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.

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.

Author: Sean Crose

They said both men had their best years behind them. Sure, they both achieved glory in the ring, but never against each other. We’re told it’s a little disappointing that things have taken so long, but at least we finally got to see how two legends perform in the ring – albeit after the deadline. I’m, of course, talking about the iconic middleweight title fight that took place in April 1987 between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard. Humorous how Hagler and Leonard, both in great shape, were perceived as having already reached their deadlines before the fight. What’s even funnier is that no one is looking at the Hagler-Leonard fight right now, which Leonard ended up winning by a close, controversial decision since it came on the scene a bit delayed.

The news that former heavyweight champions – as well as fellow Brits – Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua will finally fight has sparked similar sentiments online, with the opinion being: “Of course, it’s great, but it’s a shame it didn’t happen sooner.” The truth is that if Fury-Joshua, who is officially scheduled to be knocked down before the end of the year, turns out to be an excellent fight, no one will care where in their career or calendar each fighter was when the final bell rang. No one mentions Leonard and Hagler’s age when they fought. The same could be said for Leonard’s rematch with Tommy Hearns two years later (which also turned out to be an excellent and controversial fight). Good fights overcome a lot of the little things.

That doesn’t mean, of course, that this fight could have ended years ago, when each fighter was younger and smarter. But sometimes you take what you can get if it’s still something worth appreciating. The reality is that if Leonard hadn’t been retired for years before the Hagler fight, and Hagler hadn’t come out of two brutal wars of attrition (against Hearns and John “The Beast” Mugabi, respectively) before the Leonard fight, then their 1987 battle might have been different – or maybe not. Boxing is a sport full of “what if?” What if Ali had not been stripped of his belt? What if the younger Louis had come face to face with Marciano? What if Floyd and Manny had managed to do it in 2010 instead of 2015?

We don’t know the answers to these questions, and as tempting as they are, such questions tend to fade into slim air. Why? Because substantial fights embody the appeal of boxing, which is simply about determining who is the best of two fighters. And let’s face it, you’re curious who is the better of the two in this case. If it weren’t, you probably wouldn’t be reading this column. In tiny, Fury-Joshua has the makings of a good fight. Both warriors are powerful physical specimens with the power of combustion. Each fighter can also change styles to adapt to a given opponent. Joshua defeated Ruiz in their second fight, outboxing his man. Fury defeated Deontay Wilder in their second fight, beating his fighter.

However, there is one caveat to all this, and that is the fact that Joshua will fight a well-seasoned fight in July in Saudi Arabia against the widely unknown Kristian Prenga. It’s understandable that Joshua has decided to make a change at this point in his career. Last winter he survived a earnest car accident in which two people lost their lives. Let me repeat: it is understandable that the man would want a rematch before the fight with Fury. Supposedly, basic fights can go south after all. Larry Holmes was about to face Gerry Cooney in the mega-age when he was almost knocked out by Renaldo Snipes. Holmes got up from the mat and defeated Snipes and (later) Cooney. Still, the fight with Snipes was too close for comfort.

A much more close confrontation occurred a few years ago when Fury was shockingly knocked down by MMA star and boxing novice Francis Ngannou. Like Holmes, Fury got back up and managed to win the fight (which is somewhat controversial), but for a man hoping to fight Olyksandr Usyk, it wasn’t a good night for the fighter known as The Gypsy King. With this in mind, it is highly unlikely that Joshua will lose to Prenga this summer. After all, Joshua is a earnest man and the stakes are simply too high. However, all this shows how uncertain the sport of boxing can be. Fury and Joshua were said to be on the verge of facing off in 2021, but the referee ruled that Fury would have to face Deontay Wilder instead. And although Fury won, Joshua ultimately lost to Oleksandr Usyk before facing Fury in the ring.

Now it looks like the two men are finally reconciling. It may not carry the same weight as Fury’s fight with Joshua all those years ago, but as they say, better delayed than never.

Zuffa Boxing kicks off its UK run with a main event that puts two contenders close to title chances. Will Billam-Smith be able to maintain his position as a striker who comes forward and shoots with bad intentions, or will Rozicki break through and push his name to the top of the league?

Billam-Smith (21-2, 13 KO) knows the place and knows how to fight a 12-round fight in front of an audience. At his best, he tightens the space, exercises the body and makes opponents fight at a pace they don’t want.

Rozicki (21-1-1, 20 KO) presents a different view. He comes in, lets go of his hands and forces an exchange of words. Eighteen of his knockouts came within three rounds, which says everything about his approach. He throws to hurt and will test Billam-Smith’s chin early.

Chris Billam-Smith said: “I’m coming home. This is a huge opportunity for me to stand in front of my amazing supporters. Sky Sports knows how amazing these fight nights in Bournemouth are and this one will be no different.”

Ryan Rozicki added: “It’s a tough fight and that’s what I wanted when I signed with Zuffa Boxing. I know what he brings and I respect that. But he hasn’t fought someone like me there. I’m focused on my job, taking it one day at a time and I’ll be ready for fight night. The fans will have a real fight.”

Billam-Smith needs to show he can withstand pressure without taking shots, and Rozicki needs to prove his strength can withstand a fight with a fighter who can take him the distance.

The result will decide who will fight for the cruiserweight title.