COLIN HART
I saw Ali’s Phantom Punch and Tyson biting an ear off – history’s not in Tyson Fury’s favour in Usyk rematch
World heavyweight rematches have thrown up some infamous fights - and Colin Hart has seen most of them live
TYSON FURY, a boxing historian, is aware the record book shows he has less than an even-money shot at regaining his world title from Oleksandr Usyk.
Fellow heavyweights Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali and Lennox Lewis achieved it in fights straight after being dethroned.
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But Patterson was also among the failures — along with Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes, Deontay Wilder and Jack Dempsey.
Movie sequels are rarely as good as the originals but where the world heavyweight title is concerned, some of the return battles have been sensational.
If Fury and Usyk provide the same edge-of-the-seat excitement — and controversy — when they meet again, it will captivate fans.
It’s not difficult to pick out the most scandalous, outrageous and unforgettable clash since the first champion John L Sullivan laced on his gloves 135 years ago.
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Evander Holyfield defied the odds in 1996 and stopped Tyson in 11 rounds to lift the WBA belt.
They met again in the same Las Vegas ring seven months later in the hideous Bite Fight.
That nauseating image of Tyson chewing an inch of flesh out of Holyfield’s right ear, and spitting it on the canvas, is still fresh in my mind.
Disqualified by referee Mills Lane, Mike claimed he did it in frustration because Holyfield had been head-butting him.
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It cost him a $3million fine and 12-month ban — and he never ruled the division again.
Just as contentious was what occurred in Maine in May 1965, 14 months after Cassius Clay did the unthinkable by stopping Sonny Liston to become champ.
Meet the AI boxing official who'll be ringside for Fury v Usyk with fans convinced it 'will eliminate judges completely'
When they met again, Clay had changed his name to Muhammad Ali and Liston was favourite to crush the Louisville Lip.
But that opening round left the 4,000-strong crowd shocked and bewildered. An innocuous Ali right cross clipped Liston and left him lying on his back.
Ali stood over him yelling “Get up Sucker” — and it became known as the Phantom Punch.
New York sports writer Jimmy Cannon wrote that the punch “couldn’t have crushed a grape”.
Liston eventually got to his feet but referee Jersey Joe Walcott stopped the fight after two minutes and declared Ali the winner.
Because of Liston’s long links to the Mob and doubts over that punch, arguments rage to this day about the fight being fixed.
Fury vs Usyk 2 - top stories
READ MORE on all the build-up to the blockbuster fight in Riyadh..
All the info:
- Everything you need to know about the biggest fight of the year
- How much are Fury and Usyk getting paid?
- Who is on the undercard for the huge event?
News, features and interviews:
- Fury and Usyk separated by security with neither budging for 10 MINUTES
- EXCLUSIVE: Fury's trainer reveals weapon that will be crucial in the fight
- Five changes Fury has made for the fight
- Fury's terrifying rant as he promises to put Usyk 'in the hurt locker'
- EXCLUSIVE: Fury can't beat Usyk, says Eubank Jr
- COMMENT: Usyk spoiled golden age of British heavyweights
ALI vs SPINKS
Roll on thirteen years to Las Vegas, Ali barely bothered to train when challenged by Olympic gold medallist Leon Spinks having only his eighth pro fight.
Astonishingly Spinks deservedly beat him on points.
Seven months later in New Orleans Ali reversed the points decision and, for the third time, was top of the world.
DEMPSEY vs TUNNEY
Mention the Long Count and any student of the Noble Art will know what you are talking about.
Jack Dempsey, having lost his title to Gene Tunney in 1926, tried to get it back a year later.
Dempsey floored Tunney in the seventh but didn’t obey the referee’s command to go to a neutral corner.
It meant Tunney was on the canvas for about 14 seconds before getting up — and those extra seconds enabled him to recover and repeat another points win. Dempsey never fought again.
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PATTERSON vs JOHANSSON
In June 1960, Patterson KO’d Ingemar Johansson to become the first man to regain the heavyweight world title.
It was sweet revenge for losing to Johansson the first time.
PATTERSON vs LISTON
But two years later, Patterson was KO’d by Liston in just 126 seconds of the first round.
Patterson, bidding to win back the title for a second time ten months later, lasted only four seconds longer against him.
HOLMES vs SPINKS
Larry Holmes had reigned for seven years and was expected to beat Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record.
But in September 1985, Michael Spinks became the first world light-heavyweight champ to win boxing’s richest prize when he outpointed Holmes over 15 rounds.
Spinks repeated his triumph seven months later.
FURY vs WILDER
Wilder, despite picking himself off the floor twice and putting Fury down twice, found the Gypsy King too good.
He suffered an 11-round KO in his bid to resurrect his title, in the third fight of their trilogy.
LEWIS vs RAHMAN
In April 2001, Lennox Lewis paid the price for not preparing properly to fight at Johannesburg’s 5,500ft altitude.
And 20-1 outsider Hasim Rahman flattened him in five rounds to score one of the greatest heavyweight upsets.
He had to take Rahman to court to force him to honour the return fight clause in the deal.
Rahman’s eminence lasted just seven months — Lewis joined the short list of regainers by knocking him out in the seventh round in Las Vegas.
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It’s highly unlikely there will be any ear-biting, disqualifications, long counts or Phantom Punches in Riyadh on Saturday night.
Instead, let’s hope Fury and Usyk’s fight will be a memorable, quality contest with no disputes whoever is named winner.
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Fury vs Usyk 2: Ring walk time, TV channels and undercard - all you need to know for big rematch
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