THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
From a onelegged man fighting for a world title to a beautiful battle between two ring legends, Matt Christie rounds up the finest fistic anniversaries of the week
Jersey Joe Walcott vs Ezzard Charles, Tim Witherspoon vs Frank Bruno & more
5 ROBERT DANIELS w pts 12 CRAIG BODZIANOWSKI
July 19, 1990; Kingdome, Seattle, WA
SIX years before challenging Robert Daniels for the WBA cruiserweight title, Craig Bodzianowski was on his motorcycle when a parked car suddenly pulled out in front of him. It then attempted a U-turn before crashing into Bodzianowski. He was left with four compound fractures and numerous broken bones. His leg was amputated below the knee and he was told he would have to walk with a stick for the rest of his life. Bodzianowski had other ideas. By December 1985, 18 months after the accident, he was boxing again on an artificial limb and proved himself as a worthwhile cruiserweight contender. He would lose to Daniels on points, but the highly competitive nature of the bout was a victory in itself.
DID YOU KNOW? When asked why he didn’t take the driver responsible for his accident to court, Bodzianowski replied, “I can’t… I won’t have a leg to stand on.”
WATCH OUT FOR: The On The Ropes documentary features the Daniels fight and is essential viewing just to see Bodzianowski’s inspirational tale.
4 JERSEY JOE WALCOTT w ko 7 EZZARD CHARLES
July 18, 1951; Forbes Field, Pittsburgh, PA
JERSEY JOE WALCOTT had lost four times in bids for the world heavyweight title before he nonchalantly strolled over to Ezzard Charles in the seventh round of their third meeting and uncorked one of the finest left hooks you will ever see. Fifth time lucky: Charles slid down Walcott’s leg like drool before being counted out. Jersey Joe – who had also lost twice to Joe Louis – became the oldest man to win the heavyweight title at 37-and-a-half. The record stood until George Foreman, 45, bounced Michael Moorer off the canvas in 1994.
DID YOU KNOW? Despite Walcott’s win, the British Boxing Board of Control recognised Joe Louis as the world champion on the strength of his win over Lee Savold (who had defeated Bruce Woodcock in White City to win that British version of the title). After Jersey Joe defeated Charles in their fourth fight, and Louis lost to Rocky Marciano, the Board corrected their error.
WATCH OUT FOR: The sudden finish. It’s just as good as the more famous one-punch KO courtesy of Marciano that ended Walcott’s reign.
3 TIM WITHERSPOON w rsf 11 FRANK BRUNO
July 19, 1986; Wembley Stadium, London
THOSE of a certain age will enjoy drifting back to a time when Don King was putting together a heavyweight tournament to sort out the alphabet mess and crown one champion. This bout, a preliminary to that tournament, was bossed by Bruno in the early going but his fans sensed that “Terrible” Tim was not going to fall. By the 11th Bruno was fighting hard just to keep the WBA heavyweight titlist off him. A gallant effort, but Witherspoon showed his class. But he didn’t make it as far as the allconquering tournament which was won by the 20-year-old wildcard, Mike Tyson.
DID YOU KNOW? Anita Dobson – AKA Angie Watts from Eastenders – was a curious choice to join Barry Mcguigan as Des Lynam’s studio guest on the (delayed) BBC broadcast. When asked her opinion on the outcome she said, “I don’t know, this is the first time I’ve been to a match, but I hope he [Bruno] wins.”
WATCH OUT FOR: The two-hour video that features news bulletins of the build-up and provide a glimpse into the Bruno-mania that occurred in the summer of 1986.
2 KEVIN MITCHELL w rsf 8 JOHN MURRAY
July 16, 2011; Echo Arena, Liverpool
IT had been 14 months since an infamously ill-prepared Kevin Mitchell had succumbed in three anti-climactic rounds to Michael Katsidis inside a packed Upton Park. Though plenty of educated voices fancied the Londoner, he was the bookies underdog against unbeaten Mancunian John Murray. The ferocious and tenacious pressure fighter had worked his way to 31-0 and was on the brink of a world title shot. What followed was a brutal and thrilling lightweight slugfest. Mitchell was arguably never better in a bout fought with equal measures of skill, abandon and bloody-mindedness.
DID YOU KNOW? Between the Katsidis and Murray encounters, Mitchell not only blew thousands of pounds in pubs and on all manner of trouble, he also had an operation on his right eye. “They took my eye half out, cut it open, sewed the muscle back up,” he told The Guardian in 2011.
WATCH OUT FOR: Clues to the outcome can be found as early as the opening round: Mitchell exhibits the versatility absent from Murray’s approach as they go toe-to-toe.
1 SALVADOR SANCHEZ w rsf 15 AZUMAH NELSON
July 21, 1982; Madison Square Garden, NY
WATCHING this fight today, as the great Salvador Sanchez accepts the crowd’s cheers with a boyish grin ahead of the opening bell, it’s impossible not to feel sadness for what was to come. Less than a month later the 23-year-old Mexican was killed behind the wheel of his Porsche as it collided head-on with a tractor. An inglorious end for Sanchez but the real and fitting epitaph came inside Madison Square Garden, when he stopped Nelson in the 15th round. If Sanchez’s efforts rubber stamped his place in history, Nelson forcing him into this kind of battle after only 13 fights signalled the beginning of his own march towards greatness.
DID YOU KNOW? Though Sanchez showed few signs of distress in battle he was well aware he was in the midst of a titanic struggle. “I feel very weak,” he told his corner at the end of the fourth. “He hits very hard and he’s very fast.”
WATCH OUT FOR: How Sanchez expertly orchestrates the finish. With his rival swarming all over him, he finds the space to bludgeon the courageous Nelson to defeat.