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He crashed Bowe vs Holyfield and everything fell apart

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Fan Man crashes into ring during Bowe vs Holyfield fight in 1993

The man known as “Fan Man” became boxing’s strangest punch line – but the ending wasn’t witty at all.

As a teenager, watching what looked like an unidentified flying object hurtling towards the ring, causing instant chaos, was something that had never been seen before. Two feet dangling in the air before he plummeted downwards with what looked like a huge office fan strapped to his back, it was one of those moments that could only happen in a cubicle.

What followed wasn’t confusion – it was panic.

Judy Bowe, six months pregnant and sitting at ringside, heard the overhead lights crackling and thought it was gunshots. Debris fell from above as the scene around her crumbled. She fainted and was taken away in an ambulance, Reverend Jesse Jackson holding her hand while Riddick Bowe stood in the ring, not knowing whether to stay or leave.

For a moment, no one knew whether they were watching a fight or something much worse.

“It was a mess,” Bowe’s manager Rock Newman said later, and it barely scratched him. Fans rose to their feet, security moved in, and a man who had just fallen out of the sky was dragged into the crowd and beaten when his parachute broke free from the overhead lights.

HBO’s Jim Lampley called it a “disruption monster.” He wasn’t exaggerating.

Nobody saw him coming. Some people thought it was part of the show. Actress Demi Moore even leaned in and asked if it was planned. This did not happen.

It seemed like a joke to me at the time. There wasn’t one left.

James Miller circled Caesars Palace for a few minutes before walking straight into the biggest fight of the night. His legs got caught in the ropes, the canopy got tangled in the rigging, and within seconds, the heavyweight title rematch between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield turned into something no one in boxing had ever seen.

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Referee Mills Lane stopped the action at 1:50 of the seventh. What should have been a routine round turned out to be a 21-minute delay as the judges tried to figure out what to do next.

“There is nothing in the regulations about this,” admitted the head of the Nevada state commission, Marc Ratner.

Finally the fighting resumed. Holyfield won by majority vote, avenging his loss and regaining the titles.

But the fight was no longer the whole story.

The man at the center of things walked away with a novel nickname – “Fan Man” – and took his place in boxing folklore. He joked that he was the only one who got knocked out that night. For a while, that was it – a clip, a replay, something weird to laugh about between rounds.

This wasn’t the end.

A few weeks later, Miller flew over an NFL playoff game and then traveled to England, where he broadcast a football game and even landed near Buckingham Palace before being imprisoned and deported. Each feat pushed the envelope a little further without really explaining why.

Things weren’t the same away from the cameras.

Health problems took away the flying that defined him. Coronary heart disease, surgeries and mounting medical bills forced him to close his business. The man who fell out of the sky in a world title fight has been grounded for good.

In September 2002, he drove into the Alaskan desert and disappeared.

A few months later, hunters found his body deep off the trail. He took his own life. He was 38 years venerable.

His girlfriend was pregnant at the time. Their son was born before he was found.

For most, “Fan Man” remains a clip – a strange interlude played between rounds of the heavyweight classic.

The fall wasn’t that story. What happened next was more significant.


About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

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Adrien Broner says he needs one more title before he retires

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Image: Adrien Broner Says He Needs “1 More World Title” Before Retirement

During the same broadcast, Broner repeatedly alluded to his upcoming return and training plans.

“We’re going to the gym tomorrow morning,” Broner said.

At another point during the live broadcast, Broner reminded viewers that despite the party atmosphere surrounding the trip, he still had a fight ahead of him.

“Hey SSB. I had a full fight on Saturday,” Broner said. “Bro, focus, man.”

Broner also claimed to have maintained discipline throughout the day.

“Sober all day, I talk,” he said.

However, later in the broadcast, Broner admitted that it might not last long.

“I don’t think I’ll stay sober, gang. I won’t lie.”

The comments summarized the same tensions that have dogged Broner throughout the second half of his career. There is still confidence and faith in another comeback, but also the distractions and unpredictability that have repeatedly hampered its dynamics over the past few years.

Broner has made it clear that he is not thinking about retirement yet. The former champion says his goal remains to win one more world title before he leaves boxing for good.

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Zab Judah Sees Only One Winner in Devin Haney vs. Keyshawn Davis Fight: ‘No Disrespect’

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Zab Judah sees only one winner in Devin Haney vs Keyshawn Davis fight: “No disrespect”

Rumors of a fight between Devin Haney and Keyshawn Davis have surfaced once again, but if that fight were to happen, two-division world champion Zab Judah admitted he only sees one winner.

After this fight, Davis challenged Haney to fight for Haney’s WBO welterweight world title in January by knocking out Jamaine Ortiz and although the master seemed interested at first, whispers of their potential meeting soon died down.

But after Davis won a unanimous decision in his rematch with Nahir Albright on Saturday, Haney took to social media to renew his interest in facing the Norfolk-born former WBO lightweight champion.

Although talking to MillCity BoxingJudah, who is Haney’s godfather, stated that he does not see Davis beating “The Dream” at welterweight, where the champion’s greater size would make him the favorite.

“I like Keyshawn, Keyshawn is a great fighter. I thought he had a great performance last night, but Keyshawn can’t beat Devin. No way, not now, not at 147 pounds – no way.”

“No disrespect and no looking at Keyshawn, he’s my little man, I rock with him, but based on what we saw last night, I don’t know. [if he can beat Haney]”

“I wouldn’t say it’s an basic job, but I would just say it’s food and we’re going to eat it.”

Haney has been linked to a rematch with Ryan Garcia, who is now scheduled to face Conor Benn instead, making Davis the favorite to make Haney’s first defense since becoming the 147-pound world champion.

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Keyshawn Davis Says Devin Haney Is ‘One Step Below Perfect’

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Image: Brian Norman Jr.: Where Has the “Savage” Spark Gone?

“And as far as his skills go, I think he’s just one step away from being perfect. He does everything well,” Keyshawn said. “He doesn’t have anything great in his arsenal. Everything is just fine. That’s good. That’s good. That’s good. Which makes him a good fighter. But he’s just not among the elite of the elite.”

The comments came during an appearance on the “What’s Up That Podcast,” where Davis spent much of the interview discussing Haney, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and the effects of losing weight following his canceled fight with Edwin De Los Santos last year.

Keyshawn said he approached Bill Haney earlier this year about making this fight happen, but he believes the other side has gone serene since then.

“You may have seen this video before. Me and Shakur walked up to Bill at the weigh-in for the last fight in January. Long story brief, I thought, ‘Hey, we’re going to fight this year, right?’ He said, ‘Man, mind your own business.’ I said, “I’ll mind my own business.” Will we fight this year? He said, “Just keep your word after the fight.”

Davis then said:

“Why don’t I fight Devin now after the fight? If you want to call it a duck, call it a duck.”

He also asked if Haney has looked the same since his loss to Ryan Garcia.

“Don’t you think he’s the same? The world doesn’t think he’s the same.”

Still, Davis acknowledged that Haney showed toughness by continuing to get up during the Garcia fight.

“I have a lot of respect for him as a player. Fuck, it’s not basic to come back from that.”

The interview moved on to several possible future fights, including fights with Haney, Conor Benn, Tank Davis, and even boxing events with influential people. Keyshawn has repeatedly said he wants the biggest fights available and claimed fans are already demanding a tougher pushback against him.

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