The Undisputed

Yesterday’s final press conference in North Greenwich, London added fuel to the heavyweight fire between New Zealand’s WBO mandatory challenger Joseph Parker and rising Brit Fabio Wardley.

With just today’s weigh-in left, they finally meet head-on at the O2 Arena on the Greenwich peninsula Saturday night (25th). The winner will likely go on to face current undisputed world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Aptly titled ‘All or Nothing’ by Queensberry Promotions, this is a crossroads fight with the winner in pole position for that world shot, whilst the loser will have to rebuild. Parker, the former-WBO champion has been in a mandatory position for some time but been denied a third world title shot thus far.

Parker qualified it in his opening remark: “For me, this is all or nothing”. He explained his belief and confidence in what lay ahead paying reference to his opponent: “I’m (on) a different level to be honest … I want to explain in actions, not words !”. Seemingly looking bored and slightly irritated by the formality and proceedings he conveyed ‘all-business’ about Saturday’s challenge.

Ipswich, England’s Fabio Wardley, then took to the microphone and explained “Every time I step up, … I step up on Saturday and it’s not going to be an exception !”.
Hall-of-fame promoter Frank Warren took up the mic’ to embellish and endorse his promotion.. “This is the most significant fight at the moment in the heavyweight division” emphasizing the earlier point.

On explaining the danger that Wardley possesses and, particularly responding to the Parker comment on ‘levels’ he said “One thing he’s got going for him is he’s got the leveller !”. The dramatic final round KO of Justis Huni in Wardley’s last fight provides proof of this.

It’s an intriguing matchup with high stakes. Parker is coming off three high profile victories against world ranked opponents and is very much the man ‘in possession’ of the mandatory shot. Wardley is aiming to ‘gatecrash’ his party and the right to challenge whom Warren politely described as “Mr Usyk”.
The claim is that the Ukrainian has already verbally assured he will fight again in the New Year and the winner of this is his likely first opponent.

Wardley in still undefeated with a high KO ratio and is very much on the rise. The Huni KO, despite the Brit being heavily behind on points at the time, emphatically kept his momentum going.

It’s true that Wardley hasn’t fought as long and at the level that Parker has, but he certainly has that KO power. He explained that he has much more than that in his arsenal and won’t be wholly relying on it.

In the final comments from both combatants, Parker retorted “I’m gonna smash him !”. Wardley equally responded on the outcome, a “Fabio Wardley win by KO”. When there was a suggestion that Parker was looking beyond Wardley, the Kiwi responded “I don’t care about what’s next, I care about Saturday !”.

It should be an excellent contest with both men having size, durability and power. They will meet head-on but have the skills to take the fight deep. We think the Brit powered on by his youth and vociferous local following will get the win by eight-round KO.

Catch it on on DAZN or BBC Radio5. Main ring entrances from 22:00 BST.

Fight of the week sees the long awaited return of the heavyweights. The scene has lay dormant since July.

This Saturday (25th) in a Queensberry promotion at London’s O2 Arena mandatory world title contender Joseph Parker returns to the ring against recent British champion Fabio Wardley.

It’s a potential crossroads fight which promises much and looks to have real world significance with unified champion and undoubted #1 Oleksandr Usyk currently in enforced inactivity whilst recovering from injury. The Ukrainian has recently announced he will fight next in 2026. Meanwhile the contenders have to remain active and get in line.

New Zealand’s Parker (36-3-0, 24 KOs) is mandatory contender for Usyk’s WBO title and been waiting for a third tilt at a world belt having lost his former title to Anthony Joshua in March 2018. He’s essentially the ‘gatekeeper’ for any world title challenge. Inactivity may be his problem despite holding notable victories over Andy Ruiz, Derek Chisora, Deontay Wilder and Zhilei Zhang.

Wardley (19-0-1,18 KOs), the younger of the two at 30 compared to Parker’s 33, is fortunate to get this opportunity having been on track to be soundly outpointed by Australia’s Justis Huni in June before detonating a right hand in the final round to emphatically turn it his way. The KO remains one of the knockouts of the year and is sure to be in The Ring magazine’s final three come February.

That turnaround has given Wardley his big opportunity with Parker.

The man from Ipswich, England is sure to have big vocal backing within the 20,000 indoor arena on the south bank of the Thames.

The undercard is still work in progress after the injury and withdrawal of British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion Lewis Edmondson in the last 24 hours, who was the main support in meeting fellow Brit Ezra Taylor.

Look out for more copy of this event over the next few days as fight week builds.

Get ready !

In the context of world boxing and its headline acts this is a big weekend. Three of the Ring Magazine ‘pound-for-pounders’ enter the four ropes to stake their claim to be the ‘main man’. Two of them face off against each other.

It’s largely accepted that multi-heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk is the ‘pound-for-pound’ champion by virtue of this dominance in the unlimited weight category. However, come Sunday night two will stake a claim to replace him.

First up, in the early hours of Sunday morning (UK time) we will witness and know the outcome of the ‘Superfight’ between multi-divisional world champions Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford. Between them they’ve won ‘world’ titles from 9st, 9lbs (135lbs) to 12st (168lbs). Canelo being soundly outpointed by Dmitry Bivol in his attempt at 175lbs.

Tonight’s match from Las Vegas, USA on Mexican Independence weekend is at super-middleweight (168lbs) and promises a great matchup which hopefully lives up to the billing. The contest is anticipated so much among the boxing fraternity that the esteemed Ring Magazine dedicated a whole edition to it. Unheard of in recent times.

Then, on Sunday lunchtime (UK time) the ‘Monster’ is up live from Nagoya, Japan.

Four-weight world champion and current junior-featherweight (8st, 10lbs/122lbs) Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue faces Murodjon Akhmadaliev before his almost inevitable move up to a fifth weight class at featherweight.

Inoue and Crawford are currently considered Usyk’s main challengers in the ‘pound-for-pound’ stakes and his heir-apparent. This is the mythical boxing’s best of the best, regardless of weight.

Who will ultimately reign, we shall see. Enjoy !

Who are the top fifty South African fighters of all time ?

For those of you who retain, or have a keen interest in South African boxing, here is a historical article from the doyen of boxing writing from that proud boxing nation, Ron Jackson. He is a former contributor to The Ring and South African Boxing World and has over seven decades of boxing knowledge and experience. Over the years he’s seen and met them all ! Over to Ron…..

I will try to rate in order, South Africa’s top fifty fighters of all-times. Any form of measurement is however subjective, but possibly the most asked question by fight fans when they get together is, who was the greatest or could boxer A from 1920 have beaten boxer B from 1960. There will be people out there who will not agree with my list or even express outrage at some of my selections, but anyhow here we go.

This is a very good exercise for boxing fans as everyone has their own favourite fighter and the undermentioned list only includes fighters who have retired.

1. Vic Toweel

2. Brian Mitchell

3. Vuyani Bungu

4.  Enoch “Schoolboy” Nhlapo

5.  Laurie Stevens

6.  Gerrie Coetzee

7.  Wille Toweel

8.  Moruti Mthalane

9.  Dingaan Thobela

10. Baby Jake Matlala

11. Jake Tuli

12. Pierre Fourie

13. Andries Steyn

14. Welcome Ncita

15. Mbulelo Botile

16. Thulani “Sugarboy” Malinga

17. Nkosana “Happyboy” Mgxaji      

18. Corrie Sanders

19. Elijah Mokone

20. Lehlohonolo Ledwaba

21. Jacks Lalor

22. Ernie Eustice

23. Anthony Morodi

24. Hekkie Budler

25. Piet Crous

26. Pierre Coetzer

27. Ben Foord

28. Arthur Douglas

29.  Gert Steyn

30.  Nkosinathi Joyi

31. Mike Holt

32. Elijah “Tap Tap” Makhathini

33. Andrew Jeptha

34. Norman “Pangaman” Sekgapane

35. Joe “Axe Killer” Ngidi

36. Gert “Hottie” van Heerden

37. Arnold Taylor

38. Johnny “Smiler” van Rensburg

39. Peter Mathebula

41. Barney Malone

42. Willie Ludick

43. Watty Austin

44. Jimmy Toweel

45. Eddie Maguire

46. Harold Volbrecht

47. Arthur Mayisela

48 Don McCorkindale

49. Lovemore Ndou

50. Simon Skosana

This list and Ron’s boxing knowledge and it’s history is further substantiated and explained in his book ‘Champions – An Illustrated History of SA Boxing’ published in 2017. This is the ‘go to’ book for all on South African fights and fighters.

If you believe the hype and copy on world heavyweight contender Moses Itauma you’d think we have an emerging Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Frank Bruno and Lennox Lewis all rolled into one !

The undefeated 20 year-old boxing out of Chatham, England is good, and to date, has massively impressed doing more than he should do by this stage of his career. With a cold, calm demeanour he’s compiled a 12-0 (10 KOs) record containing some devastating knockouts, clearly beating some seasoned campaigners to warrant the excitement of a new emerging talent.

Itauma could fill the massive void to be left by undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk when he inevitably hangs his gloves up sometime soon. At 38, and having beaten (sometimes twice) all champions and challengers and, with his legacy secured, the end is surely in sight for Usyk.

The big British southpaw, Itauma, a former amateur world youth champion, could be Usyk’s heir-apparent but, by heavyweight comparisons he really is a ‘boxing baby’. His management team Queensberry Promotions, to their credit, still know they have a diamond in the rough. Francis Warren, eldest son of hall-of-fame promoter Frank, is talking cautiously but with more than a twinkle of optimism in his eyes.

Tonight in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia we will ultimately know more when he faces former world title challenger Dillian Whyte (31-3, 21 KOs). At 37 years old, the fellow Brit is at the opposite end of the boxing spectrum, but Itauma’s first legitimate test at world title level. Whyte holds good wins over Joseph Parker and Derek Chisora (twice), plus gave Anthony Joshua all he could handle.

The odds though are heavily stacked in the younger man’s favour, being viewed as a fringe contender ‘changing of the guard’. If, as widely expected, Itauma bombs out the man from Brixton, London then the hype and excitement will gain further momentum, and justifiably so.

Whilst not being over-surprised if that outcome results, we expect the well-trained and lighter than usual Whyte to give it a good-go for as long as it lasts. He’s been a top contender for close to a decade and can also bang a bit himself. His fighting pride and quality at the highest level will not allow him to be humiliated (ala Ken Norton by an emerging Gerry Cooney or Gerrie Coetzee by Frank Bruno).

In many ways Itauma-Whyte is the most intriguing fight on a good bill, but the likely ‘fight of the night’ will be the co-main event between undefeated featherweights Nick Ball and Sam Goodman. It pits an English world champion, in Ball, as recognised by the WBA, against an Australian. The summer before an Ashes cricket winter will draw out the best from undefeated fighters from these two proud sporting nations.

‘Wrecking’ Ball from Liverpool, England has compiled a 22-0-1 (13 KOs) record and Goodman is at 20-0 (7 KOs).

The KO ratio favours the Brit and he’s competed at the higher level to date. This should be a real slugfest as Ball fights at a high pace, continually coming forward. We expect him to prevail in a very competitive fight.

Another good match-up is between two heavyweights who’ve some question marks against their ability to break through to world title contention, in Britain’s David Adelaye (14-1, 13 KOs) and Croatian Olympic medallist Filip Hrgovic (18-1, 14 KOs).

Hrgovic has the better resume having only lost to former IBF world champion Daniel Dubois. Both can still compete and eat at the heavyweight table, but a win is essential for either to push on. This is a pick ’ems in our view.

The fights are available on the DAZN streaming site, as a pay-per-view (box office) package. The main fights can also be heard in the UK on talkSPORT radio. Either should be worth considering.

South African Boxing Hall of Fame

When Chris Lessing died on June 1, 1976 at the age of 43 at Garden City Clinic in Johannesburg he left behind a superb collection of boxing books, autographed photos of  famous boxers, 16mm films and museum  memorabilia including statuettes, trophies and signed gloves.

Subsequently his collection was donated to the South Africa Boxing Board of Control who established a Chris Lessing Boxing Hall of Fame which was housed at their offices in the Fattis and Monis Building in Johannesburg. The museum was under the curatorship of long time sports writer Bill Bosch.

On October 12, 1979 at the official opening of the museum and the first ever South African Boxing Hall of Fame ten boxers were inducted into the Hall and it was reported that elections to the Hall of Fame would be held on an annual basis.

The Boxing Hall of Fame was divided into three categories. The Pioneer Group for boxers who were active before the first World War, the Oldtimers Group for boxers who fought between the two World Wars, and the Modern Group for boxers who were active after the second World War.

 The first ten ring greats to be honoured were:

Pioneer Group – James Robertson Couper and Arthur Douglas.

Oldtimers Group – Don McCorkindale, Ben Foord, Willie Smith and Laurie Stevens.

Modern Group – Vic Toweel, Arnold Taylor, Jake Tuli and Pierre Fourie.

Subsequently the museum was down sized when the Boxing Control Board moved offices to Nasrec and Midrand. 

It is believed that over the years a lot of the memorabilia has disappeared but there are still were still a number of items held by Boxing South Africa at their offices in Pretoria.

However, over the years many items have gone missing and there is a story which has never been substantiated that at one time a leading boxer visited museum and remarked that the gloves which were marked as being those of the Welshman Jimmy Wilde, considered by many to be the greatest world flyweight champion all-time were not a pair of gloves as they were both left hand gloves.

What has happened the items is unknown.

Rather sadly in recent years there has been very little interest in establishing a South African Boxing Hall of Fame.

Some time ago a South African Boxing Hall of Fame was established at the Sun City Resort in the Pilansberg in the Northern Province.

However this is was not a Hall of Fame in the true sense as there are not annual elections in the various groups. Brian Mitchell South Africa’s most successful boxer of all-time was the host and conducted interviews with well-known South African fighters, which went down well with everyone. It made up for the time being.

This is BIG.

In the context of the 150+ year history of the Heavyweight Championship of the World, the fact that it fills Wembley Stadium, London with some 90,000 spectators, and, as they love to say, it’s “For all the marbles”.

Factor in a worldwide TV audience, albeit the majority through the new phenomena of streaming sites (DAZN in this case) and the purse bids up for grabs, it’s huge.

The ‘Undisputed’ heavyweight clash, the very name upon which the site you’re visiting was chosen, it’s a mouthwatering prospect.

Ukrainian world champion Oleksandr Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) risks his almost dominant heavyweight status against Britain’s Daniel Dubois (22-2, 21 KOs). The latter a Londoner, in his hometown, faces the ‘road warrior’ who because of the military conflict in his own country caused by Russian invasion, has had to hit the road again. This is also the lucrative option and he will be paid heavily wherever he goes.

As the crowning moment of this year’s Riyadh Season the accepted lineal champion Usyk brings the WBC, WBA and WBO world championship belts to the party. Dubois the IBF strap. No splinters of the title will be uncontested on Saturday night. That in itself is a rare luxury and justifies the Saudi investment.

In a final press conference held yesterday in the banqueting suite at Wembley Stadium the fighters came face-to-face for almost the final time before the opening bell. Only today’s weigh-in remains.

‘ Dynamite’ Daniel Dubois (aka DDD) entered the fray with “I’m on a different level now…I’m ready to make history. I’m gonna do a real demolition job and I’m ready for it !”.

Usyk responded “Hello London, I’m happy to be here again because I believe for this – Ukraine”, and gave the victory salute to emphasise on both counts. Asked about his challenge ahead he replied “Every fight is important for me. Now, it’s very important for my country and soldiers who protect my country”. Everyone in attendance listened tentatively and this there could be no denying.

International Boxing Hall-of-Fame promoter and Queensberry Head, Frank Warren, added to the hype, “It’s a historical and phenomenal fight…unbelievable, competitive and great fight”. This is to be confirmed, but the match-up is a sure thing.

It’s a rematch two years on from Usyk controversially beating Dubois in Wroclaw, Poland after being dropped by a borderline body shot and being allowed to recover by the referee temporarily stopping the fight before the Ukrainian rallied again to get a ninth round stoppage.

Since then, Dubois has been nothing short of sensational racking up three consecutive victories against world title challengers, the zenith being his devastating stoppage of fellow Brit Anthony Joshua in the same venue last August.

So what can we expect Saturday ? An older Usyk as his career moves towards its close having beaten all-comers and challengers to win and unify heavyweight titles. A much improved and confident Dubois.

Dubois’ camp headed up by chief trainer Don Charles believe now is his time. Having worked together for two years the Brit is as Charles said “Destined to make the impossible, become the possible”. The twice beaten IBF champion has improved significantly since his first loss to Joe Joyce during COVID lockdown, and considerably since losing to Usyk in Poland.

Frank Warren earlier cited Dubois’ excellent jab which was “understimated”. This is fact, resulting from his graduation from the Team GB centre of excellence and his progress as a pro since. He knows how to box his way in to unleash his ‘dynamite’ power.

Whether this will be enough against the London 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medallist and undisputed former cruiserweight and heavyweight world champion remains to be seen. We expect Usyk’s advancing years, now 38, and Dubois’ youth at 27 to be telling factors in how the fight goes, in possibly an explosive start followed by a cagey middle rounds, with the southpaw Usyk not wanting to fully exchange, but gradually using his elite experience and ring know-how to prevail.

We see Usyk stopping the Brit by round ten, but it will be exciting whilst it lasts. Enjoy !

Newsflash – Weights – Dubois 243.8 lbs, Usyk 227.3 lbs.

As a survivor from the last Benn-Eubank dust-ups, prior to a sensational Saturday night (26 April) at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, north London, I feel I’m well placed to put it into context.

Firstly, the highest compliment I can give the enthralling twelve round middleweight non-championship fight is that “It was as good as any of their father’s previous two encounters”, of 1990 and 1993 respectively. I bore witness to the hype and intensity of those meetings first hand, on-site in an excellent seat for both. I was also close to what was happening behind the scenes.

Whilst Saturday may have lacked the drama and knockdowns of the 1990 Birmingham NEC fight and the controversy of the rematch at Old Trafford, it more than equalled in their theatre and intensity.

The near 65,000 in attendance and millions ‘stumping up’ again to watch on box office/pay-per-view/stream (or whatever you want to call it) were not disappointed with the quality on-show throughout the evening and in particular the climax between a super-middleweight/middleweight Chris Eubank Jnr. and a rising welterweight Conor Benn.

Both, the latest in the fistic bloodline (and almost dynasties) of their respective families. The former now 35 years old and the latter 28. None have yet become world champions, but after Saturday night are sure to challenge at some point for one of the splintered titles that are now available in this generation.

The venue was fitting for a match of this interest and hype. The soccer stadium being the most spectacular recently constructed in London and with state of the art facilities. The electricity in the air as dusk moved in was evident, even from my couch !

On this occasion, I decided that I would watch from the comfort of my living room as the evening unfolded. I elected to pay for that ‘privilege’ to what used to be available ‘free to air’. Those days I know are long gone !

After an excellent undercard brought together by The Ring magazine, Saudi investment, Matchroom and BOXXER promotions, among others, THE main event was imminent. The competitiveness of the so-called ‘Co-main event’ between Anthony Yarde and Lyndon Arthur in their trilogy fight at light-heavyweight set the tone.

It was an excellent match-up and, it delivered. On our card we thought Arthur just edged it by taking the last round, but the judges saw it the other way. Yarde being victorious. It was so enthralling, being more of a bludgeoning chess match than the actual main event, that a fourth match-up would be welcome. Both will move onto other challenges though we’re sure.

With the venue rocking as the two main eventers emerged from their dressing rooms and shown on the big screen the electricity was ramped up. As a domestic viewer hopes, you could feel it emanate from your television screen.

We knew Chris Eubank Snr. Would finally show up ……resplendent in his shin-length mock flying jacket/coat, with fur to spare ! He looked the same eccentric we had come to love three decades ago.

Nigel Benn was always going to turn up and backed his son throughout the weeks of build-up. Thankfully both seniors met and embraced each other on numerous occasions though the event.

The promoters and fighters did well to mimic and reminisce about the senior’s previous encounters with the ring entrances and fighting attire. I knew Conor would come out to the chimes of Big Ben and strains of ‘Dangerous’, ala his father. It took a while for the latter sounds to kick-in but, they came.

Eubank Jnr. Would inevitably come into Tina Turner’s anthem ‘Simply the Best’. Both son’s also donned copies of the shorts their father’s wore in the first 1990 fight. On conclusion of the twelve rounds, when the decision was given and Eubank Jnr. announced the winner he dropped to his knees like his father back in the NEC. That was full circle and absolute sporting theatre.

Both fighters gave it their all throughout in a real toe-to-toe contest. Skills were evidently shown and one area of my being surprisingly impressed was the strength of Benn’s chin. He took and withstood shot after shot from his adversary. This his father showed many years back too, but in the first fight eventually succumbed to Eubank Snrs. power.

If any fight warranted a rematch this, is it. The contest was excellent entertainment and both came out with the shields and heads held high. An immediate rematch has been mooted for September, but boxing politics is a fickle thing. We can only hope that, like their father’s, that hostilities are repeated. Only then will we know who truly is the better boxing family.

If it doesn’t materialize, then the family boxing pedigree and legacy of each is up there and has been one to behold.

Congratulations to all involved. Boxing is back in the mainstream.

When I, and seldom others ask me, “So, what got you into boxing ?” I think; 1) about my father who loved and competed in the sport with a passion, and 2), back to April 15, 1985.

Yes, it was exactly 40 years ago tonight !

That was the night in a temporary ring in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas resort and casino car park, before 15,141 on-site, that the soon to be universally coronated ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler faced Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns, or ‘Motor City Cobra’ if you prefer.

The former above, successfully defending his undisputed world middleweight championship for an eleventh time.

This would still be three short of Argentina’s Carlos Monzon. The rest however, would become folklore and history.

‘The Fight’, also christened ‘War’ by the champion, was hotly anticipated and broke all box office records at the time. It pitted the ‘blue collar’ fighter in Hagler, who claimed he’d been denied his plaudits and the riches that should’ve by now come with it, and, The Ring magazine’s 1984 Fighter of the Year and, ’til then WBC junior-middleweight champion, Hearns.

The fight took place on a Monday night (early hours Tuesday in the UK). It would be promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc. shown on closed-circuit TV, live via satellite and, in a delayed network highlights package on ITV Sport.

The excitement and anticipation leading up to it was fever pitch. Hagler was coming off a strong tenth defence against Syria’s Mustafa Hamsho. Hearns, a poleaxing of soon-to-be living legend Roberto ‘Hands of Stone’ Duran, inside two rounds, and an equally impressive KO of Freddie Hutchings.

The April 15 event and contest didn’t disappoint.

Both fighters came out from the opening bell like possessed infantryman on entering a combat zone.

The champion’s career mantra was ‘Destruct and Destroy’ and this he emphatically tried to do. He was met by an equally immovable object and bludgeoning windmill, in the form of the ‘Hit Man’. The opening round would go down as one of the top 5 in the annals of boxing history. The list possibly headed by Jack Dempsey vs Luis ‘Wild Bull of the Pampas’ Firpo in September 1923.

On the night, according to the statistics, Hearn’s landed 56 punches to Hagler’s 50 in the opening firefigtht.

On the round’s conclusion, with both fighters shook numerous times and withstanding the oncoming blitzkreig, the bell sounded and both stared across the ring at each other with a dual Charles Manson’esque stare, that would freeze blood. The crowd were in raptures, scarcely believing what they had just witnessed.

Round Two had near-equal intensity, but fatigue was already starting to set in, in particular in challenger Hearn’s liquorice-like legs. The champion who’d been cut on his forehead above the right brow towards the end of the opener, now had blood profusely oozing out.

After Hagler wobbling the Detroit Hit Man early, The Ring magazine summed it up by saying “Hearns was stuck to the ropes like a fly to flypaper”.

Early in the third, referee Richard Steele was forced to intervene to inspect Hagler’s worsening cut and seek the ringside doctor’s opinion. This added to the drama and anticipation.

Allowed to continue; Hagler overwhelmed his foe. “When I saw that blood, I turned into a Bull”, as Hagler would later callously refer to it.

The Ring reported that Hearns “spent most of the third round on his bicycle”.

The end when it arrived was emphatic. The southpaw champion, and soon to be universally accepted ‘Marvelous One’ uncorked successive right-hand southpaw leads and chased a flailing Hearns around the ring. The final looping right ‘sealed the deal’ and the challenger was flattened.

The official time was 2:01 of the third as Hearns lay a stiffened prostrate mass and was counted out.

ITV commentator Reg Gutteridge would famously christen it “Eight minutes of absolute mayhem !”. For me that was just, and my abiding memory of the action that ensued. I also recall from the TV footage a ringside Karl Malden (the actor – he of On the Waterfront and The Streets of San Francisco), who’d obviously lost a fair wager on Thomas Hearns, leaving his ringside seat in disgust. Watch the footage and you will know what I mean.

So enthralled was I with the ferociousness and outcome, that I became a MMH fan overnight and pledged to take a trip to Las Vegas as soon as soon as humanly and financially possible.

I would finish my degree and wait two years to visit with a fellow student and life friend in 1987 for the Hagler-Leonard SuperFight.

Hagler summed it up post-fight saying “Tommy was a little bit cocky, and I had something for him !”. To me this fight summed up the best of the 80’s and best of what this sport had to offer. The ‘Marvelous One’ would forever be marvelous, with a single L.

The defeated Hearns would recover to win ‘world’ titles at three more weights and join his victor in the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHoF). Legends both.

Boxer with no hands

In the first issue of Fight in December 1946, South Africa’s first boxing magazine the lead story was Fight’s Fighter of the month Johnny Le Roux.

It was reported that Johnny Le Roux who was 25-years-old and quoted as one time light heavyweight amateur champion was trying to make a comeback in the professional ring.

Johnny’s entry into the professional ring all began as a bit of a joke, when former British and Empire heavyweight champion Jack London was scheduled to meet South Africa’s Jack Kukard and for some other reason couldn’t keep the date.

London a 126 fight veteran was known to South African boxing fans as he fought former South African light heavyweight and the then current South African heavyweight champion Nick Wolmarans at the Wembley Stadium in Johannesburg on 24 August 1948, winning on points over ten rounds against Wolmarans who was only having his 14th fight.

Eleven days later London travelled to Durban and outpointed Johnny DeVilliers over ten rounds.  

Johnny telephone the promoters to say he would go in against Wolmarans, but did not mean it and had no intention of engaging in the fight even if he was acceptable.

It was just a gag, but there were others who felt that it was more than a gag  as trainer Joe Rosella and John Hadiaris got in touch with Le Roux and had him go through with a couple of workouts and decided if the Board of Control approved they had a new fighter on their hands.

They then let Le Roux go through a couple of workouts in the gym and decided if the Board of Control approved they had a new fighter on their hands.

Gloves with special surgical sleeves were designed to keep them on Johnny’s stumps and then he went into training under the watchful eye of former South African welterweight champion Joe Rosella.

Spectators at the gym were amazed at the footwork and speed of Johnny and also his solid sock.

At 180 pounds (81.65 kg) the question was could Le Roux who was born in Benoni on 27 June 1921 take it even though he could dish it out.

LeRoux first became interested in boxing when he twelve years old and rose to become amateur light heavyweight champion of Johannesburg.

When the Second World War came along he ran away from home to join the   Imperial Light Horse Regiment and saw action up north.

It was in the famous El Alemein Battle that he lost both hands when a shell exploded and when he returned to Johannesburg at the beginning of 1943 he was minus his hands and subsequently went through two operations to have mechanical hands that would permit him .to use the muscles and tendons in his forearms.

However, both operations failed and when he returned to civil life to work at the municipality boxing was far from his mind.

Even though he was at a disadvantage giving away reach and in his forearms; for they were still intact he was prepared to give to ago.

Despite his disability he enjoyed playing soccer, swimming and boxing.

However, it was never recorded if he took part in an actual fight after spending time in the gym sparring.