Years pass and memories fade, or at least some of them. It was 18 years ago that this writer had the absolute privilege of sitting ringside for a fight that everyone knew would be special. As it turned out, no one knew how special he was. And as far as memory goes, the war, slugfest, classic – call it what you want – that Jamie Moore and Matthew Macklin put on when they fought at light-middleweight/154 pounds still resonates powerfully today.

How could it not be?

It was a scorching and steamy night at a packed George Carnall Recreation Center on September 29, 2006, and the fight had long since sold out (in retrospect, this epic should have been fought in front of a much larger crowd, but the fact that it did was not , gave/gives those who were there a huge “I was there” – they claim, along with a treasured memory). Moore, the defending British champion, gave his all against challenger Macklin, who stripped himself of himself that night and his effort was simply mesmerizing.

Southpaw Moore was 24-3 and Macklin was 17-1. Moore was 27, Macklin 24.

Together they fought a fight that would forever secure their place in British boxing tradition.

Macklin, trained by Billy Graham (remember Ricky Hatton who was there that night), came out, as it was written at the time, “like a train that had lost control of its brakes” and continued to attack: on and on…. But Moore, trained by Oliver Harrison, a little smarter, a little smarter and a lot more experienced than Macklin, pulled up, fought against the ropes, fired off some pointed, grueling counterattacks. Macklin told the writer many years after the war that he “fought with his heart in the third round.”

Indeed, the scorching pace set by Macklin was fit for nowhere other than the depths of hell. Both men will pay for the cruel skin they have put on their hands. At times, “Mooresy” felt like a punch or two, a way to overwhelm, and maybe stop. But every time danger loomed – and it did visit both corners many times – Moore would pull him in, maybe drop the ropes or spin his man to the center of the ring and regain control.

And finally, inevitably, Macklin’s hourglass emptied, so slowly and so painfully, to the benefit of the warrior and his followers. There were two, maybe three rounds that were Round of the Year material, and until the very end no one was sure who would win. Ultimately, the fight ended brutally when Moore scorched Macklin with a brutal two-punch combination upstairs, and a final left hand from the defending champion left Macklin face down on the canvas.

And just like that, although Macklin seemed moved, the previously swaying crowd fell hushed. Deafening. The sound of silence hit us all for a while. Fortunately, as we know, Matt was fine and his career continued and he was involved in several bigger fights. Over time, the two would work together; this added to the “it was a British Gatti-Ward” speech that had already started circulating that evening due to the great action.

Neither Moore nor Macklin ever became world champion. It doesn’t really matter. Together these two proud, fiercely determined, brave, courageous and fierce warriors will fight in a fight that is one of the best and greatest ever seen in a British ring.

Without a doubt, Moore KO 10 Macklin is by far the greatest, most stimulating and most memorable fight this writer has ever had, and let’s say it again, a privilege to be right there in front of it!

Eighteen years have passed and this fight still sends shivers down your spine.

As winner Moore said years after the fight, “I wish I was a fan of that fight at ringside!”

It was 38, a long time ago, when mighty underdog Lloyd Honeyghan won what was then called a “miracle victory”. After Honeyghan, whether he was an 8/1 underdog, a 9/1 underdog or a 10/1 dog, there was, literally, dancing on the streets of Britain, Donald Curry took the spotlight.

According to most experts, Curry was not only the welterweight king, but also the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport at the time. What’s more, Curry, a perfect 25-0, was called “the next Sugar Ray Leonard.” Instead, Honeyghan became British boxing’s biggest star and a fresh sensation, weighing in at 147 pounds.

The fight took place in Atlantic City, and although “Ragamuffin Man” Honeyghan was also unblemished at 27-0, the Jamaican-born Briton had never faced anyone as good and unique as the Texas Curry. Special? Curry fell just tiny of the keen and chilling Milton McCrory, and some say this two-round victory already cemented Curry’s greatness. Damn, Curry was so good, so talented; his statement about increasing weight to challenge middleweight ruler Marvelous Marvin Hagler was taken very seriously.

But now, against the seemingly caring Honeyghan, Curry was to be annihilated. And he fell in on the way.

Curry may have struggled to reach the welterweight limit, but nothing – nothing – could or can be taken away from the great challenge he presented to the challenger. In tiny, Honeyghan’s speedy, relentless, often street-fighting approach was something Curry’s superior boxing brain couldn’t calculate. It was, to the surprise of all boxing, a beating. And Curry was taking it.

After throwing in a few cigarette butts for good measure, Honeyghan had beaten and bloodied the champion, and Curry’s reputation meant nothing to Lloyd. Curry couldn’t get into his rhythm……No, he couldn’t get into any kind of rhythm. It was stunning. After six rounds, most of which were led by Honeyghan, Curry elected to remain on the stool; the fight completely knocked him out. The fresh King Honeyghan fell to the mat in pure elation and joy.

The shrewd Micky Duff, Honeyghan’s manager, knew he would soon be heading to the bookies to claim his fortune as Duff had placed a large bet on his guy to win.

Honeyghan, the fresh bad boy of the sport and one of the most entertaining players, caused the biggest away upset ever scored by a British player. After all these years, Honeyghan’s completely unexpected victory is still being celebrated.

When it comes to the biggest upset ever suffered by a British boxer, that distinction goes to Randy Turpin’s monstrous victory over Sugar Ray Robinson in London in 1951. But the greatest victory ever achieved by a Briton in America, well, that title remains today with Honeyghan WRTD6 Curry.

And it’s quite possible that nothing will ever beat it.

There is an article on the WBN (World Boxing News) website and some material on Facebook (Tony Holden, who previously promoted Tommy and considers him a friend) that argues that the overdue powerhouse Tommy Morrison, who won the WBO heavyweight title in 1993, should at least be on the Hall of Fame ballot.

In an article written by Phil Jay, he wonders aloud why Tommy was never eligible for office (and compares the fact that Morrison wasn’t on the ballot to the embarrassing absence of a certain Vinny Paz from the HOF).

That’s a good question. Is Tommy Morrison worthy of induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame?

When you consider Tommy’s skill set, his excitement value, and most importantly, his wins over quality opponents (after all, there have been many great and thrilling boxers in boxing, none of whom were HOF material simply because they could never defeat an elite opponent) – you can see that “The Prince” may be up to the task.

To consider:

Morrison had victories over George Foreman (a Hall of Fame star), Donovan “Razor” Ruddock, Carl Williams, Joe Hipp (a damn faint one), and the faded James Tillis and Pinklon Thomas.

Two of those victories are of course the standouts. Morrison beat “Gigantic George” to win the WBO heavyweight title in the process, and Tommy used a lot of movement, skill and cunning to stay one step ahead of Foreman most of the time, and when the huge shot landed, Morrison took it. Well, Tommy also took one of the most incredible heavyweight wars of the 90s, full of knockdowns and momentum swings. The huge win over Ruddock in 1995 really put Morrison on the points.

Or does?

To consider:

Tommy fell victim to one of the nastiest and most chilling knockouts of the 90s, when Ray Mercer unleashed a barrage of shots while Morrison was defenseless on the ropes. For some, Morrison’s bubble as a handsome puncher/part-time movie star (“Rocky V”) and his hype job had truly burst. Later in his career, Morrison was quickly eliminated by Michael Bentt, recovered from two knockdowns to draw Ross Puritty, and Tommy was stopped one-sidedly by Lennox Lewis. But that lumps all of Tommy’s losses together. It should be noted, of course, that Morrison, showing real strength of character, returned from his defeat to Mercer to fight the real pain of beating Joe Hipp. After Bentt and Puritty argued, Tommy returned to stop Ruddock.

Add it all up and yes, Tommy deserves a place in the Hall. Well, maybe. Certainly as much as a brutal guy like Ricky Hatton deserves. Some fans argue that the entry level to the HOF has fallen or been lowered over the years. Maybe so. But fighters like Tommy Morrison fought with pure courage and heart every time. And that’s saying something. At least that should be enough.