mike dunn

Faster, younger Floyd too much for aging Oscar

by Mike Dunn - There hasn't been as much buzz about a non-heavyweight fight like this for a long time, at least since Oscar De La Hoya took on the unbeaten Felix Trinidad in 1999. Oscar vs. Floyd actually goes beyond that, though. It reminds me of th...

40th Anniversary: Ali vs. Chuvalo

It was 40 years ago this week that Muhammad Ali put the heavyweight title on the line against the rugged Canadian George Chuvalo. The bout took place on March 29, 1966 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and Ali won a lopsided 15-round decision.

The Clay-Liston Fights - Fake or Legitimate?

Did Sonny Liston throw one or both of his fights with Cassius Clay? A lot of people think so, including boxing insiders. Many others don't believe it. Some think Liston may have thrown the second fight in Lewiston, Maine, but not the first one....

Fortune Smiled Upon Jimmy Ellis

The reign of Jimmy Ellis as World Boxing Association heavyweight champion is a testimony to the wonders of Providence.

When Fitz Defended Against Jeff

When Bob Fitzsimmons defended the heavyweight championship of the world against challenger Jim Jeffries on June 9, 1899, at Brooklyn’s Coney Island Athletic Club, Fitz had big advantages in certain key areas.

Archie Moore's Most Memorable Triumph

He was just three days away from his 45th birthday, on the downside of one of the truly remarkable careers the sport of boxing has ever seen. When he entered the ring that was set up in the Montreal Forum that cold December night in 1958, light-heavy...

When Dempsey Kayoed Sharkey and Whipped Father Time

It shouldn’t have ended the way it did. Not at that juncture of their careers. In July of 1927, aspiring heavyweight contender Jack Sharkey should have had his way with former champ Jack Dempsey. He should have either knocked out the aging former...

Ernie Terrell, Overshadowed Heavyweight Champion

In one sense, Ernie Terrell came along at the perfect time. In another sense, the timing of the angular heavyweight boxer with the long left jab and frustrating if not crowd-pleasing style couldn't have been worse.

Louis, Baer and The World of Boxing in The Summer of 1935

It was the summer of 1935 and the stage was set for boxing’s next million-dollar gate. Joe Louis, the promising young knockout puncher from Detroit, had made a name for himself with 23 straight victories and 18 knockouts in just a year‘s campaigning...

When Henry Cooper Nearly Derailed Cassius Clay's Title Hopes

British boxing legend Henry Cooper is still remembered for it. More than 41 years after the fact, Cooper remains a beloved figure in his native England and when fans reminisce about old ’Enery, they talk about the potent left hook he landed to the ja...

The Troubled Life And Sad Legacy Of Sonny Liston

For those interested in knowing more about the life and times of one of the most enigmatic and troubled heavyweight champs, the book "The Devil and Sonny Liston," by Nick Tosches (Copyright 2000, published by Little, Brown and Company), is a wealth o...

Clay vs. Jones, The Myths and The Facts

Few fights have generated more myths than the March 13, 1963 bout at Madison Square Garden between heavyweight contenders Cassius Clay and Doug Jones. To hear some people tell it, Clay was given a gift decision. Jones kept hurting him with rights, th...

The Clay-Liston Fights - Fake or Legitimate?

Did Sonny Liston throw one or both of his fights with Cassius Clay? A lot of people think so, including boxing insiders. Many others don't believe it. Some think Liston may have thrown the second fight in Lewiston, Maine, but not the first one.

The Post-Tyson State of Boxing

Now that Mike Tyson has lost convincingly to Danny Williams, a heretofore little-known British heavyweight who would have been mere cannon fodder for Tyson in his heyday, what happens next? I don¹t mean for Tyson, who should permanently retire, but f...