This week in boxing history, PBC looks back at a celebrated heavyweight rumble, as well as chapters from three exciting trilogies and the first defeat for a Mexican legend.
January 24, 1976 – George Foreman knocked out Ron Lyle in the fifth round of their heavyweight fight at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
The Ring named the bout Fight of the Year and Round 4 as the Round of the Year, and also voted Round 4 as the sixth-most exciting round in boxing history in 2001.
January 27, 1954 – Archie Moore defeated Joey Maxim by 15-round unanimous decision to retain his world light heavyweight title at the Orange Bowl in Miami.
In the last of three meetings between the fighters, which were all won by Moore, Maxim was knocked down in the eighth and 11th rounds.
January 28, 1968 – Chartchai Chionoi retained his world flyweight title with a 13th-round TKO of Efren Torres in Mexico City in the first of three meetings between the fighters.
The bout, which United Press International called “a blood-drenched duel,” was named the 20th greatest title fight of all time by The Ring in 1996.
January 28, 1974 – In the second fight of their storied trilogy, Muhammad Ali beat Joe Frazier by 12-round unanimous decision at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
While their other two fights were for the world heavyweight championship, this one was for Ali’s North American Boxing Federation title. It was Frazier’s second fight after losing his heavyweight crown to George Foreman, and Ali would go on to upset Foreman nine months later in “The Rumble in the Jungle.”
January 29, 1994 – Frankie Randall defeated Julio Cesar Chavez by split decision to win the WBC super lightweight championship at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Chavez, who was twice penalized one point for low blows, suffered the first knockdown of his career in Round 11 and his first career loss in 91 professional fights. Chavez won the rematch less than four months later on an eight-round technical split decision.
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