Some of the all-time great boxers met when one was at the top of their game, and the other was on the decline.
One good example was when former world heavyweight champion Joe ‘The Brown Bomber’ Louis, 66-2 with 52 stoppages, fought unbeaten Rocky Marciano, 37-0 with 32 stoppages, in October 1951 at Madison Square Garden.
After seven rounds, Marciano was ahead by scores of 4-2, 5-2, and 4-3. Louis was knocked down twice in the eighth round. Marciano dropped Louis for an 8-count with a left hook for the first one. The second knockdown was from a flurry of punches sending Louis through the ropes, forcing referee Ruby Goldstein to call a halt without a count. It’s been said Marciano cried later due to beating his hero.
Another was when former heavyweight champion Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali, 56-3, was stopped for the only time in his career by WBC champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 35-0, in October 1980 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, after ten rounds.
Holmes was ahead 100-90 twice and 100-89. Holmes was delivering body shots, looking toward referee Richard Steele to call a halt. Ali’s corner stopped it at the end of the round. It was in January of 1988 at Atlantic City, New Jersey’s Convention Hall.
When former champion Holmes, 48-2, fought ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, 32-0, after losing a pair of decisions to Michael Spinks, the second was disputed.
Muhammad Ali and casino owner Donald J. Trump sat at ringside next to one another. When Ali was introduced, he simply tapped Holmes’s gloves. He then went over to Tyson and whispered something in his ears. “Beat the hell out of him?” No one knows but the two of them.
After three rounds, Tyson was ahead 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was stopped at 2:55 of the fourth round after Tyson scored a pair of knockdowns. Holmes’ feet were up in the air after the second one, and he landed on his back when referee Joe Cortez waved it off. Holmes tried saying he caught his arm on the ropes trying to throw a punch when he was knocked down. He gave Tyson no credit for the mismatch.
In this writer’s opinion, the two greatest pound-for-pound boxers met in August 1943 at New York’s Madison Square Garden, with contender ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson, 44-1, #145, and former 3-division world champion Henry ‘Homicide Hank’ Armstrong, 132-17-8, #140, with Robinson winning the decision.
Armstrong lost his welterweight title in October 1940. Robinson won the title in December 1946, when he was 73-1-1, defeating champion Tommy Bell, 39-10-3, by scores of 8-6 and 10-5 twice at Madison Square Garden.
‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard and Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns met twice. The first one was Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year in September 1981 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leonard was behind after 13 rounds by scores of 122-124, 122-125, and 121 125, needing a stoppage, which he did at 1:45 in the 14th round. In the rematch in June of 1989, each got a vote and a draw, ending it in a draw at the same venue. Leonard was down twice.
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