68) Ezzard Charles II KO7: US Fight Commentary TV - Ringside: Top Ten Heavyweights TV -
v Ezzard Charles II 18th July 1951 Pennsylvania: [r7] ... The fight is dead even here in round seven. A crushing right sends Charles sprawling. US fight commentary
70) Rocky Marciano Lost KO13: US Fight Commentary TV - Mills Lane - Jersey Joe Walcott - Don Dunphy - Bert Randolph Sugar -
v Jersey Joe Walcott 23rd September 1952 Municipal Stadium Philadelphia Heavyweight [r1] … Marciano staggered with a sharp right. Down from a left hook! ... [r13] ... There’s a right hand! Walcott! And Rocky Marciano is the Heavyweight champion of the world! Rocky Marciano! A beautiful right hand punch ... turned Joe upside down. Rocky Marciano! US fight commentary
Tremendous contrast in styles. Mills Lane
Rocky had a tremendous chin but he definitely knew he’d been hit. Mills Lane
Boxing is all profession. On the night of the fight naturally we looked at each other and tried to kill each other. But after the fight is over we become human beings and disparate American citizens. Jersey Joe Walcott, interview The Main Event
Walcott was a superb heavyweight. He gave Marciano such a beating. And I didn’t think Rocky would be able to come out for the thirteenth round. Don Dunphy, broadcaster
The greatest single punch I ever remember. Don Dunphy
Walcott got hit with a sledgehammer. He might still be lying there for all I know. Bert Randolph Sugar
71) Rocky Marciano Lost KO1: US Fight Commentary TV -
v Jersey Joe Walcott 15th May 1953 Chicago Heavyweight [r1] ... A minute to go in round one. It’s all over. US fight commentary
[8.6] OLEKSANDR USYK 18-18(13)-0 [Heavyweight & Cruiserweight] ESPN online - Guardian online
Why Oleksandr Usyk is the best cruiserweight of all time: As far as the cruiserweight division goes, however, Holyfield now has company in the discussion of best ever thanks to yet another superlative performance from Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk, who came into the pros in 2013 after winning the Olympic gold medal in 2012 and has trumped Holyfield time and again.
Holyfield’s first title win over Qawi came in his 12th fight and stood as the record for fewest needed to win a cruiserweight belt for 30 years – until Usyk did it in his 10th fight with a decision over Krzysztof Glowacki on Glowacki’s turf in Poland in 2016.
Usyk’s resume in the division has now also exceeded Holyfield’s as he has made six defenses, all on the road and all against legitimate contenders or titleholders.
He defended against Thabiso Mchunu and Michael Hunter in the United States and then entered the first season of the World Boxing Super Series in which he knocked out Huck in his hometown of Berlin, Germany, in the quarterfinals. He traveled to Mairis Briedis’ hometown of Riga, Latvia, and outpointed him to unify two belts in the semifinals, and then traveled to Murat Gassiev’s home country of Russia in July and cruised to a near-shutout in a brilliant performance to win the tournament and take his two belts. That made Usyk the third undisputed cruiserweight world champion (Holyfield and Bell in 2006 are the others) but the first of the four-belt era.
Usyk’s memorable encore came on Saturday, once again on the road, in Manchester, England, the home country of former titlist Tony Bellew, who was returning to the division after two knockout wins at heavyweight against Haye for what he said would be his final fight – win, lose or draw.
Bellew put on a good performance. He won some rounds and gave it his all. But in the end, the supremely skilled and physically gifted Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs), 31, a southpaw, turned out the lights with a spectacular one-punch knockout with a left hand that dropped Bellew (30-3-1, 20 KOs), 35, spreadeagle with his head resting on the bottom ring rope for a knockout at 2 minutes of the eighth round.
It was a sensational ending to what has been a history-making cruiserweight run for Usyk, who has established himself as the best cruiserweight ever. He locked up 2018 fighter of the year honors and has set the stage for a move to heavyweight – and a likely eventual showdown with unified titlist Anthony Joshua – where he can chase Holyfield’s considerable accomplishments there too. ESPN online article Dan Rafael 12th November 2018
Brilliant Oleksandr Usyk brings down the curtain on Tony Bellew: ‘He’s a great big champion and I lost to a fine man,’ the 35-year-old Bellew said in centre ring, to sustained applause. Usyk threw barely a blow in the first six minutes, while Bellew – the fittest of his 11-year career at just under the 14st 4lb limit – edged the first on workrate and landed heavy headshots in the second.
The champion, egged on by his impatient challenger, came out of his southpaw shell in the third but paid for it with heavy Bellew counters over the top of his right lead. The Liverpudlian, a decent amateur himself, outboxed the Olympic gold medallist, to the astonishment of many ringside observers including Tommy Hearns.
Bellew got the row he wanted in the fourth, stopping a stiff right then swinging back hard, sometimes wildly, and had Usyk under pressure near the bell, relaxed enough to showboat by resting on the ropes.
There was both method and danger in Bellew’s game of cat-and-mouse but he oozed confidence, moving smartly and peppering the champion with body shots. As he added feints and double jabs to his attack, he looked far from the outclassed underdog, while Usyk, his matted hair cut short across his prominent brow, had the appearance of an archetypal eastern European Bond villain.
Usyk was warming to his task as they got to the halfway stage, his jab now landing more frequently, but there was Usyk, needing to take more risks, kept rumbling forward with intent, but was wary of Bellew’s countering right, even when he trapped him in a neutral corner, and again he let the points slip.
Bellew was blinking through the sweat at the start of the eighth and his energy level appeared to slip as he waited for one big shot, but found himself on the end of some major artillery, the last of which was a left hook he will only ever see on a replay. He dropped to the canvas like a stunned bull, and his longtime trainer and friend, David Coldwell, stepped in to comfort his man, a worthy loser who never gave anything less than his best. Guardian online article Kevin Mitchell 10 November
[8.5] JOHNNY NELSON 59-45(29)-12-2 [Cruiserweight & Heavyweight]: Johnny Nelson: Sporting Triumphs TV - Ring TV online -
I was a terrible coward when it came to fighting … I was very shy. Johnny Nelson: Sporting Triumphs, Spy Sports 2017
When I first started I was terrible. ibid.
I’m thinking, I’ll get to five; if I haven’t won one I’m definitely packing it in. ibid.
‘Johnny Nelson fighting like a pacifist here tonight.’ ibid. fight commentary v Waring
I now believe in myself: the problem is nobody else did. ibid.
Frank [Bruno] had a £1 bet I would lose! ibid.
‘This is a much much different Johnny Nelson.’ ibid. fight commentary v Carl Thompson
Won a world title, made 13 defences and retired as champion. ibid.
Former WBO cruiserweight titleholder Johnny Nelson was one of boxing’s most unlikely world champions. With minimal amateur experience, he learned on the job and went on to become the longest reigning cruiserweight champion in history.
Nelson was born in Sheffield, England in January 1967. He was from a family of six and attended a Catholic school, which he left without qualifications.
‘I didn’t find boxing, boxing found me,’ Nelson told RingTV online. ‘I wasn’t an aggressive person. I wasn’t a tough man. I was just a man in a tough job. I only boxed because my mates did. It’s where my social circle was. I never actually wanted to fight. I just wanted to train at the gym with the boys.
The downside was I had to fight at the amateur shows. I had 13 amateur fights and only won three. I didn’t care when I lost.’
After boxing as an amateur for two years, Nelson elected to turn professional at 19 because he saw people getting paid.
‘[Trainer] Brendan [Ingle] always said I’d make a better professional than an amateur,’ recalled Nelson. ‘Everyone thought Brendan was crazy saying, ‘The kids useless, he’s no good.’ I thought, I’ll have five professional fights and if I don’t win one, I’ll get a proper job. I’ll apply for the police force.’
Nelson turned to the paid ranks and simultaneously held down three jobs. He lost his first three fights, however, one of those setbacks, against former amateur standout, Magne Havnaa, gave him confidence.