In my career I had some great victories – Bernard Hopkins, Chris Eubank, Mikkel Kessler – But Jeff Lacy was the number 1. I was weaker – I was answered by the British press and the American press, who said that I intend to be knocked out – but everything combined for me and it became a turning point in my career.
I was 33 years aged and started fighting an injury, so fighting as I did: it was great to win, be a champion and put up a great performance that people remember.
In October 1997 I beat Eubank for the free title of Super Middleight WBO and, like every master, I wanted to unite 168 pounds, but unfortunately with boxing policy, fights, and the opponents wanted too much money that I could not. I boxed opponents such as Robin Reid, Richie Woodhall, Charles Brewer and Byron Mitchell as soon as they lost the titles when I had everything to lose and nothing to get.
Before Lacy was bothering Evans Ashira, I broke my hand very badly in the fourth round and fought with the last eight with one hand to win a unanimous decision. I remember how I felt very low, and then I had to listen to Gary Shaw, promoter Lacy, tearing out from America that I was a chicken.
I suppose that that’s why they came to Manchester to fight me: they thought it was over.
Everyone said Lacy was a fresh, super-medium version of Mike Tyson. He was very intimidating: he had six packages of the Sports Illustrated year and was an Olympian who knocked everyone and came to fight what they thought was an aging master. Robin Reida died, and people compared our fights, the second when I wounded my hand. It was a huge test for me: I thought it would be a tough fight, but my dad Enzo, who was also my trainer, thought it would be basic, that my speed and movement would be bambo.
I wanted to prove to everyone that being a WBO champion for nine years, I was number 1: not only the world champion, but the world champion. It was my first struggle of unification: I was very, very nervous about gathering, but my fear was never an opponent or he was hurt, he lost.
I ran at 1am 2am – the fight took place at 2 am – when it was quite shadowy and freezing, but my times: I didn’t run, I ran. I did a five -field run and my time was faster than ever before; My recovery was brilliant. I was wearing a suit and my dad followed me with a car with a car: I knew I was so productive.
Then I hurt my right wrist in pairing about eight, nine days before the fight and I was really stressed. I went to Harley Street in London to have an injection and I thought I would have to withdraw, worrying that he would go in the biggest fight in my life, but my dad said: “If you get a chance, he won’t come again. You must fight this fight: even with one hand.” It was all I had to hear.
A few days before the fight I woke up and there was snow outside. I love snow – it was simply surreal, I can’t explain it – I woke up, I was nervous, but something just raised me; I didn’t think about my wrist. My dad asked: “Are you okay, Joe?” Because he saw another person, there was no nerves. Then I just knew it was my time. A guy woke me up at night before fighting the mystification, saying: “Lacy will get you, Lacy will get you,” but I just laughed.
On the day of the fight I was early, as always. I tried to go back to sleep, but as soon as I closed my eyes, butterflies in the stomach. I was really tired during the day and thinking that ** t, I need a box And I’m impressed. “In the evening I went to the arena and yawned along the way, but as soon as you go – TV cameras are there; lights – adrenaline begins and wakes you.
I remember Lacy coming to the arena with his girlfriend and I thought it was a bit strange: for me it looked like a weakness. I liked to pretend, so I couldn’t be hand in hand with my girlfriend.
In the locker room it was relaxed; I had the same routine that I always did-my headphones, making robots-I remember that I felt very piercing, very swift and excited.
I felt incredibly going to the ring: I came to Spitfire, from the wonderful I loved. I liked climbing to the ring and I remember how I looked at him, trying to get eye contact: he had his great entourage there, when only I, my dad and my horns, and I sensed that he was nervous.
He caught me in the first round, but it didn’t move me at all. He charged every time, and I just threw combinations, sliding into the right, throwing myself every time he threw, and then landing four, five, six blows at once.
Calzaghe bamboo tumor in Manchester John Gichigi/Getty Images
My speed and movement bambo go bambo and my corners worked perfectly: he had no plan B. I think he was shocked how mighty I was – he said that I hit, well, I hit quite difficult – and I think he felt this power, and this is only combinations: hitting him, hitting him, hitting him. After a few rounds he was like a training bag and tried to land this one shot. I was a really high pace, but I knew I could continue it: I knew I was in this form and I had a good time.
Every time he hit me, it never hurt me: I had so much energy and so much will, everything that he threw from me. That night I felt like a superman – I think I would overcome every super-medium weight of every era-I felt good.
I didn’t think about my wrist either, because I hit it so cleanly and I didn’t really load myself. The plan was to utilize my speed and angles, so if you throw five, six, seven blows in one explosion, it will not hurt as it did if you are trying to land one shot.
Many of them are blur, but I remember how I was bossing in every round, and when he called, I always told him to walk around me or said something – “Yes, there are six of them left” – or you gave him a look or a smile. I threw so many blows and a condition in which I was mentally and physically: I could make 15 rounds at this pace. There were a few opportunities in which he could be stopped, like the end of the seventh, or when the judge, Raul Caiz Snr, helped him a bit, because the bandages on his wrist were a bit loose, or I would make him grab him, and he jumped and saved him, and I thought I would stop him in 11 and 12 rounds.
But I just remember that I was under full control. The fight went nice for me Quick: until the last round I was so concentrated. I remember that I wanted to stop him in 12th place, but he managed to hang there.
It would be much better for Lacy if it was stopped: I ruined his career that night. Psychologically, more than physically, he never recovered after the beating he received.
He was a warrior to stay in him for 12 rounds – if anything showed too much heart – and I respect him for it. It was there that his corner should pull him out: I thought they could do it at the end – he looked so depressed at the end of 10 and 11 – both his eyes were cut and swollen, and he did not know what such a round was.
I am glad that it went a distance: I liked 12 rounds. At the end I had such relief, an amazing feeling: I was always my worst critic, but I knew I did something special.
After almost withdrawing, so that it finally happened, against another master, it was just a stunning moment. It was also a debt collection for my father; Many people were unaware of him because he never boxed, but he was the best coach for me.
Later I received a huge cover and it was nice; Especially after writing back.
Thank you Gary Shaw and the people who put this fight.
Axis Kalambay at PTS 15 Iran Barkley Octabar 23 1987; Palazzo dello Sport, Livorno, Italy Kalambay’s Sumbay is often overlooked when historians call the best medium weights in the era of post-Marvin Hagler. But when someone thinks that Kalambay defeated Herola Graham (twice), Mike McCallum, Steve Collins and Iran Barkley, it is clear that he should not. The Italian silky idol was Muhammad Ali and against the free, gritty and strenuous (and let’s not forget, very good) Barkley, Kalambay showed his extensive repertoire in the last fight for the title WBA Middle Wweight to plan 15 rounds. More educational than exhilarating, Kalambay shows exactly why it was very arduous to beat to raise a free belt.
Do you know? The title of WBA was deprived of Hagler after he signed a contract for the fight with Sugar Ray Leonard instead of a compulsory pretender, Herol Graham. Kalambay upset Graham in the fight for the title of EBU – which was a crazy fight for a “bomber”, in retrospect – to get a shot in a free crown.
Watch out for: The operate of a left stabbaya is arduous to determine. At the end of the fight, Barkley is bruised, bloody and well beaten.
Boxing weight classes – except for natural growth – is rarely a recipe for success, as the aged maxim was revealed, “good” UN always beats a good diminutive “Un”. In October 1937, a 21-year-old warrior from Deptford mentioned Tommy Martin He decided to overthrow the general principle.
Less than two years earlier, Tommy was a welterweight. But now he was tailored to a heavyweight with Jim Wilde of Swansea, who weighed as much as 15. 5 pounds. According to press reports, Martin was two lighter, but his actual weight could be even lighter. “In the best part of my career I have never been more than in medium weight,” he said later. “I used to wear a belt around the waist equipped with lead weights to look heavier.”
Even more surprising is that Tommy was successful as a ponderous weight, winning the nickname “Great Britain Brown Bomber”, of course, a great bow to Joe Louis. Jim Wilde was heavily outlined by 10 rounds in Empress Hall to give Martin the first of many wins in ponderous weight. Tommy would prove that he is one of the best in the country in delicate and ponderous weight, but unfortunately as a man with a mixed race he could not box the British title due to the absurd “colorful bar” BBBOFC, which required the players from the players born in Great Britain with two white parents.
Born in reading in January 1916 in the White English Mother and Jamaican Father, Tommy moved with his family to Deptford in South London in 1917. At the age of 14 he escaped from home and got a job as a boy from boxing Billy Stewart, ultimately becoming a fighter. This and later experience at the Billy Wood stand gave Martin precise knowledge about boxing.
He had his first official professional in 1933, at the age of 17 and quickly developed a great CV won, from time to time a failure. His scalps in Welter and Middle Weighing included high -quality men, such as Harry Mason, Jack Lewis, Paul Schaeffer, Bill Hardy and Moe Moss. Until 1938 and 1939, Tommy’s Fighting Wage oscillated between a delicate and ponderous weight when he gathered a 15-handing series of wins with wins on how Frank Hough, Jack Hyams, Tino Rolando, Al Robinson and the future British heavyweight champion Jack London (to whom he gave the third Stone).
At the beginning of 1940, Tommy went to America for a campaign organized by manager Harry Levene. He made his debut in Los Angeles in April against the highly rated Bob Nestelle, who stopped Lee Ramage and King Levinsky. Martin shook his knee in the fight and lost points, but a month later Ko’dell in return. Another noteworthy victory from Tommy’s brief spell in the USA was Pat Valentino, who later challenged Ezzard Charles about the world -heavy crown. However, Martin’s most impressive victory was above Buddy Knox (then 102-11-8), who defeated the former world king Bob Olin. Tommy developed Knox in September 1940, but was overtaken in return.
Martin’s career seemed to sail on her American route. He had only three fights and lost them all: a point defeat in returning with Jacek London, stopping Freddie Mills and KO in the first round at the hands of the previous victim of Al Robinson. Tommy’s concentration turned to the war service. He served with RAF and then to a sales jacket, but was wounded by a torpedo explosion and hospitalized in Montreal. He lost, and then, after two operations, he regained his sight before he joined American maritime infantry soldiers. After leaving the services, Tommy moved to Hollywood and founded the gym, but later qualified as a physiotherapist and opened his practice in Novel York. After the wedding, he settled on the Virgin Islands, where he worked as a prison governor until his retirement. He died in 1987.
Marco Antonio Barrera in PTS 12 Johnny Tapia~ November 2, 2002; MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV This is not classic, but it is worth visiting again as a reminder of these two irresistible fighters. Barrera was probably the best at that time, while taping, try his best, he could not conjure up his highest form. Perhaps this partly applies to Barrera’s perfection, so natural, so bright in the ring, which did not allow the aging taps to be abutment. But Tapia, winning his first seven -digit payment day, showed a lot of classes. Ultimately, Barerra won the results of 118-110 twice and 116-112 to preserve his world championships in a featherweight.
Do you know? At the back of the shorts, Barrera was the name “tapia”. It was not, as it was often, a tribute to Johnny, but instead a tribute to his mother, whose maiden name was tapia.
Watch out for: Changing tactics from both. Tapia effectively falls into the opening round only so that Barrera changes the attack line. In the second half of the competition Tapia, a witness that it is sent, forces the exchange inside to refer to a larger (but not sufficient) success.
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