What classic fight was the one to first catch your attention?

I’m pretty sure you can spot @Richard M Murrieta in the Tunney-Dempsey film. He’s selling popcorn in the stands.

 

Ken Norton vs Larry Holmes.

 

Haha, I’m surprised anyone remembers that. ‘You Can Do It George,’ haha.

IIRC, I just wanted to see this famous and controversial fight. If anything I’d have been more familiar with Dempsey, but my recollection is after watching it that I liked Tunney better because he was such a smooth boxer … I hadn’t yet seen the more savage version of Dempsey, and I think for quite a while in my youth I was under the impression that Jack was overrated and all hype based just on seeing him on film once.

 

Haha I thought a similar thing after seeing Lennox vs Tyson as a kid.

 

My introduction to boxing was a VHS made by HBO, named "Mike Tyson's Greatest Hits".
It was a documentary about the early years (1979-1988) and rise to stardom of Mike Tyson. It included highlights of his fights (some were in entirety like the Berbick and Tubbs fights), interviews, prefight footages an few training sessions as well. The French version had a commentary dub which added excitement to the fights.

Watching that as a little kid was mesmerizing. The combination of speed, power, head movement, accuracy and sheer ferocity was amazing. Mike Tyson seemed really invincible and really made me want to fight like him. It was like watching the journey of a great warrior, defeating opponents after opponents and dominating all the champions while collectings all the belts. My favorites moments were the sequence when Tyson ducked really low to slip Tillis punches, the Berbick KO and when he stepped in the ring with all his belts before facing Biggs.

I was gutted when my brothers told me that Tyson had lost some fights (Douglas and Holyfield) and was not champion since many years. Then came the Lewis fight, where Tyson was knocked out, and I was even madder. I was sad that I missed his best years and that he wasn't as brilliant as he was during the 80's.