I remember crying as a (very young) kid when Tyson was beat. My dad told me the story of when Ali (his hero) was defeated by Spinks. He was so stunned that when an encyclopedia salesman came over after the fight he absent mindedly bought 1k worth of encyclopedias (of course he was totally broke at that young age and my mother was pissed).

What cemented it for me was watching Chavez vs. Taylor a bit later at my grandpa's house. Chavez became my hero. And now that the end of that is on youtube I watch it constantly!

- Jason

 

right on, brother!!

 

like my dad i always like boxing ever since i was a kid, but the fight that got me fixated to boxing was Leonard vs. Lalonde, i was 9 yrs. old and my uncles didn't allow me to watch it coz i have to go to school, and we have no vcr at that time.

now as an adult i don't get contented watching youtube I download fights and put it on my collection so my son can watch it anytime he wants.

 

for me,there is a couple of things that made me a fight fan.Rocky 3.
then i saw the hagler/hearns fight.then came along mike tyson.being an aussie,jeff fenech.

 

To be honest I never watched live boxing growing up (hell, I still don't)
It was all old fights and reruns that got me excited from old fighters.

The most replayed fight was of course Rumble in the Jungle and constant documentaries on Muhammad Ali, so I guess that fight was the first boxing fight I was ever actively aware about and also Tyson-Lewis was the first fight I payed attention to listening to on the radio live.

From there I got into boxing.
So it was RITJ and Tyson-Lewis

 

How old are you?

 

Well...here I go....For me there's three fights in particular that made me a hardcore boxing fan:

Ali-Liston 1:

Of course..I was far from being born when this anhiliation took place.It was damn near 20yrs after the fight that I got to see it...I was about 11.Up until then I was just a casual little boy who followed my big brothas around to watch fights....When I saw Ali literally make Sonny quit.I was hooked big time.Up to this day...I get goose pumps when I watch it..Pure poetry.Some say Leonard clowning Hagler/Duran was special...but I say Ali clowning Liston for the title was sheer brilliance...poetry in motion.

Hearns-Leonard 1:

Tommy was my favourite,hell..in the 80's Souh Africa,the Fab4 were all idols.But Tommy stood out for me.The lanky,fast,powerful cat was the goods.He had damn near decapitated Cuevas not too long before...and I knew Sugar Ray was in trouble....The fight was a schooling for Ray....for nearly13rds he could'nt touch Tommy....Of course Sugar Ray would rally to close the show...I was bawling like a toddler when Tommy was stopped.The incredible part was...I became even a bigger fan of The Hitman after that...and I gained new respect for Sugar Ray.Hate him or love him,the guy had a huge heart to go with those skills.Tommy,of course,would avenge the loss...many years later....I don't give a damn what the scores said.Ray lost that fight.

Finally:

Pryor - Arguello 1:

I watched this one with an uncle of mine.Crazy motha who was even crazier about The Hawk....Always moaning about Sugar Ray ducking Pryor.Arguello...had built a serious resume coming into this one...and I remember thinking..Pryor is not gonna hear final bell on this one.Pryor,of course,took every shot Alexis had and came back to clean his clock.Unbelievable.I was seeing it happen but I could'nt believe it.True classic.After that I went looking for more fights on Pryor...Too bad he went into drugs...That cat was a mad motha.Changed me into a fan who appreciates all styles of boxing.

Those stand out for me.

 

As a matter of fact, it was Tyson v Francis.

 

Bowe - Holyfield 1.

 

Hammed vs Kelly.

 

for me it was watching,HOLMESvsCONNEY,i was about 10yrs old,and just started boxingi so badly wanted coney to win,why cause he was white,hey i was 10,

 

i remember doing a school report whaen i was10,it had to be about any country we liked,,i did mine on lionel rose,,teacher smiled when he read it,and passed me hahaha,

 

sorry i was 12 during the holmes,conney,

 

Next to Ali-Frazier I the atmosphere at this Holmes-Cooney event was the most exciting that I have ever experienced. (but it was so hot outside)
The undercard had:
Earnie Shavers
Trevor Berbick
Greg Page
James (Quick) Tillis
Mitch (Blood) Green
and...Wilfredo Gomez

Ali-Frazier had a bunch of nobodies underneath