Of course, there are plenty of high-profile matchups in boxing history that have drawn huge crowds and caused a stir, but then there are the truly monumental matchups that transcend pugilism, the larger-than-life battles that inspire huge interest. of the general. public before going on to have a lasting cultural impact. Here are the twelve matchups that burst from the sports pages and galvanized the general public and, years or decades later, still fascinate us as much for their political and cultural context as for how they defined or redefined their fighters. . Look at them:
12. June 20, 1980: Roberto Durán W15 Sugar Ray Leonard. The fight that ushered in a new era in boxing, “The Four Kings,” and proved that worldwide interest and big money weren’t limited to heavyweights. A true “superfight,” Leonard vs. Duran became a major draw, not only for boxing, but for sports fans around the world. Over forty thousand attended the event in Montreal and the closed circuit broadcast sold out major arenas such as Madison Square Garden. Surprisingly, the fight lived up to the hype, the performances of both fighters surpassing all expectations. The largest closed circuit broadcast in boxing history up to that point provided Leonard with a record payday as the public response confirmed the now crucial importance of Latin America to boxing with Panamanian Duran not speaking. English, becoming its first main star.
11. September 7, 1892: James J. Corbett KO21 John L. Sullivan. The definitive end of the bare-knuckle era and the beginning of modern boxing. Sullivan vs. Corbett was a major event that drew a lot of interest, as it was the legendary Sullivan’s first fight in over four years. During that time, no one had posed enough of a threat to lure him back into the ring, as few could conceive of anyone defeating the legendary “Boston Strong Boy,” the champion being a true living legend. Corbett’s surprise knockout victory marked a turning point for the sport, as a more disciplined ring technique soon became pre-eminent.
10. September 3, 1906: Joe Gans DQ42 fighting Nelson. One of the last “fight to the finish” contests and the longest gloved title match under the Marquess of Queensbury rules. A historic fight that advanced boxing technique as the sophisticated Gans, also known as “The Old Master”, the first black American to hold a world title, dominated Nelson before the Dane was disqualified for landing a powerful blow under of the belt. George “Tex” Rickard brought the big fight to Goldfield, Nevada to help financial interests there promote their new boom town and it was the first of many blockbusters staged by the famed promoter. The bout also highlights the then-shameful treatment of black fighters when Gans, the defending champion, was forced to make weight literally minutes before the opening bell and while wearing his boxing gear.
9. February 25, 1964: Cassius Clay RTD6 Sonny Liston. The contest that marked a sea change, not just for boxing, but for all of professional sports and for American society. A great underdog, not to mention a brash and arrogant black man the likes of which white America had rarely seen on the public stage before, Clay proved too quick and powerful for the great Sonny, the champion quit after the sixth round. Soon after, Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali and nothing would ever be the same.
8. September 22, 1927: Gene Tunney W10 Jack Dempsey. The second Dempsey vs. Tunney fight, and the famous “Battle of the Long Count,” marked the end of the Dempsey era, as well as the climax of “The Roaring Twenties.” A learned man and member of high society, the enigmatic Tunney, in contrast to the gruff “Manassa Mauler”, reflected much that was changing in an increasingly industrialized America. The fight drew a massive crowd of over a hundred thousand spectators to Soldier Field in Chicago and everyone watched the popular challenger knock Gene to the canvas in the seventh round, only for Jack to hesitate before retiring to a neutral corner. Thus, Tunney was on the ground for about fourteen seconds before getting up. When he did, he coolly resumed his boxing against the former champion and won a lopsided decision, but the “long count” made this one of boxing’s most controversial fights, destined to be discussed for decades.
7. June 11, 1982: Larry Holmes TKO13 Gerry Cooney. The richest fight to that point, this competition was made massive by its overtly racial (or should that be “racist”?) elements. White America cheered for a new “Great White Hope” while waiting for that very rare thing: a white world heavyweight champion. The untested Cooney had a chance to be bigger than boxing as it was his face, not the champion’s, that was on the cover of Time and Sports Illustrated and it was Cooney’s locker room that had a direct phone line with the White House. But Holmes took his challenger to boxing school, ending all dreams of a great white champion in an increasingly diverse and multicultural America.
6. December 26, 1908: Jack Johnson TKO14 Tommy Burns. A bout whose outcome shocked and dismayed and delighted millions, as the irrepressible Jack Johnson, always smiling, laughing and taunting white America, easily overpowered Burns to become the first black heavyweight champion of the world.
5. October 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali KO8 George Foreman. The astonishing return of Muhammad Ali as king of the heavyweights, a major upset that vindicates the man who had been reviled and banned from boxing, but was now a hero to millions and a global superstar. The event also reflected broader political and cultural changes as two black men fought for boxing’s biggest prize in a newly independent African nation and as part of an event organized by boxing’s first black promoter. The fight and the victory were bigger than boxing as it was the perfect conclusion to the story of Ali’s defiance of the American government. It is no exaggeration to say that he made “The Greatest” a living legend.
4. July 2, 1921: Jack Dempsey KO4 Georges Carpentier. Boxing’s first million dollar gate and a massive event in every way. World interest attended this match, the results of which made front-page news the next morning. A classic narrative of good versus evil, featuring the brutal and lazy Dempsey, the bad guy, and World War I hero Carpentier, the white knight, captured the imagination of millions. A special stadium to accommodate a crowd of ninety thousand people quickly sold out and during the match thousands gathered in New York and Paris just to hear announcements of telegraphed updates.
3. June 22, 1938: Joe Louis KO1 Max Schmeling. It was Germany’s Max Schmeling who inflicted Louis’s first defeat two years earlier and, as the young heavyweight champion put it, “I’m not a champion until I beat Schmeling.” But in the meantime, the Nazi regime in his home country had adopted the “Black Uhlan of the Rhine” as a national hero. Thus, the backdrop for this party was none other than the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler and his determined drive towards a new world war. “The Brown Bomber’s” cruel two-minute annihilation of the now-vilified German elevated him to national hero status and made him a living symbol of America’s growing confidence.
2. March 8, 1971: Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali. Never before have two undefeated champions met for the undisputed world heavyweight title. Both fighters were in their prime and so, strictly from a competitive standpoint, it was a dream fight and a huge draw. But the political and cultural plots could not be ignored. The buildup exposed and ignited serious divisions in the American public over the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, and what was already an irresistible contest between two elite fighters turned into an event of colossal magnitude. Millions rooted for Ali to regain the title that had been unfairly taken from him, while at least as many yearned for his defeat. The most watched sporting event in history up to that point, the fifteen-round battle that followed surprisingly lived up to the hype.
1. July 4, 1910: Jack Johnson TKO15 James J. Jeffries. Arguably, no boxing match has been of greater importance than the first so-called “Fight of the Century,” an ugly affair that attracted the attention of millions not for sporting reasons, but because this fight was first and foremost about supposed superiority. of the white race. Jeffries initially had no interest in coming out of retirement to take on Johnson, but many saw it as his societal duty to put the “Galveston Giant” in his rightful place. Finally, the former champion gave in to the pressure of the public and the long-awaited clash took place in a specially built stadium where Jeffries, the expected victor, was completely dominated. To the deep dismay of the crowd, Johnson toyed with his opponent before the one-sided pummeling finally stopped. The result led to race riots in virtually every major American city and the social repercussions are still being felt today.
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