What Was The First Fight You Watched?

Funny. Outside of seeing parts of Ali fights when I was really little, when the rest of the family were watching, this is the first fight I actually sat down and watched of my own accord.

 

I watched Liston get dethroned by Ali as a pup.

I don't remember it. My father, a boxer and a trainer, wanted me to watch a title fight, and my mother FINALLY conceded that I was old enough, even though I was all but a toddler.

I was excited because my Dad was excited. As I grew up further, he helped me follow other divisions, and we never missed a telecast of an Ali title defense.

My fathers passion hooked me. The week after Frazier beat Ali, he had me in a gym.

And I've never left.

 

First fight I remember watching was Ali-Quarry 1. I was only 5 or 6 but there was always boxing talk in my house. I remember the FOTC and the Cooper-Bugner fight. I would say I really got hooked watching young John Conteh and John Stracey. I'd discovered by then the hoard of old Ring, Boxing Illustrated and Boxing News in the house and was on a mission to digest every bit of boxing information I could find.

 

The first one that I can remember,clearly when it actually happened,was the second Muhammad Ali - Henry Cooper fight in 1966. Ali's style and wit turned me on to him,and boxing,right then. I was eleven years old. Time flies.

 

First live fight i can remember watching was Patterson vs Chuvalo in '65.

 

I grew up watching Tyson, he was like Godzilla to me.... I remember saying to my dad something like `Do you think Tyson would beat anybody ever ?` & my dad said `everybody except Muhammad Ali probably`..... so I made a point of seeing this Muhammad Ali guy fight & the 1st fight I ever saw of Ali, before I even knew what he looked like, was the Rumble in the jungle vs George Foreman, I had never seen anything like it & that was me hooked, I went on an Ali boxing binge & from way back then he has always been my favourite fighter & I have always followed boxing.

 

As for the thread title, I can`t remember the exact fight I saw first but one of them if not thee first was James `bonecrusher` Smith beating Tim Witherspoon very quickly... again I asked my dad if `that big bone crusher guy` could beat Tyson (I hadn`t even seen Tyson fight yet at that point, I had only heard of him as the best boxer) & my dad said `no chance, Tyson will kill him`... of course I had to see Tyson fight after that comment.

 

I remember very vividly having a conversation with a buddy of mine about the UFC guys vs boxing... This was around 1998. My argument was for Vitor Belfort against a boxer, and my buddy said my boy Vitor would get humiliated in a boxing match against any boxer of decent quality and similar weight...

This was much like the debate that goes on today, but ironically, I'm on the other side of the debate now.

It became a heated debate... He had a speed bag in his garage and a boxing history book. I remember leafing through the book and my interest being dimly lit. I could see the fascinating depth of boxing history and the backgrounds of the boxers themselves...

He made some solid arguments, and we debated til we agreed to disagree, but the seed had been planted.

Not long after that, I went to a friend's house and he said I have to see this fight he taped halfway in...

The tape began with a glassy-eyed Quartey being given a count after rising from the 6th round knockdown at the hands of DelaHoya... I could feel the electricity in the moment. Of course, later in the round, Oscar went down himself... The fight finished and I think at that point, the thirst for more began.

I must have seen that fight over a dozen times since.

I think it was those two memories. One gave a hint of doubt in my own opinions at that time, and the latter was the clincher.

I've never followed any sport. Only boxing.

 

The first fight I remember watching on TV was Minter/AntufermoII. The first professional bill I went to had the Minter/Hagler fight:yikes

 

I had seen a few live fights that my dad was watching, but rarely paid attention. Same for a few of his favorite older fights. The first live fight I remember really getting into was Toney-Rahman I. So basically what got me into the sport was the idea that a short, fat, old, cigar-smoking, trash-talking ******* might actually become heavyweight champion of the world. All the talk of Toney's past, his reputation as P4P best in the 90's etc, it really caught my interest. I remember watching HBO's countdown for the fight and just thinking he was the man.

 

Marvin Johnson vs Saad Muhaamad. I can't remember if it was their first or second bout. I think it was on ABC with Keith Jackson making the call

That was Belfort against Telligman and Ferrozo. He looked like a machine that night

 

Greb v Walker

 

Bruno v tyson. The press coverage was unreal.

 

The first one i remember was Manila. First live show, Lopez-Mundine 1981.

 

The first fight I can remember watching is also the best. I had been into mma for a few years before boxing, and when I was about 15, I saw Ali/Frazier 1. Needless to say I saw the difference , both showed more heart, skill, and toughness than I'd ever seen, and i'v been hooked ever since.