Potpourri: Unique In Boxing

[The Old LefHook]

We boxing fans have had our share, from the guy parchuting into the ring during Holyfield/Bowe, to Tyson Biting Holyfield's ear off. Holyfield may hold the distinction of being the only boxer to participate in at least two of these unique events.

Then of course we have Ingo's foot. I have never seen another foot quiver in the ring like the death throes.

A mother jumped in the ring and began beating her son's conquerer with her shoe.

We have probably had more than one double knockout, but they are rare, as I have never witnessed one live on the screen.

In one contest I witnessed, the ref jumped in to stop a fight, wrapping the loser up protectively on the ropes. In the meantime behind his back the loser had KO'd the victor cold with one punch just as the ref had acted. I think they kept the original victor. It seemed like a reasonable decision by the ref, who just acted at the wrong time.

Seen any unique stuff?

[Anthony342]

What's the official decision on a double knockout? A draw?

Anyway, off the top of my head, speaking of Rid**** Bowe, there was the debacle of the two Golota fights, especially the first, which broke out in a riot and in his fight with Elijah Tillery, Elijah all of a sudden thought it was a kickboxing match and threw a few kicks at Bowe, drawing a DQ and causing Rock Newman to pull him over the top rope out of the ring. I remember seeing the original airing of that episode of Tuesday Night Fights on USA. There was another Tyson fight where he got an opponent in a shoulder lock, but unfortunately this is boxing, not MMA, so no submissions are allowed. I believe he just got a warning for that though.

Wasn't Rahman or some guy in the late '90s or early aughts knocked out of the ring? Hopkins was knocked out of the ring in his final fight.

How about Panama Lewis giving Aaron Pryor an asthma tablet in his water to increase his lung capacity in the later rounds in the first Arguello fight or when Lewis removed most of the stuffing from Luis Resto's gloves, which was later found out and resulted in both Lewis and Resto doing prison time for assault and being banned for life from boxing?

Were Pep and Saddler known for fouling? I know they fouled the hell out of each other in their fights.

Can't really think of any others, except maybe Peter McNeely's corner coming in to stop the fight against Tyson, resulting in a DQ loss, instead of a TKO loss. Richard Steele missed some fouling in an early Pacquiao fight and a lot of knockdowns he scored were ruled slips, so it took longer for Manny to get the TKO, but at least he eventually did. Speaking of bad ref jobs, Walcott in the second Ali-Liston fight is the worst I've ever seen, but maybe some guys here can think of others as well.

Or what about when someone created some kind of seniors heavyweight belt for Larry Holmes' rematch with Bonecrusher Smith after both guys were way past their prime? Holmes vs. Butterbean for Holmes' final career fight. WWF doing the Brawl for All tournament, having pro wrestlers fight for real in a tournament that went on for months. The winner had the honor of getting KTFO by Butterbean in the second round that year at Wrestlemania. I mention it here because it was a real fight and not a work, like Ali or Mayweather's appearances at Wrestlemania. Or any boxing match involving Mickey Rourke or Mark Gastineau probably had their share of craziness as well.

[escudo]

We boxing fans have had our share, from the guy parchuting into the ring during Holyfield/Bowe, to Tyson Biting Holyfield's ear off. Holyfield may hold the distinction of being the only boxer to participate in at least two of these unique events.

Then of course we have Ingo's foot. I have never seen another foot quiver in the ring like the death throes.

A mother jumped in the ring and began beating her son's conquerer with her shoe.

We have probably had more than one double knockout, but they are rare, as I have never witnessed one live on the screen.

In one contest I witnessed, the ref jumped in to stop a fight, wrapping the loser up protectively on the ropes. In the meantime behind his back the loser had KO'd the victor cold with one punch just as the ref had acted. I think they kept the original victor. It seemed like a reasonable decision by the ref, who just acted at the wrong time.

Seen any unique stuff?

Bowe has to have the most bizzare career in the history of the sport. Fan man, several riots, beating a guy twice by getting hit in the sack. Weird stuff happened when Bowe fought.

Also Stoney getting kicked out Ruiz's corner wasn't seen before or to my knowledge since.

[TBear]

In one contest I witnessed, the ref jumped in to stop a fight, wrapping the loser up protectively on the ropes. In the meantime behind his back the loser had KO'd the victor cold with one punch just as the ref had acted. I think they kept the original victor. It seemed like a reasonable decision by the ref, who just acted at the wrong time.

John W. Meekins-Mohammed Kawoya on ESPN. I remember it well. They were supposed to have an immediate rematch but Kawoya pulled out and the veteran Saoul Mamby filled in losing a decision to Meekins.

[The Old LefHook]

Yes, it appears Bowe may have been in more unique incidents than even Holyfield. The foul Pole is a definite contender, too.

Cannot rule Dempsey out yet. 1 He had the bizzare stuff in the Willard fight where he left the ring early; 2 his knocking of Firpo from the ring is by far the most famous of that rare phenomenon; 3 his long count with Tunney is even more famous.

[GhostofDempsey]

I recall watching James Butler sucker punch Grant after he lost their fight. He walked over as if to congratulate him and then jacked him in the jaw, breaking his jaw in the process. When everyone in the boxing world demanded his license be pulled, Kellerman was the one to come to his defense insisting that his one "mistake" should not end his livelihood. Ironically, Butler was Kellerman's brother's roommate, and would go on to murder Max's brother with a hammer.

I recall watching Larry Holmes attack Trevor Berbick in the street in front of news cameras. He dove off the top of a car right onto Berbick.

There was Dallas Cowboys Ed "Too Tall" Jones short-lived six fight boxing career.

Ali's appearance on WWF vs. Gorilla Monsoon. Mayweather's appearance on WWE vs. Big Show.

Charley Burley taking a same-day notice to fight Archie Moore after his shift was over as an aircraft mechanic. He took a bus to the fight, dropped Moore a few times and won a points decision victory.

[Ray Corso]

My uncle Spike Marino once fought in Canada in the 1920's on a show when half the fighters couldn't get there due to a snow storm. He fought a 4 round preliminary opener giving away 15 pound , then a 6 rounder (even weight) and the 8 round semi which was changed to the main event giving away 25 pounds.
The time between the bouts was spent singing and dancing to give him a rest. He fought to a draw in the 4 rounder was knocked out of the ring in the 1st round of the 6th rounder and came back to KO the guy in the 2nd round. Then won the 8 rounder giving away 25 pounds.
They changed the dates in the record book to avoid suspensions and he used a fictitious name for the 8 rounder.
He was my mothers oldest sisters husband who my aunt managed and she traveled with him and worked his corners. She paid him a "fighters cut"! HA!

Talk about being tough? Drive through snow storms, then fight 18 rounds with 3 different men?

I remember him when I was a kid and every morning he added whiskey to his cereal & milk. About 5'3" and at his best 115lbs. I heard stories about him years later from Willie Pep and the Compo brothers and the great Lou Bogash too.
He was a real character, he was said to have fought under a few names and had a record of 30w-30l and over 15 draws! Fought from 1918 to 1930.

Ray

[Anthony342]

How about the Ali vs. Antonio Inoki boxing vs. wrestling debacle? And I say debacle because Ali and his people thought it would be a work, rather than a shoot or real fight and rules couldn't be agreed on, which is why Inoki just kept throwing leg kicks at Ali from the ground.

[Anthony342]

I saw some footage on youtube also of Judo Gene Lebell from about the mid '60s choking out a boxer in a mixed contest. They had a boxing ref for the fight, so he didn't know about submissions, which is why Gene had to choke the guy unconscious to win.

[The Old LefHook]

Lebell would have been a bad man to mess with.