DOWNLOAD PDF THE GREATEST FIGHT OF ALL.

Transcription

1 Chapter 1 : Joe Louis - Wikipedia The UFC held its first event on November 12, The fight card, a one-night tournament, drew 7, fans to the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colo. Royce Gracie, who submitted Gerard Gordeau. Brave Frazier hammered to defeat in 14 great rounds On This Day: The fans at the Philippine Coliseum saw one of the all-time great heavyweight battles. It rivalled the first two Ali v Frazier meetings for drama and raw excitement. Frazier had not been down but was wobbling on unsteady legs in the 14th. The halt was called by trainer Eddie Futch at the end of the round. But Ali, as he has done before, called on all his resources of courage and pride to pull himself together and save the fight. Ali did not win this one by faking or clutching. He won it by digging in his heels and trading smashing blows with a fighter who came to destroy him. The verdicts were debated in each of the first two torrid battles between the rivals who would be greats in any era. This time there was no room for argument. Frazier, 31, did what he had promised. He came out smoking and he gave everything he had to give. Our scorecard showed Ali four rounds in front at the finish. Frazier had thrown everything in the first 10 rounds, when we had them level. From then on it was just pride and magnificent fighting courage that carried him forward into punishment. Ali chided reporters with: Every round was exciting and each of the combatants got through with bone-jarring punches. But it was Ali who was usually picking his shots better, driving straight blows to the face and head, and switching with head-jerking uppercuts. Frazier remorselessly bored in, seeking to batter Ali down with the sheer fury of his attack. Both have undeniably deteriorated, but Frazier had patently gone back further than Ali. The two bitter fights with Ali and the six knockdowns against George Foreman have left their mark, but Frazier was still a formidable and defiant contender who forced Ali to fight to the very limit of his endurance. By the finish Frazier was bumpy around both eyes and had an ugly shelf of flesh above his left eye. Blood came from his mouth. Ali was cut inside the mouth and had bruising around the right eye. But the rivals bore the pain and punishment as the fight raged unrelentingly. Frazier tottered under fire in the 14th and trainer Eddie Futch almost certainly saved him from being knocked out by retiring Joe at the end of the round. A Filipino doctor was poised to check Joe over, but trainer Futch knew that enough was enough. His mind was made up that Frazier was finished for the night. At the end of 14 rounds referee Carlos Padilla and the two judges and all Filipino officials had Ali in front by margins of, and respectively on the five-point scoring system. But their services were not required. The Philippine controlling body appointed local officials to ensure, they said, complete impartiality. The fight got off to a fast start and the action continued unabated. Frazier kept steaming forward as if he was on overdrive, digging hooks to the body when Ali covered up on the ropes. There were many exciting rallies, often with Ali backed against the ropes or in corners. The fight was so exciting that the rounds seemed to speed by. Ali won the first two rounds on our card with accurate countering, but Frazier just would not leave him alone or give him time to coast. In the third, Ali backed against the ropes and beckoned Frazier to come to him. A left hook, a bit high up, seemed to jolt Ali in this round and the fans were shrieking with excitement. We scored the round clearly for Frazier. But Ali rallied back at him in the fourth, picking his spots for hooks and smashes to the head while Joe dug mainly to the body. Frazier banged his gloves together as he surged out for the fifth, but Ali met him with a three-punch right, left hook, right combination. Still Frazier came on, staying with Ali and hacking at his body with hooks, and another of those Frazier hooks to the jaw did Ali no good at all. Frazier was really smoking in the sixth. He twice tagged Ali with really good hooks and his persistent attack and body punching seemed to have Ali under severe pressure. Yet again Ali hit back to regain the initiative, snapping out jabs in the seventh and timing his uppercuts as Frazier charged. The pace was killing from the eighth to the end of the 10th. Frazier was still full of fire and determination. Frazier was swaying ominously, although still trying to throw retaliatory punches and when the bell came to his rescue, compassionate trainer Futch signified honourable surrender. Ali slumped on a stool afterwards as his corner fanned him with a towel. Asked what he thought of Frazier now, he said: Graham Houston previewed the action: Ali came back to win the Return Fight of the Century in January last year. Page 1

2 Chapter 2 : Best Fights of All-Time They dubbed it the, "Thrilla in Manila," and it would live on to become the greatest fight of all time. After it was over Ali, the winner, said it was as close to death as he'd ever been. He said he couldn't go on any longer, but that Frazier had just given up before him. Ring Magazine Fight of the Year Barry McGuigan was ahead before he was knocked down twice in the very last round. The first of 20 bouts between the two legendary fighters. Duane Ford Judge: Dave Moretti This man hit like a mule. But I won by a slight edge. Baer was a to-1 favorite to win this bout. Chaos followed the fight as the Tapia camp was livid at the decision. I licked him good. I want to fight him again as soon as I can. He never hurt me but he stuck his thumb in my eye with one of those bolos. Patterson was knocked down twice in the 1st. Johansson also down once in the same round. John Keane Judge: Anek Hongtongkam It took over a minute for Rodriguez to get off the canvas and regain his senses. Tyson started as a favorite with bookmakers, but the odds were by the time the fight went down. The Real Deal had lost two of his previous four outings â but this was to be perhaps his greatest hour as he tore down the myth of Mike Tyson. A fight five years in the making proved well worth the wait. Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Manuel Lopez II. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. You saw two smart, scientific fightersâ two champions in the ring at the same time. They brought the best out of each other. John Stewart Judge: Guy Jutras He just could never relentlessly attack another opponent after what had happened to Kid Akeem. He never admitted it, but I knew that he had lost his killer instinct in the ring. Hamed down in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th. Kelley down once in the 2nd and twice in the 4th. This was a smack-down brawl. He gave me the worst round of my life when he put me on the floor in the 3rd round. Jorge Fernando Castro vs. Nino Benvenuti Quartey vs. De La Hoya Bobo Olson vs. Kid Gavilan Michael Moorer vs. Bert Cooper Holyfield vs. Kennedy Mckinney Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson Representation in Top by Decade s: Page 2

3 Chapter 3 : The top 20 fights in UFC history FOX Sports This has to be one of the greatest fights we've ever had on Subscribe NOW to The Jerry Springer Show: racedaydvl.com Don't miss another episode of #. From Slavery to Freedom. He was dyslexic, which led to difficulties in reading and writing, at school and for much of his life. That really affected him. Ali won gold against Zbigniew Pietrzykowski and bronze medalist. Ali was first directed toward boxing by Louisville police officer and boxing coach Joe E. He told the officer he was going to "whup" the thief. The officer told Clay he had better learn how to box first. He won by split decision. Ali said in his autobiography that shortly after his return from the Rome Olympics, he threw his gold medal into the Ohio River after he and a friend were refused service at a "whites-only" restaurant and fought with a white gang. From then until the end of, Clay amassed a record of 19â 0 with 15 wins by knockout. Clay also beat his former trainer and veteran boxer Archie Moore in a match. Clay was knocked down by both Sonny Banks and Cooper. Jones staggered Clay in the first round, and the unanimous decision for Clay was greeted by boos and a rain of debris thrown into the ring. Watching on closed-circuit TV, heavyweight champ Sonny Liston quipped that if he fought Clay he might get locked up for murder. The fight was later named "Fight of the Year" by The Ring magazine. He called Jones "an ugly little man" and Cooper a "bum. To replace Moore, Clay hired Angelo Dundee to be his trainer. The fight was set for February 25,, in Miami Beach. Liston was an intimidating personality, a dominating fighter with a criminal past and ties to the mob. The outcome of the fight was a major upset. At the opening bell, Liston rushed at Clay, seemingly angry and looking for a quick knockout. At the end of the first round, Clay opened up his attack and hit Liston repeatedly with jabs. Liston fought better in round two, but at the beginning of the third round Clay hit Liston with a combination that buckled his knees and opened a cut under his left eye. This was the first time Liston had ever been cut. At the end of round four, Clay was returning to his corner when he began experiencing blinding pain in his eyes and asked his trainer, Angelo Dundee, to cut off his gloves. In the sixth, Clay dominated, hitting Liston repeatedly. Liston did not answer the bell for the seventh round, and Clay was declared the winner by TKO. Liston stated that the reason he quit was an injured shoulder. Following the win, a triumphant Clay rushed to the edge of the ring and, pointing to the ringside press, shouted: I shook up the world. Mike Tyson broke both records in when he defeated Trevor Berbick to win the heavyweight title at age Ali then faced a rematch with Liston scheduled for May in Lewiston, Maine. Midway through the first round, Liston was knocked down by a difficult-to-see blow the press dubbed a "phantom punch. Liston rose after he had been down for about 20 seconds, and the fight momentarily continued. However a few seconds later Walcott, having been informed by the timekeepers that Liston had been down for a count of 10, stopped the match and declared Ali the winner by knockout [60]. The entire fight lasted less than two minutes. Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he "took a dive" to pay off debts. Slow-motion replays show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Ali, although it is unclear whether the blow was a genuine knockout punch. Floyd Patterson Ali defended his title against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson on November 22, Before the match, Ali mocked Patterson, who was widely known to call him by his former name Cassius Clay, as an " Uncle Tom ", calling him "The Rabbit". Although Ali clearly had the better of Patterson, who appeared injured during the fight, the match lasted 12 rounds before being called on a technical knockout. Patterson later said he had strained his sacroiliac. Ali was criticized in the sports media for appearing to have toyed with Patterson during the fight [63]. Stratton claims that the conflict between Ali and Patterson was not genuine but was staged to increase ticket sales and the closed-circuit viewing audience, with both men complicit in the theatrics. Stratton also cites an interview by Howard Cosell in which Ali explained that rather than toying with Patterson, he refrained from knocking him out after it became apparent Patterson was injured. Stratton states that Ali arranged the second fight with the financially struggling Patterson to help the former champion earn enough money to pay a debt to the IRS. The bout drew a record-breaking indoor crowd of 35, people. Williams had once been considered among the hardest punchers in the heavyweight division, but in he had been shot at point-blank range by a Texas Page 3

4 policeman, resulting in the loss of one kidney and 10 feet 3. Ali dominated Williams, winning a third-round technical knockout in what some consider the finest performance of his career. Ali fought Terrell in Houston on February 6, The two almost came to blows over the name issue in a pre-fight interview with Howard Cosell. Ali seemed intent on humiliating Terrell. Terrell claimed that early in the fight Ali deliberately thumbed him in the eye, forcing him to fight half-blind, and then, in a clinch, rubbed the wounded eye against the ropes. He paid a bond and remained free while the verdict was being appealed. Exile and comeback In March, Ali refused to be inducted into the armed forces. He was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport. As a result, he did not fight from March to October â from ages 25 to almost 29â as his case worked its way through the appeals process before his conviction was overturned in The Super Fight Main article: Edited versions of the bout were shown in movie theaters in He was reported to jokingly say, "That computer was made in Alabama. The win left Ali as a top contender against heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. First fight against Joe Frazier Main article: Ali portrayed Frazier as a "dumb tool of the white establishment. He found a five-acre site on a Pennsylvania country road in the village of Deer Lake, Pennsylvania. On this site, Ali carved out what was to become his training camp, where he trained for all his fights from to the end of his career in The Monday night fight lived up to its billing. The fight was even in the early rounds, but Ali was taking more punishment than ever in his career. On several occasions in the early rounds he played to the crowd and shook his head "no" after he was hit. In the later roundsâ in what was the first appearance of the " rope-a-dope strategy "â Ali leaned against the ropes and absorbed punishment from Frazier, hoping to tire him. In the 11th round, Frazier connected with a left hook that wobbled Ali, but because it appeared that Ali might be clowning as he staggered backwards across the ring, Frazier hesitated to press his advantage, fearing an Ali counter-attack. In the final round, Frazier knocked Ali down with a vicious left hook, which referee Arthur Mercante said was as hard as a man can be hit. Ali was back on his feet in three seconds. Chamberlain challenge and Ellis fight Main article: Jimmy Ellis In, basketball star Wilt Chamberlain challenged Ali to a fight, and a bout was scheduled for July These statements of confidence unsettled his taller opponent, whom Los Angeles Lakers owner Jack Kent Cooke had offered a record-setting contract, conditional on Chamberlain agreeing to abandon what Cooke termed "this boxing foolishness," [74] and he did exactly that. After initially considering retirement, Ali won a controversial decision against Norton in their second bout. Second fight against Joe Frazier Main article: Joe Frazier II Ali was strong in the early rounds of the fight, and staggered Frazier in the second round. Referee Tony Perez mistakenly thought he heard the bell ending the round and stepped between the two fighters as Ali was pressing his attack, giving Frazier time to recover. The last four rounds saw round-to-round shifts in momentum between the two fighters. Judges awarded Ali a unanimous decision. World heavyweight champion second reign The Rumble in the Jungle Main article: Foreman was considered one of the hardest punchers in heavyweight history. In assessing the fight, analysts pointed out that Joe Frazier and Ken Norton, who had given Ali four tough battles and won two of them, had both been devastated by Foreman in second-round knockouts. Ali was 32 years old, and had clearly lost speed and reflexes since his twenties. Contrary to his later persona, Foreman was at the time a brooding and intimidating presence. Ali in As usual, Ali was confident and colorful before the fight. Then, beginning in the second round, and to the consternation of his corner, Ali retreated to the ropes and invited Foreman to hit him while covering up, clinching and counter-punching, all while verbally taunting Foreman. The move, which would later become known as the " Rope-a-dope ", so violated conventional boxing wisdomâ letting one of the hardest hitters in boxing strike at willâ that at ringside writer George Plimpton thought the fight had to be fixed. Midway through the fight, as Foreman began tiring, Ali countered more frequently and effectively with punches and flurries, which electrified the pro-ali crowd. In the eighth round, Ali dropped an exhausted Foreman with a combination at center ring; Foreman failed to make the count. Against the odds, and amidst pandemonium in the ring, Ali had regained the title by knockout. Reflecting on the fight, George Foreman later said: It was a bout that would inspire Sylvester Stallone to create the acclaimed film, Rocky. In the first rounds, Ali was aggressive, moving and exchanging blows with Frazier. However, Ali soon appeared to tire and adopted the "rope-a-dope" strategy, frequently resorting to clinches. During this part of the bout Ali did some effective counter-punching, but for the most part absorbed Page 4

5 punishment from a relentlessly attacking Frazier. Ali, in his corner, winner by TKO, slumped on his stool, clearly spent. An ailing Ali said afterwards that the fight "was the closest thing to dying that I know", and, when later asked if he had viewed the fight on videotape, reportedly said, "Why would I want to go back and see Hell? Page 5

6 Chapter 4 : The Greatest MMA Fights of All Time Tapology MMA Rankings What are the greatest MMA fights of all time? Updated 1 day ago. It takes a lot to be remembered as one of MMA's greatest fights - two game combatants, evenly matched for one night, ready to leave it all in the cage before they'd quit. Copy Link Copied Few things are as thrilling as witnessing two evenly-matched combatants battle it out for twelve rounds in the ring. Every so often the planets will align and two men will deliver a fight for the ages. Here are ten of the best bouts to have ever have taken place in the history of boxing. Ken Norton -- June 9, Via mypost. Entering the 15th the judges had Holmes and Norton even, meaning the final round would decide the victor. Early on Norton landed a couple devastating blows. Holmes, however, was not to be outdone. He pummeled Norton until the final bell and eventually won the match on a decision. Billy Conn -- June 18, Via pgdigs. Louis outweighed Conn by 25 pounds. Conn entered this bout with a stout defense and wore Louis down over the course of 13 rounds. Louis became dehydrated late in the match and it was fairly clear that Conn was in the lead. However, the noted underdog grew overconfident by his success and Louis fought back. In the 13th, despite being clearly ahead, Conn tried to knock Louis out â but Louis took advantage of the openings this strategy provided and knocked Conn out with only two seconds left on the clock in the 13th round. Meldrick Taylor 1 -- March 17, Via forums. During the match Taylor used his speed and quickness to evade Chavez and land any punch he wanted. He built a steady lead during the fight, though Chavez was hurting Taylor when he did manage to connect he was struggling with the faster fighter. Taylor was clearly exhausted, so much so that he fell throwing a punch in the 12th round! Eventually Chavez delivered a solid minute of boxing and pummeled Taylor into submission, knocking him to the canvas with only a couple seconds left in the match. The Referee asked Taylor if he could continue. Some claim Taylor nodded yes, but the referee decided that since Taylor refused to answer â awarded Chavez a knockout. Alex Arguello -- November 12, Via espn. No slouch himself, Arguello was a heavy favorite and was attempting to become the first man to win four different titles in four different weight classes. Despite being a favorite, Arguello had trouble with Pryor from the onset. This fight was marred by the use of a strange black bottle the trainers were giving to Pryor between rounds â leading many to question the contents. Despite the controversy, this was a timeless battle between two of the best boxers at the time. Jose Luis-Castillo -- May 7, Via espn. MMA fighting was taking center stage and few thought that this WBC title fight in would become legendary. Castillo had finished most of the rounds extremely well and came out strong in the 10th quickly knocking Corrales down twice. The second time the referee imposed a one-point penalty on Corrales because he kept removing his mouth-piece. After the second time down Corrales seemed to reenergize himself and blasted Castillo with several quick combinations, before eventually knocking him out. The reprieve Corrales received from spitting out his mouth-piece seemed to help him regain enough wherewithal to finish off Castillo. Jersey Joe Walcott -- September 23, Via molovinskyonallentown. Early on Walcott dominated this fight, knocking Marciano down in the first. Walcott was clearly the better technician, but as this one dragged on it because a slug-fest. No one could out punch Marciano and Walcott tired in the middle of the fight. Even so, Walcott gave Marciano all he had but the challenger seemed to routinely shrug off punches that would have dropped lesser men. Entering the 13th round Marciano knew he would need a knockout to win this one. Midway through the round Marciano knocked Walcott out with a vicious right, rendering Walcott unconscious and winning the match. It was as close as Marciano ever came to losing. Tommy Hearns -- April 15, Via espn. By the end, Hagler would leave bloody, but victorious. Early on Hearns had the upper-hand, bloodying Hagler and keeping him off-balance with his long reach and right hand jabs. Hagler was able to weather the storm, and about half-way through the first, he came back with his own barrage of hooks and body shots. Wobbly, Hearns would valiantly fight on until the third when Hagler would finally knock him out. Page 6

7 Chapter 5 : The 10 Greatest Boxing Matches of All Time TheRichest Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has staged a lot of great mixed martial arts (MMA) fights over the last 25 years, including the Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald bloodbath at UFC, as well. Early life[ edit ] Born in rural Chambers County, Alabama in a ramshackle dwelling on Bell Chapel Road, located about a mile off state route 50 and roughly six miles 9. He suffered from a speech impediment and spoke very little until about the age of six. His mother attempted to get him interested in playing the violin. Louis made his debut in early at the age of Legend has it that before the fight, the barely literate Louis wrote his name so large that there was no room for his last name, and thus became known as "Joe Louis" for the remainder of his boxing career. More likely, Louis simply omitted his last name to keep his boxing a secret from his mother. After this debutâ a loss to future Olympian Johnny Milerâ Louis compiled numerous amateur victories, eventually winning the club championship of his Brewster Street recreation centre, the home of many aspiring Golden Gloves fighters. Professional career[ edit ] Joe Louis had 69 professional fights with only three losses. He tallied 52 knockouts and held the championship from to, the longest span of any heavyweight titleholder. After returning from retirement, Louis failed to regain the championship in, and his career ended after he was knocked out by Rocky Marciano in The man who had been called the Brown Bomber was finished. As Louis explained in his autobiography, Roxborough convinced the young fighter that white managers would have no real interest in seeing a black boxer work his way up to title contention: The white managers were not interested in the men they were handling but in the money they could make from them. Roxborough was talking about Black Power before it became popular. Roxborough knew a Chicago area boxing promoter named Julian Black who already had a stable of mediocre boxers against which Louis could hone his craft, this time in the heavyweight division. Louis won all 12 of his professional fights that year, 10 by knockout. In September, while promoting a Detroit-area "coming home" bout for Louis against Canadian Alex Borchuk, Roxborough was pressured by members of the Michigan State Boxing Commission to have Louis sign with white management. When training for a fight against Lee Ramage, Louis noticed a young female secretary for the black newspaper at the gym. During this time, Louis also met Truman Gibson, the man who would become his personal lawyer. As a young associate at a law firm hired by Julian Black, Gibson was charged with personally entertaining Louis during the pendency of business deals. Black boxers were denied championship bouts, and there were few heavyweight black contenders at the time, though there were African Americans who fought for titles in other weight divisions, and a few notable black champions, such as Tiger Flowers. Never have his picture taken with a white woman Never gloat over a fallen opponent Never engage in fixed fights Live and fight clean [26] [27] As a result, Louis was generally portrayed in the white media as a modest, clean-living person, which facilitated his burgeoning celebrity status. Foreshadowing the Louisâ Schmeling rivalry to come, the Carnera bout featured a political dimension. Since the retirement of Jack Dempsey in, the sport had devolved into a sordid mixture of poor athletes, gambling, fixed fights, thrown matches, and control of the sport by organized crime. Just as Dempsey led the sport out of the doldrums Although Baer had been knocked down only once before in his professional career by Frankie Campbell, Louis dominated the former champion, knocking him out in the fourth round. Schmeling I[ edit ] Louis vs. Schmeling, Main article: Max Schmeling By this time, Louis was ranked as the No. Although a former world heavyweight champion, Schmeling was not considered a threat to Louis, then with a professional record of 27â 0. Schmeling was also 30 years old at the time of the Louis bout and allegedly past his prime. Braddock, who had unexpectedly defeated Max Baer for the heavyweight title the previous June. If he were to offer Schmeling the title chance instead of Louis, there was a very real possibility that Nazi authorities would never allow Louis a shot at the title. Louis did his part by knocking out former champion Jack Sharkey on August 18, On the night of the fight, June 22,, Braddock was able to knock Louis down in round one, but afterward could accomplish little. Thousands of African Americans stayed up all night across the country in celebration. Each time Joe Louis won a fight in those depression years, even before he became champion, thousands of black Americans on relief or W. No one else in the United States has ever had such an Page 7

8 effect on Negro emotionsâ or on mine. I marched and cheered and yelled and cried, too. The offer was too lucrative for Farr to turn down. The bout was closely contested and went the entire 15 rounds, with Louis being unable to knock Farr down. The crowd of 50, Seven years later, in his published account of the fight, Donovan spoke of the "mistake" that may have led to this confusion. Then I dropped his hand like a red-hot coal! He had started to raise his arm. He thought I had given him the fight and the world championship! I literally ran away, shaking my head and shouting. There was much booing at the announced result, but, as I say it, it was all emotional. I gave Tommy two rounds and one evenâ and both his winning rounds were close. Schmeling II[ edit ] The rematch between Louis and Schmeling would become one of the most famous boxing matches of all time and is remembered as one of the major sports events of the 20th century. When the rematch was scheduled, Louis retreated to his boxing camp in New Jersey and trained incessantly for the fight. Roosevelt told him, "Joe, we need muscles like yours to beat Germany. I had my own personal reasons and the whole damned country was depending on me. The fight was held in Yankee Stadium before a crowd of 70, It was broadcast by radio to millions of listeners throughout the world, with radio announcers reporting on the fight in English, German, Spanish, and Portuguese. Schmeling was knocked down three times and only managed to throw two punches in the entire bout. Louis won the first bout by a split-decision, and the rematch by a knockout in the eighth round. The popular local challenger dodged his way around Louis before being unable to respond to the sixth-round bell. Of the 12 fighters Louis faced during this period, five were rated by The Ring as top heavyweights in the year they fought Louis: Galento overall 2 heavyweight in, Bob Pastor 3,, Godoy 3,, Simon 6, and Baer 8, ; four others Musto, Dorazio, Burman and Johnny Paychek were ranked in the top 10 in a different year. Conn would not gain weight for the challenge against Louis, saying instead that he would rely on a "hit and run" strategy. In his autobiography, Joe Louis said: I made a mistake going into that fight. Chappie was as mad as hell. By the eighth round, Louis began suffering from dehydration. By the twelfth round, Louis was exhausted, with Conn ahead on two of three boxing scorecards. But against the advice of his corner, Conn continued to closely engage Louis in the later stages of the fight. Louis made the most of the opportunity, knocking Conn out with two seconds left in the thirteenth round. The rematch had to be abruptly canceled, however, after Conn broke his hand in a much-publicized fight with his father-in-law, Major League ballplayer Jimmy "Greenfield" Smith. Slowly, the press began to eliminate its stereotypical racial references when covering Louis and instead treated him as an unqualified sports hero. For basic training, Louis was assigned to a segregated cavalry unit based in Fort Riley, Kansas. Accordingly, Louis used this personal connection to help the cause of various black soldiers with whom he came into contact. In one noted episode, Louis contacted Gibson in order to facilitate the Officer Candidate School OCS applications of a group of black recruits at Fort Riley, which had been inexplicably delayed for several months. When he was asked about his decision to enter the racially segregated U. He appeared as himself in a musical number, "The Well-Dressed Man in Harlem," which emphasized the importance of African-American soldiers and promoted their enlistment. In a famous wartime recruitment slogan, he echoed his prior comments of During his travels, he often experienced blatant racism. On one occasion, a military policeman MP ordered Louis and Ray Robinson to move their seats to a bench in the rear of an Alabama Army camp bus depot. The MP tried to arrest them, but Louis forcefully argued the pair out of the situation. On September 23 of the same year, he was awarded the Legion of Merit a military decoration rarely awarded to enlisted soldiers for "incalculable contribution to the general morale. On June 19, a disappointing 40, saw the rematch at Yankee Stadium, [62] in which Louis was not seriously tested. Conn, whose skills had deteriorated during the long layoff, largely avoided contact until being dispatched by knockout in the eighth round. Walcott entered the fight as a to-1 underdog. Nevertheless, Walcott knocked down Louis twice in the first four rounds. Most observers in Madison Square Garden felt Walcott dominated the round fight. When Louis was declared the winner in a split decision, the crowd booed. Determined to win and retire with his title intact, Louis signed on for a rematch. Walcott knocked Louis down in the third round, but Louis survived to knock out Walcott in the eleventh. As he had done earlier in his career, however, Louis would continue to appear in numerous exhibition matches worldwide. A match with Ezzard Charles â who had acquired the vacant heavyweight title in June by outpointing Walcottâ was set for September 27, By then, Louis was 36 years old and had Page 8

9 been away from competitive boxing for two years. Weighing in at, Louis was still strong, but his reflexes were gone. Charles repeatedly beat him to the punch. By the end of the fight, Louis was cut above both eyes, one of which was shut tight by swelling. He was going to take a vicious, savage beating. Before the eyes of the nation, Joe Louis, an American hero if ever there was one, was going to get beaten up. I guess everything happens for the best. He would, as before, continue to tour on the exhibition circuit, with his last contest taking place on December 16,, in Taipei, Taiwan, against Corporal Buford J. The former rivals became close friends in later life. Page 9

10 Chapter 6 : On This Day: Muhammad Ali fought Joe Frazier in the greatest fight of all time - Boxing News True Warriors The first of a Trilogy of fights between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward was as a spectacle one of the greatest fights ever fought. This is my edit of the fight and I hope I did it justice. We at Evolve Daily know that nothing compares to watching a great Muay Thai fight except maybe seeing one in person. Seeing Muay Thai legends execute beautiful technique that exude grace and power is simply awe-inspiring. Here are some of the greatest fights in the history of Muay Thai: Coban Lookchaomaesaitong This fight was considered to be the fight that changed the world of Muay Thai forever. Coban had previously held the title for two years in a row and lost it to Dekkers. To this day, Dekkers is considered to be the best foreign fighter in Thailand and was the first foreigner to win the prestigious Fighter Of The Year award. Orono Por Muang Ubol Both fighters showed great heart throughout the entire fight. They showed a nearly equal amount of aggression, lasting all five rounds. This fight is a great example of how one fighter can almost completely become equal to another in all aspects. Sakmongkol Sithchuchok This fight was an all out battle between the two long time rivals. Both showed beautiful technique throughout the fight. In the second round of the fight, both fighters were continuously throwing brutal elbows, unwilling to stop, showing great zeal and perseverance. At that time, they were two of the biggest names in Muay Thai. Pakorn was the young underdog to Saenchai, a long-time Muay Thai World Champion with an impressive fight record. While Saenchai was known for his superior technique and speed, Pakorn was known for his devastating punches. Considered the Muhammad Ali of Muay Thai, Samart was virtually untouchable, keeping the distance with his teeps and powerful jabs. Eventually, Samart ended the fight with a knockout and Hapalang falling to the floor, swallowing his mouthpiece. In their previous fight, Petpayathai had lost to Saenchai via decision. Fortunately, he was able to redeem himself in this fight. Tell us, which fight is your favorite? Page 10

11 Chapter 7 : MMA Bracket - Vote for the best UFC fight of all-time While their third fight stands out as the greatest heavyweight boxing fight of all time, the first meeting between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier was the most significant. What ingredients make up a super fight? Vazquez round Split Decision Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez While Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez would go on to fight four times, it was the rubber match that fight fans will remember most. The first fight was a brawl, and it was topped by their second fight, which was named fight of the year. Anticipation ran high as fight fans once again expected nothing short of an all-out war between the two in their third meeting. Photo by Mark J. Neither fighter held a commanding lead throughout the fight as they traded rounds for most of the night. This bout would also produce the most memorable round of their series, with the fourth round serving as its high point. While Marquez was able to send Vazquez to the mat for the first time in their three fights, he recovered beautifully and nearly put Marquez on the mat. However, referee Pat Russell correctly ruled it a knockdown, saying that the ropes prevented him from hitting the canvas. Despite protests from Marquez and his corner, it was obvious that he was completely off balance and would have otherwise fallen if not for the ropes. After losing to Marquez in their first fight, Vazquez won their second fight by TKO and he took the decisive third fight by split decision after 12 brutal rounds. It was a controversial ending as Marquez appeared to be ahead in the fight. However, the fight could just as easily have been a draw or gone in favor of Marquez if not for two pivotal point deductions. Jeffries bout transcended sports and went straight to the troubled heart of America in the early 20th century. Amid growing racist fervor, the undefeated former champion Jeffries was lured out of retirement to take on the mantle of Great White Hope. He hoped to jump on Johnson from the opening bell, in hopes of scoring an early knockout. Johnson, however, was a master of defense and far faster than the year-old Jeffries. Watching from ringside was heavyweight contender Ed Gunboat Smith, who had once boxed an exhibition with Johnson. With Jeffries bloodied, his face swollen, Johnson moved in and landed a barrage of withering punches that dropped Jeffries for the first time in his career. He got up at nine, but Johnson knocked him through the ropes. He was helped by spectators back into the ring. Staggering, he took a final combination that put him down for good. Their first two fights were split decisions, with Norton taking the first and Ali taking the second. Norton would often drag his right foot as he bobbed his way to get inside, throwing jabs from a crouched stance as he looked for an opening to connect with his powerful overhand right. Photo by Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated Looking to reclaim the title, Norton kept Ali on his toes all night, continually pressuring him and forcing him to backpedal for long stretches as Ali tried to keep some distance while scoring with his jab. Norton even attempted to beat Ali at his own game, playing mind games with the master of mind games by refusing to sit on a stool between rounds to show that he was not tired or hurt. Ali would respond by doing the same between rounds. Photo by Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated It was a fairly even fight up until the final rounds, and it was there that Ali was able to retain his title. Norton and his corner believed that they were ahead entering the final round and that they would be able to comfortably cruise to a win as long as he avoided getting hurt. Norton almost seemed content letting Ali dance around him and hit him with jabs, avoiding any major punches or combinations that could have swayed the judges. Photo by Jerry Cooke for Sports Illustrated However, in the eyes of the three judges, it was the final three rounds that ultimately decided the winner that night. Ali was unusually quiet after the final bell rang, and it appeared that even he was unsure of the outcome. He would go on to win by unanimous decision, but the outcome is still heavily disputed to this day. Sugar Ray Robinson Sugar Ray Robinson is generally acclaimed as the greatest fighter ever, pound-for-pound. In fact, they invented that phrase just for him. Carmen Basilio just may be the toughest fighter ever, pound-for-poundâ and pounding-for-pounding. Robinson was 37 by the time of this bout, but still fighting with brilliance. Every boxing fan wanted to see this one. His record stood at Basilio gave up both several inches and some six pounds to Robinson. Few fighters could take a shot like Basilio, though, and from the bell, he stood against Sugar Ray. Photo by AP In a spectacular back-and-forth contest, Basilio gave as good as he gotâ maybe even better. In fact, Basilio more often than not seemed to get the edge in the power Page 11

12 exchanges. Both men sustained tremendous damage throughout the bout, yet neither slowed over the closing rounds. Even for Yankee Stadium, this was a rare slugfest. Photo by Hy Peskin for Sports Illustrated After 15 rounds of nonstop action, Basilio was awarded a split decision, and with it the middleweight championship of the world. The bout was declared the Fight of the Year. Marco Antonio Barrera In a fight to unify the super bantamweight titles, the first fight between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera kicked off one of the most exciting rivalries in boxing history. With Julio Cesar Chavez having recently retired, the vacancy for the title of the next great Mexican boxer was up for grabs, and this was a fight that neither fighter could afford to take lightly. They began trading haymakers the instant that they met in the center of the ring, and there was non-stop action from start to end. But of all the wildly entertaining rounds, none could match the fifth, which is one for the history books. The rest of the fight would continue the same way. Even when he slowed down in the later rounds, Barrera was more accurate and seemed to dictate most of the action. Barrera eventually scored the only knockdown of the fight after Morales went down on one knee a few moments later, but it appeared as if Morales slipped. However, in the end, Morales would win by a controversial split decision. Max Schmeling Not only was the heavyweight championship of the world at stake, but also, to so many observers, the very direction of the world itself. For the 70, on hand in Yankee Stadium, and millions more tuning in around the globe, the stakes could not have been higher. Before that bout Schmeling had studied films of Louis, noticing that the young star was open to a right hand. Schmeling used that punch to score an upset knockout. And though Joe would go on to win the championship with a knockout of James J. Joe, though, had other ideas. He was determined to overwhelm Schmeling from the opening bell and to go for a quick knockout. After a few moments of careful feeling out by both men, Louis went on the attack. It would be a short night, but surely no one who witnessed the action would go home feeling cheated. Though Schmeling would land one hard right, the punch that had won him the first bout, Louis shrugged it off. He then nailed Schmeling with his own right, driving the German to the ropes. Four thudding body shots and a combination to the head left Schmeling sagging, and referee Arthur Donovan stepped in for a one-count. The game Schmeling bounced back up, but Louis was on him instantly and dropped him two more times. Interestingly, Louis and Schmeling would go on to become lifelong friends. While Holyfield was the favorite prior to their first bout, Bowe had advantages in size, speed, strength and age. Photo by Richard Mackson for Sports Illustrated Holyfield was expected to keep his distance and outbox Bowe, but thankfully for fight fans, he instead chose to go inside and trade with the bigger, younger fighter. Both Bowe and Holyfield chose to practically ignore defense for most of the night, and that eventually led to one of the most exciting rounds the sport has seen in decades, with the 10th round being an absolutely brutal slugfest between the heavyweights. Photo by Richard Mackson for Sports Illustrated Holyfield managed to survive a powerful uppercut followed by a flurry of power shots early in the round, and he battled back valiantly after it looked like he was destined to hit the canvas. Bowe would eventually go on to win the fight by unanimous decision and take the belt from Holyfield, but even in defeat, Holyfield would gain a tremendous amount of respect for the way he fought against the bigger Bowe. Their second bout was set for the following July, and for fight fans it was seen as a sure-fire match of the year. It would more than live up to the billing. When the two weighed in for their second meeting, America was watching. In the third, Zale dropped Graziano. In the fifth Graziano leaped to the attack, clubbing Zale repeatedly with the right. He would end it in the sixth with a barrage of more than 30 punches that left Zale in a heap. Photo by AP Graziano had fought in a kind of blind rage, bellowing and cursing as he attacked. After scoring the knockout, Rocky had continued to storm around the ring, battering his own cornermen until they could manage to calm the new champion down. Your bad boy done it. Photo by AP Oct. George Foreman After beating Joe Frazier in their second meetup, Muhammad Ali was tasked with fighting the monstrous George Foreman in an attempt to regain the title of heavyweight champion of the world. Ali and Frazier spent that summer training in Zaire in order to acclimate themselves to the tropical weather, and there was a tremendous amount of hype following both camps. Photo by Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated Ali started the fight aggressively, dancing around the ring while attacking Foreman with straight shots to his face. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the fight, as Ali would eventually switch tactics to the now-famous rope-a-dope strategy. Instead of trying to keep his distance and outpoint his much larger, stronger Page 12

13 foe, Ali leaned against the ropes, keeping his body exposed to vicious body blows from Foreman as he as he protected his head. Photo by Neil Leifer for Sports Illustrated Ali looked like a punching bag as he leaned against the ropes while Foreman wailed away at him with huge arcing hooks. In the sweltering Zaire heat, Foreman would eventually tire himself out from all the punches he threw at Ali. Resting against the ropes and absorbing the worst that Foreman could dish out, Ali kept his strength up and bided his time as he waited for the most opportune moments to unload on an exhausted Foreman. In the waning moments of the eighth round, Ali found the perfect opening as he hit a dazed Foreman with a combination to the head that would drop him to the canvas. Foreman could not beat the count, and Ali shocked everyone as he would once again become the heavyweight champion of the world. Photo by AP Sept. The rematch was seen as a chance for Dempsey, even more popular in defeat, to wrest his rightful crown back. Tunney, who had won the first fight easily, picked up where he left off, outboxing Dempsey, who continually came forward in his signature bob-and-weave. In the seventh round, though, Dempsey drove Tunney to the ropes and unleashed a devestating seven-punch combination that dropped Tunney for the first time in his career. Page 13

14 Chapter 8 : The 25 Greatest Super Fights: Boxingâ s biggest bouts that lived up to the hype Longform The 25 Greatest Super Fights. The fight played out better than anyone could've expected, as it would go on to become one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time. Following over a decade of stagnation in a once-proud division, fight fans now have an exciting champion to propel the sport to newfound heights. While Joshua-Klitschko was certainly the best heavyweight battle in a long, long time, it was not necessarily one of the greatest fights of all time. Sports on Earth looks back at over a century of heavyweight glory to determine which ones would be in the top Others praised it as an insurmountable achievement heavyweight history. The fight was a savage display of courage and stubborn intent. Though Ali eventually had his hand raised following a TKO, he was never quite the same after that night in Manila. The Guardian went so far as to refer to it as the "closest to sanctioned manslaughter boxing had allowed since lb Jack Dempsey demolished the 6ft 6in champion Jess Willard in three rounds on 4 July, Luis Firpo Easily the shortest heavyweight bout on this list, the Dempsey vs. Firpo fight lasted exactly seconds. The first round was particularly incredible, as Firpo was knocked down seven times before landing a right on Dempsey that sent him through the ropes and out of the ring. Surrounded by 80, fans, the champion regained his wits by the count of nine and survived the round. Despite the advantage, Firpo was unable to subdue Dempsey in the second round and lost by knockout after being dropped two more times. It was the first time that two undefeated world champions stood across from each other in a boxing ring. Back in, Ali returned to his professional career after a three-year suspension for refusing to enlist in the Vietnam War. While hailed as a hero for his stance, Ali was no longer as agile as he had once been. He defeated Jerry Quarry and Oscar Bonavena that same year, which set up the much anticipated clash against Frazier. Somehow, the fight surpassed all expectations -- an instant classic that will be remembered as the time when "The Greatest" was handed his first professional loss. Joe Walcott Remembered for the "Famous Knockout" when Marciano dropped Walcott in Round 13 to win the heavyweight championship, this was the fight that sparked the legendary title reign of the great Rocky Marciano. He eventually rallied back to extend his unbeaten streak to Thus, the scene was set for a legendary bout. Following an exceptionally close fight that culminated with a memorable final round slugfest, the scorecards turned up,, and in favor of Holmes. Only a single point separated the two greats. Well before the era of the Civil Rights Movement, African Americans were considered second-class citizens and Johnson was a champion vilified for his skin color and his association with fair skinned women. After five successful title defences against Caucasian opposition, Americans looked to Jeffries as the " White Hope " to defeat Johnson once and for all. The result was one of the greatest heavyweight clashes of all time. During the height of World War II, the legendary champion stepped in against Billy Conn, one of the most underrated boxers of his era. The contest proved to be as close as expected, with Conn ahead on the majority of the scorecards after twelve rounds. Having wobbled the champ in Round 13, Conn was convinced he could finish the job and went in for the kill. Yet with seconds to go in the round, Louis unleashed a flurry of punches that sent Conn tumbling to the canvas. It was a comeback for the ages. Ron Lyle When a legendary former heavyweight champion met the No. The two swung wildly for five rounds until Foreman finally landed the shot that sent Lyle down for the count. While Ron Lyle never went on to win the heavyweight title, his claim to fame will always be having George Foreman label him the greatest fighter he had ever faced. Evander Holyfield 1 While Round 5 in Joshua vs. Klitschko was magnificent to behold, Round 10 of Holyfield vs. Bowe still stands as arguably the greatest round in heavyweight boxing history. Though Holyfield lost a unanimous decision that night in Las Vegas, the former champion went toe-to-toe with a significantly larger opponent and matched his power for 12 rounds, thus cementing himself as one of the toughest boxers the sport had ever seen. Wladimir Klitschko For over two decades following Bowe vs. All but a handful of heavyweight fights and champions will be remembered during an era that was dominated by smaller, more exciting fighters. While the addition of Joshua-Klitschko to the Top 10 all-time great heavyweight fights is certainly a controversial one, it significance gives it precedence over many of the ones listed in our notable mentions. Gene Tunney, Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman, Page 14