Rumble In The Jungle....40 Years On..

[ToraToraTora]

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/boxing/29796214
I remember watching this live in my opinion second only to the Thrilla in manilla for the greatest fight in history. Boxing today is often lame in comparison. Who remembers boxings greatest era?

[Sipowicz]

Greatest fight? Hagler v Hearns.

[ToraToraTora]

hagler/hearns was a classic sure but frazer/Ali 15 rounds of brutality, they both went to hospital and what neither new at the time was both corners wanted to throw the towel in and Ali won because frazers corner were slighty quicker! Under todays rules it would have been stopped about 6 times!

[New Judge]

Yes, I remember "The Rumble" and "The Thrilla", 3Ts.

I also recall that there were just 10 weights each with just one world champion, all of whom I could name. Today I could not even give you the name of one of the five or six people calling themselves the world heavyweight champion.

Even at the lower levels and lesser weights there were some legendary names. Among the British fighters were Dave "Boy" Green (the Fenland Tiger from Chatteris, Cambs). I will not forget his brave expolits and in particular his bout against Sugar Ray Leonard. Leonard lifted him off the floor with an uppercut to knock him out. Many watching thought he was dead. John H Stracey was also from that era as was Carlos Palamino.

The heavyweight scene was always the most glamourous and apart from Ali there were Smokin' Joe Frazier, Ken Norton and not forgetting Henry Cooper and Joe Bugner. I should also mention Brian London. When frustrated by the sport's politics which saw him unable to get a crack at the world title (and to be honest he was never in that class) he remarked "I'm just a prawn in this game".

Happy days!

[penelope2]

Leonard v Haglar

[ToraToraTora]

yes boxing a joke these days judge, WBA/WBC/IBF/ABC/B&Q/ICI! no idea who the "world" champs are in any weight!

[Sipowicz]

Yes NJ, when I was a schoolboy I could name The 92 Football league club's grounds and nicknames, plus the World boxing champion at every weight, no chance these days!

[ToraToraTora]

Benn v Eubank was better than that penelope!

[Sipowicz]

Len Fairclough v Ken Barlow!

[ToraToraTora]

what weight was that?

[New Judge]

Corrieweight.

[bibblebub]

a bit of a mismatch http://www2.b3ta.com/host/creative/64002/1414689640/AliFormby.gif

[aelmpvw]

was it brian london who was so bemused he thought the ref had joined in?

[Mamyalynne]

My late Husband was at Madison Square Garden in 1971 for this one,he had a great time.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fight_of_the_Century