Moments - Ingrained in your mind forever !!

For good or bad.........

I have certain go to moments that mean a lot to me or moments I found fascinating over the years........There is nothing like Boxing for moments like these......As other sports tend to be drawn out and lack the drama.....

1. "My hero becomes the Man"...........Curry destroying Mccrory......Always be my favorite moment and the euphoria I felt for someone I didn't even know.....I was buzzing that night......

2. "Are we having a fight"........Chavez was all smiles before the Rosario fight......One of the biggest punchers in light history who had frighteningly battered P4Per Bramble was standing opposite him.  Bell rings "You're going on the ropes and I'm beating the crap out of you and your gonna like it, right !!"........Chavez body language that night was truly awesome.............Never seen confidence like it  !!!

3. "F**k me he's got him".......My brother's immortal words which got a stern rebuke from Mum......When Bruno landed the left hook and Tyson staggered towards the ropes...........We were both off the chair.......Ten or so seconds that seem to last an hour....Had to be around at the time to appreciate what a beast Tyson was !!...

4. "The war"...............Hagler v Hearns..Three minutes.

5. "Right you're gettin it"...........Always remember Larry's start in the second Spinks fight............"No more Mr nice guy !!"..........Old Lar stormed over and the arena no doubt had the recurring smell of Spinks soiled shorts until the steam left Larry's work...........Poor old Larry got ripped off that night !!!

6. "I own Boxing" ....Don King trying to rob Douglas of his prize by repeatedly replaying the count in the 8th round and the WBC going along with it...........Scandalous.....

7. "Rip off of the century".........Watching Meldrick's hard work and master class be destroyed by a now Hall of fame referee with two seconds to go against Chavez...........Never been more angry...

8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

9.  "Nunn too good "..........Watching an Olympian in Tate lose every round to Michael Nunn and remembering thinking If there has ever been a performance this good I haven't seen it.............Perfection !!..

10 Chaos in the ring".......Always remember the chaotic end of Hatcher-Bumphus when Hatcher is on the shoulders of his cornermen and Bumphus is still fighting...

.................................................

Haugen was an idiot and Chavez proved it that night, knocked him down after what felt like seconds and then proceeded to make him suffer, genuinely think he wanted to torture him and cause him serious harm that night.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Haugen was an idiot and Chavez proved it that night, knocked him down after what felt like seconds and then proceeded to make him suffer, genuinely think he wanted to torture him and cause him serious harm that night.

Haugen was a good fighter.............Real hard man...........First guy to beat Camacho and his wars with Vinny paz were legendary...

Try watching them sometime..............I imagine they weren't important enough for "Grandstand".

How does that dispute anything I just wrote, Haugen was made to pay for being a classless idiot and was lucky not to end up seriously injured, a real hard man doesn't fold within seconds.

Hammersmith harrier wrote: a real hard man doesn't fold within seconds.

Instead of looking at boxrec...........Watch the Pazienza fights..

Watching Barker get up off the deck to beat Geale, you could see the grit, pain and determination on his face after that knockdown and to get up and win was fantastic (had to apologise to next door the following afternoon for waking them up.

Watching Froch/Groves 1 with this missus and my buddy and seeing the pair of them get totally lost in the fight showing (to me) how much boxing can captivate people when matched properly.

Reading the Big If about Johnny Owens, got me back into boxing and gave a big realisation on what some people give up for the sport, searched out a load of books after that and helped me understand the skill involved.

Derbymanc wrote:Watching Barker get up off the deck to beat Geale, you could see the grit, pain and determination on his face after that knockdown and to get up and win was fantastic (had to apologise to next door the following afternoon for waking them up.

Watching Froch/Groves 1 with this missus and my buddy and seeing the pair of them get totally lost in the fight showing (to me) how much boxing can captivate people when matched properly.

Reading the Big If about Johnny Owens, got me back into boxing and gave a big realisation on what some people give up for the sport, searched out a load of books after that and helped me understand the skill involved.

Good choices Mate..............Groves v Froch one got me going like a big kid again Mate............I was trying to finish Froch off with him in the first round........Best fight I've ever seen over here and Froch doesn't get enough credit for coming back from having no legs for three rounds..

Owen surprised many of us.........No one expected anything other than an easy win......His skill and courage ........Credit to Britain..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote: a real hard man doesn't fold within seconds.

Instead of looking at boxrec...........Watch the Pazienza fights..

Unlike you i'm not obsessed with the 80's, i've watched his fight with Chavez and that's it, the build up let me know exactly what kind of person he was and it's a shame Chavez let him off the hook too soon.

Hammer doesn't know this but Haugen made his living before Boxing from the Alaskan strong man circuit..........Where he often fought guys who were six/seven stone heavier than him....

His victories in the Alaskan Strongman tournies aren't on BOXREC...

No one can dispute Greg's toughness unless you're an idiot !!

Underdog against Paul and won the title.............Underdog against Paz twice and won twice (rip off first fight) Underdog against Camacho and won..........

Got a lot of time for Greg...

Yet he still folded like a deck of cards against the best man he ever faced, a man who treated him like a little boy and a punch bag. Fitzsimmons doing similar doesn't impress me so Haugen doing it also doesn't impress me, boxing toughness is proved within a boxing ring not outside of it in a freak show.

Haugen is ultimately remembered for insulting Chavez and his country as a whole before being made to pay.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Yet he still folded like a deck of cards against the best man he ever faced, a man who treated him like a little boy and a punch bag. Fitzsimmons doing similar doesn't impress me so Haugen doing it also doesn't impress me, boxing toughness is proved within a boxing ring not outside of it in a freak show.

Haugen is ultimately remembered for insulting Chavez and his country as a whole before being made to pay.

He had one bad fight.............Geez stop the presses....

Like I said I grew up watching the guy and he was tough as nails....

I watched him a dozen times...........You watched him once and have the T-shirt....

P**s on someone more deserving...................Or someone you know something about !!

Watch the Paz fights........

Stop the press, 80's American boxer not hailed as a god.

The Tyson-Bruno rematch in March 1996. First Heavyweight title fight I can remember experiencing properly and like a lot of kids that age, Bruno was my boxing hero at the time. For the Christmas just gone I'd been given the book 'Champion of the World: The Frank Bruno Story' and had read it cover to cover (well, looked at the pictures a few times over at least!) and was convinced that Frank was going to hammer Tyson when I saw how much bigger he looked than him. My dad taped it for me and I can remember how excited I was waking him up a lot earlier than he'd have liked on the Sunday morning so I could watch it. Cue my excitement and expectation turning to despair when I saw Bruno fold in pretty quick time. Hated Tyson from that point on and loved watching Holyfield beat him later than year.

Wondering whether I could be bothered to stay up for Pacquiao-Cotto and toying with the idea of calling it a night and watching it back the next day, and then feeling seriously glad that I stayed up and got to see it live. I was blown away watching Pacquiao that night and I felt like I'd seen something really special.

Froch-Bute. Best sporting atmosphere I've experience first-hand; the Wembley show didn't really compare at all to be honest, albeit the bigger the stadium, the harder it can be to create that bear pit atmosphere. But the Bute fight was just a great, great night in general. To be honest, of the two Groves-Froch fights it's the first one that gave me one of those ingrained memories, when Froch hit the deck in the first. The whole arena seemed stunned because it felt as if it took a second or two for people to process what they were seeing - the sound seemed to build from the bottom and then take a little while to hit us in the cheaper seats at the back. But it felt weird, and exciting at the same time.

88Chris05 wrote:The Tyson-Bruno rematch in March 1996. First Heavyweight title fight I can remember experiencing properly and like a lot of kids that age, Bruno was my boxing hero at the time. For the Christmas just gone I'd been given the book 'Champion of the World: The Frank Bruno Story' and had read it cover to cover (well, looked at the pictures a few times over at least!) and was convinced that Frank was going to hammer Tyson when I saw how much bigger he looked than him. My dad taped it for me and I can remember how excited I was waking him up a lot earlier than he'd have liked on the Sunday morning so I could watch it. Cue my excitement and expectation turning to despair when I saw Bruno fold in pretty quick time. Hated Tyson from that point on and loved watching Holyfield beat him later than year.

Wondering whether I could be bothered to stay up for Pacquiao-Cotto and toying with the idea of calling it a night and watching it back the next day, and then feeling seriously glad that I stayed up and got to see it live. I was blown away watching Pacquiao that night and I felt like I'd seen something really special.

Froch-Bute. Best sporting atmosphere I've experience first-hand; the Wembley show didn't really compare at all to be honest, albeit the bigger the stadium, the harder it can be to create that bear pit atmosphere. But the Bute fight was just a great, great night in general. To be honest, of the two Groves-Froch fights it's the first one that gave me one of those ingrained memories, when Froch hit the deck in the first. The whole arena seemed stunned because it felt as if it took a second or two for people to process what they were seeing - the sound seemed to build from the bottom and then take a little while to hit us in the cheaper seats at the back. But it felt weird, and exciting at the same time.

Think we all expected more from Frank in the second fight...........Like Hide-Bowe I think he lost the fight in the dressing room...

Groves-Froch got me too ....sitting at home...........My Wife kept giving me funny looks shouting advice out to Groves when he couldn't hear me !!

Shame the kid has become a prima donna and isn't the lovable nerd anymore..

How the EFF did I forget Froch/Bute that was the goto fight for a while to show people why you don't write Froch off.

Was onboard at the time and we lost the satellite,had me and one of the electricians going through it all bit by bit to get it back on just in time for the start. Proceeded to drag everyone in the bar the following day to watch the replay as it was THAT good.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Chavez made him pay.

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Chavez made him pay.

Thought you might have offered a moment.............Alas not....

Then again you're a Fielding fan.............So we won't expect too much.

Derbymanc wrote:How the EFF did I forget Froch/Bute that was the goto fight for a while to show people why you don't write Froch off.

Was onboard at the time and we lost the satellite,had me and one of the electricians going through it all bit by bit to get it back on just in time for the start. Proceeded to drag everyone in the bar the following day to watch the replay as it was THAT good.

I never rated Bute.................I call him Slobodan Kacar ..............Another useless tripe who lost to Bobby Czyz in super quick time..

One that always sticks in my mind is seeing Clinton Woods finally win a world title at the fourth attempt, in the grand scheme of things not the most seismic of fights but as a local fighter always had a lot of time for Clinton and good to see a hard working pro get his hands on a title, particularly in such impressive style.

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Made even more hilarious by the fact Born in the USA is an anti-American song.

Khan staying up in the 10th round against Maidana was good to see, seemed to change perceptions of him for a while.

Lewis left/right against Rahman, made an ordinary fighter look like an ordinary fighter.

Marquez knocking out Pacquiao, finally getting the victory against a man he'd beaten at least twice before.

Hamed losing to Barrera, had fully bought into the hype by then and lost all interest in boxing for a while afterwards, watching the occasional Lewis fight.

Haye stopping Enzo Mac, the beginning of the end for the Welshmen who had feasted on sub par opposition too long, the fact he and Warren had fallen for Haye's weight issues made even sweeter.

All of the Bowe vs Holyfield fights were awesome but the one that sticks in the mind was for the WTF moment with fan man!

Also Watson vs Eubank II - the final two rounds where they knocked each other down a few times.

Final one - the punch that took out Duran vs Hearns. He was like a tree being felled. TIMBERRRRR!!!!!

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Made even more hilarious by the fact Born in the USA is an anti-American song.

It's not anti-American per se.......It's a pop at those who didn't rally behind the returning soldiers from Vietnam who were ignored by the Nixon government..........

I'm not a Republican so it wasn't a pop at me....

Anyway thanks for your input.........much appreciated

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Made even more hilarious by the fact Born in the USA is an anti-American song.

It's not anti-American per se.......It's a pop at those who didn't rally behind the returning soldiers from Vietnam who were ignored by the Nixon government..........

I'm not a Republican so it wasn't a pop at me....

Anyway thanks for your input.........much appreciated

I know exactly what it's about.

But thanks for your input........much appreciated.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Made even more hilarious by the fact Born in the USA is an anti-American song.

It's not anti-American per se.......It's a pop at those who didn't rally behind the returning soldiers from Vietnam who were ignored by the Nixon government..........

I'm not a Republican so it wasn't a pop at me....

Anyway thanks for your input.........much appreciated

I know exactly what it's about.

But thanks for your input........much appreciated.

Pleasure....

Chuck Wepner being thrown into the ropes by alis embarrassed spite. Like someone had slap him in the head with a plan. BonK.

Curry's Wtf hook spitting out like a snake then retracting back to position..

Will finish later. Have been called into work.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Chavez made him pay.

Thought you might have offered a moment.............Alas not....

Fair enough......probs when the Raggamuffin Man spanked p4p number 1 around for a good 6 rounds before the coward quit on his stool. Fight considered to be such of a mismatch that bookmakers wernt even setting odds.

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:
8. "Born in the USA"...........Watching Greg Haugen (Typical ballsy b**tard) incite a 130,000 Mexicans with Springsteen's classic..

That was very original of Greg, since he was born in the USA

Chavez made him pay.

Thought you might have offered a moment.............Alas not....

Fair enough......probs when the Raggamuffin Man spanked p4p number 1 around for a good 6 rounds before the coward quit on his stool. Fight considered to be such of a mismatch that bookmakers wernt even setting odds.

Look at this guy......

I like watching that fight back on YouTube....good times

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Hammersmith harrier wrote:Yet he still folded like a deck of cards against the best man he ever faced, a man who treated him like a little boy and a punch bag. Fitzsimmons doing similar doesn't impress me so Haugen doing it also doesn't impress me, boxing toughness is proved within a boxing ring not outside of it in a freak show.

Haugen is ultimately remembered for insulting Chavez and his country as a whole before being made to pay.

He had one bad fight.............Geez stop the presses....

Like I said I grew up watching the guy and he was tough as nails....

I watched him a dozen times...........You watched him once and have the T-shirt....

P**s on someone more deserving...................Or someone you know something about !!

Watch the Paz fights........

Haugen had his limitations as a fighter but he was as tough as nails.

Moments that stick out for me:

Hagler-Hearns on my portable black and white TV - blew my head off.

McClellan-Benn. A truly epic night for Benn fans marred by the American's injuries.

Lewis-Golota. Proof that Lewis fans were on the right horse all along.

Tyson-Douglas.

Holyfield regaining the heavyweight championship from Bowe (felt like the last true heavyweight championship fight).

Holyfield dropping Bowe in the rubber match - heart-stopping excitement.

Benn-Barkley - three minutes of carnage.

Soldier_Of_Fortune wrote:I like watching that fight back on YouTube....good times

You weren't even around when that fight took place.....

'Who is this ragamuffin?' exclaims Curry.

He soon found out after the pasting he received....good times

Audley-Sprott. That knockout after being dominated for 12. Not glamorous but it's the first thing that came to mind.

Watching Chavez put on his arrogant backside by Randell.

Minter/Hagler....that something could inspire such a passionate/violent response in a crowd. As I was only young I didn't comprehend how dreadful their behavior was at the time and as the years have passed it seems strange that a fight with such a racial background could be something I look back at as the fight that got me hooked on the sport. The funny thing is, my most vivid recollections aren't the actual fight, I remember the crowd trouble and hearing Minter complain about being headbutted.

Tyson/Spinks - Getting up at stupid o'clock with my dad to watch it and my dad muttering profanities under his breath as he shuffled off back to bed a short while later

Ali/Berbick - the pained look on my dad's face as he watched Ali being pummeled into submission. (Thankfully my son will never have to suffer the same fate when Bradley Pryce is put out to pasture)

DAVE667 wrote:Minter/Hagler....that something could inspire such a passionate/violent response in a crowd. As I was only young I didn't comprehend how dreadful their behavior was at the time and as the years have passed it seems strange that a fight with such a racial background could be something I look back at as the fight that got me hooked on the sport. The funny thing is, my most vivid recollections aren't the actual fight, I remember the crowd trouble and hearing Minter complain about being headbutted.

Tyson/Spinks - Getting up at stupid o'clock with my dad to watch it and my dad muttering profanities under his breath as he shuffled off back to bed a short while later

Ali/Berbick - the pained look on my dad's face as he watched Ali being pummeled into submission. (Thankfully my son will never have to suffer the same fate when Bradley Pryce is put out to pasture)

Yeah and he was'nt the only one who found themselves off to bed earlier then expected.

1. Managing to get hold of Chavez vs Taylor on VHS and watching the epic unfold after reading so much about it in Boxing Illustrated and Monthly.

2. Tyson destroying Berbick

3. Douglas destroying Tyson

4. Lewis beating Ruddock on Halloween had a real big night feel about it with a decent undercard Crisanto "Claws" Espana (Remember him) destroying the shell of Meldrick Taylor.

5. Barrera vs Morales was just astonishing watching it LIVE.

6. Benn v McClellan as per Haz comments..

7. Bowe v Holyfield 1 Upset me dearly at the time, really disliked Bowe and his cretin manager Rock Newman, but what a performance.

8. Tyson returning from Prison, remember going to watch Eubank fight at Whitley Bay Ice Rink and getting handed flyers on the way  advertising Iron Mike's return at local cinemas.

9. Jonny Nelson vs Carlos De Leon & James Waring, those horrible memories which are etched in your mind forever.

10. Pacquaio vs Cotto as Chris mentioned, watching a ATG develop in a remarkable performance.

Cheers, Rodders

Steve Collins upsetting Eubank, thought he would destroyed.

Barrera beating Nas, have to admit I loved that.

Floyd destroying Gatti. Gatti maybe not the greatest ever but he was made a complete novice that night. Floyds most dominating performance

Calzaghe giving Lacy a lesson. Such fitness and speed

Tyson Vs Holyfield 2. Stayed at a friends to watch that, he went to sleep and missed the whole thing. Shocking watching it live!

Calzaghe Lacy, I'd been in the pub all day. As I recall, there'd been a lot of football on that day. Got back to my student digs, sat down with a pizza ready to watch what was supposed to be Joe's toughest test. It was pretty evident as early as the third round it was just a procession.

I was in awe of the atmosphere at Cotto Martinez, never thought I'd make it to the garden, let alone seeing my favourite fighter live!

Also have a vague memory of being really young and stumbling across De la Hoya Mosley late one night on TV. One of the earliest international fights I remember.

Calzaghe - Lacy - even got Mrs Bounce to watch a bit and she was impressed. She thought Lacy must've been a last-minute substitute as he couldn't lay a glove on Calzaghe.

Benn-McClellan. I deliberately missed my friend's wedding for this (I thought her boyfriend/husband was a waste of oxygen) and spent that Saturday screaming myself hoarse with my friends in their flat.

Lewis-Ruddock. I was at University and saw the highlights on the projector screen they had in the Union Bar. Watching the knockdown where Lewis' power literally took Ruddock's legs from under him.

And, for a bit of fun, both Scott Harrison-Tom Johnson and Lewis-Botha. I watched both of these in an Ibiza pub. There was a "friend" of Harrison in the pub telling everybody how he knew him. Didn't mind though as he bought me a pint of Spanish Cola The atmosphere for the Lewis fight was fantastic - we all knew it was going to be a walkover but it was just SO much fun!

Eubank stopping Benn. I bet my dad and his mates Eubank would win. They were all Benn fans who laughed at me. I was confident up until that round, then suddenly thought he might be fading. Then bam from what seemed like nowhere Benn was in trouble. I was the only one in the room excited

Foreman smashing Frazier
The rumble
Conteh saad
Arguello Pryor
Curry mcrory
Curry honeyghan
Leonard hagler
Bruno Tyson (more memorable for other events that evening, but it sticks with me)
Eubank Watson
Benn mclellan (the only one of these I was actually at)

Much as I love the sport, I don't think I've cared enough about the result of any fights since. Old age is a terrible thing.

McGuigan-Pedroza......it's more romantic when you're a kid

Bruno v Tyson 1

Naz v Barrera

Berrera v Morales

Benn v McClellan

Any of Benn's fights actually

Froch v Groves has been mentioned but the most exiting fight for me, even though I was watching a delayed broadcast, was Taylor. I'll admit jumping off the sofa and punching the air.

Benn v McLellan - for the sheer savagery & Benn proving again what a heart he had.

Benn v Eubank - I won over £200 (which was a lot to me back then) off a £15 bet by correctly predicting a 9th round stoppage. It felt so wrong though betting against my hero but I had a hunch (& backed it for once!)

Tyson v Berbick - Tyson was a beast back then cutting a swathe through the HW division

Ali v Foreman - not the actual fight but I have a vague memory (I was 6yrs old) of the post fight press conference, I must of seen it the following day - "Shut up & listen to me. All my critics crawl, all my critics bow down before me...." - absolutely brilliant!

Errol Christie v Mark Kaylor - I don't think I even watched the fight, I was listening on BBC Radio (probably with Ian Darke doing commentary).
There was all the racism in the build up, with Kaylor having a lot of support from West Ham fans & I was desperate for Christie to shut them all up. They had a pre-fight press conference which descended into a fight in a car park just to hype it up even more.
I was really excited when Errol decked Kaylor a couple of times thinking he was going to spank him, was gutted when the fight ended in the 8th with Mark having his fist raised as the winner on a KO.
Christie never did fulfill his potential, neither did Mark come to think of it.

... the christie kaylor fight is a good call for any british fight fan in the 80's. I too was gutted when christie didn't put him away, but the signs were already there that his lack of whiskers were going to derail the high hopes we all had for him.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3016996/Boxing-champ-Errol-Christie-51-reveals-battling-lung-cancer-toughest-fight-life.html

... sorry to hear that. Hope he pulls through.

... sorry to hear that. Hope he pulls through.

Sad news about Christie. Hoping he makes a full recovery. By the by, Buncey had him and Kaylor on his radio hsow a few years back to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of their fight and I remember thinking that Kaylor didn't sound too well himself, slow and a little slurred. Just an idle thought of course as voices can be deceptive but wondered how his health had been in retirement if anyone knew?

Have said it before but it's a shame that a genuinely great fight like Christie-Kaylor gets overshadowed by all the peripheral stuff. I guess it's easier for someone like me to be indifferent to all the tensions and drama in the build up because I'm viewing it as history rather than remembering if from my own head, mind you. But still think it's a shame how their personal clashes outside the ring and all the tribalism the fight generated tend to over-shadow what a cracking fight it was. It's almost like the eight rounds of action are an afterthought. So many twists and turns packed in to those eight rounds with both men taking trips to the canvas and taking turns at being in the ascendancy.

I guess those who were rooting for Christie must have taken plenty of delight in seeing Graham absolutely bamboozle Kaylor when they fought a little further down the line. Fantastic performance from Graham who suddenly turned mid-fight from a back-foot box of tricks to a cold, calculated stalker with an amazing killer instinct. Kaylor looked like he'd never set foot in a ring before. Like he said to his corner after the eighth round when he decided that enough was enough, "How can I beat someone I can't even hit?"

Graham's performances against Kaylor and Douglas a few years later were almost punch perfect. Ok, with all due respect to both opponents, neither were quite world class, but the manner in which they were defeated was mesmorising. Has there ever been or more graceful fighter than Graham?