Duran/DeJesus III A barman at Caesars told me that the atmosphere was terrifying & the worst he'd ever experienced, security just lost it & was swamped in the casino & bars as the PR's & Panamanians laid into each other with anything that was'nt nailed down PRE-FIGHT. I was at the 2nd Tyson/Holyfield fight at the MGM & that was just an aweful atmosphere in the whole week before the fight & the total reverse to the 1st one i was at. Totally moody & pregnant with menace. I think Bowe/Golota at MSG takes some beating for modern times. I was at the Steve McCarthy/Tony Wilson fight back in 89 at Southampton Guildhall when Wilsons mum jumped into the ring & whacked Steve with her stilleto & then Steve got disqualified for not getting back into the ring after he thought he'd won & that was the signal for a mass tear-up between both sets of fans/camps. No security for these small town hall fights back then as it was viewed as too dangerous [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5AYEw2rAFM[/ame]
If we're talking riots .... Mexicans rioting in the Los Angeles Forum over unpopular decisions during the 1960s was quite a regular occurence, according to reports anyway. When Lionel Rose beat Chucho Castillo there were over 20 fires set inside the seating. But I think there's been worse in Mexico and South America. Hagler-Minter in London was a national disgrace.
I remember that. Wilson was actually slipping most those punches too. Mums, you can't take 'em anywhere.
One of WBC Junior Welterweight Champion Saensak Muangsurin tilte fights in Thailand. I think it was the 1977 fight versus Mike Everett. Everett was treatened to be killed if he won, as snipers were positioned along his entrance/exit route to the fight location. And if he won, he was told they would not allow him to leave the country, without giving Saensak Muangsurin a rematch within 45-days. Mike put up little resistance, and succumbed in the 6th Round.
Jack Rennie (Lionels trainer) says the place was crazy. Walking back to the dressing room and getting covered in spit, bottles and cups of urine being thrown at them, fires being lit. Outside there were cars being torched. Everytime I've spoken to him about it, the look of fear is in his eyes. They honestly had great concerns for their life that night.
Tyson-Seldon wasn't too pleasant. In fact a lot of the post-prison Tyson fights had a real nasty atmosphere, mainly trumped up and boosted by Tyson's handlers to try to get that aura around him. Unnecessary and ugly stuff. Audley Harrison - Matthew Ellis didn't turn out so well afterwards either...
Bowe Golota. Bowe had half of Brooklyn in the first couple of rows. The riot after the fight was unbelievable.
Botha Shultz. The crowd was throwing bottles and batteries at the ring after the fight. All the commentators were hiding under tables and the fighters made a run for the dressing room. I think Don King got cracked in the head by a bottle that night.
Really, that's suprising. as both fighters are consideted to be gentlemen & not prone to trash talking.
Possibly had more to do with the fans than the fighters I guess. Cups of **** were apparently thrown at Owen when he was stretchered off.:-(