Boxing Blog – TSS Tidbits

Today in Boxing History: Griffith decisions Archer in rematch

On this day in 1967, Emile Griffith retained his WBA and WBC middleweight titles with a unanimous decision over Joey Archer in a rematch at Madison Square Garden.

Griffith won the belts in April of 1966 by decisioning Dick Tiger. His first defense was against Archer, a crafty boxer who lacked power. When the two faced off at Madison Square Garden in July of 1966, Griffith squeaked by with a majority decision, and the stage was set for a rematch.

Their second bout was close as well. However, Griffith managed to pull ahead in the final rounds. The judges’ scorecards read 8-6, 8-6, and 8-7 all in favor of Griffith.

Archer retired following the loss. Griffith lost the middleweight title four months later to Nino Benvenuti. He regained it from Benvenuti in September of 1967, and then lost his belt again to Benvenuti in March of 1968.

Today in Boxing History: George Foreman KOs Joe Frazier

On this day in 1973, George Foreman won the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles with a brutal and memorable TKO of Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica.

Entering 1973, the undefeated Frazier was in great shape career-wise. After Muhammad Ali was stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing induction into the military in 1967, Frazier won the New York State Athletic Commission heavyweight championship with a knockout of Buster Mathis a year later. In 1970, he unified the heavyweight title with a stoppage of Jimmy Ellis. He then decisioned Ali a year later in the “Fight of the Century,� eliminating all claims that he was not the rightful champion. Frazier successfully defended his title twice in 1972, and then, against the advice of his handlers, chose to defend his title against Foreman, an up-and-coming monstrous puncher.

Foreman won the gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He turned professional in 1969 and was 37-0 coming into the bout, with 34 of those wins being knockouts. Not only was he one of the greatest punchers in boxing history, Foreman’s straight-up, bomb throwing attack, was the perfect foil for Frazier’s charging assault.

Early in the first round, Foreman sent Frazier to the canvas with a thunderous right to the head. He shot back up and Foreman put him down again, as commentator Howard Cosell screamed the now incendiary phrase, “Down goes Frazier.� Frazier went down once more in the first round.

Frazier came out charging again in the second round and Foreman quickly floored him two more times. The third knockdown of the round was caused by a right uppercut that lifted Frazier off his feet and put him on the canvas. By then, referee Arthur Mercante, knowing that Frazier would likely keeping getting up until he died, stopped the bout.

This fight was also the first to be broadcast on HBO.

Foreman held the title for 19 months before losing it to Ali in the “Rumble in the Jungle.� Frazier challenged for the heavyweight belt once more, losing to Ali in the “Thrilla in Manila� in 1975. Foreman and Frazier then met for a rematch in 1976, with Foreman winning by a TKO in the 5th round.

Today in Boxing History: Duran wins rubber match versus DeJesus

On this day in 1978, Roberto Duran unified the lightweight title with a 12th-round stoppage of the late Esteban De Jesus in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was their third and final meeting.

Duran won the WBA lightweight title with a 13th-round knockout of Ken Buchanan in June of 1972. He faced De Jesus in a non-title bout five months later and lost a 10-round decision. They met again in 1974 for Duran’s WBA title. On that occasion, Duran knocked out De Jesus in the 11th round.

In 1976, De Jesus won the WBC lightweight title with 15-round decision over Guts Itshimatsu. This set the stage for a unification bout and rubber match with Duran.

The fight was one of the finest of Duran’s career. In the 12th round, he sent De Jesus to the canvas with a vicious right. When he returned to his feet, Duran pounded him against the ropes with a barrage of blows. When De Jesus went down again, the bout was stopped.

Duran vacated the lightweight title shortly after that bout. He went on to win championships at welterweight, light middleweight, and middleweight. De Jesus retired from boxing in 1980.

Today in Boxing History: Floyd Mayweather KOs Diego Corrales

On this day in 2001, Floyd Mayweather, Jr, retained his WBC super featherweight title with a 10th-round TKO of Diego Corrales in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Both fighters were undefeated coming into the bout. Mayweather had won the belt in 1998 with a stoppage of Genaro Hernandez and had successfully defended the belt five times. Corrales had won the IBF super featherweight title in 1999 with a knockout of Roberto Garcia. He defended the belt three times and signed to fight Mayweather.

However, Corrales struggled greatly to make the 130-pound weight limit. Once in the ring, he found himself to be no match for Mayweather’s blazing speed. In the 7th round, Mayweather sent Corrales to the canvas for the first time in his career. He would go down four more times before his corner threw in the towel, despite his protests, in the 10th round.

Following the bout, Corrales was absent from the ring for two years, as he served a prison term for spousal abuse. He returned to the ring in 2003 and won the WBC and WBO lightweight titles with a now legendary 10th-round knockout of Jose Luis Castillo in 2005. Mayweather has since won titles at lightweight, light welterweight, and welterweight. He is scheduled to face Oscar De La Hoya in May of this year.

Today in Boxing History: Meldrick Taylor decisions Aaron Davis

On this day in 1991, Meldrick Taylor won the WBA welterweight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Aaron Davis in Atlantic City.

Only eight months earlier, Taylor had lost his IBF light welterweight belt to Julio Cesar Chavez in one of the must brutal and controversial bouts in boxing history. The general consensus among boxing aficionados is that Taylor was never the same after that fight.

However, he bounced back with a decision-win over Primo Ramos in August of 1990 and then signed to fight Davis in January of 1991. Davis, then 32-0, had won the WBA belt with a knockout of Mark Breland in July of 1990. Taylor would be his first title defense.

From the opening bell, Taylor wasted no time in his attempt to disprove the notion that he was a ruined fighter. He attacked Davis with his sustained lightning-fast assault for 12 straight rounds. The final judges’ scorecards read 115-112, 116-111, and 116-111, all in favor of Taylor.

Davis retired in 2002. His only other title bout was a majority decision loss to WBA light middleweight champ Julio Cesar Vasquez in 1993. Taylor successfully defended his welterweight belt twice before losing it to Crisanto Espana via an 8th-round knockout in 1992.

Today in Boxing History: Canzoneri loses to Johnny Jadick

On this day in 1932, Johnny Jadick won the world junior welterweight title with a ten-round decision over Tony Canzoneri at the Philadelphia Arena.

Canzoneri, also the lightweight champion, won the junior welterweight belt with a knockout of Jack Berg in 1931, and had defended each of his titles twice since then. For his third defense, he faced journeyman and Philadelphian Jadick.

The fight began with the hard-hitting Canzoneri sending Jadick to the canvas in the first round. However, the challenger was back on his feet before a count started. Jadick then boxed his way to a decision victory. The two fighters met again in Philadelphia six months later, and Jadick won another ten-round decision.

In February of 1933, Jadick lost his title via majority decision to Battling Shaw. Canzoneri then won back the title by outpointing Shaw in May of 1933. A month later, Canzoneri lost both his lightweight and junior welterweight titles to Barney Ross.

Jadick’s career took a downward spiral following the loss to Shaw and he lost more than 30 fights in the final four years of his career. Canzoneri regained the lightweight title with a decision over Lou Ambers in 1935.

U.S. House of Representatives honors The Greatest

The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation today honoring Muhammad Ali on his 65th birthday and extending good wishes to his family. The resolution, which cites Ali’s achievements as a fighter and as a humanitarian, passed the House by a vote of 420-0.

Congresswoman Julia Carson (D-IN) introduced the legislation, along with Congressman John Yarmuth (D-KY), who represents Ali’s hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Yarmuth held up a pair of signed Ali boxing gloves during his floor speech for the bill’s debate.

“He introduced lightning quick footwork that, even today, has never been seen in a heavy weight and thunderous jabs that sent opponent after opponent falling to the mat,� said Yarmuth. “But he felt that his was a higher calling, and he chose controversy over comfort. He became Muhammad Ali, and used his success and fame to speak passionately and eloquently against injustice, racism, crime, illiteracy, and poverty, touching and inspiring millions around the world.�

This is the first time the House has passed legislation honoring Ali’s birthday.

Today in Boxing History: Cassius Clay born in Louisville

On this day in 1942, Cassius Marcellus Clay was born in Louisville, Kentucky. The fighter, who would change his name to Muhammad Ali shortly after winning the heavyweight title, is the most influential athlete of the past 50 years.

After bringing home a gold medal as a light heavyweight at the 1960 Summer Olympics, he turned professional and won his first 19 bouts. It earned him a shot at heavyweight champion Sonny Liston in February of 1964. Few sportswriters gave the challenger, then known as the “Louisville Lip,� a chance at winning and he was an 8-1 underdog in the days before the bout. However, Clay shocked everyone at ringside, evading Liston’s haymakers and landing several critical punches throughout the fight. Liston retired on his stool at the beginning of the seventh round because of an injured shoulder. At just a little over 22 years old, Clay was the heavyweight champion of the world.

Shortly after the bout, Clay joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He knocked out Liston in the first round in their rematch in the 1965, and then cleaned out the heavyweight division, successfully defending his belt eight times.

In late 1967, Ali refused to be drafted to fight in the Vietnam War, citing his religious beliefs. He was stripped of his heavyweight title and was convicted of rejecting induction into the U.S. Army. He also did not receive a boxing license from any state for three years. During that time, he supported himself by speaking at universities and through other ventures, such as a staged fight with Rocky Marciano and the short-lived Broadway musical, “Buck White.�

In 1970, the Georgia and New York athletic commissions allowed Ali to return to the ring. He reeled off wins against Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena before facing undisputed heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in March of 1971. “Smokin’� Joe had won the title in Ali’s absence and their match-up was one of the most anticipated bouts in boxing history. The bout lived up to its hype, but after 15 action-packed rounds, Frazier was awarded the decision.

Shortly after the bout, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Ali’s conviction. He immediately began pursuing a rematch with Frazier, ridding the division of all contenders in the process. After the Frazier loss to 1971, Ali’s only other loss was a split decision to Ken Norton in March of 1973, which he avenged later that year.

Frazier lost his belt to George Foreman via a savage second-round stoppage in January of 1973. This led to Ali and Frazier facing each other in a title eliminator bout in early 1974. This time, Ali won the decision and signed to face Foreman in Zaire in 1974. Like his first bout with Liston, most boxing aficionados worried for Ali’s health going into the “Rumble in the Jungle,� and once again, Ali shocked them all. This time, he employed his rope-a-dope method to wear down Foreman before knocking him out in the eighth round.

As the champion, Ali faced Frazier for a rematch in the Philippines in 1975. Billed as the “Thrilla in Manila,� the grueling fight was one of the greatest in history. Both fighters administered more punishment on each other than any man should ever suffer. Before the start of the 15th round, Frazier’s trainer, Eddie Futch, stopped the fight because of visibility-diminishing swelling around Frazier’s eyes.

Ali’s second run as heavyweight champion was one of the most successful, and controversial, in history. The run included defenses against Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, Frazier, Jimmy Young, Norton, and Ernie Shavers. However, it was apparent to all fans that Ali’s skills and health were deteriorating and there were many cries through the media for him to retire during this period.

In February of 1978, an out-of-shape Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks by unanimous decision. He returned to the ring more prepared seven months later and won his championship back with a smart and well-managed decision of Spinks.

Ali retired in 1979, vacating his title. He made two unsuccessful attempts to return to the ring before retiring for good in 1981. Since then, he has served as an elder statesman to the sport and as a national symbol for humanitarianism. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.

There are many testaments to Ali’s influence. Among them are the Muhammad Ali Center in Louisville, Sports Illustrated’s naming of Ali as “Athlete of the Century,� and Time’s listing of Ali as one of the “100 Most Important People of the 20th Century.�

Today in Boxing History: Roy Jones Jr. born in Pensacola, Fla.

On this day in 1969, Roy Jones Jr. was born in Pensacola, Florida. Jones went on to win four world titles in as many weight classes and become one of the most exciting fighters of the past 15 years.

After winning a silver medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, Jones turned professional. He won his first title, the IBF middleweight belt, in 1993 with a decision over Bernard Hopkins. In 1994, Jones picked up the IBF super middleweight title by decisioning James Toney. Jones made headlines in 1996 when he played a semi-pro basketball game and defended his super middleweight title against Eric Lucas in the same day.

He then won the WBC light heavyweight championship with a decision over Mike McCallum in November of 1996. In his first defense of the belt, he lost it via disqualification to Montell Griffin when one of his flurried punches landed while Griffin was down on one knee. Jones then knocked out Griffin in the first round in their rematch in August of 1997.

In March of 2003, Jones, then 47-1, vacated his undisputed light heavyweight championship to challenge WBA heavyweight titleholder John Ruiz. He easily won a 12-round decision and became the first middleweight champion since Bob Fitzsimmons to also win a heavyweight title.

Following the bout, Jones moved back down to light heavyweight and faced Antonio Tarver. Drained from having to lose too much weight too fast, Jones won an ugly, controversial decision. When the two met for a rematch in May of 2004, Tarver knocked Jones out in the second round. Following the loss, he was knocked out again by IBF light heavyweight champion Glen Johnson.

Jones then took a year off from boxing and returned to the ring in October of 2005 to face Tarver in a rubber match. On this occasion, Jones stayed on his feet while Tarver coasted to an easy decision.

Jones has since had one more bout, a decision over Prince Badi Ajamu in July of last year. According to ESPN.com, he is in negotiations for a rematch with Hopkins this July.

Today in Boxing History: Bernard Hopkins born in Philly

On this day in 1965, Bernard Hopkins was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. On a victory basis, “The Executioner� had the most successful middleweight championship reign in history.

Before his professional career began, Hopkins served a prison term for strong-arm robbery. While he was there, his focused shifted to boxing. He fought his first professional bout shortly after his release, losing a four-round decision to Clinton Mitchell in a light heavyweight bout.

Following the loss, Hopkins moved down to middleweight and won his next 22 bouts. He then faced Roy Jones, Jr., for the vacant IBF middleweight title in 1993. Hopkins fought gamely as always, but Jones used his superior speed to win the decision.

Jones eventually vacated the belt and Hopkins faced Segundo Mercado for it in December of 1994. The two fighters battled to a draw in the first bout but Hopkins won the title with a seventh-round knockout in their rematch in 1995.

Hopkins remained unbeaten for the next ten years. During that time, he shattered the record for the most consecutive middleweight title defenses and unified the middleweight championship with a 12th-round stoppage of Felix Trinidad in 2001.

On February 19, 2005, Hopkins recorded his 20th title defense with a 12-round decision over Howard Eastman. For his next bout, he faced Jermain Taylor that July. Taylor took Hopkins’ belt via a split decision. When the two met for a rematch in December of 2005, Taylor again won a decision.

Following the loss, Hopkins moved up to light heavyweight and faced recognized champion Antonio Tarver in June of last year. While few in the boxing community gave Hopkins a chance, he shocked everyone by winning a lopsided decision.

Hopkins immediately retired after the bout, but now seems to be un-retiring. It is likely that he will return to the ring on July 21 of this year for a financially lucrative fight against either Jones or Joe Calzaghe.