Latest Articles

Perhaps one of the most underrated fighters in the heavyweight division of the 1970s was Bob Foster. Foster during his career had won the WBA and WBC titles but lost them both in a knockout loss to Joe Frazier. Foster would also get knocked out by Muhammad Ali. In the end, Foster finished with a respectable 56-8-1 record. ...

"Smokin Joe." Say those words and diehard boxing fans know exactly who you were talking about. One of the hardest hitting and grittiest fighters in history, Frazier and Ali staged three of the best fights in their division in the history of the sport. In their third fight won by Ali, the late and former Cassius Clay said he felt like he was going to die in the ring. Frazier wou ...

With Ron Lyle comes another tough and aggressive fighter who retired with a solid winning record but without ever winning a title. In his only two championship bouts, he lost a chance by becoming the heavyweight champion of the world when he challenged Muhammad Ali on May 16, 1975, only to lose by a TKO in the 11th round. Then a year later he would be knocked out in five by Geo ...

Mathis died too young at the age of 52 in 1995 after suffering a heart attack. He retired from boxing after 34 professional fights all of which he lost just four. Three of those four came in his final four fights, losses to some very good fighters in Jerry Quarry, a title shot loss to Muhammad Ali, and his final fight a loss to Ron Lyle, After winning his first 23 fights, Mathi ...

The boxer Ken Norton had four children and his most famous child was the one that carried his name, Ken Norton Jr. Norton Jr. was an outstanding linebacker in the NFL for years and is now in coaching. But his father’s legacy was that of one of the toughest and hardest hitting boxers in the heavyweight division for the years Ken Norton climbed through the ropes to take on opposi ...

As I started watching fights in the 1970s Floyd Patterson, the former heavyweight champion was winding down his career. From 1970 until Patterson retired in 1972, he had fought only 10 times. His final fight was a rematch with Muhammad Ali for the NABF heavyweight title and again Patterson lost as he retired after the seventh round following an earlier TKO loss to Ali in 1965 f ...

Tragedy was the name of the game in the Quarry family as what they termed “pugilistic dementia” struck not just Jerry Quarry but his younger brother Mike also a boxer. Both men died way too young, Jerry at 53 and Mike at 55. A third brother Bobby, also boxed and retired at 29 because his body was failing him but he remains alive today at age 57. As for Jerry Quarry, boxing fans ...

Bald headed Ernie Shavers was a tough nasty fighter who either scored a KO or TKO to all but two of his first 15 opponents to open his career. After getting knocked out by Ron Stander on May 11, 1970, Shavers would win his next 33 fights in a row until he lost by TKO in the first round to the aforementioned Jerry Quarry. His peers say he was the hardest hitting opponent they fa ...

Leon Spinks may very well be the worst of the fighters listed in this article, a fly-by-night heavyweight champion that shocked the world by beating Muhammad Ali but in a near-immediate rematch was completely embarrassed losing the title back to Ali. With just 46 fights in his career, Spinks lost 17 times and was knocked out nine times. Incredibly, after just seven professional ...

“The Bayonne Bleeder” was the nickname for Wepner and he once tried to sue Sylvester Stallone saying that the “Rocky” character was based on his life. Wepner was a scrapper and had as much heart as any fighter you could find. He was rugged and tough but not a great boxer. But to watch his efforts and how hard he fought made him an attraction. His final record was a respectable ...