Boxing's High Points Chronology

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1681
Jan 06First recorded boxing match (Duke of Albemarle's butler vs his butcher).Ref: 5
1733
May 06First international boxing match: Bob Whittaker beats Tito di Carni.Ref: 5
1743
Aug 10Earliest recorded prize fighting rules formulated.Ref: 5
Aug 16Earliest boxing code of rules formulated in England (Jack Broughton).Ref: 5
1754
Jul 29The first international boxing match was held. Jack Slack, the champion from Great Britain, knocked out the French challenger, Jean Petit. Everybody got home at a decent hour, too -- the bout lasted only 25 minutes.Ref: 4
1789
Oct 22Tom Johnson defeats giant Isaac Perrins at Banbury, Osfordshire in 1 hour 15 minutes.Ref: 97
1790
Sep 29Daniel Mendoza defeats Richard Humphries in their third fight. Mendoza has a gate built and charges spectators as they pass through it, the first exampe of a paying 'gate' in boxing.Ref: 97
1805
Jul 08Bill Richmond, the first noted boxer in America, beat up Tom Tough (Jack Homes) in round 26 of a bout in Kilburn Wells, England.Ref: 4
1810
Dec 10The first interracial, title boxing bout was staged at Copthall Common in England. An American, Tom Molineaux, lost to Tom Cribb on a fluke punch. The fight went 40 rounds!Ref: 4
1818
Oct 082 English boxers are first to use padded gloves.Ref: 5
1841
Sep 09Tom Hyer defeats Irish boxer George McChester (Country McCluskey) in 101 rounds at Caldwell's Landing to become the first American boxing champion.Ref: 97
1849
Feb 07Tom Hyer knocks out James Ambrose (Yankee Sullivan) in the 16th round for the American boxing championship. Each boxer received $5000.Ref: 97
1853
Oct 12John Morrissey wins a decision over James Ambrose (Yankee Sullivan) in the 37th round in Boston Corners NY for the American boxing championshipRef: 97
1856
Oct 19James Kelly & Jack Smith fight bareknuckle for 6 hours 15 minutes in Melbourne.Ref: 5
1860
Apr 17The match between Tom Sayers and American Champion John Camel Heenan, in front of 12,000 spectators, is called a draw after 42 rounds and police intervention. The match took place in relative secrecy in Farnsborough, England, 25 miles from London.Ref: 97
1863
May 05Joe Coburn Kos Mike McCoole for US boxing title in 63rd round in Charleston MD.Ref: 5
1865
Jan 03Con Orem & Hugh O'Neill box 193 rounds before darkness ends match.Ref: 5
Feb 08Boxing declared illegal in the State of Missouri.Ref: 10
1869
Jun 15England’s Tom Allen was defeated by Mike McCoole of the United States in St. Louis, MO in the first international bare-knuckle fight for an American. Ouch!Ref: 4
1870
May 10Jem Mace defends his heavyweight crown against Irish champion Joe Coburn, it lasts 1 hour & 17 minutes, and neither is struck by a punchRef: 2
1873
Sep 23Tom Allen beats Mike McCale for Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 5
1876
Mar 16Nelly Saunders & Rose Harland fight first female boxing match (New York).Ref: 5
1879
Mar 27Longest championship fight (136 rounds)Ref: 5
1880
Jun 21Paddy Ryan won the world heavyweight boxing title by beating up Joe Goss in -- are you ready? -- the 87th round, near Colliers Station, WV.Ref: 4
1882
Feb 07American pugilist John L. Sullivan becomes the last of the bare-knuckle world heavyweight champions with his defeat of Patty Ryan in Mississippi City.Ref: 2
1884
Nov 17Cops arrest John L Sullivan in 2nd round for being "cruel".Ref: 5
1885
Aug 29The first prize fight under the Marquis of Queensberry Rules was held -- in Cincinnati, OH. John L. Sullivan defeated Dominick McCaffery in six rounds.Ref: 4
1886
Nov 13John L Sullivan knocks out Paddy Ryan in a bare knuckle fight in San Francisco in the 3rd round.Ref: 97
1887
Dec 19Jake Kilrain & Jem Smith fight 106 round bare knuckle draw.Ref: 5
1888
Mar 10John L Sullivan fights Charley Mitchell for 3 hours 10 minutes in a 39-round draw at Baron Rothschild's stables at Chantilly, France.Ref: 97
Dec 22Heavyweight Boxing Champion John L Sullivan challenges Jake Kilrain.Ref: 5
1889
Jul 04John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain in the last championship bare-knuckle fight. The bout went on for 75 rounds! It took 2 hours, 16 minutes and 23 seconds to complete.Ref: 97
Jul 08John L. Sullivan defeated Jake Kilrain in the last championship bare-knuckle fight. Good thing it was the last one, too, as the bout went on for 75 rounds! It took 2 hours, 16 minutes and 23 seconds to complete.Ref: 4
Aug 27Boxer Jack Dempsey is defeated for the first time in his career as George LaBlanche used the pivot punch to knock Dempsey into nighty-night land. The punch was later banned from boxing.Ref: 4
1890
Feb 27D Needham & P Kerrigan box 100 rounds (6 hours 39 minutes), San Francisco; match is draw.Ref: 5
May 12Louisiana legalized prize fighting.Ref: 5
1891
Jan 14Jack Dempsey suffers his first defeat in the 13th round at the hands of Bob Fitzsimmons in New Orleans.Ref: 97
May 21Peter Jackson and Jim Corbett fought to a draw in San Francisco, CA in an unprecedented 61 rounds!Ref: 4
1892
Feb 02Longest boxing match under modern rules; 77 rounds in Nameoki, Illinois between Harry Sharpe & Frank Crosby.Ref: 5
Sep 07The first heavyweight-title boxing match fought with gloves under Marquis of Queensbury rules ends when James J. Corbett knocks out John L. Sullivan in the 21st round.Ref: 2
1893
Apr 06Andy Bowen & Jack Burke box 7 hours 19 minutes to no decision in St Louis (111 rounds, longest bout in boxing history).Ref: 5
1894
Jan 25James J Corbett KOs Charley Mitchell in 3 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1896
Feb 21Bob Fitzsimmons KOs Peter Maher in 95 seconds in the first boxing match that was to be filmed. However, the fight was over before the film crew was ready.Ref: 97
Mar 10After Bob Fitzsimmons KOs much larger Jim Corbett to win world HW championship he says, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall".Ref: 5
Dec 02Bob Fitzsimmons is disqualified by referee Wyatt Earp for "hitting below the belt" in a match in San Francisco against Tom Sharkey, a friend of Earp. Earp strapped on his gunbelt to emphasize his decision was not a discussion item. The case came to court and Fitzsimmons lost on the grounds that boxing was illegal in California.Ref: 97
1897
Mar 17Motion pictures of a championship prize fight were taken for the first time as ‘Sunny’ Bob Fitzsimmons knocked out ‘Gentleman’ Jim Corbett in 14 rounds in a bare knuckles match for the world heavyweight title.Ref: 4
1899
Jun 09James J. Jeffries defeats Bob Fitzsimmons in an 11 round bout to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. (Jeffries retired in 1905, but came out of retirement in 1910 to fight Jack Johnson.)Ref: 97
Nov 03Jim Jeffries retains heavyweight boxing title over Sailor Tom Sharkey.Ref: 5
1900
Apr 06James J Jeffries KOs Jack Finnegan in 1 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 30165 lb Robert Fitzsimmons KOs 305 lb Ed Dunkhost in a boxing match.Ref: 5
May 11In an effort to regain the heavyweight boxing title, James J. Corbett, known as Gentleman Jim, was knocked out cold by James J. Jeffries in the 23rd round.Ref: 4
1901
Nov 28Young Corbet II KO's "Terrible' Terry McGovern for the featherweight boxing championship.Ref: 97
1902
Jul 25Bob Fitzsimmons fails in his attempt to regain the heavyweight boxing title when James J Jeffries drops him in the 8th round in San Francisco.Ref: 97
Dec 26Oscar Battling hit the canvas five times in a bout in Hot Springs, SD. That’s not the worst of it. Battling’s opponent, Christy Williams, saw little birdies and ate the canvas 42 times setting a record for knockdowns.Ref: 4
1903
Feb 03Jack Johnson beats Denver Ed Martin a 20 round bout in Los Angeles to become the first "colored heavyweight champion of the world".Ref: 97
Feb 27Jack Johnson out-points Sam McVey in a 20 round bout in Los Angeles.Ref: 97
Aug 14In a second effort to regain the heavyweight boxing title, James J. Corbett, known as Gentleman Jim, was knocked out cold by James J. Jeffries in the 10th round.Ref: 97
Nov 25‘Sunny’ Bob Fitzsimmons beat George Gardner to a pulp in San Francisco (remember, this was bareknuckle fighting back then). Sunny Bob became the first boxer to capture three different championships. This time he won the light heavyweight crown; in 1891 he had won the middleweight crown and, in 1897, the heavyweight crown.Ref: 4
1904
Aug 25Jim Jefferies KOs Jack Munroe & retains boxing heavyweight title.Ref: 5
1905
May 13James J Jeffries retires as the heavyweight boxing champion.Ref: 5
Jul 03Marvin Hart defeats Jack Root in a 12 round bout to win the heavyweight boxing title. 
1906
Feb 23Tommy Burns defeats Marvin Hart in a 20 round bout to win the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1907
May 08Tommy Burns beats Jack O'Brien in 20 for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 2
Sep 02Stanley Ketchel Kos Joe Thomas in the 32nd round in San Francisco CA for the middleweight title.Ref: 97
Dec 02Tommy Burns KOs Gunner Moir in 10 to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Dec 07Eugene Corri becomes first referee in a boxing ring.Ref: 5
1908
Mar 17Quickest world heavyweight title fight (Tommy Burns KOs Jem Roche in 88 seconds).Ref: 5
Apr 18Tommy Burns KOs Jewy Smith in 5 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 04Stanley Ketchel defeats Billy Papke "The Illinois Thunderbolt" to retain the middleweight title.Ref: 97
Sep 07Billy Papke "The Illinois Thunderbolt" defeats Stanley Ketchel in a 12-round decision in Los Angeles CA for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Dec 26Jack Johnson TKOs Tommy Burns in 14 at Sydney, Australia for heavyweight boxing title. Johnson becomes the first black heavyweight champion.Ref: 5
1909
Mar 10Jack Johnson fights Victor McLaglen to no decision in 6 for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 19Jack Johnson fights Jack O'Brien to no decision in 6 for boxing title.Ref: 5
Jul 05Stanley Ketchel defeats Billy Papke "The Illinois Thunderbolt" to retain the middleweight title in a 20-round decision.Ref: 97
1910
Jul 04Jack Johnson KO's Jim Jeffries in the 15th round. Jeffries was cajoled out of retirement for the specific purpose of beating Johnson. Johnson's victory spawned race riots.Ref: 97
Nov 14British middleweight Jim Sullivan takes the boxing title from Tom Thomas on points in 20 rounds.Ref: 97
1915
Apr 05Jess Willard Kos Jack Johnson in the 26th round for heavyweight boxing title in Havana, Cuba. Johnson claims he took a dive as his best chance at getting back into the US.Ref: 97
Jun 22Jack Britton outpoints Mike Glover in Boston MA to win the welterweight boxing champtionship.Ref: 97
Aug 31Ted Kid Lewis outpoints Jack Britton in Boston MA to win the welterweight boxing champtionship.Ref: 97
1916
Feb 14Flyweight champion Joe Symonds is forced to retire.Ref: 97
Mar 25Heavyweight Jess Willard & Franc Moran fight to no decision in 10 for boxing title (New York NY).Ref: 5
Mar 25Women are allowed to attend a boxing match.Ref: 5
1918
Dec 16Jack Dempsey KOs Carl Morris in 14 seconds.Ref:77
1919
Apr 05Heavyweight Jess Willard KOs Jack Johnson in Havana.Ref: 5
Jul 04Jack Dempsey KOs Jess Willard in a 4 round bout to win the heavyweight boxing title in Toledo OH.Ref: 97
1920
Sep 05The first prizefight broadcast on radio featured Jack Dempsey knocking out Billy Miske in the third round of a bout in Benton Harbor, MI. Radio station WWJ in Detroit was the station that fight fans were tuned to.Ref: 4
Dec 14Heavyweight Jack Dempsey KOs Bill Brennan in 12 for heavyweight boxing title in NY NY.Ref: 5
Dec 22WEAF, in New York City, aired the first broadcast of a prize fight from ringside. The fight was broadcast from Madison Square Garden where Joe Lynch defeated Peter Herman to retain the bantamweight title. Bantamweights top the scales at 118 pounds.Ref: 4
1921
Apr 11The first live sports event on radio took place this day over KDKA radio. Pittsburgh sports writer, Florent Gibson, gave an account of the action in the lightweight boxing match between Johnny Ray and Johnny Dundee.Ref: 4
Jul 02The first prize fight offering a million-dollar gate was broadcast on radio. Jack Dempsey KOs Georges Carpentier in the fourth round of the bout in Jersey City, NJ.Ref: 4
1922
May 23Harry Greb gives Gene Tunney his only professional boxing defeat.Ref: 5
1923
Jun 18Flyweight boxing champion Jimmy Wilde is persuaded out of retirement and is KO'd by Pancho Villa in the 7th round in New York.Ref: 97
Jul 04Jack Dempsey defends his heavyweight boxing title in a 15-round decision against Tommy Gibbons in Shelby, MT.Ref: 97
Jul 12Luis Firpo KO's Jess Willard in a non-title heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
Jul 24Benny Leonard defeats Lew Tendler in Yankee Stadium to retain the lightweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Aug 31Harry Greb defeats Johnny Wilson to retain the middleweight boxing title in New York.Ref: 97
Sep 05Flyweights Gene LaRue & Kid Pancho KO each other simultaneously.Ref: 5
Sep 14Jack Dempsey KOs Argentine Luis Angel Firpo ("The Wild Bull of the Pampas") in a magnificent 2-round match in the Polo Grounds in New York to retain the heavyweight boxing title. This is the second $1M boxing match.Ref: 97
Oct 04Young Stribling held light-heavyweight boxing championship for the shortest amount of time (3 hrs). Referee overturns the decision.Ref: 5
1924
Nov 04California legalizes pro boxing (illegal since 1914).Ref: 5
Dec 03Prizefighter Jack Sharkey lost his boxing license. The New York State Boxing Commission revoked his boxing card after Sharkey knocked down referee Eddie Purdy during a match.Ref: 4
1925
May 04The Terris-Dundee boxing match was the final event held at the old Madison Square Garden in New York City. Five different sites have been named Madison Square Garden over the years.Ref: 4
Jul 02Harry Greb defeats Mickey Walker to retain the middleweight boxing title in New York.Ref: 97
1926
Sep 23The first Dempsey-Tunney boxing match. Gene Tunney easily out-boxes Jack Dempsey (who had been away from the ring for three years) and wins the heavyweight boxing title in Philadelphia PA.Ref: 97
1927
Jan 21Fidel La Barba outpoints European champion Elky Clark in New York to become the undisputed flyweight champion.Ref: 97
Mar 11First golden gloves tournament.Ref: 5
Jul 21Jack Dempsey KO's Jack Sharkey in the 7th round. Sharkey claims a "low blow".Ref: 97
Sep 22The second Dempsey-Tunney boxing match. Referee Dave Barry stopped the count in the 7th round at Soldier's Field, Chicago. Champion Gene Tunney was down; but the challenger, Jack Dempsey, hadn’t returned to his corner. By the time the referee was able to resume counting, Tunney was able to get to his feet. He got an extra 2 to 5 seconds. And those seconds counted. Tunney won the fight on points, successfully defending his heavyweight title.Ref: 97
1930
Jan 24Primo Carnera makes his American boxing debut by knocking out Big Boy Patterson in one minute, ten seconds of the opening round before a small, intimate gathering of 20,000 people in New York City.Ref: 4
Jun 12Max Schmeling defeats Jack Sharkey in a 4 round bout at Yankee Stadium to win the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1931
Aug 08Former heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey signed a contract for a six-bout tour of the northwestern US He was to be paid $35,000 or 50 percent of the gross receipts, whichever was more.Ref: 4
Aug 20Don King Cleveland OH, boxing promoter (Muhammud Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson), is born.Ref: 68
1932
Jun 21Max Schnelling loses a 15-round heavyweight boxing title fight by a decision to Jack Sharkey prompting Schnelling's manager, Joe Jacobs, to exclaim, "We was robbed!" (XDG, p. 4A, 6/21/2000)Ref: 83
Dec 18Beau Jack defeated Tippy Larkin in New York City. Beau beat Tippy to a pulp to win the World Lightweight Boxing Championship.Ref: 4
1933
Feb 10Primo Carnera knocked out Ernie Schaaf in round 13 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. It was not a happy crowd on hand. The spectators were joined by the press at ringside who shouted, “Fake!” at the knockout. Schaaf died later as a result of that punch.Ref: 4
Jun 29Primo Carnera KO's Jack Sharkey in a 6 round bout to win the heavyweight boxing title in New York.Ref: 4
Sep 12Barney Ross outpoints Tony Canzoneri for the lightweight boxing championship title.Ref: 97
1934
Mar 01Primo Carnera beats Tommy Loughran in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 14Max Baer defeats Primo Carnera in an 11 round bout to win the Heavyweight Boxing title in Long Island City.Ref: 5
Jul 04Boxer Joe Louis wins his first professional fight.Ref: 2
1935
Jun 13Jim Braddock defeated Max Baer in a 15-round decision. Braddock captured the world heavyweight boxing title for the win at the Long Island Bowl in New York.Ref: 4
Jun 25Joe Louis defeats Primo Carnera at Yankee Stadium.Ref: 5
Jul 02Great Britain boxers beat US team in first intl Golden Gloves.Ref: 5
1936
Apr 03Al Carr KOs Lew Massey on 1 punch, :07 of the first round (shortest boxing bout with gloves).Ref: 5
Jun 19Max Schmeling KO's Joe Louis in the 12th round of their heavyweight boxing match. The German boxer earned his victory at Yankee Stadium in NY.Ref: 4
Jun 22Jersey Joe Walcott outpoints Phil Johnson in a non-title heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
1937
Jun 22Joe Louis defeats Jim Braddock in an 8 round bout in Comiskey Park, Chicago, to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. (Louis retires undefeated in 1949, and comes out of retirement in 1950 to fight Ezzard Charles.)Ref: 97
Oct 29Henry Armstrong KO's Petey Sarron in the 6th round for the featherweight title in New York.Ref: 97
1938
Feb 23Joe Louis KOs Nathan Mann in 3 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 01Joe Louis KOs Harry Thomas in 5 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 31Henry Armstrong defeated Barney Ross in New York City to win the welterweight boxing title.Ref: 4
Jun 22Heavyweight boxing champion Joe Louis KOs Max Schmeling in the first round of their rematch at Yankee Stadium.Ref: 97
Aug 17Henry Jackson Armstrong defeats Lou Ambers at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Armstrong wins the lightweight boxing championship and became the first fighter to hold three titles at one time: The feather, welter, and lightweight crowns.Ref: 97
1939
Jan 25Joe Louis KOs John Henry Lewis in 1 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Feb 23Boxing lightweight champion Eric Boom retains his title against Arthur Danahar when the referee stops the fight in the 14th round. The match is the first televised live to an audience in a theater.Ref: 97
Apr 17Joe Louis KOs Jack Roper in 1 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1940
Feb 09Joe Louis beats Arturo Godoy in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Mar 01Henry Armstrong boxes Ceferino Garcia to a draw in a failed attempt at the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 29Joe Louis KOs Johnny Paycheck in 2 to retain heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 30Belle Martell was licensed in California by state boxing officials to be the first American woman prize-fight referee!Ref: 4
Oct 04Frankie Zivic beats Henry Armstrong for the welterweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Dec 16Joe Louis KOs Al McCoy in 6 for heavyweight boxing title in ChicagoRef: 5
1941
Jan 09Joe Louis KOs Buddy Bear, marking the 20th title defense for ‘The Brown Bomber’.Ref: 4
Jan 31Joe Louis KOs Red Burman in 5 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Feb 17Joe Louis KOs Gus Dorazio in 2 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Feb 262 fighters unable to continue slugfest, referee declares double KO.Ref: 5
Mar 21Joe Louis KOs Abe Simon in 13 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 08Joe Louis TKOs Tony Musto in 9 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 23Buddy Baer was disqualified at the beginning of the seventh round as Joe Louis defended his heavyweight boxing title for the 17th time. Baer’s manager refused to leave the ring when the round was ready to begin.Ref: 4
Jun 18Joe Louis outpoints Billy Conn, a former light-heavyweight champion, to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 29Heavyweight Champ Joe Louis KOs Lou Nova in 6.Ref: 5
1942
Mar 27Joe Louis KOs Abe Simon in 6 to retain heavyweight boxing title (New York NY).Ref: 5
Oct 16Natl Boxing Assn freezes titles of those serving in armed services.Ref: 5
Nov 20Willie Pep outpoints Chalky Wright in Madison Square Garden to win the New York version of the featherweight championship.Ref: 97
1945
Oct 01Heavyweight champ Joe Louis is discharged from the army.Ref: 5
1946
Jun 19Joe Louis KO's Billy Conn in 8 to retain the heavyweight boxing title in New York City. This was the first televised championship. To see the fight in person, incidentally, would have cost you $100.Ref: 4
Sep 18Joe Louis KO's Tami Mauriello in the first round to retain the heavyweight boxing title in New York City.Ref: 97
Sep 27Tony Zale knocks out Rocky Graziano in the 6th round at Yankee Stadium in an extraordinary slugfest in their first meeting.Ref: 97
Sep 29Al Couture knockouts Ralph Walton in Lewiston Maine in 10« secs.Ref: 5
Dec 20Sugar Ray Robinson outpoints Tommy Bell for the vacant welterweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1947
Jul 16Rocky Graziano KO's Tony Zale in Chicago Stadium for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Dec 05Joe Louis beats Jersey Joe Walcott in 15 for heavyweight boxing title in Madison Square Garden, NY.Ref: 5
1948
Mar 19Lee Savold knocks out Gino Buonvino in 54 seconds of the first round of their prize fight in Madison Square Garden.Ref: 4
Jun 25Joe Louis KO’s Jersey Joe Walcott in 11 rounds to retain the world heavyweight boxing crown.Ref: 4
Sep 21Marcel Cerdan outfights Tony Zale in Newark NJ for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Oct 29Sandy Sadler surprised the boxing world by knocking out Willie Pep in the fourth round to win the world featherweight boxing title in New York City.Ref: 4
1949
Feb 08Terry Allen defeats Rinty Monoghan of Ireland in a non-title flyweight boxing match in Harringay, London, England.Ref: 97
Feb 11Willie Pep recaptures the world featherweight boxing title by defeating Sandy Sadler in New York City.Ref: 4
Mar 01‘The Brown Bomber’, Joe Louis, announced that he was retiring from boxing as world heavyweight boxing champion. Louis held the title longer than any other champ -- 11 years, eight months and seven days.Ref: 4
May 01Joe Louis retires as undefeated Heavyweight Boxing Champion. (He comes out of retirement the following year to fight Ezzard Charles and is defeating in an upset.) 
Jun 16Jake LaMotta outboxes Marcel Cerdan in Detroit MI for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jun 22Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott in an 8 round bout to win the heavyweight boxing title recently vacated by the retirement of Joe Louis.Ref: 97
Dec 05Ezzard Charles defeats Jersey Joe Walcott for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Dec 30Rocky Marciano KO's Carmine Vingo in the 6th round of a non-title heavyweight boxing match in Madison Square Garden, NY.Ref: 97
1950
Jan 24Archie Moore KO's Freddie Mills for the light-heavyweight boxing title in London, England.Ref: 97
Feb 08Jersey Joe Walcott KO's Harold Johnson (son of Phil Johnson who Walcott outboxed in 1936) in a non-title heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
Aug 25Sugar Ray Robinson KOs Jose Basora to win middleweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Sep 08Sandy Sadler grabbed the world featherweight boxing title from Willie Pep by a knockout. Peps shoulder was dislocated while he was in a clinch with Sadler. Yeeeeeeowwwwccccchhh! That was probably more of a passout than a knockout.Ref: 4
Sep 27Heavyweight champ Ezzard Charles outpoints Joe Louis in Louis' attempt at a comeback.Ref: 5
Dec 02Vic Toweel of South Africa set a record for knockdowns -- in a title fight in Johannesburg, South Africa. He floored Danny O’Sullivan of England 14 times in 10 rounds before the bantamweight fight was stopped. During a post-fight interview, O’Sullivan told reporters, “Adkeivhaep oi er,” then, keeled over, again.Ref: 4
1951
Jan 12Ezzard Charles TKOs Lee Oma in 10 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Feb 14Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Jake LaMotta in 13 rounds in Chicago IL for the middleweight boxing title. Some called it another "St Valentine's Day Massacre".Ref: 5
Mar 07Ezzard Charles wins 15-round heavyweight decision against Jersey Joe Walcott.Ref: 5
May 30Ezzard Charles beats Joey Maxim in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 15Joe Louis scores his last knock out victory when he knocks out Lee Savold in a closed-circuit TV fight seen by fight fans in movie theatres in six cities.Ref: 4
Jul 10Sugar Ray Robinson was defeated for only the second time in 133 fights. 7-2 underdog Randy Turpin took the middleweight crown from Robinson in a 15-round referee’s decision in London, England. (Sugar Ray took the title back September 12th at the Polo Grounds in NY.)Ref: 4
Jul 18Jersey Joe Walcott KO's Ezzard Charles in the 7th round in an upset win of the heavyweight boxing title. At age 37 he becomes oldest to win the heavyweight championship.Ref: 5
Oct 03CBS-TV presented the first coast-to-coast telecast of a prize fight. The telecast saw Dave Sands kick Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson’s butt for the middleweight boxing crown at Soldier Field, Chicago.Ref: 4
Oct 26Rocky Marciano KO’s ‘The Brown Bomber’, Joe Louis, in the 8th round of a fight at Madison Square Garden in New York. One year later, Marciano became heavyweight champ of the world.Ref: 4
Nov 14The first world lightweight title fight was telecast coast to coast. Jimmy Carter beat Art Aragon in Los Angeles.Ref: 4
1952
Feb 13Rocky Marciano defeated Lee Savold for his 39th straight win.Ref: 5
Mar 09Heinz Neuhaus wins Europe Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 5
May 19Yoshiro Shirai defeated flyweight champion Dado Marino in Tokyo to become Japan's first world-boxing champ.Ref: 4
Jun 05‘Jersey’ Joe Walcott defended his heavyweight-boxing title by out-pointing Ezzard Charles in Philadelphia, PA. Jersey Joe would lose the heavyweight crown four months later to Rocky Marciano.Ref: 4
Jun 25Joey Maxim successfully defends his light-heavyweight title against Sugar Ray Robinson in a 13-round bout in 104º heat in Yankee Stadium.Ref: 97
Sep 23Rocky Marciano became the world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Jersey Joe Walcott in the 13th round in Philadelphia PA. It was Rocky’s 43rd consecutive victory.Ref: 4
Dec 17Archie Moore outpoints Joey Maxim in a light-heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
1953
May 15World heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano collected his 44th pro boxing victory on this night, knocking out former champ, Jersey Joe Walcott, at Chicago Stadium in two minutes, 25 seconds of the first round.Ref: 4
Sep 15The National Boxing Association adopted the 10-point ‘must’ scoring system for all of its matches. The winner of each round must get 10 points, while the loser of each round must have fewer than 10 points.Ref: 4
Oct 21Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson beats Randy Turpin in a middleweight boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York City.Ref: 4
1954
Mar 19Viewers see the first televised prize fight shown in living color as Joey Giardello knocked out Willie Tory in round seven of a scheduled 10-round bout at Madison Square Garden in New York City.Ref: 4
Apr 02Carl ‘Bobo’ Olson defeats Kid Gavilan to retain the world middleweight boxing title.Ref: 4
May 18Former heavyweight boxing titleholder Max Schmeling came back to the US after 15 years. He returned to referee a boxing match in Milwaukee, WI.Ref: 4
Jun 17Rocky Marciano successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title by defeating former champion Ezzard Charles.Ref: 4
Aug 05Boxing Hall of Fame's first election selects 24 modern & 15 pioneers.Ref: 5
Sep 17Rocky Marciano retained possession of the world heavyweight boxing title. He knocked out Ezzard Charles in the eighth round of their championship bout.Ref: 4
Nov 26Pasqual Perez out points Yoshio Shirai for the flyweight boxing championship.Ref: 97
1955
May 16Heavyweight Rocky Marciano KOs Don Cockell in 9 (San Fransisco) for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Sep 21Rocky Marciano KO's Archie Moore in the 9th round in Marciano's final defense of his heavyweight boxing title, in Yankee Stadium.Ref: 97
Sep 22Heavyweight champ Rocky Marciano KOs Archie Moore in 9.Ref: 5
Dec 09Sugar Ray Robinson KOs Carl Olson to regain world middleweight boxing title.Ref: 2
1956
Apr 27Heavyweight champ, Rocky Marciano, retires undefeated from boxing.Ref: 5
May 11Former heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Marciano goes into public relations for the Raynham Dog Racing Track in Massachusetts.Ref: 4
Nov 30Archie Moore is defeated by Floyd Patterson. Patterson won the heavyweight boxing title vacated by the retired Rocky Marciano. At the age of 21, Patterson was the youngest boxer to be named heavyweight champion.Ref: 4
1957
Jan 02Gene Fullmer defeated Sugar Ray Robinson to earn the world middleweight boxing title.Ref: 4
Mar 08The International Boxing Club was ruled a monopoly, in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Law.Ref: 4
1958
Mar 25Sugar Ray Robinson is first boxing champion to win 5 times.Ref: 5
1959
May 01Floyd Patterson KOs Brian London in 11 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 26Ingemar Johansson of Sweden defeats Floyd Patterson in a 3 round upset in Yankee Stadium to win the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1960
Jan 11Lamar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts.Ref: 5
Jan 22Paul Pender beata Sugar Ray Robinson in a 15-round decision and gained international recognition as middleweight boxing champion.Ref: 4
Jun 20Floyd Patterson took back the world heavyweight title by knocking out Ingemar Johanson of Sweden in round five of a title bout at the Polo Grounds in NY City.Ref: 97
Sep 05Cassius Clay of Louisville, KY won the gold medal in light heavyweight boxing at the Olympic Games in Rome, Italy. Clay would later change his name to Muhammad Ali and become one of the great boxing champions in the world. In 1996, at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, GA, Muhammad Ali was given the honor of lighting the Olympic flame.Ref: 4
Oct 29Cassius Clay won his first pro bout -- over Tunney Hunsaker -- in six rounds in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.Ref: 4
Dec 27Cassius Clay KOs Herb Siler in the 4th round in Miami Beach FL.Ref: 96
1961
Jan 17Cassius Clay KOs Tony Esperti in the 3rd round in Miami Beach FL.Ref: 96
Feb 07Cassius Clay KOs Jim Robinson in the 1st round in Miami Beach FL.Ref: 96
Feb 21Cassius Clay KOs Donnie Fleeman in the 7th round in Miami Beach FL.Ref: 96
Mar 13Floyd Patterson KO's Ingemar Johannson in the 6th round in Miami Beach FL to retain heavyweight championship.Ref: 5
Apr 01Emile Alphonse Griffith KO's Benny Kid Paret for the welterweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Apr 19Cassius Clay KOs Lamar Clark in the 2nd round in Louisville KY.Ref: 96
Jun 26Cassius Clay wins a decision over Duke Sabedong in the 10th round in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 96
Jul 22Cassius Clay wins a decision over Alonzo Johnson in the 10th round in Louisville KY.Ref: 96
Oct 07Cassius Clay KOs Alex Miteff in the 6th round in Louisville KY.Ref: 96
Nov 29Cassius Clay KOs Willi Besmanoff in the 7th round in Louisville KY.Ref: 96
Dec 04Floyd Patterson KOs Tom McNeeley in 4 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1962
Feb 10Cassius Clay KOs Sonny Banks in the 4th round in Madison Square Garden NY.Ref: 96
Feb 28Cassius Clay KOs Don Warner in the 4th round in Miami Beach FL.Ref: 96
Mar 24Benny Paret, KO'd in a welterweight title, he dies 10 days later.Ref: 5
Apr 23Cassius Clay KOs George Logan in the 4th round in Los Angeles CA.Ref: 96
May 19Cassius Clay KOs Billy Daniels in the 7th round in the St. Nicholas Arena NYC.Ref: 96
Jul 20Cassius Clay KOs Alejandro Laborante in the 5th round in Los Angeles CA.Ref: 96
Sep 25Sonny Liston KO's Floyd Patterson in the first round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 5
Oct 23Dick Tiger outpoints Gene Fullmer in Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Nov 15Cassius Clay KOs Archie Moore in the 4th round in Los Angeles CA.Ref: 96
1963
Jan 24Cassius Clay KOs Charlie Powell in the 3rd round in Pittsburgh PA.Ref: 96
Mar 13Cassius Clay wins a decision over Doug Jones in the 10th round in Madison Square Garden NY.Ref: 96
Mar 23Davey Moore dies seconds after being KOed in feather-weight championship.Ref: 5
Jun 18Cassius Clay KOs Henry Cooper in the 5th round in London, England.Ref: 96
Jul 22Sonny Liston KOs Floyd Patterson in the first round to retain heavyweight championship.Ref: 97
Jul 24Sonny Liston KOs Floyd Patterson to retain heavyweight championship.Ref: 5
Dec 07Joey Giardello outpoints Dick Tiger in Atlantic City, NJ for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1964
Feb 25Twenty-two-year old Cassius Clay won the world heavyweight boxing title by defeating Sonny Liston in the seventh round in Miami, FL. Clay had been an 8-1 underdog. In fact, only 8,297 fans showed up for the bout.Ref: 4
Mar 06Elijah Muhammad renames Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali.Ref: 5
May 20Buster Mathis defeats Joe Frazier to qualify for US Olympic team.Ref: 5
Sep 11Gillette's 20 year contract with MSG & ABC to televise fights for free ends as Dick Tiger defeats Don Fullmer at the Cleve Auditorium.Ref: 5
Sep 26Vicente Saldivar stops Sugar Ramos in the 11th round in Mexico City, Mexico for the featherweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1965
Mar 05Ernie Terrel beats Eddie Machen in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 18Former flyweight boxing champion Masahijo 'Fighting' Harada outpoints Edre Jofre in Nagoya, Japan for the bantamweight boxing title. This was Jofre's first defeat in 51 fights.Ref: 97
May 25A very short, heavyweight title fight happened in Lewiston, ME. Cassius Clay knocked out challenger Sonny Liston in one minute and 56 seconds of the first round. Liston never saw the punch coming. Neither did an unbelieving crowd at ringside, nor those in theatres all over the world watching the fight on closed-circuit TV. The phantom punch was never explained, but Liston was either knocked cold from whatever Clay threw at him or he took a dive rather than a beating. Clay retains the heavyweight title and announces his name is now Mohammed Ali.Ref: 4
Oct 20Boxing Hall of Famer Sugar Ray Robinson, at age 45, notched his 174th and final victory, a third-round knockout of Rudolph Bent. Robinson, who won the World Middleweight boxing title for the first time in 1951, announced his retirement on Dec 20, 1965.Ref: 4
Nov 22Mohammed Ali KO's Floyd Patterson in the 12th round in Las Vegas NV to retain the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 96
1966
Mar 29Muhammad Ali wins a decision over George Chuvalo in the 15th round in Toronto Canada, retaining the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 25Emile Griffith outpoints Dick Tiger for the middleweight boxing championship.Ref: 97
May 21Mohammed Ali KOs Henry Cooper in the 6th round in London, England to retain the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 96
Aug 06Mohammed Ali KOs Brian London in the 3rd round in London, England to retain the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 96
Sep 10Mohammed Ali KOs Karl Mildenberger in the 12th round in Frankfort, Germany to retain the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 96
Nov 14Boxing’s largest indoor crowd assembled in the Houston Astrodome to see Muhammad Ali defeat Cleveland Williams -- by a TKO in the 3rd round.Ref: 4
1967
Jan 12Louisville KY, draft board refuses exemption for boxer Muhammad Ali.Ref: 5
Feb 06Muhammad Ali retained his world heavyweight title and won the WBA heavyweight title with a 15-round decision over Ernest Terrell in the Houston Astrodome.Ref: 4
Mar 06Muhammad Ali is ordered by selective service to be inducted.Ref: 5
Mar 22Mohammed Ali KOs Zora Folley in the 7th round in Madison Square Garden NY to retain the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 96
Apr 17Nino Benvenuti KO's Emile Griffith for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Apr 28Mohammed Ali refuses induction into the U.S. Army and is subsequently stripped of all his boxing titles.Ref: 5
Apr 30Muhammad Ali stripped of world heavyweight boxing championship for refusing to serve in military.Ref: 10
May 08Boxer Muhammad Ali is indicted for refusing induction in US Army.Ref: 2
May 13Octagonal boxing ring is tested to avoid corner injuries.Ref: 5
Jun 09Muhammad Ali is convicted for failing to submit to the draft and sentenced to five years in prison, which he immediately appealed.Ref: 97
Jun 20Boxer Muhammad Ali was convicted in Houston of violating Selective Service laws by refusing to be drafted. The conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court.Ref: 70
Sep 29Emile Griffith regains the middlewight boxing title from Nino Benvenuti in Madison Square Garden, NY.Ref: 97
1968
Mar 04Joe Frazier KO's Buster Mathis in the 11th round in Madison Square Garden for the New York heavyweight boxing title vacated by Mohammed Ali.Ref: 97
Mar 04Nino Benvenuti regains the middlewight boxing title in a bout with Emile Griffith.Ref: 97
Apr 27Muhammad Ali’s successor was finally decided after an eight-month runoff. Jimmy Ellis defeated Jerry Quarry of Atascadero, CA for the World Boxing Association’s heavyweight title.Ref: 4
Jun 24Joe Frazier TKOs Manda Ramos for world heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Dec 10Joe Frazier beats Oscar Bonavena in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1969
Apr 18Jose Napoles wins the welterweight championship from Curtis Cokes when the referee stops the fight in the 13th round.Ref: 97
Apr 22Joe Frazier KOs Dave Zyglewick in 1:36 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 23Joe Frazier beats Jerry Quarry for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jul 24Muhammad Ali is convicted for refusing induction in US Army on appeal.Ref: 5
Nov 22Nino Benvenuti KO's Luis Rodrigues in the 1st round in Rome, Italy to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1970
Jan 20Super Fight, computer mock championship between Ali & Marciano.Ref: 5
Feb 16Joe Frazier KOs Jimmy Ellis in 5 for undisputed heavyweight boxing crown.Ref: 5
May 09Vicente Saldivar outpoints Johnny Famechon in Rome, Italy for the featherweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jul 15Emile Griffith outpoints Dick Tiger in Madison Square Garden in a non-titleboxing match.Ref: 97
Oct 26Following 3½ years of forced isolation from boxing, Muhammad Ali returned to the ring and KO's Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia in the 3rd round.Ref: 4
Nov 07Carlos Monzon KO's Nino Benvenuti in the 12th round in Rome, Italy for the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Nov 18Light-heavyweight champion Bob Foster is KO'd by heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in the second round.Ref: 97
Dec 07Mohammed Ali KO's Oscar Bonavena in the 15th round in Madison Square Garden NY.Ref: 96
1971
Mar 08‘Smokin’ Joe Frazier, of Philadelphia, outpoints Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden (New York NY) in a 15-round bout, retaining the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 08Carlos Monzon KO's Nino Benvenuti in the 3rd round in Monte Carlo to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jul 26Mohammed Ali KO's Jimmy Ellis in the 12th round in Houston's Astrodome.Ref: 96
Sep 25Carlos Monzon retains his middleweight boxing title against Emile Griffith when the referee stops the fight in the 14th round in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Ref: 97
Nov 17Mohammed Ali KO's Buster Mathis in the 12th round in Houston's Astrodome.Ref: 96
Dec 01Boxer Mohammad Ali, while jogging in Central Park, NYC, at 5:15AM, spots a UFO. Ali was accompanied by his manager and several reports.Ref: 34
Dec 26Mohammed Ali KO's Jurgen Blin in the 7th round in Zurich, Switzerland.Ref: 96
1972
Jan 15Heavyweight Joe Frazier KOs Terry Daniels.Ref: 5
Apr 01Mohammed Ali wins a decision over Mac Foster in the 15th round in Tokyo, Japan.Ref: 96
Apr 07Bob Foster, WBC light-heavyweight boxing champion, KO's Vicente Rondon, WBA light-heavyweight champion, in the 2nd round in Miami, unifying the light-heavyweight title.Ref: 97
May 01Mohammed Ali wins a decision over George Chuvalo in the 15th round in Vancouver, Canada.Ref: 96
May 25Heavyweight Joe Frazier KOs Ron Stander.Ref: 5
May 26Joe Frazier TKOs Ron Stander in 5 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 26Roberto Duran takes the lightweight boxing championship from Ken Buchanan of Scotland when the referee stopped the fight at the start of the 14th round. (There was a controversial "low blow" thrown by Duran.)Ref: 97
Jun 27Mohammed Ali KO's Jerry Quarry in the 7th round in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 96
Jul 19Mohammed Ali KO's Al Lewis in the 11th round in Dublin, Ireland.Ref: 96
Aug 19Carlos Monzon KO's Tom Bogs in the 5th round in Copenhagen, Denmark to retain his middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 10Muhammad Ali defeated Ken Norton in a heavyweight boxing match and avenged a loss to Norton the previous March.Ref: 4
Sep 20Mohammed Ali KOs Floyd Patterson in the 8th round in Madison Square Garden NY.Ref: 96
Nov 17Esteban de Jesus wins a decision over Roberto Duran in a non-title bout in New York.Ref: 97
Nov 21Mohammed Ali KOs Bob Foster in the 8th round in Stateline NV.Ref: 96
1973
Jan 22George Foreman KO's Joe Frazier in the 2nd round in Kingston, Jamaica for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Feb 14Mohammed Ali defeats Joe Bugner in a 12 round decision in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 96
Mar 31Ken Norton defeats Muhammad Ali in a 12-round split decision in San Diego CA. Ali had his jaw broken during the fight.Ref: 4
Aug 311st heavyweight championship fight in Japan (Foreman beats Roman).Ref: 5
Sep 01George Foreman KOs Jose Roman in the first to retain heavyweight title.Ref: 5
Sep 10Muhammad Ali defeats Ken Norton in a 12-round decision in Inglewood CA.Ref: 96
Oct 20Muhammad Ali defeats Rudy Lubbers in a 12-round decision in Djakarta, Indonesia.Ref: 96
Dec 14Jerry Quarry defeats Ernie Shavers in 2 minutes, 21 seconds of the first round of their heavyweight boxing match in New York. Quarry broke his hand in the short fight and failed miserably at a later comeback attempt.Ref: 4
1974
Jan 28Mohammed Ali wins a decision over Joe Frazier in the 12th round in Madison Square Garden, NY.Ref: 96
Feb 09Carlos Monzon KO's welterweight champion Jose Napoles in the 6th round in Paris, France to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Feb 16Ernesto Marcel outpoints Alexis Arguello to retain the featherweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 03George Foreman KOs Ken Norton.Ref: 5
Mar 26George Foreman TKOs Ken Norton in 2 for heavyweight boxing titleRef: 2
Oct 05Carlos Monzon KO's Australian middleweight champion Tony Mundine in the 7th round in Buenos Aires, Argentina to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Oct 30The Rumble in the Jungle. Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in the 8th round at Kinshasa, Zaire, in the first heavyweight championship fight ever held in Africa. Ali was named fighter of the year by Ring magazine.Ref: 4
1975
Mar 24Muhammad Ali TKOs Chuck Wepner in 15 in Cleveland OH to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 16Muhammad Ali TKOs Ron Lyle in 11 in Las Vegas NV to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 30Muhammad Ali defeats Joe Bugner in a 15-round decision in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to retain his heavyweight title.Ref: 96
Oct 01Mohammed Ali defeats Joe Frazier in the 15th round, to retain the heavyweight boxing title in Quezon City, Philippines. (The Thrilla in Manila)Ref: 96
1976
Feb 20Muhammad Ali KOs Jan Pierre Coopman in the 5th round in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Mar 06Wilfred Benitez takes the WBA light-welterweight boxing title from Carlos Palomino, becoming the youngest world champion at age 17½.Ref: 97
Apr 30Mohammed Ali wins a decision over Jimmy Young in the 15th round in Landover MD to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 96
May 24Muhammad Ali TKOs Richard Dunn in the 5th round in Munich, Germany to retain the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 25Heavyweight Muhammad Ali KOs Richard Dunn in Munich.Ref: 5
Jun 26Carlos Monzon outpoints WBC middleweight boxing champion Rodrigo Valdez to retain the middleweight boxing title and unify the division.Ref: 97
Sep 28Muhammad Ali retains heavyweight boxing championship in a close 15-round decision over Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium.Ref: 5
1977
Feb 05Sugar Ray Leonard beats Luis Vega in 6 rounds in his first pro fight.Ref: 5
May 16Muhammad Ali defeats Alfredo Evangelista in a 15 round decision in Landover MD to retain the heavyweigt boxing title.Ref: 5
Sep 29It was the most-watched prize fight in history, as Muhammad Ali defeats Ernie Shavers (in a decision) to retain the heavyweight championship boxing crown in Madison Square Garden NY before an estimated 70 million viewers -- on NBC-TV.Ref: 4
1978
Jan 07Mate Parlob of Yugoslavia KO's Miguel Cuello in Milan, Italy for the light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jan 21Roberto Duran KO's Esteban de Jesus in the 12th round, successfully defending his lightweight boxing title for the last time. Duran would now move up to fight welterweights.Ref: 97
Feb 15Leon Spinks defeats Mohammed Ali in 15 rounds in Las Vegas NV to win the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 4
Mar 29Ken Norton is declared heavyweight boxing champion by the WBC.Ref: 97
Jun 09Larry Holmes beat up Ken Norton to claim the heavyweight boxing title in a 15-round decision in Las Vegas, NV.Ref: 4
Sep 15Mohammed Ali defeats Leon Spinks in 15 rounds to regain the Heavyweight Boxing title in the New Orleans Superdome. (Spinks held the title for 7 months.)Ref: 96
Nov 25Thomas Hearns KOs Jerome Hill in 2 rounds in his first pro fight.Ref: 5
1979
Jan 14Wilfred Benitez outpoints Carlos Palomino, successfully defending his WBA light-welterweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 22Matthew Said Muhammad beats Marvin Johnson for light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 23Larry Holmes TKOs Osvaldo Ocasio in 7 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Jun 22Larry Holmes retains the WBC heavyweight boxing title against Mike Weaver at Madison Square Garden when the referee stops the fight in the 12th round.Ref: 97
Jun 26Muhammad Ali announced that he was retiring as world heavyweight boxing champion. The 37-year-old fighter said, “Everything gets old, and you can’t go on like years ago.” The “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” act was no more.Ref: 4
Jun 27Muhammad Ali announces that he was retiring as world heavyweight boxing champion. The 37-year-old fighter said, “Everything gets old, and you can’t go on like years ago.”Ref: 96
Aug 18Matthew Saad Muhammad outpoints John Conteh in Atlantic City to retain the WBC light-heavyweight (?) boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 28Larry Holmes (retain championship) KOs Earnie Shavers in 11 rounds.Ref: 5
Nov 30Sugar Ray Leonard wins the welterweight championship over Wilfred Benitez when the referee stops the fight with 6 seconds left in the match, at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
Nov 30Marvin Johnson KO's Victor Galindez in the 11th round in the Superdome, New Orleans LA for the WBA light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Nov 30Vito Antuofermo successfully defends his middleweight boxing title against Marvelous Marvin Hagler in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
1980
Feb 03Larry Holmes TKOs Lorenzo Holmes in 6 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Mar 16Alan Minter of England outpoints Vito Antuofermo for the middleweight boxing title at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
Mar 31Larry Holmes TKOs Leroy Jones in 8 for (WBC) heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Mar 31Mike Weaver KOs John Tate in 15 for (WBA) heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Mar 31Mustafa Muhammad win's the WBA light-heavyweight boxing title from Marvin Johnson in Knoxville TN, when the referee stops the fight in the 11th round.Ref: 97
Apr 06Pipino Cuevas of Mexico City KO's Harold Volbrecht in the 5th round in the Astroarena, Houston TX to retain his WBA welterweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jun 20Roberto Duran takes WBC welterweight title from Sugar Ray Leonard at Olympic Stadium in Montreal by unanimous decision.Ref: 5
Oct 02Mohammed Ali comes out of retirement only to lose a title match to Larry Holmes by an 11th round knockout in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 96
Nov 25Sugar Ray Leonard regained the World Boxing Council welterweight championship when Roberto Duran abruptly quit in the eighth round at the Louisiana Superdome.Ref: 5
1981
Jan 16Boxer Leon Spinks is mugged, his assailants even take his gold teeth.Ref: 5
Apr 11Larry Holmes beats Trevor Holmes in 15 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 11Heavyweight boxing challenger Gerry Cooney left former champ Ken Norton on the ropes and unconscious after 54 seconds of the first round at Madison Square Garden in NY City.Ref: 4
Jun 12Larry Holmes, 31, defended his heavyweight boxing title by earning a third-round TKO (technical knockout) over Leon Spinks in Detroit, MI. Spinks, who had lost his two front teeth in previous bouts, was understandably discouraged at being beaten so early and was quoted as having said, “Thith ith weely, weely a thame, youth know? Like, I wuth weddy, weely weddy, but, I got whupped up pwetty badth, I gueth.”Ref: 4
Jul 18Michael Spinks outpoints Mustapha Muhammad to retain the light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 16Boxer ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, at age 25, KO's Thomas ‘The Hit Man’ Hearns. Leonard won the welterweight boxing championship -- and the richest payday in boxing history.Ref: 4
Oct 03Mike Weaver (of Galveston TX) outpoints James 'Quick' Tillis (of Tulsa OK) in Rosemont to retain the WBA heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Oct 03Marvelous Marvin Hagler successfully defends his middleweight boxing title against Mustafa Hamso at Rosemont when the referee stops the fight in the 7th round.Ref: 97
Dec 11It was Muhammad Ali’s 61st -- and last -- fight. He lost to future champ Trevor Berbick in a 10 round decision in Nassau, Bahamas.Ref: 4
Dec 19Dwight Braxton KO's Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 10th round in Atlantic City, NY for the light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1982
Feb 15Sugar Ray Leonard, the welterweight boxing champion, knocked out Bruce Finch in the third round of a fight in Reno, NV.Ref: 4
Jun 11Larry Holmes defeats Gerry Cooney, retains WBC heavyweight crown.Ref: 5
Jul 21Salvador Sanchez stops Azumah Nelson to retain his featherweight boxing title in New York City.Ref: 97
Aug 07Dwight Muhammad Qawi, still fighting under the name of Braxton, KO's Matthew Saad Muhammad in the 6th round in a light-heavyweight boxing title match.Ref: 97
Nov 09Sugar Ray Leonard retires from boxing, five months after having retinal surgery on his left eye. (In 1984, Leonard came out of retirement to fight one more time before becoming a fight commentator for NBC.)Ref: 4
Nov 13Korean boxer Duk Koo Kim fatally injured when KOed by Ray Mancini.Ref: 5
Nov 26Howard Cossell calls his last fight after being disgusted by the Larry Holmes-Tex Cobb mismatch.Ref: 5
Dec 03Tommy Hearns wins WBC Welterweight title in decision over Benitez.Ref: 5
Dec 10Michael 'Dynamite' Dokes (of Akron OH) KO's Mike Weaver (of Galveston TX) in the 63 seconds into the 1st round for the WBA heavyweight boxing title at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
1983
Jan 13AMA urges ban on boxing; cites Muhammad Ali's deteriorating condition.Ref: 5
Feb 13World Boxing Council becomes first to cut boxing from 15 to 12 rounds.Ref: 5
Mar 18WBA light-heavyweight boxing champion Michael Spinks outpoints the WBC light-heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Qawi in Atlantic City to become the undisputed light-heavyweight boxing champion.Ref: 97
Mar 27Larry Holmes beats Lucien Rodriguez in 12 rounds for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 13Undefeated middleweight boxer Tony Ayala gets 35 years on sex assault.Ref: 5
May 20Michael 'Dynamite' Dokes (of Akron OH) and Mike Weaver (of Galveston TX) fight to a draw in 15 rounds at the Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas NV. Dokes retains the WBA heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
May 20Larry Holmes beats Tim Witherspoon in 12 rounds to retain the WBC heavyweight boxing title at the Dunes Hotel, Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
Jun 01Willie Pastrano beats Harold Johnson for the light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jun 16Roberto Duran KO's Davey Moore in the 8th round for the WBA middleweight (?) boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 23Gerrie Coetzee KO's Michael Dokes in the 10th round in Richfield OH for the heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1984
Feb 25Michael Spinks defeated Eddie Davis in a unanimous decision to retain the light heavyweight championship; in 12 rounds in Atlantic City, NJ.Ref: 4
Mar 09Tim Witherspoon wins a decision over Greg Page for the WBC heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 10Heavyweight Tim Witherspoon KOs Greg Page.Ref: 5
Mar 30Marvelous Marvin Hagler KO's Juan Roldan in the 10th round in Las Vegas NV to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
May 31Lightweight boxing champion Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini boomed no more. He was defeated in the 14th round of a scheduled 15-round World Boxing Association title fight in Buffalo, NY. Livingstone Bramble is the boxer who did the deed.Ref: 4
Jun 15Thomas Hearns KOs Roberto Duran.Ref: 5
Jul 17Hector Camacho, previously undefeated, lost the WBC junior-lightweight boxing crown because he could no longer make the 130-pound fighting limit. He moved into the 135-pound class for lightweight competition.Ref: 4
Aug 31Pinklin Thomas defeats Tim Witherspoon for the WBC heavyweight title.Ref: 5
Nov 09Larry Holmes defends his heavyweight boxing title against James 'Bonecrusher' Smith when the referee stops the fight in the 12th round.Ref: 97
Dec 01Greg Page KOs Gerrie Coetzee in 8 for WBA heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
1985
Feb 16Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini lost the World Boxing Association lightweight championship crown to Livingstone Bramble. Mancini had been trying to regain the title, but ended up fighting for the last time on this night. The fighter retired in August, 1985.Ref: 4
Feb 20After defending his WBC flyweight championship, Sot Chitalada's check for $104,000 is stolen by a ringside pickpocket.Ref: 5
Mar 06Mike Tyson KOs Hector Mercedes in the 1st round in his 1st pro fight.Ref: 5
Mar 15Larry Holmes TKOs David Bey in 10 for heavyweight boxing title in Las Vegas, NV.Ref: 5
Apr 15‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler helped Thomas the ‘Hit Man’ Hearn go nighty-night a littler earlier than expected, with a third round knockout to retain the world middleweight boxing title. Some have called the fight, “the greatest three rounds in boxing history.”Ref: 4
Apr 16Marvelous Marvin Hagler successfully defends his middleweight boxing title against Thomas Hearns, the current WBC light-middleweight champion, at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV when the referee stops the fight in the 3rd round of one of the most savage fights in boxing history.Ref: 97
Apr 29Tony Tubbs outpoints Greg Page to win the WBA heavyweight boxing championship in Buffalo NY.Ref: 5
May 20Larry Holmes retained the heavyweight boxing title of the International Boxing Federation at Reno, NV by defeating Carl Wilson in 15 rounds. The fight marked the first, heavyweight title fight in Reno since Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries duked it out in 1910.Ref: 4
Jun 08Barry McGuigan wins the WBA featherweight boxing title from Eusebio Pedroza, in London, England.Ref: 97
Jun 15Pinklon Thomas successfully defends his WBC heavyweight title against Mike WeaverRef: 97
Jul 30Gerry Cooney retires from professional boxing. Cooney had only one loss -- in a championship match with Larry Holmes (boxing’s biggest money-making fight to that time). Cooney had a record of 27 wins against the 1 loss and 24 knockouts.Ref: 4
Aug 31Pinklon Thomas takes a decision over 'Terrible' Tim Witherspoon for the WBC heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 20Michael Spinks becomes first light heavyweight to defeat the reigning heavyweight champion, he defeats Larry Holmes, in a decision.Ref: 97
1986
Jan 17Tim Witherspoon beats Tony Tubbs in the 15th round in Atlanta GA to regain the WBA heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Feb 09Marvin Johnson wins the light-heavyweight boxing title for the third time when he stops Leslie Stewart of Trinidad in Indianapolis for the WBA version of the title.Ref: 97
Feb 16Mike Tyson KO's Jesse Ferguson in the 6th round in a heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
Feb 20Mike Tyson sexually harasses a woman in Albany NY.Ref: 5
Mar 10Marvelous Marvin Hagler KO's John 'The Beast' Mugabi from Unganda in the 11th round at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV to retain the middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Mar 22Trevor Berbick successfully challenges Pinklon Thomas for the WBC heavyweight boxing title in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
Mar 22HBO launches boxing's heavyweight-title-unification-tournament.Ref: 5
Mar 23Heavyweight Trevor Berbick KOs Pinklon Thomas.Ref: 5
Apr 19Michael Spinks beats Larry Holmes for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
May 20Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson takes the decision against Mitch Green, who goes the distance in New York.Ref: 97
Jun 13Hector 'Macho' Camacho stops Edwin Rosario to retain the lightweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Jun 23Steve Cruz outpoints Barry McGuigan for the featherweight boxing title at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas NV.Ref: 97
Jul 12Evander Holyfield wins the WBA cruiserweight boxing title when he outpoints Dwight Muhammad Qawi in Atlanta GA.Ref: 97
Jul 26Shortest fight on TV. Mike Tyson creams Marvin Frazier in 30 seconds.Ref: 10
Aug 17The referee stops the heavyweight boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jose Luis Ribalta in the 10th round in Atlantic City NJ. Tyson gets the decision.Ref: 97
Sep 06Mike Tyson KO's Alfonso Ratliff in the 2nd round in a heavyweight boxing match.Ref: 97
Sep 09Michael Spinks stops Steffen Tangstad of Norway in the 4th round in Las Vegas NV to retain his IBF heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Sep 27Lloyd Honeyghan stops Don Curry for the welterweight championship in Atlantic City, NJ.Ref: 97
Nov 03“The Fight for Fort Knox” was announced this day. ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler and ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard agreed to duke it out in April, 1987. The two were guaranteed at least $23 million. (Leonard won in a 12-round split decision.)Ref: 4
Nov 22Mike Tyson was only 20 years and 4 months old, becoming the youngest to wear the world heavyweight boxing crown. He KO's Travor Berbick in the 2nd round in Las Vegas, NV.Ref: 4
Dec 12James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith became the first college graduate to win the world heavyweight boxing crown when he TKO's WBA champion Tim Witherspoon at Madison Square Garden.Ref: 4
1987
Mar 03Mike Tyson defeats James "Bonecrusher" Smith at Las Vegas to win the WBA heavyweight title.
Mar 04Terry Marsh, a fireman from Basildon, England stops Joe Manley for the IBF light-welterweight boxing championship at Basildon, Essex, England.Ref: 97
Mar 07World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champ, ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, becomes the youngest heavyweight titlist ever as he beat James "Bonecrusher" Smith in a decision during a 12-round bout in Las Vegas.Ref: 4
Mar 07Hearns Thomas ''Hit-Man" KO's Dennis Andries of London in the 10th round for the light-heavyweight boxing title in Detroit MI.Ref: 97
Apr 06Boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard won a 2-1 decision in a stunning upset over Marvelous Marvin Hagler in a bout held in Las Vegas, NV.Ref: 4
May 08Jeff Fenech of Australia wins the WBC light-featherweight boxing title from Samart Payakarum of Thailand when the referee stops the fight in the 4th round in Sydney, Australia.Ref: 97
May 30Mike Tyson knocks out Pinklon Thomas in the sixth round at Las Vegas to retain his WBA-WBC heavyweight titles.
May 30Tony Tucker TKOs James 'Buster' Douglas in 10 for International Boxing Federation heavyweight boxing title at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas NV.Ref: 5
Jun 15Boxer Michael Spinks beat heavyweight Gerry Cooney in round five in their heavyweight boxing match in Atlantic City, NJ. Spinks was shorter and lighter than Cooney -- but a lot better.Ref: 4
Jun 21Mike Tyson sexually harasses a parking lot attendent.Ref: 5
Jul 20Mike McCallum of Jamaica KO's Don Curry in the 5th round to retain the WBA light-middleweight boxing title.Ref: 97
Aug 01Mike Tyson ‘out-pointed’ Tony Tucker in 12 rounds at Las Vegas, NV. He won the right to call himself the “Undisputed world heavyweight champion” as he won the IBF heavyweight title and retained the WBA/WBC heavyweight titles.Ref: 4
Aug 16Evander Holyfield wins his 16th straight fight when he stops Ossie Ocasio in St Tropez, France.Ref: 97
Oct 16WBA, WBC & IBF undisputed, as they say, World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson stopped Tyrell Biggs (TKO) in the seventh round at Trump Plaza, Atlantic City, NJ.Ref: 4
Oct 29Thomas Hearns wins unprecidented 4th different weight boxing title.Ref: 5
Oct 29Jorge Vaca of Guadalajara, Mexico stops Lloyd Honeyghan in the 8th round for the welterweight boxing championship at Wembly.Ref: 97
Oct 29"Prince" Charles Williams of Ohio stops Bobby Czyz for the IBF light-heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 97
1988
Jan 15Mike Tyson defends the unified heavyweight boxing title against Larry Holmes when the referee stops the fight in the 4th round in Atlantic City NJ.Ref: 97
Jan 22Mike Tyson knocks out Larry Holmes in the fourth round to retain the world heavyweight title.
Feb 07Heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson marries actress Robin Givens in New York.Ref: 5
Mar 20Mike Tyson KOs Tony Tubbs in 2 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 83
Mar 25Robin Givens demands full access to husband Mike Tyson's money.Ref: 5
May 08Mike Tyson crashes his $183,000 Bently on Varick St in NYCRef: 2
Jun 17Robin Givens and her family go public with tales of beatings at the hands of Mike Tyson.
Jun 27Boxer Mike Tyson sues manager Bill Cayton to break their contract, then knocks out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds to retain the world heavyweight title.
Jun 28Mike Tyson sues to break contract with manager Bill Cayton.Ref: 5
Jul 11(Trump) Mike Tyson hires Donald Trump as an advisor.Ref: 5
Jul 27Boxer Mike Tyson settles the Cayton suit out of court, reducing Cayton's managerial share from one-third to 20 percent of purses.
Aug 23Boxer Mike Tyson breaks a bone in his right hand in a 4 a.m. street brawl with professional fighter Mitch Green in Harlem.
Sep 04Boxer Mike Tyson is knocked unconscious after driving his BMW into a tree near Catskills NY. Three days later, the New York Daily News reports the accident was a "suicide attempt" caused by a "chemical imbalance" that made him violent and irrational.
Sep 07NY Daily News reports boxer Mike Tyson is seeing a psychatrist.Ref: 5
Sep 21Mike Tyson threatens a TV reporter in NJ.Ref: 5
Sep 30Actress Robin Givens says in a nationally televised Barbara Walters interview that boxer Mike Tyson is a manic-depressive and that she is afraid of him. Tyson sits meekly next to her.
Oct 02Police breakup domestic disturbance between Mike Tyson & Robin GivensRef: 5
Oct 07Robin Givens files for divorce after an 8-month marriage to Mike Tyson.Ref: 5
Oct 14Boxer Mike Tyson countersues actress Robin Givens for divorce and annulment.
Oct 26(Trump) Donald Trump bills Mike Tyson $2,000,000 for 4 month advisory service.Ref: 5
Oct 26Boxer Mike Tyson becomes partners with boxing promoter Don King.
Nov 02Mexican radio station erroneously reports Mike Tyson dies in car crash.Ref: 5
Nov 07Sugar Ray Leonard KO's Donnie LaLonde.Ref: 5
Nov 16Robin Givens sues Mike Tyson for $125 million for libel.Ref: 5
Nov 30NYC furrier sues Mike Tyson for $92,000 for non payment of purchase.Ref: 5
Dec 12Sandra Miller of New York sues boxer Mike Tyson for allegedly grabbing her, propositioning her and insulting her at a nightclub. A jury later finds Tyson guilty of battery, fining him only $100.
Dec 15Lori Davis of New York sues boxer Mike Tyson for allegedly grabbing her buttocks while she was dancing at the same nightclub on the same night as the incident with Miller.
1989
Feb 14Boxer Mike Tyson and actress Robin Givens are divorced in the Dominican Republic.
Feb 25Mike Tyson stops (knocked out) Frank Bruno in the fifth round in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tyson was the WBA, WBC & IBF undisputed world heavyweight champ.Ref: 4
Apr 09Boxer Mike Tyson is accused of striking a parking attendant three times with an open hand outside a Los Angeles nightclub after the attendant asked Tyson to move his Mercedes--Benz out of a spot reserved for the club's owner. The charges are later dropped due to lack of witness cooperation.
Apr 17Soviet-US agreement allows Soviets to fight US pros.Ref: 5
Apr 26Mike Tyson is ticketed for driving 71 MPH in 30 mile zone in Albany.Ref: 5
May 05Mike Tyson gets 2nd speeding ticket for drag racing in Albany NY.Ref: 5
Jul 21Mike Tyson knocks out Carl "The Truth" Williams to retain the world heavyweight title.
1990
Jan 15‘Big’ George Foreman, on the comeback-trail at 42 years of age, knocked out Gerry Cooney in the second round at Atlantic City, NJ. (Foreman became the oldest [age 45] ever to win the heavyweight title when he knocked out Michael Moorer on Nov 5, 1994.)Ref: 4
Feb 10Buster Douglas Kos Mike Tyson in a 10 round upset to become heavyweight boxing champion.Ref: 5
Feb 11In a stunning upset, Mike Tyson is knocked out by James "Buster" Douglas in the 10th round and loses his world heavyweight title. Douglas went into that bout in Tokyo a 35-1 underdog.
Aug 17Phyllis Polander sues Mike Tyson for sexual harassmentRef: 5
Oct 25James ‘Buster’ Douglas, who had knocked out the undefeated Mike Tyson on Feb. 10, 1990 to win the world heavyweight title, was floored by Evander Holyfield in the third round this day in Las Vegas. This was to be Douglas’ only defense of that fleeting title.Ref: 4
Nov 01A New York City civil jury finds boxer Mike Tyson committed battery in the Sandra Miller case, but Miller is awarded just $100 in damages because the jury decides Tyson's behavior was "not outrageous."
Nov 09World heavyweight upset as Evander Holyfield TKO's Mike Tyson in the 11th round at Las Vegas.Ref: 10
1991
Feb 09Terry Norris knocks down Sugar Ray Leonard twice & beats him.Ref: 5
Feb 23Greg Haugen scores a split decision over Hector "Macho" Camacho.Ref: 5
Mar 18Mike Tyson beats Razor Ruddock in the 7th round.Ref: 5
Mar 28Mike Tyson admits paternity to Kimberly Scarborough's son.Ref: 5
Apr 19Battle of the Ages-Heavyweight champion Evander Hollyfield beats 42 year old George Foreman in 12 for heavyweight boxing title in Atlantic City NJ.Ref: 5
Jun 08Former NY Jet Mark Gastineau wins first pro boxing fight in 12 seconds.Ref: 5
Jun 28In what would be his last fight before his legal problems, Mike Tyson defeats Razor Ruddock in a 12 round heavyweight bout.
Jul 18Boxer Mike Tyson meets Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant, at a pageant rehearsal. They go to the boxer's hotel room in the early morning hours.
Jul 19Miss Black America contestant accuses Mike Tyson of rape.Ref: 5
Jul 22Desiree Washington files a complaint with police accusing boxer Mike Tyson of rape.
Sep 09A special grand jury indicts boxer Mike Tyson on rape and three other charges. Two days later, he is booked in Indianapolis and released on $30,000 cash bond.
Nov 23Evander Hollyfield retains HW boxing title, KOs Bert Cooper in 7.Ref: 5
1992
Jan 27Mike Tyson goes on trial for rape (he is found guilty).Ref: 5
Feb 07Mike Tyson testifies in his rape trial.Ref: 5
Feb 10After nine hours of deliberation, boxer Mike Tyson is found guilty on one count of rape (Desiree Washington, a Miss Black America contestant) and two counts of deviate sexual conduct.
Mar 26Indianapolis Superior Court Judge Patricia Gifford sentences boxer Mike Tyson to 10 years in prison, suspending four. She orders him to serve the term immediately.
May 08Boxer Mike Tyson is found guilty of threatening a guard and disorderly conduct in prison, adding 15 days to his sentence.
Jun 1942 year-old boxing challenger Larry Holmes outpointed by heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield.Ref: 10
Oct 28Boxer Mike Tyson's father, Jimmy Kirkpatrick, dies in Brooklyn, NY. Tyson does not ask for a leave to attend the funeral.
Nov 13Riddick Bowe defeats Evander Holyfield in the 12th round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. 
Nov 27Mike Tyson goes on trial for rape (he is found guilty).Ref: 5
Dec 14Lennox Lewis given WBC title, when Riddick Bowe refuses to fight him.Ref: 5
1993
Feb 06Riddick Bowe stopped Michael Dokes in the first round at Madison Square Garden in New York. It was Bowe’s first defense of his heavyweight title.Ref: 4
May 08Lennox Lewis beats Tony Tucker in 12 for heavyweight boxing titleRef: 2
May 22Riddick Bowe TKOs Jesse Ferguson in 2 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Aug 06By a 2-1 vote, the Indiana Court of Appeals upholds boxer Mike Tyson's conviction.
Sep 02The Indiana Supreme Court denies boxer Mike Tyson's appeal without comment.
Nov 06Evander Holyfield defeats Riddick Bowe in the 12th round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. 
Dec 18Julio Cesar Chavez retained his WBC super lightweight title with a five-round victory over Britain’s Andy Holligan. It was the 27th time Chavez fought for a title without a loss since 1984, breaking Joe Louis’ record of 26.Ref: 4
1994
Apr 22Michael Moorer defeats Evander Holyfield in the 12th round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title.Ref: 5
May 06Lennox Lewis TKOs Phil Jackson in 8 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Sep 25Oliver McCall defeats Lennox Lewis in the 2nd round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. 
Nov 05George Foreman, 45, became boxing's oldest heavyweight champion by knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round of their WBA fight in Las Vegas.Ref: 70
1995
Feb 25British heavyweight Nigel Benn hits Gerard McClellan in hospital.Ref: 5
Mar 04George Foreman loses WBA boxing title, refusing to fight Tony Tucker.Ref: 5
Mar 25Boxer Mike Tyson is released from the Indiana Youth Center near Plainfield, Ind.
Apr 08Oliver McCall beats Larry Holmes in 12 for heavyweight boxing title.Ref: 5
Apr 22George Foreman beats Axel Schulz in 12 for heavyweight boxing titleRef: 5
Aug 19Boxer Mike Tyson begins his comeback with an 89-second victory over Peter McNeeley in Las Vegas.
Dec 16Mike Tyson KO’s Buster Mathis Jr. in the third round at Philadelphia, PA. It was Tyson’s 37th knockout.Ref: 4
1996
Mar 16Mike Tyson KO's Frank Bruno in third round to win the WBC heavyweight title in Las Vegas.
Mar 17Mike Tyson beat Frank Bruno in 3rd round to gain Heavyweight title.Ref: 5
Apr 08Bruce Seldon TKOs Tony Tucker in 7 to win vacated WBA boxing title.Ref: 5
May 06Lennox Lewis defeats Phil Jackson in the 8th round to win the Heavyweight Boxing title. 
Sep 07Mike Tyson took on WBA Champion Bruce Seldon at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV. Tyson captured the WBA title, knocking out Seldon 1:49 into the opening round.Ref: 4
Oct 09In boxing's first sanctioned battle of the sexes, Margaret MacGregor defeated Loi Chow by winning all four rounds on all three judges' cards in a promotion held in Seattle. (Ref 6)Ref: 6
Nov 03George Foreman wins a 12-round unanimous decision over Crawford Grimsley in Tokyo. The aging (actually the oldest heavyweight champ) collected a purse of about $5 million.Ref: 4
Nov 09Evander Holyfield defeats Mike Tyson in an upset to win the Heavyweight Boxing title when referee Mitch Halpern stops the bout in the 11th round. (Tyson bites off a piece of Holyfield's ear.) Evander Holyfield joined Muhammad Ali, in making history as the second man to become the three-time World Heavyweight Champion.Ref: 4
1997
Jan 18Oscar De La Hoya defended his World Boxing Council super lightweight title in Las Vegas. He won a 12-round unanimous decision over Miguel Angel Gonzalez.Ref: 4
Jun 28The "Bite" Fight. Mike Tyson is disqualified after the third round of his rematch with Holyfield after he bites Holyfield twice, once on each ear. Tyson claims he was retaliating for a head butt inflicted by Holyfield that opened up a gash above his right eye. Referee Mills Lane ruled the butt was accidental.
Jul 09The Nevada State Athletic Commission, in a unanimous voice vote, revokes Mike Tyson's boxing license and fines him $3 million for biting Holyfield.
Sep 13Oscar De La Hoya was awarded a unanimous decision after 12 rounds against Hector ‘Macho’ Camacho in Las Vegas. This was the second time De La Hoya, unbeaten in 26 bouts, had successfully defended his WBC welterweight boxing title. “He earned it,” the bruised and battered Camacho said following the loss. “He did everything he said he was going to do, except he didn’t knock me out.”Ref: 4
Oct 16Boxer Mike Tyson is ordered to pay boxer Mitch Green $45,000 even though a jury ruled the former heavyweight champion was provoked into a Harlem street fight in 1988.
Oct 29Boxer Mike Tyson broke a rib and punctured a lung on his right side when his motorcycle skidded off a Connecticut highway after hitting a patch of sand.
Dec 06Unbeaten World Boxing Council welterweight champion Oscar de la Hoya stopped Wilfredo Rivera in the eighth round in Atlantic City, NJ to retain the WBC Welterweight Championship. De la Hoya, who won all five of his fights in 1997, improved to 27-0, 22 by knockout.Ref: 4
1998
Mar 05Boxer Mike Tyson files a $100 million lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New York against Don King, accusing the promoter of cheating him out of tens of millions of dollars.
Mar 09Boxer Mike Tyson files a lawsuit against former managers Rory Holloway and John Horne, claiming they betrayed him by arranging a deal that made King the former heavyweight champion's exclusive promoter.
Mar 09Sherry Cole and Chevelle Butts filed a $22 million lawsuit against boxer Mike Tyson claiming he verbally and physically abused them March 1 at a Washington bistro them at a restaurant after his sexual advances toward one of them were spurned.
Jul 16The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a $4.4 million award that a jury decided boxer Mike Tyson owes former trainer Kevin Rooney for unjustly firing him.
Jul 17Mike Tyson applies for a boxing license in New Jersey.
Jul 29Mike Tyson appears before the New Jersey Athletic Control Board to get a boxing license to resume his career. Tyson first choked back tears as he apologized for biting Evander Holyfield's ears. At the end of his 35-minute appearance, however, Tyson cursed in front of regulators after being continually questioned about biting Holyfield.
Aug 13On the eve of a meeting of the New Jersey Athletic Control Board, Mike Tyson's advisers abruptly withdrew his application for a New Jersey boxing license.
Aug 31Boxer Mike Tyson is involved in a minor auto accident in Gaithersburg MD, and had to be restrained by bodyguards from fighting the driver of the other car.
Sep 02Richard Hardick filed an assault charge against boxer Mike Tyson. Hardick says he was kicked in the groin by Tyson after his car rear-ended a Mercedes driven by Tyson's wife, Monica, on Aug. 31.
Sep 03Abmielec Saucedo files a criminal assault against boxer Mike Tyson claiming Tyson punched him in the face as Saucedo talked with another driver following the accident of Aug. 31.
Oct 13The psychiatric report of boxer Mike Tyson is released. According to doctors who examined him for five days, the report states Tyson is depressed and lacks self-esteem, but is mentally fit to return to boxing. The psychiatrists believe Tyson most likely won't "snap" again as he did when he bit Holyfield.
Oct 19The Nevada Athletic Commission voted 4-1 to restore Mike Tyson's boxing license, with the lone holdout of commissioner James Nave.
Dec 01Boxer Mike Tyson pleads no contest to misdemeanor assault for kicking and punching two motorists involved in the Aug. 31 auto accident in Maryland.
1999
Jan 16Mike Tyson KO's Francois Botha in the fifth round. Tyson admitted to trying to break Botha's arm during the fight.
Feb 05Boxer Mike Tyson was sentenced to two concurrent two-year sentences for assaulting two motorists after a traffic accident last summer. Judge Stephen Johnson suspended all but one year of jail time. Tyson was also fined $5,000 and sentenced to two years' probation after his release from jail. The decision could lead to more jail time for violating parole in Indiana.
Feb 13Oscar De La Hoya retains his WBC welterweight crown by KO-ing the previously unKO-ed (and undefeated) Ike Quartey of Ghana. De La Hoya won a split decision in Las Vegas.Ref: 4
Feb 20Boxer Mike Tyson was put in an isolation cell after a disturbance Saturday night at the Montgomery County Detention Center. Several TV stations in Washington reported that Tyson became upset, either in his cell or a break room, and threw a television set. The set narrowly missed jail guards, and there were no injuries. It was later reported that Tyson was taken off anti-depressants two days previous to this incident.
Feb 26Boxer Mike Tyson was allowed to step out of solitary confinement today and won back his privileges following an appeal of a disciplinary ruling, his lawyer said. Paul kemp said Tyson's punishment for throwing a television in a recreation room in jail on February 19 "was reduced to time served and he was restored to regular privileges."
Oct 08Laila Ali, the 21-year old daughter of Mohammed Ali, makes her professional boxing debut, knocking out April Fowler 31 seconds after the opening bell in Verona, NY. (XDG, p. 4A, 10/8/2000)Ref: 83
Oct 24In a heavyweight boxing match against Orlin Norris, Mike Tyson hit Norris after the bell in the 1st round and the fight was declared a no contest.
Nov 13Lennox Lewis wins a 12-round decision to win all three heavyweight boxing titles (WBA, IBF and WBC) Saturday night, beating Evander Holyfield in a rematch of their controversial March draw.Ref: 9
Dec 10Boxer Mike Tyson won't have ferret neglect charges on his record. Authorities say they won't charge the former heavyweight champion with neglecting two ferrets at his Las Vegas home mostly because they don't know who was supposed to be taking care of the animals.
2000
Feb 08Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson reached a settlement Monday with two women who alleged the boxer assaulted them at a restaurant in the nation's capital, The Washington Post reported in its Tuesday and Chevelle Butts, both 33, filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. They said they were in the Au Pied de Cochon restaurant in the city's Georgetown neighborhood on March, 1, 1998, when Tyson grabbed Cole and requested a sexual relationship. They alleged Tyson, who served time in an Indiana prison for a rape conviction, swore at Butts after learning she was a correctional officer. In papers filed by Tyson's lawyers, six witnesses said the boxer was verbally harassed by the women and was not abusive. Cole and Butts were seeking a total of $7.5 million in damages. Lawyers for both sides said they agreed to keep terms of the settlement confidential.
Apr 29Lennox Lewis KO's Michael Grant in the second round at Madison Square Garden in NY to retain his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles.Ref: 64
May 19American boxer Mike Tyson's lawyer said that his client is determined to clear his name following allegations that the boxer hit a stripper in a Las Vegas nightclub. The dancer, Victoria Bianco, has filed a report on the alleged incident with local police who are now investigating her claim, according to the BBC reports on Friday. Bianco claims the former world heavyweight champion punched her in the chest and hurled expletives at her in a club where she was working as a topless dancer. Police were called to the scene, but after interviewing witnesses, including Tyson himself, they decided not to press charges.
Jun 24In a heavyweight boxing match against Lou Savarese. Mike Tyson knocks the referee down in order to keep punching Savarese after the bout was stopped.
Jun 27A former topless dancer is seeking unspecified damages from heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson in connection with a May incident in which she says the boxer struck her while she was at work. In a lawsuit filed Friday, Victoria Bianco said Tyson struck her in the chest without provocation at Cheetah's, a topless club near downtown Las Vegas. The lawsuit has not been brought to court yet (as of Jan. 23, 2002).
Jul 15Lennox Lewis stopped Francois Botha at 2:39 of the second round to retain his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles in London.Ref: 6
Aug 22Boxer Mike Tyson was fined $187,500 for his behavior after his 38-second victory over Lou Savarese but escaped a ban from fighting again in Britain.
2001
Apr 21Hasim Rahman knocks out Lennox Lewis in Johannesburg in surprise World Heavyweight Boxing win.Ref: 10
Jul 29Heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson continued preparations for his next fight Sunday in Phoenix while authorities in California continued investigating an allegation that he sexually assaulted Arlene Moorman, 50, at his rented home in the small mountain town of Big Bear City. Tyson, a former world champion who served three years in prison for a 1992 rape, has not been charged in the alleged incident, although San Bernardino County sheriff's investigators have indicated they wanted to question the boxer in the near future.
Aug 18California prosecutors decide not to press charges against boxer Mike Tyson in connection with an alleged sexual assault on Arlene Moorman near Big Bear Lake.
Nov 18Lennox Lewis KOs Hasim Rahman to regain world heavyweight title winning $12 million.Ref: 10
Dec 18Police were today investigating claims that boxer Mike Tyson assaulted an ex-boxer outside a New York nightclub. Retired heavyweight Mitchell Rose has filed a complaint, claiming Tyson attacked him after he made a joke about the former champion's entourage of women. Police in New York are investigating the claims but have not yet interviewed Tyson, a convicted rapist, or pressed any charges following the alleged incident early on Sunday morning.
2002
Jan 02Boxer Mike Tyson checked out of a Havana hotel early Wednesday, a day after witnesses said he tossed glass Christmas ornaments at journalists trying to interview him. There were no reports of injuries, arrests or serious damage following the Tuesday evening dispute. The former heavyweight champion reportedly was headed to the airport for a flight on Air Jamaica after checking out at dawn, workers at the Hotel Melia Habana said.
Jan 22Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis come to blows during their scheduled TV press conference hyping their April 6th meeting. It was alleged that Tyson bit Lennox's leg during the melee.
Jan 22Police in Las Vegas said that they found evidence supporting a woman's claim she was raped by boxer Mike Tyson. The case is with the local district attorney's office, which will decide over the next weeks whether to charge Tyson.
Jan 28In a 4-1 vote, the Nevada Athletic Commission rejects Mike Tyson's request to get his Nevada boxing license back.
Last Update: October 27th, 2005
© 2000-2005   Kenneth Fussichen