THE KNOCKOUT KING
Vincent Pettway reflects on knocking out Simon Brown as it’s voted the best finish of the last 30 years, writes James Slater
We speak to Vincent Pettway, the man who claimed one of boxing’s best KOS
FEARSOME FISTS: Pettway’s record includes 32 inside-schedule victories
WHEN it happened in April 1995, then-ibf super-welterweight champion Vincent Pettway’s one-punch knockout of Simon Brown was more disturbing than electrifying. Pettway uncorked a perfect left hook to Brown’s jaw, and down the previously unstopped challenger went – only to continue throwing punches as he lay on his back with his eyes shut tight. Even the victor was concerned about Brown’s plight – after all, this was not only a respected rival, but a friend.
Brown soon recovered, and so the replays of the shocking finish began. They ran and ran and ran. And still they run; the clip is a favourite among thrill seekers on Youtube. The punch and its effect remains more famous than the man who launched it, and at the end of 2016 – more than 21 years since it was thrown – it was voted by Showtime viewers as the greatest knockout in their 30-year history.
Today, Pettway – who didn’t consider himself a puncher during his 43-7-1 (32) career – says he got “crazy attention” after scoring the lights-out KO. You must be pleased about your KO of Simon Brown being voted as the best KO of 30 years on Showtime?
Yeah, that was a great time in my life. I can’t believe that much time has passed – 1995, wow. People couldn’t believe that KO, and at the time I never even considered myself a KO puncher; I felt I was a boxer-puncher. But in that fight, me and Simon Brown were friends, but in the ring there are no friends, so I put that aside and I did what I had to do.
It wasn’t until I looked at the film [of the fight] later on that I realised it was the perfect punch; my body alignment, the snap, I had all my power behind it, it was just a perfect shot. Still, at the time, did I know he wasn’t getting up? No. I was stood in the corner, just wishing for the referee to get to the count of ‘10’. And it was then that I saw him throwing punches while he was down. I thought he was having some kind of seizure. Then my concerns were for his health, not about celebrating. Thank God he was okay after a trip to the hospital. Did you spar with Brown at that time?
We had sparred one time before the fight, although I sparred another friend of ours, Maurice Blocker, the most. I was so grateful he was okay, and that I could then continue on with my career. That was the first time I got mad, crazy attention – all of a sudden! My most satisfying knockout win, though, was against [Gianfranco] Rosi – with me winning the [IBF super-welterweight] title [via fourth-round KO]. He had been champion for so long, so to dethrone him, it meant a whole lot. Especially after the first fight, six months earlier, which was a technical draw due to a clash of heads. I knew then it wouldn’t be easy being world champion – and it shouldn’t be easy when you’re the champion. But to have had to have fought Simon Brown in my first title defence, him of all people, such a great fighter. That was tough. He was like the No. 10 guy [contender] at the time, so it was tough that I was matched with him. [Promoter] Don King wanted it, the match-up was the battle of Maryland, as we both came from there. Today, that fight would’ve been promoted so much better; it would have been huge. But it seemed like I was always matched tough, I was matched with plenty of tough guys on the way up; Gilbert Baptist was a tough fighter, and the Canadian guy, Dan Sherry. Still, my mentality was, I’m the best, so I’ll fight whoever they bring to me to fight. You certainly never had it easy, fighting a veritable Murderer’s Row, against fighters like Brown, Paul Vaden and Terry Norris.
Right. After Brown, I thought I’d face a No. 5 or a No. 6 guy, but my manager said we should get the mandatory out of the way, which was Paul Vaden [who stopped Pettway in 12 rounds in August 1995]. Of course, I could see his thinking – get him out of the way and then fight whoever. But I never got him out of the way [laughs]. But the one thing that still bothers me to this day is, all the champions get a rematch clause in the contract before a big fight. But me, against Vaden, I never got one – why? I definitely feel I could’ve come back and beaten him and been champion again. But I have no real regrets, I’m happy for the fan recognition and for the plaudits. I wanted to be the best and the only way you can do that is to fight the best, and even in the fights I lost, I had good moments in those fights.
‘I WAS ALWAYS MATCHED TOUGH. I FOUGHT WHOEVER’