A few of the all-time great boxers met when one was at the highest of their game, and the opposite was on the decline.
One good example was when former world heavyweight champion Joe ‘The Brown Bomber’ Louis, 66-2 with 52 stoppages, fought unbeaten Rocky Marciano, 37-0 with 32 stoppages, in October 1951 at Madison Square Garden.
After seven rounds, Marciano was ahead by scores of 4-2, 5-2, and 4-3. Louis was knocked down twice within the eighth round. Marciano dropped Louis for an 8-count with a left hook for the primary one. The second knockdown was from a flurry of punches sending Louis through the ropes, forcing referee Ruby Goldstein to call a halt and not using a count. It’s been said Marciano cried later resulting from beating his hero.
One other was when former heavyweight champion Muhammad ‘The Best’ Ali, 56-3, was stopped for the one time in his profession by WBC champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 35-0, in October 1980 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada, after ten rounds.
Holmes was ahead 100-90 twice and 100-89. Holmes was delivering body shots, looking toward referee Richard Steele to call a halt. Ali’s corner stopped it at the tip of the round. It was in January of 1988 at Atlantic City, Latest Jersey’s Convention Hall.
When former champion Holmes, 48-2, fought ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, 32-0, after losing a pair of choices to Michael Spinks, the second was disputed.
Muhammad Ali and casino owner Donald J. Trump sat at ringside next to at least one one other. When Ali was introduced, he simply tapped Holmes’s gloves. He then went over to Tyson and whispered something in his ears. “Beat the hell out of him?” Nobody knows however the two of them.
After three rounds, Tyson was ahead 30-27 and 29-28 twice. It was stopped at 2:55 of the fourth round after Tyson scored a pair of knockdowns. Holmes’ feet were up within the air after the second, and he landed on his back when referee Joe Cortez waved it off. Holmes tried saying he caught his arm on the ropes attempting to throw a punch when he was knocked down. He gave Tyson no credit for the mismatch.
On this author’s opinion, the 2 best pound-for-pound boxers met in August 1943 at Latest York’s Madison Square Garden, with contender ‘Sugar’ Ray Robinson, 44-1, #145, and former 3-division world champion Henry ‘Homicide Hank’ Armstrong, 132-17-8, #140, with Robinson winning the choice.
Armstrong lost his welterweight title in October 1940. Robinson won the title in December 1946, when he was 73-1-1, defeating champion Tommy Bell, 39-10-3, by scores of 8-6 and 10-5 twice at Madison Square Garden.
‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard and Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns met twice. The primary one was Ring Magazine’s Fight of the 12 months in September 1981 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Leonard was behind after 13 rounds by scores of 122-124, 122-125, and 121 125, needing a stoppage, which he did at 1:45 within the 14th round. Within the rematch in June of 1989, each got a vote and a draw, ending it in a draw at the identical venue. Leonard was down twice.
