Sports Chapter 12 - Boxing

William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey

Defeated Willard to take the title in 1919 and held it until 1926

Howard Cosell

Announcer who was one of Ali's greatest defenders. He stood up for Ali when he refused military service when few others did. Both Cosell and Ali recognized the importance of the other in their respective careers.

Luis Firpo

Argentinian who fought Dempsey and lost to him in one of Tex Richard's million dollar gates in 1923

Mike Tyson

Became the youngest heavyweight champion in 1986 at the age of 20. One of the most famous fights in history came in 1997 when he fought former champion Evander Holyfield and bit off part of his ear. Holyfield won the fight on points.

Jack Broughton

British boxing champion of the 18th century who helped devise the first rules of the sport known as the London Prize Ring Rules.

Marquess of Queensberry

British nobility title that would eventually become synonyms with boxing.

Six Weight Classes

By the 1890s boxing clubs had become popular and they had initiated the idea of the different weight classes.

Muhammad Ali

Cassius Clay converted to Islam shortly after winning the heavyweight title in 1964 and rejected his "slave name" and changed it to this name. He would go on to become arguably the greatest fighter of all time and the most recognizable sports figure in the world.

James Jeffries

Champion from 1899 to 1905 who was brought out of retirement in 1910 to be one of the "Great White Hopes." He lost to Johnson in the 15th Round.

Gene Tunney

Defeated Jack Dempsey in 1926 and the rematch in 1927. The second match was held in Soldier field and became known as the Long Count fight. Dempsey knocked Tunney down in the 7th and the referee did not start the count until after Dempsey retired to his corner.

George Foreman

Defeated by Ali in October 1974 in a fight in Zaire known as the "Rumble in the Jungle." Ali used the tactic of staying on the ropes while Foreman wore himself out that became known as the Rope-a-dope. Foreman would eventually make a comeback after his retirement to become the oldest recognized heavyweight champion in history at age 45 in 1994.

Jack Johnson

Defeated champion Tommy Burns in 1908 to become the first black heavyweight champion. There was a constant search for a white champion (Great White Hope) to defeat him.

Queensberry Rules for the Sport of Boxing

Devised by the 8th Marquess of Queensbury in the 1860s. The main difference in the new rules was addition of gloves.

Cassius Clay

Fighter out of Louisville who first came on the scene in the 1960 Olympics when he won the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division

Sonny Liston

Fighter who won the heavyweight championship in the early 60s who had a long list of crimes to his name and had spent time in prision. Liston was an example used by those arguing boxing was being taken over by criminals and underworld figures.

Tom Cribb

First superstar British fighter of the 19th Century who gained the title after he defeated former American slave Tom Molineaux in 1810.

"Sugar" Ray Robinson

First superstar boxer who was not a heavyweight. He fought as a welter and middleweight and held and lost titles numerous times in the two decades following World War II. He is often referred to as the best fighter "pound-for-pound" in history

George Carpentier

French fighter billed as the best fighter in Europe and also a war hero from World War I. His 1921 fight with Dempsey was billed as the hero (Carpentier) vs. the Slacker (Dempsey). The term slacker referred to someone who did not serve. The "slacker" won the fight.

Max Schmeling

German champion who held the title in the early 30s after defeating Jack Sharkey. Sharkey got his revenge by first defeating Italian Primo Canera and then Schmeling. Carnera got his revenge defeating Sharkey for the title. Schmelling would later fight Joe Louis in major fights that took on international implications as Schmeling was seen as representing the Nazi Party of Germany.

Pugilism

Greek historian Plutarch named the sport of boxing this for the latin word pugnus meaning fist

Rocky Marciano

Heavyweight champ during the 1950s who is the only champ to ever retire undefeated

Joe Frazier

Heavyweight champion while Ali was suspended. They fought in what was billed as the "fight of the century" in 1971 and it was Ali's first defeat as a professional fighter. Ali got his revenge when he defeated Frazier in January of 1974.

Joe Louis

Held the heavyweight title longer and defend it more than anyone in history

James J. Braddock

In a major upset he defeated Max Baer in 1935 to take the title Braddock was a rep of the difficult economic times as he worked his way up from working the docks to becoming what Damon Runyan termed as the "Cinderella Man"

John Morrissey

Irish immigrant who became the first official American heavyweight champion in 1853.

"Sugar" Ray Leonard

Namesake of Robinson who won the gold medal in the welterweight division in the 1976 Olympics. He became the welterweight champion of the world in 1979. Retired temporarily due to an eye injury but came back one last time to fight in 1997 at the age of 40.

Harry Wills

The best challenger of the 1920s who never got a shot at the title because he was black.

Old "Q"

The fourth Marquess of Queensberry who reportedly would wager on anything - even his own death.

Larry Holmes

Was the first to ever knock Ali out