AUGUST 18, 1969 will be the 55th anniversary of my first professional boxing appearance. Unfortunately, I haven’t kept an exact count of how many times I’ve visited since then, but it’s secure to say that few people have visited more.

There were legendary fights that this writer watched from the stands, such as the Fight of the Century between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Roberto Duran lifting the world lightweight title from Ken Buchanan, and the miraculous comeback of Diego Corrales stopping Jose Luis Castillo. But this is the first show and the people who boxed during it will always hold a special place in my heart.

The modern Madison Square Garden had opened just over a year earlier. On this August Monday evening, it was still the Mecca of boxing. But not all performances in the hallowed arena were huge. Many relied solely on the live goal, even some at MSG.

All the men boxing that night had dreams. For some, fate will be kind. Others later went the wrong way. But on this night, they all had one thing in common: they were allowed to go as far as their in-ring talents would allow them. What happened next to some of the contestants on the show is fascinating to look back on.

There were 7,000 people in attendance at MSG that evening and the upper balcony was closed, meaning even the economical seats weren’t bad. Tickets ranged from $3 to $10. I sat in the $3 seats as a content teenager who was just content to be in the arena.

The main event of the evening was the fight between George Foreman and Chuck Wepner. More on this later. But this is the first professional match I’ve seen that stands out, between heavyweights Randy Neumann and Jeff Marx. It was won by a first-round knockout of Neumann, who was making his debut that evening. Neumann had a solid career, never achieving contender status but being in good company. He lost two of three fights to Chuck Wepner, beat Jimmy Youthful on his way to the top, and was brutally stopped in four rounds by Duane Bobick.

The highlight of Neumann’s career was probably his appearance in the MSG main event against Jerry Quarry on January 5, 1973, and he was stopped in seven rounds. He finished with a record of 31-7, 11 KOs. Neumann gained notoriety as a referee, working several crucial matches. Among my souvenirs is an autographed photo of Neumann, showing him standing over Marx with the words “You were there.”

As for Marks, he never boxed again, finishing 2-1, 2 KOs. Decades later, I talked to author Ron Ross and learned that he managed Marx. Ross planned a victory party for Marks after the fight, which for obvious reasons didn’t take place.

I don’t remember the exact order of the fights, but of the six fights shown in the program, there was one that I don’t remember at all. The welterweight fight between Angel Jose Ortiz and Juan Rueda ended in a four-round draw. Since I arrived at MSG on time, I have to assume it was a strike after the main event, which was common at the time. I may have seen it, but I don’t remember. In any case, neither of them made it far in their careers.

Novel York delicate heavyweights Angel Oquendo and Charley Devil Green fought a thrilling eight-round fight, which was a rematch from two years ago. Oquendo won this one and it seemed like he won this one too, but the judges thought otherwise. Green rocked Oquendo at one point, but I thought he looked overworked. Back then, fights in Novel York were scored based on rounds. I had it 5-2-1 for Oquendo, but Green managed to avoid a decision with a majority of 4-3-1, 4-3-1 and 4-4.

As for Oquendo, he became a respected journeyman, boxing 19 times over the next seven years before calling it a 27-20-1, 6 KO career. Oquendo mixed in elite company with the likes of Victor Galindez, Vicente Rondon and Marvin Camel, going the distance more often than not.

It is questionable whether Green should have been allowed to box Oquendo on the show. Just a month earlier, he had been knocked out in two rounds by Jose Torres in bizarre circumstances. Green was an emergency replacement that night for Jimmy Ralston, who left the arena and headed back to Buffalo mid-performance.

Green followed up his Oquendo win with several more, which earned him a spot in the main event at MSG against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. Green was stopped with a body shot in 10 rounds. This began a disastrous decline in both his professional and personal life. He never won another match, losing his last nine.

The last fight was against Larry Holmes, who stopped Green in one. Green’s final record was a misleading record of 13-15, 8 KOs, after losing his last nine fights. Outside the ring it was worse. In 1983, the drug-crazed Green was convicted of triple murder. He spent the rest of his life in prison and died in 2014 at the age of 75.

Undefeated in 19 fights, Garden matchmaker Teddy Brenner had huge plans for Puerto Rican heavyweight Pedro Agosto. These plans largely went to waste when the once potential Forest Ward landed miniature to the side of Agosto’s jaw, knocking him to his knee. Agosto stood up very unsteadily, jumping up and down, trying to get his legs straight.

But when the action resumed, he fell again just as Forrest attacked. At this point, referee Davey Feld stopped the match, much to the chagrin of Brenner, who felt he had abandoned the match too early. I remember thinking it was stopped sooner than it should have been, but not in such an egregious way.

Brenner never forgave Feld. When he learned that the referee had been assigned to officiate the Patterson-Green game, he used his influence on the committee to replace him. Furious, Feld refused to accept this and literally took matters into his own hands, heading to the ring in a referee’s uniform, determined to put up a fight. However, security intercepted Feld and carried him out of the ring. He never fought another fight.

Ward has never relied on results. Two months later, he was stopped by Canadian Bill Dover and retired with a record of 8-2-2.

As for Agosto, he was never the same, losing to Wepner before the end of the year, but managed to blend into elite company, being retained by the likes of Foreman, Patterson and Leon Spinks. Agosto’s final score was 28-14-1, 22 KOs.

A high-class competitor in eight rounds, Jeff Merritt overtook Henry Clark in eight rounds by scores of 6-2, 6-2 and 5-3 (same as me). The year before, Clark was a contender and some predicted he would beat Sonny Liston in the fight, but he was dominated and stopped after seven rounds.

From that point on, the California heavyweight became something of a journeyman goalie, racking up some handy victories, such as icing Merritt 47 seconds into the 1974 rematch, but being unable to compete with the division’s elite fighters like Ken Norton and Earnie Shavers. Clark retired with a record of 32-12-4, 9 KOs.

Merritt’s career turned out to be a great mystery. Promoted by Don King and serving as Muhammad Ali’s sparring partner, Merritt was a heavyweight with great potential who never quite broke through. Four years later, he stopped Ernie Terrell in the round at Madison Square Garden, but his defeat was due to problems with substance abuse. He never became a grave contender, ending his career with a record of 22-3-1, 17 KOs. Merritt just disappeared, a real loser.

Which brings us to the main event of Foreman vs. Wepner. It was Foreman’s fourth fight since turning professional two months earlier. Wepner was already a seasoned professional who had boxed 25 times, winning the most, but was outclassed against a superior opponent such as Buster Mathis, who stopped him in three.

As expected, the two met head-to-head from the opening bell of the scheduled eight-round fight. Foreman was very raw, but his talent level was clearly superior to Wepner, who was the prototypical club player at the time. True to his nickname, “Bleeder Bayonne,” Wepner was stopped in three rounds.

Foreman (76-5, 68 KO), of course, won the heavyweight division twice in dramatic fashion. He first knocked out Joe Frazier in 1973, which was considered a major upset at the time. His title loss to Ali in Zaire in 1974 is considered one of the more legendary fights in boxing history.

Foreman’s return from a 10-year absence from the ring, culminating in regaining the heavyweight title at the age of 45, is an inspiring story that is unparalleled. Who would have thought that the great, rugged heavyweight, then only 20 years venerable, would enjoy the status and popularity he eventually achieved. Ironically, Foreman made more money outside the ring as a pitcher for his barbecue machines than he ever made in it, selling his stake in the company for a reported $137 million.

Wepner’s tendency to cut back haunted him in subsequent fights, where he was stopped by Sonny Liston and Joe Bugner. Chuck was still considered a club fighter when he unexpectedly got the chance to win the heavyweight crown against Al in 1975. Rising to the challenge, Wepner had the fight of his life, but was unsuccessful as he was stopped with just 19 seconds to go. go in the 15th round.

A newborn actor, Sylvester Stallone, was sitting in the stands. He was so inspired by Wepner’s work that he wrote a screenplay based on it, which became the basis for the Oscar-winning film “Rocky”. If Wepner hadn’t boxed Ali and put in as much effort as he could, it’s more likely that the Rocky movies wouldn’t have been made at all. This in itself makes Wepner’s contribution to boxing legendary.

There’s something special about the first boxing show any of us ever attended. It stays with us for life.

MY thanks to the Welsh EBA Vice-President and Treasurer, Wynford Jones, for his extensive report on this year’s British Former Boxers Hall of Fame, held at the Mercure Holland House Hotel in Cardiff. An audience of almost 400 people enjoyed a “special and truly unforgettable” afternoon, organized by chairman Kevin Hayde, Wynford, secretary Cyril Thomas and committee member Dave Furnish – each of the inductees and/or their families and friends.

Mickey Carter was honored with the Amateur Boxer Award by John H. Stracey, MBE, his teammate at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, while Clinton McKenzie received the Contemporary Era Award from Colin Jones, MBE, one of his teammates at During the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Clinton also enjoyed a special performance of “Elated Birthday” (he turned 69 on Sunday, September 15).

Hall of Fame chairman John Conteh MBE presented James Cook MBE with the Contemporary Era award, while Anthony Crolla and Derek Williams received huge support in the same category.

The families of David Pearce (posthumously), Dai Dower MBE (Contemporary Era), Dave Coldwell (manager) and Alan Smith (professional trainer) were on hand – and, Wynford says, “it was great to see Harold Alderman, MBE and Miles Templeton (all services to boxing) honored for their enormous contribution to the sport.” Promoter Mark Neilson received the award from Nicky Piper MBE.

EBA Essex chairman Tommy Burling and Leeds stalwart Vince Campbell (both lifetime service providers to the EBA) were considered “popular recipients”. Lewis van Poetsch, who has now started a up-to-date career as a professional referee, has been introduced to the 100 Plus category.

“Other inductees,” Wynford said, “included the delayed, great Tommy Farr [Pioneer]Carl Frampton, MBE [Modern Era] AND [Central (Midlands) EBA Secretary] Paweł Nutting [Lifetime Services to EBAs]who unfortunately were unable to join us while the amateur team was larger with the introduction of Roy Williams [Boxer] and Freddie Barr [Trainer].

“Introduction by the delayed Karen Knight [Lifetime Services to EBAs]who will never be replaced, appeared extremely moved and received a standing ovation, which her husband Terry found extremely moving.

“The final award, the Courage Award, went to Mark Goult. Once again, it proved to be an incredibly moving moment and he was greeted with another standing ovation as he accepted his award from the Hall of Fame [and Hastings EBA] Chairman, Dave Harris.”

I’m delighted it went so well. When Dave Harris first mooted the idea of ​​a British Hall of Fame, some doubted it would work – but it certainly did.

Depressed news from Wales. Sorry to hear of the death of former Mountain Ash player Phil Williams. He was 86 years senior.

Phil had 10 professional fights between 1958 and 1960, winning the first four (three inside the schedule) but losing the rest. In February 1959 he fought the full eight rounds against the delayed Wally Swift, who won the Midlands Area welterweight title seven months later and went on to become both British welterweight and middleweight champion.

Phil’s last fight was his only one for Wales – a seventh round defeat to Neville Axford at Carmarthen in March 1960.

My condolences to Phil’s family and friends.

No one lasts forever and in the latest Leeds EBA newsletter, secretary/treasurer Paul Abrahams writes: “After 15 years I am stepping down from my role with the Leeds Former Boxers Association. I still hope to attend some meets and events in the future and would like to thank everyone in the boxing family for their support and encouragement over the last decade and a half.

Paul invites anyone interested in taking on the role of bulletin compiler to notify the committee. I hope someone comes forward – Paul has done a great job over the years and it would be a real shame if the newsletter was discontinued (as has been the case with some other EBAs).

From 1947 to 1954, heavyweight history featured a timeless series of sagas. I have seen many accounts (despite my own) of the rivalries of the Five Kings (Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Durán, Benítez), but few describing the specific four-man rivalry masterclass that headlined and closed the “Age of Black and White”.

Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis; are four legends of the sport who at one point fought each other in search of glory and greatness. It will probably come as a shock to any novel fighting fans that there was a time when the best fighters *actually fought each other*. Imagine if Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury fought each other in a series of fights that defined an era (at least before Oleksandr Usyk came along). That’s what we have in store today.

In 1947, Joe Louis accepted a challenge from Jersey Joe Walcott, which caused some would-be sadness over the years at Madison Square Garden. The following year there was a rematch and a magical ending that transported fight fans back to the glory days. Fortunately, the duology between Louis and Walcott was just the beginning of the bigger picture.

In 1949, when Louis retired, the two top contenders met in a match organized by Louis to determine a novel champion. Neither Jersey Joe nor novel heavyweight Ezzard Charles received much recognition, at least in the shadow of hero Joe Louis. They fought and a novel champion was crowned.

In 1950, Joe Louis returned to the ring and fought the reigning Shadow Champion. This was very telling in terms of where both men were in the division’s current landscape. The following year, the champion fought two fights with his rival and both shared victories. The second of their fights featured probably the nastiest and coldest left hook in boxing history. That same year, Joe Louis became involved with another rival, ending his career in devastating fashion, although it did little to change his legacy.

In 1952, the championship saw its fourth entry in a certain rivalry that equalized the chances of both fighters. Later in the year, arguably the best fight in the entire Four Man saga took place, culminating in a fight resembling an ancient Western drawing of a gun. Whoever draws and shoots first wins, and that’s exactly what happened.

Then came 1953 and we only had one round of final truth left. There was no doubt who was the champion. The year 1954 came and the Rivalry Saga ended the same way it began: with a duology worth seeing. The master was dealing with an unwashed man who, with all his remaining urgency, wanted to throw himself into the driver’s seat. The story remains after one duel in which the competition was very fierce, and another in which one of the competitors almost lost his nose! You read that right.

You will notice that I have not revealed some of the names involved in the fights mentioned, in case you have never watched any of these fights or are not aware of this rivalry. You have to experience it for the first time and absorb it. Or maybe you are someone who already knows this story. Then you will still be delighted with this shortened trip back in time! Of course, I recommend watching these fights in their entirety if you haven’t. You can even employ my video as a guide to ordering your watch.

Okay, enough joking. It’s time for you to experience one of the most significant sagas in heavyweight history. These four men closed the “black and white age” in the best way possible. Fans couldn’t have asked for a better series of all-time classic fights. I think there’s only one question that can be asked: what if ARCHIE MOORE had been in the mix earlier and joined this competition? Moore fought Ezzard Charles at featherlight heavyweight and would still give Rocky Marciano his last fight…

This is the story of “The Rivalry of the Four Heavyweight Kings” by TheCharlesJackson, author of the Encyclopedia of Boxing; from my heart to yours. A preview of “A Timeline of the Heavyweight Boxing Division from the 1950s”, in which you can expect my next article in about 3 weeks. Rejoice and God bless you.