ONLY LEFTIES ALLOWED
As Jamel Herring and Shakur Stevenson prepare to show the world two southpaws can make an entertaining fight, here are 10 other examples of all-southpaw battles
1. NASEEM HAMED VS KEVIN KELLEY
While perhaps not a fight for the purists, the December 1997 clash between “Prince” Naseem Hamed and Kevin Kelley at Madison Square Garden is about as dramatic as an all-southpaw encounter gets: six knockdowns, three apiece, and one conclusive Hamed KO to finish.
2. CORNELIUS BOZA EDWARDS VS RAFAEL LIMÓN
Neither Boza Edwards or Limón were exactly averse to being involved in all-out wars and, when meeting in March 1981, this trend continued, with Boza getting the decision after 15 thrilling and gruelling rounds.
3. SERGIO MARTÍNEZ VS PAUL WILLIAMS
Martínez and Williams split, compelling two fights. The first a decision win in favour of Williams in 2009 and the second a stunning one-punch knockout victory for Martínez in 2010.
4. ZAB JUDAH VS CORY SPINKS
After losing a decision to Spinks first time around in 2004, Judah responded with a brilliant ninth-round stoppage of the welterweight champion in the pair’s rematch the following year.
5. PERNELL WHITAKER VS JOSÉ LUIS RAMÍREZ
Ramírez inflicted the first defeat of Whitaker’s career in 1988, though it was a stinker of a decision, and Whitaker then gained revenge in ’89, outboxing his Mexican opponent over 12 rounds.
6. PERNELL WHITAKER VS JULIO CÉSAR VÁSQUEZ
In March 1995, Whitaker successfully moved to superwelterweight to beat Argentina’s Vásquez, proving too cute throughout the 12 rounds they shared.
7. JOHN DAVID JACKSON VS REGGIE JOHNSON
Americans John David Jackson and Reggie Johnson met at middleweight in October 1993, and it was Jackson who came away with the glory, edging Johnson via close decision.
8. MICHAEL MOORER VS VASSILIY JIROV
In a wild 2004 heavyweight encounter, Moorer, a fading former world champion, proved his power remained when he rendered a wide deficit on the cards redundant with a one-punch KO in round nine.
9. VASILIY LOMACHENKO VS GARY RUSSELL JNR
Though only his third pro fight, amateur phenom Lomachenko won a vacant WBO featherweight title the night he outpointed Russell Jnr – soon to become a belt-holder in his own right – in 2014.
10. MARVIN HAGLER VS ALAN MINTER
A fight spoiled first by cuts and then the behaviour of the London crowd, Hagler’s three-round dismantling of Minter in 1980 landed the Brockton southpaw the world middleweight title and announced his arrival as a dominant force in the division.