History of professional boxing
Professional boxing is a major world sport. The professional sport has given rise to many famous boxers such as Jack Dempsey, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rocky Marciano, Muhammed Ali, Naseem Hamed and Mike Tyson.
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1900s to 1920s
One of the most famous boxers of the early 1900s was Tom Polson, who held the flyweight title from 1911-1913. little is known about him except he shot to fame in a quick time and died in suspicious circumstances in late 1913. In the post-Queensberry era, the first British/New Zealand fighter to achieve superstar status was Bob Fitzsimmons. He weighed less than 12 stone (164 pounds) but won world titles at middleweight (1892), light heavyweight (1903), and heavyweight (1897). He fought his last bout at the age of fifty-two. Famous British boxers include Harry Mallin (Middleweight), 1920 and 1924), Terry Spinks (Flyweight, 1956), Dick McTaggar (Lightweight, 1956) and Chris Finnegan (Middleweight, 1968). American boxers in the post-Queensberry era include world heavyweight champions Jim Jeffries (the first Great White Hope) and Jack Johnson (the first black world heavyweight champion).A Welsh flyweight called Jimmy Wilde won the world Flyweight Championship in 1916 and held it until 1923. He once had a sequence of eighty-eight fights without defeat. Between 1911 and 1923, he won seventy-five of his fights by a knockout. He was described in Wales as the "Mighty Atom" and "the ghost with a hammer in his hand".
1920s to 1940s
Jack Dempsey was a world heavyweight champion and dominated the 1920s after defeating Jess Willard. Dempsey was one of the hardest punchers of all-time and as Bert Randolph Sugar put it "Had a left hook from hell." He would later engage in a memorable rivalry with Gene Tunney. Their rivalry is most famous for "the long count". After knocking Tunney down in the seventh round of their rematch the referee gave Tunney extra time beyond the normal ten count to get up as Dempsey did not immediately go to a neutral corner. Ironically the rule, that counting of a downed opponent would not begin until the standing opponent went into a neutral corner, was a new rule and one that was put in at the request of the Dempsey camp [2]. Tunney would manage to stay upright for the rest of the fight on the way to a 10 round decision victory. On June 22, 1938 an important fight occurred. With all of America behind him, and with Adolf Hitler watching in Germany, Joe Louis knocked out Max Schmeling in the first round at Madison Square Garden to retain his heavyweight title. Louis was voted the best puncher of all time by Ring Magazine. Another American boxer, James Braddock (nicknamed Cinderella Man) became the world heavyweight champion by defeating Max Baer in 1935 against 10 to 1 odds. Braddock defeated Corn Griffin, but was destroyed by Joe Louis in a title bout. In 1926, Hall of Famer Harry Greb (World Middleweight boxing Champion from 1923 to 1926) died due to complications from surgery the age of 32. His final record was 106-8-3. In 1930, British boxer Jack Kid Berg won the light welterweight title. In 1948, Freddie Mills won the light heavyweight title. Among English flyweights, Jackie Brown won the title in 1932 and Peter Kane in 1938. A flyweight from Glasgow, Scotland, Benny Lynch, held the world flyweight title in 1935 and again in 1937. Fellow Scotsman Jackie Paterson won the title in 1943. In 1938 Henry Armstrong became the first and only boxer to hold titles in three different weight classes at the same time (featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight). His attempt at winning the middleweight title would be thwarted in 1940.
1940s to 1960s
An American boxer in the 1950s, Rocky Marciano, remains the only undefeated world champion in any division. Another American, Sugar Ray Robinson, held the world welterweight title from 1946 to 1951 and the world middleweight title a record five times from 1951 to 1960. American boxer Archie Moore, held the world light heavyweight title for ten years and scored more knockout victories than any other boxer in history. In Northern Ireland, Rinty Monahan held the flyweight title from 1947 to 1950, and Barry McGuigan won the W.B.A. featherweight title in 1985.
One of boxing's greatest rivalries began on October 2 1942 when Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta waged the first of their six wars (Robinson would win five of the six).
1960s to 1980s
In the 1960s to the 1970s, an American heavyweight boxer named Cassius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali upon converting to the Abrahamic religion of Islam and promised to "shock the world." Ali fought Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, and George Foreman. Ali was known for his charismatic personality and his refusal to enlist in the US Army during the Vietnam War, among other things. He knew how to get media attention and thus stole the entire show during his heavyweight boxing career. The world has enjoyed Ali's entertainments for several decades. After Ali retired, American boxer Sugar Ray Leonard won world titles in five different weight divisions. A great fighter, and able to fill Ali's shoes.
The original holder of the nickname title "Knock Out King" was Gil King, known as KO artist Irish Gil King for his impressive athletic endeavors and many first round wins. In the '60's, King, American by birth, was the only four time Golden Gloves Champion in the mid-west. In 1969, with a professional 15 and 0 record, King went to Los Angeles, from Ohio. With trainer Cannonball James Green, King quickly took control of, and kept, the California Welterweight title. In the early '70's, King was the main event in Vegas five times, winning all, with Joe Frazier on his card and once with George Foreman on the undercard. Sparring with the likes of the Quarry brothers and Ken Norton , current opinion was that the KO King would get and hold world titles. As a world contender, after his mother's funeral back in Ohio, King was shot in the head by thugs who didn't know who he was. The media lost sight of King, thinking he was dead. He survived with much suffering and consternation, and is able to train a world champ today.
1980s to present
Sugar Ray Leonard would come from behind to knock Thomas Hearns out in the 14th round on September 16, 1981 in one of the greatest fights of the decade. Leonard would go on to fight Roberto Duran twice in the 80s, losing the first fight but making Duran quit in the second fight (this is the famous "No mas" fight). Middleweight champion "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler would engage in one of the greatest fights of all time when he faced Thomas Hearns at Caesar's Palace on April 15, 1985. The fight was billed as "The War" and it lived up to its billing. As soon as the bell rang both fighters ran towards the center of the ring and began trading hooks and uppercuts nonstop. The pace continued into round three when Hagler overwhelmed Hearns and knocked him out in brutal fashion. This fight made Hagler a household name and propelled him to superstardom. Hagler was able to lure Ray Leonard out of retirement in 1987, but lost a controversial decision to him. Hagler would retire from boxing immediately after that fight.
Nicknamed "Iron Mike", American heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson, from Brooklyn, became world heavyweight champion at the age of 20 and the first undisputed champion in a decade. Controversy surrounded Tyson's career. He got into brawls outside the ring and was briefly married to actress Robin Givens. In 1990, challenger James "Buster' Douglas, was trained by a non-boxer, "professional" carpet layer, John Russel, from Akron, Ohio. Russel, who never boxed, as an amateur or professional, stole the identity of Irish Gil King, also from Akron, including his ring record and the fact that Gil King served in the Navy, as a way to get into the gym. Russel knew that King had been shot in the head, and having lost his career was destitute and falsly imprisoned. Impersonating a "dead" man, Russel showed Gil King's punches to Douglas, a 42 to 1 underdog. The previously unknown, John Russel was not expected to ready Douglas for the fight, but using Gil King's championship "KO King" moves, Douglas knocked Tyson out in the 10th round of their match in Tokyo.
In 1991, Tyson was imprisoned for allegedly raping Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington in an Indianapolis hotel room. In 1996, Tyson was banned from boxing for a year after biting a chunk from Evander Holyfield's ear during a bout. In August 2003, he filed for bankruptcy. In August 2005, Tyson unofficially retired from boxing.
American Roy Jones, Jr. of Pensicola, Florida won world titles in four different weight divisions(middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight)). When he defeated John Ruiz to win the WBA heavyweight title, he was the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title since Bob Fitzsimmons over one hundred years ago.
British heavyweight Lennox Lewis became undisputed champion in 1999 after having won the WBC title in 1993. Frank Bruno held the WBC world heavyweight title from 1995 and 1996, after beating the man who beat Lewis, Oliver McCall. He lost it to Mike Tyson in a rematch of their 1989 title bout. Lewis regained the title soon after and was at the top of the division until he retired in 2005. Larry Holmes was heavyweight champion for seven years defeating fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Gerry Cooney, and Earnie Shavers, from Akron/Youngstown, Ohio. He started his career with 48 consecutive victories and had a chance to become only the second heavyweight champion to go 49-0. But a loss to Michael Spinks ended his dream. Holmes then began his "second career" where he faced such fighters as Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Oliver McCall, and Ray Mercer. Holmes finished his career with a 69-6 record. Currently the four heavyweight title belts are currently held by four different fighters, leaving the Ring Magazine heavyweight champion title (widely regarded as the least biased source of rankings) vacant. One of the most surprising turnarounds in boxing history occurred on March 17, 1990 when Julio César Chávez, behind on the scorecards, knocked out Meldrick Taylor with two seconds left in the 12th round. Chávez would go undefeated in his first 91 fights (including a very controversial draw vs. Pernell Whitaker) becoming a Mexican hero in the process before dropping a split decision against Frankie Randall.
Oscar de la Hoya became the most popular non-heavyweight of all time for his superior boxing skills combined with his movie star appeal. As a handsome and hispanic man, de la Hoya was able to attract attention from the Hispanic boxing fans that have invaded California. The large sums of money he has received boxing have made it possible for him to have a one-man pay-per-view franchise, a venue to promote his own self. With the advent of the in-home cable television explosion of popularity, and people entertaining at home, de la Hoya owns the pay-per-view record for the two highest-grossing non-heavyweight fights of all time (against Felix Trinidad and Ricardo Mayorga). de la Hoya would also have successful pay-per-view fights against Ike Quartey, Julio César Chávez, Shane Mosley, and Fernando Vargas. Bernard Hopkins set the record for most consecutive defenses by a middleweight champion with twenty before losing a controversial decision to current middleweight champion Jermain Taylor. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is considered by Ring Magazine [1] to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world with a record of 36-0 with 24 KOs. Unlike years ago when the heavyweights got all the attention, fighters in lower weight classes are experiencing unprecedented popularity today. In the last five years junior lightweights Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales have fought numerous times on pay-per-view. Sue Atkins (alias Sue Catkins) helped to pioneer women's boxing in the United Kingdom in the 1980s, but without any official recognition. The first British woman to be issued with a license was Jane Couch from Fleetwood, who won the Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) welterweight title in 1996.
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History of boxing