Boxing thread -- the fight(s) you remember most vividly

[Auggie]

I have three: The Ali-Norton fight at Yankee Stadium, 1976, because it was soooo close. I think Norton won, but not as decidedly as he needed to according to others, who claim that in order to beat the champ you really have to beat the champ.

The Foreman-Frazier bout, 1973. Really unexpected quick match that made Foreman a household name. Oddly enough, what I remember the best was the Howard Cosell call: "Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier."

The third was the tragic bout between Ray Mancini and Duk Koo Kim, 1982, televised live on CBS. Kim suffered brain injuries that led to his death five days later.

Yours?

H20 Man: :hi:

[Kingofalldems]

1. The third one for sure--The fight should have been stopped

If it were me in Mancini's shoes the guilt would have been too much to bear.

[Auggie]

4. Mancini was apparently very troubled by that, along with many others...

From wiki:

"Mancini went to the funeral in South Korea, but he fell into a deep depression afterwards. He has said that the hardest moments came when people approached him and asked if he was the boxer who "killed" Duk Koo Kim. Mancini went through a period of reflection, as he blamed himself for Kim's death. In addition, Kim's mother committed suicide four months after the fight, as did the bout's referee, Richard Green, in July 1983."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Mancini

[JonLP24]

2. Guillermo Rigondeaux's hard counter punch to the body to Robert Guillen

That was a little over a month ago so I'm a newbie when it comes to boxing. :)

[H2O Man]

3. Interesting question.

I remember the three fights that you mentioned. My brother was in Ali's camp for the third KN fight, and was there at Yankee Stadium. (He also predicted Foreman would stop Smokin' Joe in two rounds. I think that a lot of people knew Big George would win -- even Howard Cosell had told people that George would "kill" Joe. But the way he did it was intense.)

The first fight I watched on tv was Carter TKOing Griffith in one round. That still sticks out. It can be viewed on YouTube.

I was ringside at MSG for the second Ali-Frazier fight. That was a unique experience. Though I've been at hundreds of fight cards, professional and amateur, seeing Ali beat Frazier was outstanding.

Maybe the most exciting fight, in many ways, was when Ali challenged Foreman for the title. I knew that Ali could beat him, but common sense told me that he could also be seriously hurt and knocked out. I had been right next to George at the Ali-Frazier fight, and the guy was huge. Plus, he had that Sonny Liston intensity about him. I bet a lot of money on Ali -- way more than I could have afforded to lose. I watched it on closed circuit, in a private home near Oneonta, NY. For the first three rounds, people were telling me to pay up. By the end of the next round, they were getting pretty quiet.

It's hard to say right now -- I've seen so many great fights. Some on tv. A lot of really good amateur fights. Lots of outrageous professional bouts. As a boxing fan, I've had really good fortune that way. One thing that stands out to me is the overall quality of people that boxers are. In most (though obviously not all) cases, boxers are quiet, thoughtful, gentle people, who are trying to rise above the circumstances of their lives.

Interesting question. I look forward to reading other responses, and to being able to add some clearer thoughts myself.

[Bluzmann57]

5. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler

Hagler won but the judges didn't see it that way. But they waged a great fight. Hagler, the fierce brawler, and Leonard, the darling of all America. And another one that sticks in my memory was a guy named Tony Lopez vs. Roger Mayweather who I believe is Floyd Mayweather's uncle. Anyway, these two guys went at it hard for 12 rounds with neither man backing down. Terrific bout and both men were apparently none the worse for the wear and tear. They fought again about a year later, but as is often the case, the sequel was nowhere near as exciting as the first one. Mayweather won the second fight handily.
One local bout I saw was Hector "macho" Camacho vs. a local guy named Lonnie Horn. Horn's head snapped back three times in rapid succession and the audience barely saw Camacho's hands move because he was so fast.

[Condem]

6. Roberto Duran-Kenny Buchanan

Boom-Boom Mancini-Livingstone Bramble. Just a couple of many.

[MaineDem]

7. 1965 Ali-Liston in Lewiston, Maine

I'm not a boxing fan but it was really big news locally.

I think they had Robert Goulet sing the US National Anthem which was funny because he's Canadian. I seem to remember he blew it.