With the recent passing of Joe Frazier, boxing fans around the world took some time to reexamine the career of one of the most exciting, dynamic pressure fighters in the history of the sport. In doing so, they’ve also gained a renewed appreciation for the man who brought Muhammad Ali to the brink of what he called, “the closest thing to death,” in the third and final fight of their storied trilogy.

As an amateur, the only fighter to defeat Frazier was Buster Mathis. A broken thumb suffered by Mathis gave Frazier the opportunity to replace him in on the 1964 Olympic team and the rest is history. Joe went on to win a gold medal and turned professional immediately afterwards. As a professional, Frazier reeled off 26 consecutive victories without a defeat before facing the undefeated Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century.” The fight took place at Madison Square Garden on March 8^th, 1971. Frazier dropped Ali in the 15^th round and won the fight by a unanimous decision. All three judges using the rounds system scored in favor of Frazier – 9-6, 11-4 and 8-6. Going into the final round, Ali needed a knockout to win.

Standing just under 6 feet tall and weighing between 205-210 lbs. at his peak, Frazier was a small Heavyweight by today’s standard. His bobbing and weaving, perpetual motion style, however, made him a difficult target to hit. In this writer’s opinion, the Frazier who faced Ali for the first time in 1971 was a better, faster, more difficult to hit fighter than the version who faced Ali for the 2^nd and 3^rd times in 1974 & 1975 respectively.

It was the latter version who suffered a brutal TKO against Big George Foreman in 1973. Six visits to the canvas, courtesy of the man who was arguably the hardest puncher in the history of the sport can go a long way towards take the edge off one’s reflexes and adding “mileage” to the physical body overall. The fact that Frazier kept getting up speaks volumes of his ability to soak up physical punishment and still keep fighting.

The more distance we put between today and the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the more evident it becomes that Ali, Frazier and Foreman are three fighters who could have held a Heavyweight title (or at least a portion of it) during any era in the history of the sport.

That brings us to our main point, which is – how would Joe Frazier have fared had he fought in a different era? How does Joe Frazier match up against the best heavyweights of the 1980’s, 1990’s and the 2000’s? Let’s take a look at some mythical matchups.

JOE FRAZIER IN THE 1980’S

Had Frazier been in his prime during the earlier part of the 80’s, he would have found himself matched against fighters such as; Mike Weaver, Michael Dokes, Tim Witherspoon, Tony Tubbs and Larry Holmes. In examining a Frazier-Holmes matchup, we have the Holmes-Norton and Frazier-Ali fights to use as barometers as to how both fighters performed under fire.

It’s not too difficult envisioning Holmes’ chin giving out under the tremendous pressure of Frazier… especially over the 15 round distance. Holmes possessed one of the greatest jabs in the history of the division. It carried more power than Ali’s and was followed with a great right hand. Holmes recovered well after being knocked down, although he may have made multiple trips to the canvas against Frazier as he did against a young Mike Tyson later in his career.

One thing is for certain, this would have been an exciting fight while it lasted. My pick would be Frazier via a 10^th round stoppage in an exciting fight. Frazier’s relentless pressure and punching power would be the different in this fight.

Mike Tyson presents a different kind of challenger for Frazier. Tyson was an explosive combination puncher and a very fast starter. It’s not difficult envisioning a double-uppercut dropping Frazier multiple times and forcing an early rounds stoppage. Oscar Bonavena, a straight-ahead slugger, had Frazier down twice in the 2^nd round during their first meeting in 1966. Frazier rose both times and went on to win a close majority decision over ten rounds. Bonavena was nowhere near the finisher Tyson was, however.

In Frazier’s favor, Joe got stronger as a fight progressed. If Frazier made it past the first three rounds, it’s not too difficult seeing him dig in and start landing his explosive hooks to the body against Tyson. Once that happened, you have a totally different fight on your hands. Make no mistake about it, Frazier could hurt anyone. George Foreman once said in an interview that he “felt the wind” from a Frazier hook that missed him by a few inches and said to himself, “I have to get him out of here before I really get hurt!”

This is a hard fight to pick, but if pressed… I would probably go with Tyson’s blend of speed and power ending matters in the early rounds.

Against a prime Frazier, I really don’t see Mike Weaver, Michael Dokes, Tim Witherspoon or Tony Tubbs pulling off an upset victory. There’s no doubt here that Joe Frazier would have enjoyed much success in the 1980’s.

JOE FRAZIER IN THE 1990’S

The 1990’s gave us the likes of Riddick Bowe, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Michael Moorer and other colorful characters. Although it’s possible picturing Frazier caught and hurt by big punches, as was the case with Foreman, it’s almost impossible to envisioning him staying on the canvas against a Bowe, Holyfield or Lewis.

A prime Frazier’s work rate was second to none. Of all the big men who fought during the 90’s, Bowe was one of the better infighters. He didn’t have the jab of a Foreman, however, to set up his other big punches. Instead, he would have probably obliged Frazier and fought with him on the inside. Frazier’s pressure and punch output would wear the big man down as the rounds wore on. It’s hard to see Bowe making it past the 11^th round.

At his best, Holyfield had loads of heart and excellent conditioning. He also recovered well when hurt. While he was capable of surprising a lot of people on the right night… I don’t see him as a favorite to beat Frazier no matter how you look at it.  Frazier would hit and hurt Holyfield often.  I will give Evander the benefit of the doubt that he would still be standing at the final bell, but the decision would never be in question. Frank Bruno and Michael Moorer would probably suffer brutal knockouts or TKO defeats against Smokin’ Joe.

An older, more mature Lennox Lewis might have the best chance against him in this group. True, he did suffer knockout defeats against fighters not nearly as skilled as Frazier. At his best, however, he possessed the jab, reach, height and power to stay on the outside and away from Frazier’s big left hook. Whether or not he could do so over the course of 12-rounds or more is another story. Evander Holyfield was able to get inside Lewis’ reach and did so when he was slightly past his prime. Holyfield was competitive against Lewis. Frazier, however, would throw far more punches than Holyfield did.

If we weren’t talking about a prime Joe Frazier, it would be easy to see him suffering a similar fate as a past-prime Mike Tyson did against Lewis. A prime Frazier, however, presents a much different scenario.

Overall, Joe Frazier matches up very well against the best fighters of the 1990’s.

JOE FRAZIER IN THE 2000’S

The 2000’s have marked the beginning of the age of the “Giant Heavyweights.”

Wlad Klitschko – 6’-6 ½ inches tall, weighing up to 246 lbs.
Vitali Klitschko – 6’-7 ½ inches tall, weighing up to 252 lbs.
Nicolay Valuev – 7’ tall, weighing 320+ lbs.
Lennox Lewis (older version) 6’-5 inches tall, weighing up to 250+ lbs.

It’s interesting to note that even the “shorter” heavyweights of this era regularly weigh in at the 230+ pounds mark. Hasim Rahman, Oleg Maskaev, Ruslan Chagaev, Sam Peters and many others tipped the scales at weights that far exceeded the norms of earlier eras.

The argument has been made that it would be very difficult for the champions of previous eras such as Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Frazier, etc., to compete against fighters with huge weight and reach advantages. Although there were a few giant heavyweights competing in past eras, the skill level and athleticism of fighters such as the Klitschko’s has made it very difficult for their smaller, contemporary counterparts to compete effectively against them.

After suffering a 7^th round TKO against Wlad Klitschko in 2006, Chris Byrd (a boxer with respectable skills) admitted that conqueror Wlad Klitschko was, “… just too big.” Mike Tyson said the same thing following his loss to Lennox Lewis, although it has already been noted that he was past his prime at the time.

Recently, a very solid Tomasz Adamek (a smaller Heavyweight with a higher work-rate) suffered a one-sided pounding and TKO loss in his bid to dethrone WBC Champion – Vitali Klitschko. Klitschko’s size advantage was just too much for Adamek to overcome.

Talented, gigantic heavyweights who know how to fight and have learned how to use their height, weight and reach advantages effectively seem to present a real challenge to their smaller counterparts.

A prime Joe Frazier is certainly a “cut above” Chris Byrd and Tomasz Adamek as far as overall ability goes.  That’s an easy enough conclusion to come to. You have to wonder how effective he’d be in getting around the jab of a present day Vitali or Wlad Klitschko? In his matchups against George Foreman, it was Foreman’s jab that set up the big uppercuts and hooks that took Frazier apart.

It’s much easier picturing Frazier getting inside and catching Wlad with a big punch and dropping him than it is seeing him do the same to an iron-chinned Vitali. It’s also not too difficult picturing either of the Klitschko’s turning Fraziers legs into rubbery spindles with a big power shot.

In these mythical matchups, I find myself going back to Mike Tyson’s younger days and his battles against 6’-4”, 230 lb., James “Bonecrusher” Smith and 6’-3”, 238 lb., Donavan “Razor” Ruddock. The sheer size, reach and weight of both men gave Tyson some problems. Tyson was heavier than Frazier and arguably physically stronger in their respective primes. The edge in speed also goes to Tyson. Conditioning and will-power definitely go to Frazier.

The question for Frazier would be, would he (at the very least) be able to keep his hands moving enough over the course of 10, 12 or 15 rounds to outpunch a giant Heavyweight opponent like a Klitschko or a Lewis and take a decision?

Or, would a punishing jab result in the kind of eye swelling he suffered against?

My belief is – the younger version who fought Ali the first time had enough speed and head movement to avoid “eating jabs” all night long against the best of the big men. Frazier would also be punching “up” which, as Rocky Marciano once said, gives a puncher an edge in being able to use his legs to generate additional power.

I don’t like the way he matches up against Vitali Klitschko for the same reasons he suffered two one-sided losses against George Foreman. I do, however, give him a decent chance at chopping down Wlad Klitschko or Lennox Lewis or being busy enough to take a decision against either man. Either way you look at it, he would take some hard punches in the process and have to survive some anxious moments over the course of the fight. Neither Lewis nor Klitschko exhibited the ability to soak up punishment or recover well after being badly hurt during their careers. Against Joe Frazier, a safety-first approach would almost certainly be in the back of both fighter’s minds.

Of the three, Vitali Klitschko would probably been Frazier’s toughest assignment. While I wouldn’t rule out knockout victories against Lewis or Wlad Klitschko, I have an easier time envisioning him outworking them and earning decision win over 12 rounds.

SUMMING IT UP

At his best, Joe Frazier was a full-throttle, high-octane, pressure fighter who possessed one of the best left hooks in the history of the sport. Although he’d be a small Heavyweight by today’s standards, it’s probably safe to say that he would have done very well regardless of the era he fought in.

Joe Frazier

You might say John L. Sullivan is to boxing what George Washington is to the presidency. He was the first in a historical lineage of personalities and title holders that would shape the face of the sport. He was considered by most boxing historians to be the first to hold what was once called – “The Greatest Title in Sports,” as the heavyweight champion of the world.

Today, many boxing fans think of Sullivan as the aging, out-of-shape, one-dimensional slugger who stepped into the ring against Jim Corbett in 1892. That would be the equivalent of reading a book by starting with the last chapter.

THE BAREKNUCKLE ERA

Before the Marques of Queensberry rules and the gloved-era, Sullivan pounded out his reputation as “The Boston Strong Boy” – bludgeoning numerous opponents into unconsciousness in what some historians have estimated to be hundreds of illegal, bare-knuckle fights.

Sullivan lived life as many champions throughout the years have – at full throttle. Women, booze and brawls are probably an accurate summation of the man and his lifestyle during the prime years of his life. A family man he was not.

John L was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts on October 15, 1858.  Sullivan stood 5 feet, 10 ½ inches tall (short by today’s Heavyweight standards) and weighed approximately 200-pounds. in his prime. By all historical accounts, he possessed brute strength as well as surprising hand speed.

“His right arm comes across like a flash of lightning with a jerk. And if he misses, he’s so quick you can’t get your head out of range before it’s back ready for another shot at your jaw.”
- Joe Choynski – Heavyweight Contender

Make no mistake about it; John L. Sullivan enjoyed fighting. You don’t walk into a saloon or bar and announce, “I can lick any sonafabitch in the house!” if you don’t enjoy fighting!

THE SULLIVAN LEGEND

In total, some historians believe Sullivan to have been victorious in well over 200 fights. This number includes the many bare-knuckle fights fought under the London Prize Ring Rules. Under the London rules, bouts were held in a 24-ft square “ring” enclosed by ropes. A knockdown ended the round, followed by a 30-second rest and an additional 8 seconds to regain the center of the ring or lose the fight. Butting, gouging, hitting below the waist, and kicking were banned. The fight ended when either one of the fighters was knocked out or neither could continue.

It was during this time to Sullivan legend was born.

Sullivan claimed the title of heavyweight champion of American in 1882 against Paddy Ryan after stopping him in nine rounds.

Afterwards, Ryan said, “When Sullivan hit me, I thought a telegraph pole had been shoved against me endways.”

The following description was taken from the New York Daily Tribune – dated February 8, 1882;

_ Ninth Round – Ryan failed to come to time and the fight was declared in favor of Sullivan. Ryan and Sullivan were visited after they had gone to their quarters. Ryan was lying in an exhausted condition on his bed, badly disfigured about the face, his upper lip being cut through and his nose disfigured. He did not move but lay panting. Stimulants were given him. He is terribly
punished on the head. At the conclusion of the fight Sullivan ran laughing to his quarters at a lively gait. He lay down
awhile as he was a little out of wind, but there is not a scratch on him. He chatted pleasantly with his friends.
_ The fight was short, sharp, and decisive on Sullivan’s part throughout, Ryan showing weariness after the first round.

Paddy Ryan was considered the champion when he captured the title two years earlier from Joe Goss in Collier’s Station, West Virginia. Goss succumbed to Ryan after 87 rounds of punishment. As an interesting side note, Goss had the pleasure of being in Sullivan’s corner for his victory over Ryan.

Like most fighters, John L also had an opponent whose style gave him all kinds of problems. That opponent was Englishman named Charlie Mitchell. Mitchell was a “runner” when it came to Sullivan. Sullivan may have had fast hands; his feet weren’t nearly as swift as Mitchell’s.

(Side note: Mitchell, a middleweight, fought in the bare-knuckle and gloved-era. He would eventually face Sullivan conqueror Jim Corbett, only to get knocked out in the third round. In the earlier years, however, he was an awkward and powerful fighter.)

Mitchell challenged Sullivan to a three-round bout in Madison Square Garden in New York City. Sullivan started fast and dropped Mitchell twice in the opening round. Then, lightning struck when Mitchell countered Sullivan with a left hook to the chin that dropped him for the first time in his career. John L was more enraged than anything else and tore into Mitchell in the second and third rounds. He hurt Mitchell badly, but Mitchell hung on until the Police stopped the fight after the third round. The bad blood between the two had been established.

THE NEW YORK POLICE GAZETTE

Richard K. Fox, the publisher of the New York Police Gazette (the Ring Magazine of its day), wasn’t a fan of Sullivan’s. Sullivan snubbed Fox after defeating Paddy Ryan, who was a protégé of Fox. You might say Fox made it his mission to find a fighter who would lift Sullivan’s title and hand the champion his first defeat.

Fox imported a 236-pound Herbert A. Slade from New Zealand. The fight was set for Madison Square Garden. Slade found himself on the floor multiples time during the first two rounds. He was rescued with the police stopped the mismatch in the 3^rd.

In September of 1883, Sullivan began touring in Baltimore. Over the course of a year, Sullivan fought 154 men in four round bouts. The deal was, if he were unable to knock out an opponent, he would give up $1,000. He knocked out all 154 opponents! A month after the tour ended, he was matched once again against his rival Charlie Mitchell.

Sullivan showed up drunk to the fight and wasn’t in any condition to defend the title. News of Sullivan’s drinking problems spread across the country. His manager, Al Smith, quit. What followed became a familiar pattern of drinking and defending his title against “Tomato Can” opponents. Even so, John L’s popularity was amazing. People would gladly part with their hard-earned money to say they’d seen the great John L. Sullivan in person.

Sullivan knocked out his old foe, Paddy Ryan in one round at Madison Square Garden in 1885. In August of the same year, he defeated Dominick McCaffrey on points over 7-rounds and was named the first Heavyweight Champion under the Marques of Queensberry Rules.

In 1887, Sullivan traveled to London to box and exhibition for the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII). Charlie Mitchell wasted no time and began taunting Sullivan saying that he’d knocked Sullivan down during their first meeting and Sullivan was afraid to fight him again. Finally, Sullivan couldn’t take Mitchell’s taunts any longer and agreed to fight him. Prize fighting was still illegal in those days, but they found a way around it nonetheless thanks to Baron Rothschild of the infamous Rothschild banking family.

Rothschild arranged for the fight to take place at his racing stables in Chantilly, France on March 10, 1888. The fight was a “by invitation only” event. The fight took place outside, in the middle of the pouring rain. Sullivan started quickly. Mitchell danced around and avoided his rushes. The fight finally ended in the 39^th round when the police were spotted. The fight was declared a draw. Other accounts of the fight say that both men were exhausted – Mitchell from running and Sullivan from chasing.

Sullivan returned to Boston on April 24, 1888. His drinking was getting out of control and he was rapidly gaining weight.  By the summer, he was experiencing serious physical symptoms and believed he was going to die. He was thirty-years old. Sullivan retreated to his father’s house and a priest was summoned to administer last rites. His liver and stomach were swollen and inflamed and an intense fever had taken hold. Incredibly, he survived. A month later, he recovered after losing 80-pounds.

During this time, Richard K Fox was determined to find and officially recognize a “new” champion of the world. One who took on serious challengers and was in his fighting prime. He chose the undefeated Irish-American heavyweight – Jake Kilrain. In May 1887, Fox presented him with a silver championship belt on behalf of the National Police Gazette.

Sullivan supporters were outraged. In Boston, Sullivan’s backers and fans presented him with a championship belt made of 14-carat gold. The belt had eight panels with scenes depicting Sullivan along with symbols and the flags of the United States, England, and Ireland. In the middle by a large shield with the engraving, “Presented to the Champion of Champions, John L. Sullivan, by the Citizens of the United States.”

There were 397 diamonds in total spelling out his name. A proud John L Sullivan referred to Kilrain’s belt as a dog collar in comparison.

John L and Jake Kilrain, a battle of the undefeated “champions” took place on July 8, 1889 at Richburg, Mississippi. With the help of William Muldoon, a wrestler and physical training “guru” of the day, Sullivan (for the first time in his career) trained under the guidance and oversight of a professional. Sullivan was quoted as saying, “A fellow would rather fight twelve dozen times than train once,” he said. “But it has to be done.”

The fight would be the last fight ever fought under the London Prize Ring Rules. The purse was $10,000, winner take all. The training of Muldoon had transformed a tired, bloated 240-pound Sullivan into a hard, chiseled, 215-pounds.

The battle which took place within the scorching summer heat, affected Kilrain more than it did Sullivan. After two hours and 75 rounds later, Kilrain’s corner was told by a doctor that Kilrain’s life would be in jeopardy if he endured anymore punishment. Kilrain was exhausted and barely conscious.

The telegraph immediately sent word of Sullivan’s victory to newsrooms throughout America. Even Richard K Fox finally admitted, “By this fight, Sullivan has proved that he is a first-class pugilist in every respect. He is a stayer as well as a slugger.”

After the Kilrain fight, John L fell back into his former lifestyle and began drinking heavily once again. He announced that he would run for Congress but failed to obtain the backing of the party. His heavy drinking and frequent public brawling ended his days as a politician before they began. Sullivan had no intensions of fighting again. Unfortunately, as would be the case in the lives of many champions to come, Sullivan just could not part with the “living large” lifestyle and all the extras that went with it.

Once again, Sullivan would have to step back into the ring. On September 7, 1892, an aging, flabby Sullivan (who parted ways with his trainer Muldoon) stepped into the ring with top contender James J. Corbett who was eight years younger at 26. The fight took place at the Olympic Club in New Orleans, Louisiana. In New Orleans, prize fights were legal under the Marquis of Queensbury rules.

Corbett won the World Heavyweight title by knocking out Sullivan in the 21st round. Corbett’s new scientific boxing technique enabled him to dodge John L’s rushing attacks and wear him down with jabs. A combination of rights and lefts put Sullivan down for the ten count and Sullivan’s undefeated run had finally come to an end. After the fight, Sullivan gave a teary-eyed farewell speech and left the world stage more beloved than ever before.

Now outside the ring once again, Sullivan’s drinking problems resumed. The drinking also opened to doors to a variety of legal problems including assault.

In late 1905 Sullivan became a changed man. His demons finally behind him, he became an evangelist and married a childhood sweetheart in 1910. He toured the United States speaking out against the evils of alcohol and became a very popular speaker and lecturer. On the morning of February 2nd 1918, Sullivan died of a heart attack at the age of 60.

The year was 1988. Mike Tyson was the Heavyweight Champion of the World. His blend of speed, power and ferocity had historians and fans alike assessing his ability in mythical match-ups against the great champions of the past. The Tyson of 1988 was a bobbing, weaving, perpetual motion fighting machine. He was capable of throwing triple uppercuts with a combination of speed and power that impressed even the most critical of observers.

At the time, Tyson’s height was listed anywhere from 5’ 10” to 5’ 11”. Many of those who met him in person, however, stated that his height seemed closer to 5’ 9.” At approximately 218lbs, height hardly seemed to matter when factoring in his combination of speed, style and strength.

Similar to Rocky Marciano, who possessed the shortest reach among the heavyweight champions, style and ability trumped the physical dimensions.

Even so, when boxing analysts in the 1980’s compared Tyson to the heavyweight champions of the past, “size” in the form of weight was usually factored into their equations. The question, how could a smaller fighter like Jack Dempsey compete with 218 lbs. of speed and muscle?

Some pointed out that Jack Johnson was only 10-12 pounds lighter than Tyson in his prime. His main liability against Tyson, as several writers pointed out, would probably be his chin if he were caught by a big punch. Dempsey and Marciano were both lighter than Tyson as was Joe Frazier. In a dream fight scenario, most experts factored in Tyson’s weight advantage all three fighters – even Joe Louis. Granted, it wasn’t the “deciding factor,” but it was certainly “a” factor.

The post-1988 version of Tyson (after Kevin Rooney was replaced as trainer) was a different fighter in many ways. Gone was the aggressive bobbing, weaving, perpetual motion machine. The older version offered occasional head movement and moved forward with his gloves tucked under his chin –  looking for the big punch.

It was the post-prime, fast aging (in fight years) version that climbed into the ring against Lennox Lewis in June of 2002. Lewis pounded Tyson into submission in eight rounds. Afterwards, Tyson said before exiting the ring, “He was just too big.”

Lewis stood 6’ 5” with an 84” reach.

This brings us to our point. Does size matter? It did for Tyson in 2002. Consider the men who went the distance with a prime Mike Tyson  -

James “Quick” Tillis 6’ 1” 207 lbs. (1986) L10
Mitch “Blood” Green 6’ 5” 225 lbs. (1986) L10
Bonecrusher Smith 6’ 4” 233 lbs (1987) L12
Tony Tucker 6’ 5” 221 lbs. (1987) L12

All four opponents managed to tie successfully up Tyson once he got inside to basically neutralize his attack.  Of the four, Tillis is the only fighter we’d consider “normal sized” for the era. Tillis was the only man of the four who used boxing skills and movement to frustrate Tyson throughout the fight. The other three, although the actual fights were less competitive, used their sheer size, weight and reach to avoid prolonged exchanges. And by doing so, they minimized the possibility of getting hit with a big punch. All four of these fighters were defeated.

FIGHTING “BIG”

Emanuel Steward is credited with teaching Lennox Lewis how to fight like “a big man,” using his jab and right hand along with his height and reach which created a natural advantage over most opponents.

Ironically, it would be another big man in Vitali Klitschko (6’ 7” 248 lbs) who would give Lewis fits using the same jab, right-hand style. Klitschko came up short, however, succumbing to a bad gash over his eye in the 8^th round. It was an interesting match-up of giants pitting a post-prime champion against a pre-prime challenger.

Since Lewis’ retirement, the Klitschko brothers have used their enormous size (Wlad stands an inch shorter than his brother at 6’ 6”) along with the jab/right hand formula to dominate the Heavyweight division. Fight after the fight, the same statement is repeated again and again by the vanquished, “They’re just too big.”

Wlad hasn’t lost since 2004. Vitali’s last loss was against Lewis in 2003. Both men, like Lewis, learned to perfect the “big man style” in later years. This brings us back to the question, does size matter? If used correctly, the answer would seem to be – most definitely.

You can technically put the weight issue aside for a moment and consider the height and reach aspects alone. Michael Spinks used his height (6’ 2 ½ ) and 71” reach to keep the Camden Buzzsaw, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, on the end of his punches all night during their Light Heavyweight title unification showdown back in 1983. If there was a poster boy for ineffective aggression in a fight, Qawi was it on that occasion! To say there was “no buzz in the saw” would be an understatement.

Vernon Forrest, the late Welterweight and Jr. Middleweight Champion fought “tall” against a very good Shane Mosley and defeated him twice. Forrest stood 6’ 0” and possessed a 73” reach. At 5’ 8”, Mosley didn’t fare too well getting around the jab and punching up at the taller Forrest.

Height and reach are not easy factors for most fighters to overcome. It’s not just the fact that a fighter may possess the “bigger numbers.” It’s the fact that they know how to leverage these assets from one round to the next. Throughout boxing history, very few fighters seemed to thrive against taller opponents. Mickey Walker, the original Joe Walcott and Rocky Marciano to mind.

Keep in mind, a pole axe of a jab being repeatedly thrown with force by a 6’ 6” fighter weighing 240lbs or more will pile up the damage over the course of several rounds.

The options are simple. The opponent has to be willing to take some big shots to get inside the reach and turn the fight into a shootout. Make no mistake about, there’s a price to pay to get “inside.” Just ask Ray Leonard or Marvin Hagler who managed to walk through the bombs of Tommy Hearns. For every Leonard or Hagler, there were plenty of Duran’s who wound up getting counted out.

I used to ask myself why fearsome Heavyweight bomber David Tua fought so cautiously against Lennox Lewis when they met back in 2000. Today, the answer seems obvious. Tua’s 5’ 10” found himself on the end of Lewis’ 6’ 5” jab. With the damage he received from that alone, he probably thought going “Hagler” against Lewis wouldn’t have ended in his favor.

You can go all the way back to George Foreman’s brutal dismantling of Joe Frazier. Watch the films closely. You’ll see that, although Foreman’s brutal uppercuts were more than Frazier could handle, it was the heavy jab and reach advantages that laid the foundation for everything that followed. It was the same “big man” formula that allowed Foreman to embark on his historical comeback a decade after his original retirement.

SIZE ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH

Of course, as we’ve already said, size alone is not enough. Physical dimensions do not make a world class fighter. This is true in the boxing ring, on the basketball court, or any other arena that comes to mind. What’s evident over the last twenty years and the past ten in specific is this – the number of large, work class athletes is on the rise. This is true in every professional sport. Baseball players, football players, track and field athletes, tennis players – you name it. The increase in size, speed and overall athleticism is at an all time high and in boxing, this is most evident in the heavyweight division.

How would a fighter like Jack Johnson deal with a giant with a punishing jab and big right hand like Lennox Lewis or Vitali Klitschko? Would Rocky Marciano be able to get inside and do enough damage to win?

It’s easy to imagine him needing the championship rounds of the 15-round distance to get the job done.

It looks like the age of the Giant Heavyweights is here to stay. It will be interesting to see who the next dominant heavyweight will be after the Klitschko era comes to its conclusion. One thing is almost a guarantee… he won’t be short!

Boxing will have its hero’s. It’s a fact that’s ingrained within the nature of the sport, the business and its fans. It started with John L. Sullivan, the first American sports hero.  Old John L’s exploits made him a household name and a legend in his own time. His larger than life persona captured the imagination of young and old alike. Although Jim Corbett wound up dropping the man for ten, the legend remained standing for a good hundred years to come.

It’s been said that all sports simulate combat in one form or another. I agree. Boxing is one of the few, however, that doesn’t let a ball get in the way.

Boxing’s place in U.S. culture has changed dramatically in recent years. No longer considered to be the mainstream sport it once was, boxing has migrated into the category of niche sport in the USA. The average person can no longer tell you who the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight or Middleweight Champions of the World are. That wasn’t the case through much of the sport’s storied history. The days of walking into a barbershop almost anywhere in America and talk boxing with the “average Joe” are long gone.

Even so, the sport and its fans continue to support their favorite fighters and are forever on the lookout for this generation’s contemporary legends!

For the last few years, the most recognizable names on just about everyone’s “pound-for-pound” list are Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. On paper, they have all the makings for creating this generation’s equivalent of Ali-Frazier or Leonard-Hearns.  In some circles, Pacquiao has been compared to triple crown champion, Henry Armstrong, who won world titles at Featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight.

It was quite a feat winning titles in three weight classes back in the days when there were only eight divisions and one champion per division. It was only a controversial draw that kept him from winning a version of the Middleweight title against Ceferino Garcia (of the Philippines) in 1940.

Armstrong finished his career with approximately 150 bouts. Pacquiao, whenever he finishes, should fall far short of that mark. Nonetheless, Manny Pacquiao will be measured by how he performs in his own era – not Armstrong’s. Mythical matchups aside, a fighter should be judged by how they perform in their respective era, not by mythical “what if” matchups.

As boxing fans, however, we known the real score. This is boxing! Those rules go into the shredder before the ink ever dries on the paper!

You’d better believe that we, boxing fans, judge fighters – not only how they perform historically, but by how well we believe they’d fare against “The Legends” of boxing history. With our sport, it’s all about history. Leave out the process of comparing one legend against the next is like having “half the sport” gathering dust on a shelf.

Boxing is as much an ongoing saga of giants and giant killers as anything else.

Fighters do one of two things.

1. They capture the imagination
2. They don’t

They may not be very popular in America, but the Klitschko brothers have captured the imaginations of fans across much of the rest of the world.

Their Legend continues to grow. The thinking is, if they continue to fight “BIG,” using their ramrod jobs as offensive and defensive weapons, coupled with their booming right hands – they are virtually unbeatable. Others believe they are greatly benefiting from fighting in an era when the level of competition in the heavyweight division is very poor.

The same was said of Rocky Marciano. Even so, 49-0 became the stuff legends are made of. Unless one or both of the Klitschko’s suffer Roy Jones-like knockouts… their legend is very likely to remain intact.

I would love to have seen a prime Larry Holmes popping his jab their way. It’s hard to envision either big man settling into a comfortable rhythm against a prime Holmes.

Larry Holmes is an excellent example of how legends are built up and torn down. Holmes came close at 48-0 with 20 successful title defenses. But in September of 1985 the record, legend and aura all took a hit at the hands of Michael Spinks. Holmes also lost a hotly disputed decision in the rematch… but it didn’t matter.

Had Holmes decisioned Spinks and retired (like Marciano at 49-0), I have no doubt that he would have went down in history as one of the greatest ever. The argument would have been – “He always found a way to win.” Holmes earned the recognition he did the old fashioned way. He earned it.

Public perception had Mike Tyson on his way to being the best ever until he spiraled out of control and wound up getting mowed down by Buster Douglas in Tokyo. Even Ali remarked that Tyson looked “awesome” as he sat at ringside for one of Tyson’s early demolitions. That being said, time is being kind to Mike Tyson. Many fans now remember him as the 21-year old monster who terrorized the division during the late 1980’s.

In boxing, one fight… one round… one punch… can change everything.

Currently, the spotlight focuses upon Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather. Together, the two produce something that’s impossible for them to produce apart. Together, they will create the biggest the biggest fight the sport has seen in the last decade. On paper, the matchup looks that good. The outcome of the fight may very likely cement their place in history as “legends” of ring.

Should either fighter suffer a one-sided loss, however, it’s very likely the loser will be remember as a very good (not great) champion.  Throughout time, history often takes a back seat to legend. There’s no reason to think “this time” will be any different.

Jack Dempsey was to boxing what Babe Ruth was to baseball. Both were products of the roaring twenties and both went down in history as larger than life figures in their sport and American culture. Like Jack Johnson before him and Muhammad Ali after, Dempsey was in the right place and the right time – with the right blend of skill and personality. The rest became history. When he finally passed away in 1983 at the age of 87, his legend was still well intact.

A gentleman outside ring, he was nothing short of being an animal in it. One old-timer who was still living when a young Mike Tyson first burst upon the scene in the 80’s said Tyson’s ferocity was the closest thing he’d ever seen Dempsey.

Jack Dempsey was born in 1895. To say times were tough would be an understatement. An old Aunt of mine who was born in 1894 (and lived until 1998) used to tell me about them. “Oh, those were hard times,” she’d say. “People had to work together, just to survive. It was a different time.”

As a teenager, Dempsey lived the life of a hobo, “riding the rails” as they used to say [freight trains], begging for food, sleeping in mining camps. Above all, he learned to fight.  Before reaching the age of 18, he’d already developed a reputation as strong, powerful puncher with a ferocious fighting spirit.

Dempsey fought with a swarming, pressuring style of fighting. Throughout history, the best fighters who were also natural fits for this style enjoyed great success naturally larger, heavier and sometimes even more talented opponents. Mickey Walker, a contemporary of Dempsey’s, is a good example. Marciano, Frazier and Tyson are two other examples from the modern era.

Jake LaMotta used the swarming style to hand Ray Robinson his first loss.

This style of fighting fit Dempsey’s in the ring temperament like a glove.

During Dempsey’s early years, he occasionally lost a fight, although there has been much speculation as to whether or not some of these fights were on the “up and up.” Keep in mind, Dempsey was fighting to keep food on the table, send money to his family… and quite simply – to survive. The fight most in question was a first-round kayo defeat against Fireman Jim Flynn. The fight took place on February 13, 1917. It ended moments into the opening round.

Several of Dempsey’s friends insisted that Jack took a dive against Flynn. Dempsey’s own account of the fight seems to greatly conflict with the newspaper and other eyewitness accounts of the fight.  Dempsey’s manager was later quoted as saying that Dempsey had, “Dependants aplenty.” There were also plenty of fans in attendance who were of the opinion that the fight was a blatant fix and that Dempsey had taken a dive.

Jim Flynn wasn’t a bum. He was, however, on the downside of his career and had suffered knockout defeats in his previous two starts.

The Flynn loss would be the only knockout defeat on Dempsey’s record.

The next year, 1918 , was a great year for Dempsey. His third fight of the year was a first-round knockout of Fireman Jim Flynn – avenging the controversial loss from a year earlier. His two most difficult fights came against Billy Miske (D10 *he would go on to win a 6-round decision against him six months later) and “Fat” Willie Meehan (L4).  Dempsey actually fought Meehan 5 times. Meehan won two of the fights by decision, Dempsey won one and the other two ended in draws. These fights, however, were only 4-round bouts.

Dempsey ended 1918 with a 2-round blowout of Gunboat Smith on December 30^th. He was 23 years old and entering his fighting prime. His bobbing and weaving style combined with his hand speed, power, and sudden explosiveness were a combination boxing fans had never seen before in a Heavyweight. Dempsey didn’t throw single punches, he threw “punches in bunches” to the head and body. His explosiveness was something a lot of his opponent’s simply had no answer for.

Dempsey first fight of 1919 was on 1-round blowout of 257 lb. Tony Drake on April 2^nd. This set up his infamous matchup against the defending champion and Jack Johnson conqueror – Jess Willard.

The fight took place on July 4, 1919 in Toledo, Ohio. Willard was a mountain of a man – standing almost 6’ 7” and weighing 245 lbs. Jess Willard wasn’t an active champion. After defeated Johnson, he waited almost a year before climbing back into the ring again. When he did, he broke a bone in his right hand while outpointing Frank Moran over 10-rounds in Madison Square Garden.

Six months later, he fought a 6-rounder against Sailor Burke in Bridgeport Connecticut. Willard won a decision. He wouldn’t step into the ring again for almost three years. When he finally did, it was against a primed knockout machine in Jack Dempsey. Willard was thirty-eight years old.

The first minute and a half of the opening frame was the calm before the storm. Approximately a minute and a half into the round, Dempsey explodes with a quick right hand – followed by a booming left hook. Willard collapses to the floor for what would be the first of seven knockdowns in the round. Keep in mind, Willard was the better favorite in this fight and what was unfolding before the stunned crowd’s eyes was the beginning of a new era. The Dempsey era. The fight was finally stopped in the 3^rd round when a beaten and battered Willard retired in his corner. Willard later claimed that Dempsey’s gloves were loaded. This, however, is doubtful. No evidence, including the alleged injuries suffered by Willard as a result of Dempsey’s punches has ever been substantiated either by medical records or eyewitness accounts.

Dempsey’s reign as the Heavyweight Champion of the World was one of the most colorful reigns in the history of the sport. Every time he stepped into the ring – it wasn’t just a fight, it was an event! In his first defense, he destroyed an old nemesis in Billy Miske, sending the iron-chinned Miske to the canvas for the first time in his career before putting him down for the count in the 3^rd round. Bill Brennan was counted out after body punches dropped him in the 12^th in Dempsey’s second defense of the title.

A fourth-round knockout over the former Light Heavyweight Champion, Georges Carpentier, followed in 1921. The fight produced Boxing’s first “million dollar gate.” It would be Dempsey’s only appearance in the ring that year.

It has been said by some that the Carpentier fight marked the end of Dempsey’s prime fighting years. It would be two years before he climbed into the ring again to defend the world title against Tommy Gibbons in Shelby, Montana. Dempsey won a decision but no longer fought like the bobbing, weaving, pressuring destroyer of old. The fight is infamous for having almost bankrupted the town of Shelby, Montana where it was held.

By this time, Dempsey was a celebrity and a household name throughout most of the world. In retrospect, he very well may have been the most beloved heavyweight champion of all-time.

Dempsey’s final bout of 1923 was his classic slugfest against Argentine strongman – Luis Firpo. The fight, an instant classic, lasted only 3 minutes and 57 seconds. The classic scene of Dempsey getting knocked through the ropes only to be helped back into the ring to barely beat the count was immortalized by painter, George Bellows.

It is quite possible that without the help of those sitting at press row, Dempsey would have lost the title that night. He beat the count, however, and went on to put Firpo on the floor for good in the 2^nd round.

It would be three long years before Dempsey would step into the ring again and put his title on the line. There’s a popular saying that the last thing to leave a puncher is his punch. And so it was with Dempsey. Like Mike Tyson many years afterward, after the energetic bobbing and weaving, combination punching style waned, the punch remained.

Three years after the Firpo fight, Dempsey faced former Light Heavyweight Champion – Gene Tunney before more than 120,000 fans in Philadelphia. Even today, it’s difficult to imagine a sea of 120,000 fans encircling a single boxing ring. Such was the drawing power of Jack Dempsey. Although he would lose his title to Tunney and the subsequent “long count” rematch by decision, his legend remained firmly intact. In a way, Dempsey provided the gold to Boxing’s original “Golden Age.”

Dempsey remained extremely popular after his retirement. He opened a restaurant called “Jack Dempsey’s” in Manhattan. For many years where he would greet guests, shake hands and sign autographs for people who traveled to see him from all over the world. The restaurant eventually closed in 1974.

There has been volumes of information, books, articles, etc., written about Dempsey and his life over the years. Like Rocky Marciano years afterward, Dempsey seemed to thrive against naturally larger, heavier men – seeing them as bigger targets. We can only wonder how a fight with one of the Klitschko brothers would have played out. Could a Wlad or Vitali Klitschko keep Dempsey at the end of their jabs all night long? It’s certainly not difficult to picture that scenario if you watch the Dempsey/Tunney fights. Their hard, thudding jabs may have not set up a knockout scenario, but they certainly could have busted Dempsey’s mug up pretty good.

What about the younger version? The Dempsey who fought the 6’ 6” Jess Willard certainly had the speed and footwork to land his big left hook against either Vitali or Wlad. Their knowledge of this certainly would have put them on the defensive from the onset. Unlike many of today’s heavyweight, Dempsey was a fierce body puncher. It’s much easier picturing Wlad succumbing to one of Dempsey’s all out attacks than Vitali, but either way you look at it, both men would have to survive some anxious moments to beat a prime Jack Dempsey.

Likewise, it’s not very difficult to picture Dempsey hitting the floor against either of the Klitschko’s. Dempsey’s recuperative powers, however, were legendary. The Jim Flynn fight with all its shady goings on aside, Dempsey’s ability to recover was right up there on the level of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali.

At the end of day, however, we can only judge a fighter by what they did in their era and against the competition of their day. In that respect, Jack Dempsey will always be remembered as an all-time great.

Imagine the 1985 Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears lead by Jim McMahon, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary and company coming out of retirement to win the Super Bowl in 2005. Or imagine former Wimbledon tennis champion John McEnroe coming back and winning that tournament. Doesn’t seem possible? Couldn’t happen in a million years? But that is precisely what happened when an old George Foreman came back against the odds and regained the world heavyweight championship, the greatest prize in sports, when he regained the heavyweight championship in 1995 some 20 years after having lost it. On longevity alone George Foreman deserves to be considered among the all time great heavyweights, but he is often over-looked because he was over-shadowed by and lost to Muhammad Ali. However, this is no disgrace as Ali is often regarded as the greatest heavyweight champion ever by modern observers.

George Foreman at his awesome best was the most powerful heavyweight champion ever. At 6’3 ½” and 220-225 pounds, with an 82” reach he was the best of the “super-heavyweights.” Consider that George Foreman, in his prime had the highest knockout percentage in boxing history. After his destruction of Norton, he was 40-0 with 37 knockouts, for a knockout percentage of 92.50. In his career Foreman had 15 first round knockouts and 18 second round knockouts. That’s 33 knockouts inside of the first 2 rounds! He had 46 knockouts that were 3 rounds or less, which is more than any other heavyweight champion. George Foreman’s incredible two round destruction over Joe Frazier was the most one-sided beating ever delivered upon an undefeated heavyweight champion.

Foreman was a man of great physical strength and can be favorably compared to the legendary strongmen of the past. It was said that John L. Sullivan once single handedly lifted a derailed trolley car back onto the tracks. Jim Jeffries once ran 9 miles to camp carrying a deer on his shoulders ahead of his entourage. Likewise George Foreman once trained using a harness so he could pull a car uphill as he did his roadwork. Strength, size and power are the adjectives used to describe a true super heavyweight. George Foreman was as big and as bad as they come.

After destroying # 1 contender Ken Norton one boxing magazine wrote, “The pre-fight strategy, the planning, the training, the waiting…they were all ended in less than two rounds by the punishing fists of possibly the most powerful heavyweight champion ever.” Indeed such was the devastation that Foreman’s sledgehammer fists had laid on opponents that all time greats such as Jack Dempsey and Joe Louis both commented that Foreman was the strongest heavyweight hitter that they had ever seen.

At his peak Foreman had a true aura of invincibility. When he glared down opponents with his baleful stare it was not an act of false bravado as it was with some fighters, it was out of a belief that no man could stand up to his crushing power. George Foreman, in his prime, truly believed that he was unbeatable.

Just watching George train with a heavy bag was a terrifying experience. The rafters shook, the floor rumbled. His trainer Dick Sadler commented, “It’s hard to imagine anyone surviving those punches, much less staying on his feet.”

Tex Maule, a writer for Sports Illustrated, compared George’s punches to a baseball pitcher’s deliveries. “He does not throw wild swinging hooks. That is you’d say he throws sliders not curves. The punches reach their destination faster than a wider punch would and land more heavily.” George was a very heavy hitter, and he threw more correct punches than he is given credit for and he put the full weight of his super-heavyweight sized body into his punches. In his title winning performance against Joe Frazier Foreman used a hard left jab, shoved Joe’s shoulders back to create punching room against the swarming fighter and scored knockdowns with short right hands, uppercuts, hooks, and a long overhand right. Foreman was nothing short of devastating as he bounced Frazier like a basketball off the canvas six times.

As a fighter George brought to the ring not only his outstanding raw power and confidence but also a frightening arsenal of deadly punches. His uppercuts could lift a man off their feet, his hooks were paralyzing, his strong left jab was true, his right hand, although not often thrown straight was a decapitating blow thrown short or long. He used his massive arms to block punches and could parry punches with his rear hand. He would sometimes slap opponent’s guards down with his hands and then slam home massive power shots to the head and body. He also became very good at cutting down the ring on his opponents.

In Zaire Muhammad Ali defeated George and shattered his aura of invincibility. The mistake that many make when considering this fight is the misguided belief that Ali “out-boxed” George. Muhammad Ali did not defeat George Foreman by keeping the fight at ring center; he did not beat Foreman by keeping him off of him at all. George cut the ring down on Ali and forced him to fight off the ropes. In his autobiography The Greatest My Own Story Ali said, “All during training I had planned to stay off the ropes…but now I’ve got to change my plans. Sadler and Moore have drilled George too well. He does his job like a robot but he does it well…I’m famous for being hard to hit in the first rounds, but no fighter can last fifteen if he has to take six steps to his opponents three.”

The only reason Ali won that fight in Zaire was because Muhammad had a cast iron chin and could absorb tremendous punishment to the body. Only Ali’s incredible ability to take a beating and his enormous will allowed him to survive George’s punches that night. If Ali takes a punch a little less than what he did he would have been finished by his own admission. Ali said in his autobiography that Foreman had him out on his feet but didn’t know it.

How many people could take a body shot the way Ali could? He survived Zaire and Manila as well. Foreman landed some hellacious body shots on Ali. They were exceedingly violent. In Muhammad Ali His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser Foreman is quoted as saying, “I hit Muhammad with the hardest shot to the body that I ever delivered on any opponent. Anybody else in the world would have crumbled. Muhammad cringed; I could see it hurt. And then he looked at me; he had that look in his eyes, like he was saying I’m not going to let you hurt me.” Archie Moore also recalled, “George threw some rather lethal punches in the direction of Ali’s cranium.” Ali did not beat George with clever boxing that night in Africa. He beat him with physical and mental toughness.

Not too many fighters who ever lived, and possibly only Muhammad Ali, could defeat the George Foreman of that fight. Ali could box, move, was fast on his feet, had exceptional head movement and anticipation but George cut the ring on him very well in Zaire. Ali did not outbox Foreman. He outsmarted him yes, but mostly he toughed it out where most heavyweights would have wilted. Few men besides Ali could take the shots that he did. Few who slugged it out with a prime Foreman would have hopes to survive. After losing to Ali, George, who had thought himself unbeatable, began to doubt himself and changed his style.

George was devastated by his loss to Ali, after taking time off he changed trainers hiring Gil Clancy and began to fight at a more measured pace. Although George had some success even at an old age fighting in a more controlled manner, the comeback version was never as good as the original seek and destroy version.

In his first comeback fight George Foreman took the most dangerous opponent he could find. After 15 months of ring inactivity he took on Ron Lyle who just 10 months previous had knocked out highly regarded heavyweight hitter Earnie Shavers. Lyle had come off the deck to defeat Shavers in a match between two of the divisions all time biggest hitters. Lyle was himself a super-heavyweight who stood 6’3 ½” had an 80 inch reach and weighed 220 pounds of solid muscle. He could jab, hook off the jab and had a very powerful right hand. Foreman was now trying to pace himself and began to fight at a more relaxed pace. The result was that George was not quite as aggressive as he had been in his earlier fights. The first two rounds were tentative as George attempted to hold back and there was frequent jabbing by both men. Foreman proved his heart and chin in this fight when it exploded into a wild brawl reminiscent of Jack Dempsey and Luis Firpo some 50 years previous with both men hitting the deck. Foreman demonstrated that he could win a war of attrition and come out on top by knocking Lyle out in a see saw battle that ended in a knockout victory for Foreman in the fifth round. Even a rusty and hesitant Foreman was nearly impossible to beat in a brawl.

Those who believe that any “clever boxer” type could beat George often give the Jimmy Young fight as an example. Foreman showed up for this fight in San Juan the day before the fight and didn’t give himself time to get acclimated to the heat. He paced himself, fighting in his newfound measured style and did not throw a significant punch for the first 5 rounds. This was all wrong for him. The Foreman of Zaire would have tracked down Young, forced him to the ropes, went to the body with power and belted him out inside of a few short rounds. The 1973-74 Foreman, the one who cut the ring and really went after his man was the best Foreman. The George who lost to Young never really went after him. The Foreman who fought at a measured pace just was not the real Foreman.

After losing the decision to Jimmy Young the former heavyweight champion became an ordained minister. Ten years later George needed money to support his youth center so he launched a comeback that was scoffed at by critics. George proved the nay Sayers wrong as he worked his way into title contention. His knockout of Gerry Cooney was an awesome display of both tremendous punching power and deadly accuracy. At age 42 he gave an undefeated Evander Holyfield an outstanding fight, stunning him and driving him to the ropes in the third round. Fighting at a slower pace and lacking the meanness and killer instinct of the young George, Foreman failed to go after him and ended up losing a decision. George proved the quality of his chin in this fight taking 25 unanswered punches in round nine from the champion without falter. One could not help but think that the Zaire Foreman would have beaten Holyfield.

George shocked the boxing world in 1995 when, at the age of 45, he regained the heavyweight championship by defeating an unbeaten 25 year old champion with a sensational ten round come from behind knockout of Michael Moorer. The victory must be considered one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sports. Twenty years after having lost to Muhammad Ali, Foreman vindicated himself by regaining the linear heavyweight championship. The fight remains as a testimony to the extraordinary power that surged through the veins of George Foreman.

Foreman was a physical freak of nature in terms of sheer power and just because one could box cleverly doesn’t means that they would survive. In order to beat the prime George one is going to have to take some very, very hard punches along the way. George had the size, reach, power, chin and killer instinct to be a threat to any heavyweight who ever lived. The post Ali versions of Foreman who fought at a controlled pace would have all lost to Larry Holmes, but the Zaire version would have beaten him. Larry would not have been able to “rope-a-dope” Foreman the way Ali did. Although Holmes had an outstanding chin he did not absorb punishment at quite the same level as Ali. He did not have the ability to lean away from punches the way Ali did, nor would there be those loose ropes to aid him in pulling back and away from George’s punches. Foreman at his peak beats Larry Holmes. Cus D’Amato once said “no swarming heavyweight who ever lived would defeat George Foreman.” George beats any of the great swarmers including Dempsey, Marciano, and Tyson (see Frazier fights). It would take a supreme world-class chin and the ability to absorb bone crunching body shots as well as clever defense to survive George Foreman at his best. Lennox Lewis, who was twice knocked out in early rounds by lesser fighters, would fall in two rounds to Big George. Few fighters of history could make the requirement against the most powerful of the big men. George Foreman at his awesome best is the king of the super-heavyweights.

A lot has been written about how the greats of today would fare against the greats of the past.  Although the sport has gone through many small changes over the years… it remains essentially the same.  Boxing is an individualistic sport. Fighters are products of their environment as much as anything else. They are also a product of their time period. If you transport a fighter from out of the past and place him in the present, the conditions that made him the fighter he was are immediately erased.

Jim Braddock is a good example of a man who was greatly influenced by the circumstances of the Great Depression. Negative circumstances drove him to heights he may have otherwise never attained.

Rocky Marciano is another example. His parents were Italian immigrants. As a young man he learned firsthand the value of discipline and hard work. Immigrants of the early 1900’s (Italian or otherwise) were hardworking people who had no illusions of striking it rich overnight in America. They had a different type of discipline that’s not commonly seen in our country today. The original Great Depression left an indelible mark upon those who lived through and were affected by it. Rocky and others fighters who lived, fought or grew up in that era became products of that era.

Had Rocky Marciano been born in the 1960’s and fought during the 1980’s era, it’s quite possible that he would have developed much differently than he did during the 1950’s.

Of course, this is all conjecture.

When it comes down to comparing the greats of today against the greats of the past, you would have to remove them from their respective eras and place them in an imaginary ring. From there, each would carry their real world experience into the fantasy world, where (all things being equal) the best man would win.

If we compare the football players of today against the football players of the past, the first immediate distinction that becomes evident between the two would be the size disparity. Today’s players are much larger, faster and overall – more athletic than players of the past. The same holds true for other sports.

In boxing, however, heavyweights aside… the weights remain virtually the same today as they did a hundred years ago. A welterweight, whether we’re talking about Oscar DeLaHoya, Ray Leonard, Ray Robinson or Barney Ross… still weigh about 147lbs.

Unlike most other sports, the tools or gear associated with boxing haven’t changed much over the years, either. The gloves and hand wraps used today aren’t that much different than the gloves and wraps used in the past. When I use the phrase “that much different” – I’m referring glaring differences evident with the equipment used in other sports. Golf clubs, baseballs, bats, tennis rackets, football equipment, etc., have all changed drastically over the years – keep pace with technology.

FIGHTERS – THEN AND NOW

While considering fighters from the early 1900’s such as James Jeffries, Jack Johnson and Bob Fitzsimmons, it’s difficult to gauge their “talent” based upon the old, grainy films. Due to inconsistencies with film speeds and other factors, the fluidity of movement is choppy and cartoonish. The ability to gauge punching technique is lost. Slow motion replays are the closest one can get to assessing the style and technique of an individual fighter. And that would be as accurate as assessing a fighter from today based upon 30-seconds or less of recorded action from a single round.

Even so, there are many eyewitness accounts from fans, trainers, fighters and reporters over the years who saw the fighters in action. These accounts can be used to further assess a fighter’s ability and how they might fare against fighters from other eras. One such person was Nat Fleischer, the founder of Ring Magazine. According to Fleischer, Bob Fitzsimmons was probably the greatest pound-for-pound knockout puncher in the history of the sport. Fitzsimmons held the Heavyweight title while barely weighing over the middleweight limit of 160lbs. While Fitzsimmons was undoubtedly a great puncher and terrific infighter, it should also be noted that he had problems with boxers or “movers.”

He was clearly being outpointed in a one-sided contest against Jim Corbett before scoring he infamous – solar plexus knockout… and was defeated by Philadelphia Jack O’Brien’s similar style at Light Heavyweight. According to eyewitness accounts of the fight, O’Brien completely neutralized Fitzsimmon’s offense by alternating between moving and clinching until Fitzsimmon’s had punched himself out in an attempt to get to O”Brien.

If you match Fitzsimmon’s early 1900’s style with many of today’s “hit and run” styled boxers, it’s not very difficult to imagine him being outpointed over the 10-round distance. On the other hand, it’s difficult and takes a lot of stamina to keep on the move for 10, 12 or even 15 rounds. Modern fighters like Roy Jones Jr. combined speed, power and awkwardness very effectively during his prime years. Fighters from the early 1900’s did not have to deal with very many opponents who used hand and foot speed to pot shot their opponents from the outside.

The earlier fighters would almost certainly have an advantage, however, once the fight moved to the ropes or while fighting on the inside.

A good example of how these styles would mesh would be Roy Jones’ fight against James Toney. Toney was often considered to be a “throwback,” style-wise, to the fighters of old. In the Jones/Toney matchup, Roy’s “speed kills” style of hitting, moving and giving odd angles had Toney a full step behind all night long.

Another element to take into consideration is a fighter’s overall experience. In some cases, fighters from the early 20^th century differ greatly in this area. Jim Corbett and Jim Jeffries had very short careers as compared to Jack Johnson. It would be easier to make a case for the abilities of Jack Johnson, Joe Gans or Abe Attell (based upon a body of actual historical evidence) than it  would for either Corbett or Jeffries.

Jim Corbett – 25 bouts

Jim Jeffries – 21 bouts

Jack Johnson – 104 bouts

Joe Gans  - 188 bouts

Abe Attell – 172 bouts

Had Corbett or Jeffries fought in the 2000’s, they probably would have been accused of being moved too quickly or having fought for a title before they had time to be properly developed as fighters..

Some believe the fighters from the early 1900’s did not throw combination punches as modern fighters do…  but rather – threw one punch at a time. While reading through early newspaper accounts, it’s true – you will not see the wording “combination punches, punching or combinations” anywhere in print. That doesn’t mean, however, that fighters from the early 1900’s only threw one punch at a time. The writers of the period used words and phrases such as – “fast, swift, quick, rights and lefts” when referring to punches delivered in bunches (or in combinations).

Some have asked if how the fighters of old would deal with the “athleticism” of the fighters of modern times. Perhaps a better question would be, how would the fighters of modern times adapt to the tricks and infighting skills of the fighters of old? What would happen when speed or movement wasn’t enough?

Fighters such as Jack Johnson, Joe Gans and Abe Attell weren’t the type of fighters against whom you could carelessly flick a jab and move around the ring with your hands down by the side as many of today’s fighters do. It was from this generation of fighters that the old boxing axiom was born – “Kill the body and the head will die.”

Muhammad Ali and Roy Jones are examples of two modern fighters who were able to break a lot of the basic rules of fighting due to their above average speed and agility. Once they lost their speed, however, much of their magic went with it. Ali was able to prolong his career due to his ability to take a punch and soak up damage. Jones wasn’t so lucky. He suffered several crushing defeats once his physical speed and agility began to wane.

Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali and Ray Leonard are great examples of fighters who possessed above average hand speed as well as accurate combination punching ability. All three men were excellent counterpunchers as well. Even so, each man faced opponents who styles forced them to stand their ground and slug it out. In such cases, it takes a lot more than just speed and athleticism to emerge victorious. It takes, heart, guts and the ability to come back from adversity.

Taking a closer look at the sport of boxing over the decades, it becomes obvious that certain fighters would excel – regardless of the decade in which they fought. A fighter like Marvin Hagler or Bernard Hopkins wouldn’t have held the record for number of title defenses at Middleweight had they fought in the 1930’s or 1940’s. If we look at the last 100 years of boxing on a chart, there are definite points in which the competition and depth of talent in certain divisions is noticeably lacking. During those times, many fighters fought opponents who outweighed them greatly – just to keep active and earn enough money to keep moving forward. In recent years, we again see fighters moving up in weight in search of opponents who will draw bigger paydays.

In a time when the sport seems lacking in terms of “super fights,” it’s not uncommon to see a fighter suddenly touted as “the next superstar” based upon one or two fights. It’s also not uncommon to see the same fighter suddenly exposed and brutally kayoed by someone we’ve never heard of before.  In a time when being undefeated counts for more than ever before in the eyes of the promoters, most fighters not only fight infrequently, they also avoid taking serious risks until the “money is right.” As a result, a fighter’s development takes longer. Many will never reach their full potential – having peaked experience-wise after their physical primes have passed.

Floyd Mayweather is a good example of a 21^st century fighter. He’s currently 33 years of age and has fought 41 times. By contrast Ray Robinson had over 130 fights by the time he’d reached the same age. And he’d already fought and defeated many all-time greats between Welterweight and Middleweight during that time.

This isn’t a knock on Floyd Mayweather. He’s a product of our time.

There was a time in American history where two sports reigned supreme in the public’s consciousness – baseball and boxing. For many, boxing was the way out of the Irish, Italian, Jewish and Black Ghettos  and impoverished circumstances.

Today the options are many and varied. Boxing, as it stands today, is a direct reflection of this.

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Canastota, New York is home to the International Boxing Hall of Fame. It is also home to the former Welterweight and Middleweight champion of the world – Carmen Basilio. Carmen Basilio was a fighter, through and through. There wasn’t anything fancy about Basilio. Back in the 80’s, I used to find myself wondering how much money he could have made had he fought during the Leonard, Hearns, Duran, Hagler era? I would have loved to have seen Carmen Basilio’s all-out style against those fighters as well as some of the others from that time period.

In reality, though,  Basilio stepped through the ropes for his first shot at the Welterweight title way back in 1953. It was then, almost 60-years ago, that he faced the defending Welterweight champion of the world – Kid Gavilan. Gavilan was a great fighter and is considered by many boxing historians to be one of the best Welterweight fighters of all-time. Most rank him within the top ten – if not the top five of the all-time Welterweight rankings. Kid Gavilan didn’t have any discernable weaknesses to speak of as a fighter. He did everything well. He had an excellent defense, good power, and a world-class chin.

If you had to find something wrong with him, some might say he’d get “lazy” at times.

Basilio sent Gavilan crashing to the floor with a big left hook in the 2^nd round. Gavilan just beat the count at 9 (in well over 100+ fights, Gavilan would never be stopped). Basilio then went to war “The Kid,” bringing the fight to Gavilan the rest of the way. Gavilan wound up keeping the title by a controversial split decision. Carmen, a warrior to the end said, “He keeps the title but I get the publicity.”

For Basilio, though, the road ahead wound up being a little longer than expected.

Kid Gavilan went on to lose a horrific decision to Johnny Saxton. Johnny Saxton had no interest at all in giving Gavilan a chance to avenge the loss, and a return fight never happened. Instead, Saxton wound up getting stopped in the 14^th round in his first defense against Tony DeMarco. It would take almost 2 years before Basilio would get a second shot at the Welterweight title. Two years and almost a dozen fights later – to be more precise!

When Basilio and DeMarco finally did meet in June of 1955, they waged war until DeMarco succumbed to Basilio’s bombardment in the 12^th. Finally, Carmen Basilio was the new Welterweight champion of the world.

Basilio granted DeMarco a rematch, five months later. In 1955’s “Fight of the Year,” Basilio and DeMarco exchanged thunderous punches at a torrid pace until finally… once again… DeMarco was finished off in the 12^th.

Basilio supporters weren’t very happy when they discovered their man has agreed to face Johnny  Saxton next. After all, Saxton had won a lousy decision against Kid Gavilan and had then refused to give him a rematch afterward.  Johnny Saxton was one those fighters who had no qualms about “fighting ugly.” He’d grab, hold and clutch his way to a decision if the referee allowed him to get away with it. Basilio agreed to fight him, however, because it was Saxton’s decision to pass on his right to a rematch with DeMarco that wound up paving the way for Basilio to get his shot at the title.

THE FIGHT (Part 1)

Carmen got off to a blazing fast start, catching Saxton with bone-cracking left hook in the 2^nd. Saxton appeared to be virtually out on his feet but Basilio got overanxious and let him off the hook. After the fight was stopped in the 3^rd to repair Saxton’s torn glove, Saxton pushed his punch and grab strategy into high gear. Basilio tried to make a fight of it, but his offense was neutralized by Saxton’s repeated grabbing and holding. In short, the fight was a stinker, but Saxton had done enough to steal the fight in the judge’s eyes.

At ringside, the majority of the writers in the press row felt Basilio had clearly deserved the decision. The decision was greeted by a chorus of boos from angry fans.

In this dressing room, Basilio was quoted as saying, “I should have listened.  I was warned. I’ve never been given a deal like I got from that referee.”

It wasn’t so much that Basilio couldn’t move his arms at all when Saxton tied him up in a clinch. Basilio was often able to get one hand free and hit Saxton’s head while being tied up. The problem was, the referee wouldn’t let him use his free hand and insisted he stop punching until the break.

Basilio wasn’t assured a return unless it took place, once again, in Chicago. Saxton had alleged connections with the underworld there… and Basilio declined to fight there a second time.

The New York State Athletic Commission had previously declined to give Saxton a license to fight in the State of New York. For Carmen’s sake, however, they relented on the condition that Saxton would agree to fight in Syracuse.

THE FIGHT (Part 2)

When the return bout was announced, the publicity was instant within the boxing world. Tickets sold quickly. Carmen was still in disbelief over what had taken place six months earlier during their first encounter. The New York fans were solidly behind Basilio. Actually, the loss made him more popular than ever with boxing fans in general. They wanted to see Carmen regain the title that, in their opinion, was stolen from him by a corrupt referee and ringside judges from Chicago.

Referee Al Berl, whose reputation was spotless, brought the two fighters together for the last minute instructions… and the rematch was on! Basilio went to Saxton’s body immediately in the first round, with quick combinations. He continued in the second, but Saxton got on his bicycle and kept moving. In the third and fourth rounds, Basilio landed hard hooks to the head and body. The head shots seemed to trouble Saxton, and he began holding again. Basilio fought like a wild man to break free from the clinches. Memories from their first fight and the decision that followed were as fresh as ever within his mind.

In the fifth, Saxton stopped holding and let loose with his best punches of the fight. It was the first time in fight Saxton stood his ground to fight back. The six and seventh rounds were filled with action as both men traded punches freely. At the end of the seventh, however, it was Basilio’s punches that spilt Saxton’s bottom lip wide opened.

Saxton continued to stand his ground in paid for it in the 8^th. Blood poured freely from his chewed-up lip in the 9^th and Basilio poured it on like a man needing a knockout to win. A right hand from Basilio sent Saxton into the ropes and Basilio followed him there, exploding punch after punch off Saxton like he was a piece of meat swinging from a hook.

Saxton hung on, trying to bob and weave his way out of the storm, but it wasn’t to be. Basilio, fueled by the rage that had boiled in him since the Chicago fight – would not be denied.

As Johnny Saxton went limp, arms at his side and no longer able to defend himself, Referee Al Berl stepped in and stopped the fight. The stoppage came midway through the 9^th round. The fans exploded into celebration. Their man had righted the wrong and had regained the Welterweight championship of the world. Carmen Basilio, a humble man, had nothing but kind words for the opponent who stood and fought him this time – resulting in an all-out, action fight that was named the 1956 – “Fight of the Year.”

Basilio was once again a world champion.

He would go on to fight Johnny Saxton a third time, five months later, in Cleveland Ohio. It would be his final defense of the Welterweight title. This time, he stopped Saxton quickly in the 2^nd round. Carmen then jumped up in weight to face the great Sugar Ray Robinson. In 1957’s Fight of the Year, Basilio’s rugged, non-stop aggression earned him a split-decision victory over Robinson – and the Middleweight championship of the world.

Six months later, in 1958, Basilio granted Robinson a rematch in (of all places) Chicago. Once again, the fight was awarded Ring Magazine’s Fight of the Year award. Ray Robinson regained the title with a split decision.

Next, Carmen Basilio would go on to face Gene Fullmer for the NBA version of the Middleweight title. The Middleweight title had become fragmented – with Sugar Ray Robinson holding one version of the belt, while the NBA opted to see the title as being vacant.

Once again, the fireworks exploded as Fullmer and Basilio collided in 1959’s Fight of the Year! Fullmer was just a little too large, strong and fresh for Basilio, though. He stopped Carmen in the 14^th round. Ten months later, they would fight a rematch in Fullmer’s hometown – Salt Lake City, Utah. This time,
Gene Fullmer stopped Basilio in the 12^th. After the stoppage, Basilio immediately yelled at the referee, “What do you mean?! What are you talking about?! Then cocking his fist, he said to the referee, “I’ll give you one!”

Two police officers entered the ring and led Basilio to his corner as he still protested the stoppage.

Carmen Basilio went on to fight three more times. Two victories led up to a final shot at the undisputed Middleweight championship of the world against defending champion – Paul Pender.

Basilio lost the fight by 15-round unanimous decision and retired afterward.

In all, Carmen Basilio had been involved in “The Fight of the Year” for five consecutive years – from 1955 through 1959 – winning three and losing two.  In retrospect, the career of Carmen Basilio represents everything that boxing fans love about the sport. His career had it all – blood, guts, honor and glory. Here’s to one of Boxing’s greatest warriors – Carmen Basilio.

The name Terry McGovern might not mean much to boxing fans today, but in his youthful prime he was one of the most awesome hitters in boxing history. His punching power put fear into the hearts of fighters from bantamweight to lightweight. McGovern was like a little Mike Tyson destroying opponent after opponent during his short, but devastating reign of terror.

Stylistically there are many similarities between Terry McGovern and Mike Tyson. Both were stocky built, swarming style hitters who came in low and wrecked their opponents with sharp and powerful counter punches. Like Tyson, McGovern had a seek and destroy mentality from the opening round.

Prior to the coming of Terry McGovern fans did not like to watch fights that ended almost as soon as they began. The boxing crowd and the gamblers who ran the sport liked to see drawn out boxing exhibitions that featured sparring for openings, masterful defense, and a relatively slow pace until an opponent made a mistake. The longer a fight went the more money that could be placed on bets by the gamblers and the fighter’s financial backers. It was common to see the elite fighters carry an opponent to cash in on the stakes. McGovern cared nothing for that. He came out of his corner like hungry lion who was ready to feed and attempted to devour his opponents in the shortest amount of time. When McGovern exploded on the scene he electrified the crowds with his fast attacks and devastating, shocking early round knockouts. No one had seen anything quite like him before. McGovern scored 23 of his 44 career knockouts in 3 rounds or less.

The National Police Gazette characterized him thusly; “Terry’s style of fighting was a never ending source of delight to the thousands who saw him for the first time in a ring engagement. He was as fast as a streak of lightning, and the large crowd was amazed at his great footwork…Terry has wonderful control of himself in a mix-up and never gets rattled. He would go in like a steam engine and slip away like a snake. This was one of the most notable features of his work in the contest. He was always fighting but never let his opponent hit him to any extent.”

McGovern was a hand held high, ducking, slipping, and short armed puncher much like heavyweight Tyson. “Iron” Mike was known for his defense, slipping and countering to get inside. McGovern fought much in the same manner, the Gazette reported, “McGovern’s defense was perfect and his delivery fast and furious.”

After his fight with Billy Rotchford the Gazette described McGovern with the following, “He hooks fast and punches straight and has a remarkably swift punch, moving over the shortest possible space, and both hands are capable of working evenly, smooth and fast as two pistons. The position in which he had his mitts drew up his shoulder and protected his chin and neck. The elbows were ready to drop to stave off rib blows, and the hand, either right or left, prepared to slip inside any swing or wide hook an opponent might deal up.”

When Tyson was “on” he was a strong body puncher as in the Jesse Ferguson fight, but Tyson was never the pound for pound puncher to the body that McGovern was. Historian Barry Deskins wrote, “Short blows to the body followed by a viscous straight right is McGovern’s strongest asset, particularly his work to the body.” Old time fight announcer Joe Humphrey’s said, Sept 1936 Ring Magazine, “McGovern was a lightning fast feinter and a terrible hitter. He was a great body puncher, an art that seems to be lost to the present generation.”

Harry Lenny, an old time fighter and trainer who served as a sparring partner for lightweight champion Joe Gans and worked Joe Louis corner agrees with this assessment saying, “McGovern was a very powerful man, who hurt you with every punch. He was a great body puncher.”

Ducking and going to the body with quick two handed combinations McGovern would then come up with a powerful right to the head. The Gazette writer depicted McGovern in his fight with Casper Leon as having “a beautiful right hand cross-counter punch” that lands with “such marvelous force that something has to drop, and that something usually lays stretched out until the referee counts the fateful ten.”

When Terry McGovern challenged champion Pedlar Palmer for the bantamweight championship the boxing public expected a great boxer versus puncher match up. Instead they saw an annihilation. Like Tyson’s 1988 knockout of the previously undefeated Mike Spinks, McGovern’s 1899 knockout of previously unbeaten Palmer ended in the first round. McGovern stunned the crowd with a terrifying right hand to the chin that won the championship in record time. McGovern was just 19 years old.

George Dixon, one of the greatest fighters of all time, reigned as Featherweight champion for nearly 10 years and made 23 successful title defenses. His boxing skills were so highly regarded he was considered to be “a fighter without a flaw” during his prime years. Although Dixon was past his peak and wearing down from a long career he had never been knocked off his feet in a regulation match. McGovern gave him no respect attacking him with the same ferocity as he did all of his other opponent’s. McGovern laid a beating on Dixon taking away his title and sending him to the canvas twice in the 8th and final round. McGovern was now the world featherweight boxing champion and he was not done yet.

“Unconquered and unconquerable Terry McGovern, the Brooklyn whirlwind fighter, stands today without a peer in the pugilistic world” wrote the Gazette after McGovern defeated lightweight champion Frank Erne in a non-title match. McGovern vanquished Erne in three rounds. In the space of 10 months he had defeated the bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight world champions all by knockout. At one point he had knocked out 10 men in a total of 17 rounds and the victims included highly ranked contenders Pat Haley and Harry Forbes.

Like Tyson after him McGovern was considered an invincible puncher who could not be beat. Terrible Terry’s reign of terror over the lower weight classes ended when he was upset and beaten by Young Corbett. The Gazette wrote, “McGovern for the first time in his career, met an opponent who was not afraid of him, and a clear headed, strong, quick and shifty boxer who had a tremendous punch.” Corbett had won the battle of psychological warfare by incensing McGovern and causing him to lose his cool. Before the fight he went by McGovern’s dressing room and yelled, “Come on out you Irish Rat, and take the licking of your life.”

McGovern charged at Corbett during the opening bell but didn’t cover up and left himself wide open. Corbett landed a strong right hand counter that put McGovern on his pants. McGovern came back and decked Corbett the same round but he was making mistakes. In the second round Corbett again caught McGovern coming in wildly and knocked him down for the second time and soon finished him. Corbett also beat McGovern a rematch stopping him in 11 rounds to prove it was no fluke.

Neither McGovern nor Tyson were quite the same once their aura of invincibility was removed.
McGovern after being bested began to suffer from mental problems. He spent much of his later life institutionalized.
Francis Albertanti, writer for The Ring Magazine and witness to hundreds of live fights, wrote in 1928, “We may never live to see a duplicate of the famous ‘Terrible Terry’. Fighters like McGovern come once in a lifetime.”

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