With the recent passing of top rated heavyweight Earnie Shavers on September 1, 2022, the day after his 78th birthday, I am sharing an article that my good friend Jim Amato (R.I.P.) wrote on Shavers which was published on February 11, 2009 on www.dmboxing.com. Also included are a few personal photos of Shavers, and my autographed Sports Illustrated magazine covers; the S.I. articles regard his legendary championship fights with Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes … may Mr. Earnie Shavers rest peacefully in heaven with the Lord!
*** FLASHBACK *** By Jim Amato/ Senior Boxing Writer
It was to be the last time the incomparable Muhammad Ali would ever successfully defend the heavyweight championship. It would be held in boxing’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. It would also feature Ohio’s most popular heavyweight of the last quarter century, Earnie Shavers.
The “Acorn” as Ali had dubbed Shavers would be a prohibitive underdog. He was accorded a puncher’s chance at best against the aging but still crafty king of the heavyweights. What transpired the night of September 29, 1977 established Earnie as a legitimate contender and forecast the soon to be demise of “The Greatest”.
*** FLASHBACK *** This article feature was originally published on www.dmboxing.com on August 19, 2012
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian/ dmboxing.com
With the 2012 Olympic Games now behind us, let me congratulate our country’s first gold medal winner Claressa Shields, and also bronze medal winner Marlen Esparza. Their performances were nothing less than outstanding.
As I watched, in what little there was for my standards, the boxing competition, I was displeased with the judging and the officiating. Olympic scoring is a computerized count of punches thrown, which is confusing because if you land a couple of more jabs than your opponent but are rocked yourself by a few more damaging punches you win the round. So is this fencing with gloves?
*** FLASHBACK *** This article originally published on November 28, 2015 ... is now re-posted for viewing with a few updated revisions.
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
Picking the greatest boxers of all time, from different countries around the world, was really an easy and fun task. Over the years I have researched this topic at great length and interviewed many people. I have spoken to the older generations of fans and fighters who personally saw many of the boxers fight that were before my time. Their expertise and the input they offered was invaluable.
For each fighter my main basis for ranking them was the height, peak, prime, and pinnacle of their careers regardless of weight or eras in which they fought. The level of their competition played a huge factor, but not necessarily their ring record.
This article originally was published on dmboxing.com on April 12, 2015
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
April 15th is approaching this coming week and most think of it as ‘Tax Day’, which is rightfully so . But, I think otherwise to April 15, 1985 – The Fight of the Year, The Round of the Year (round one), and The Fight of the Decade (eighties) – Marvin Hagler (60-2-2 / 50 by KO) vs. Thomas Hearns (40-1 / 34 by KO) for the ‘undisputed’ middleweight championship of the world at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas.
Hagler, normally a slow starter, came out at the opening bell pinning Hearns to the ropes . Hearns threw a devastating right that stunned Hagler for a moment, as both began to trade power punches with knockout intentions. Hagler stunned Hearns with a hard left hand, becoming the aggressor, as the two continued to trade power punches . This vicious action continued, and suddenly Hagler developed a cut on his forehead, but that didn’t stop him as he pinned Hearns to the ropes and continued his assault, hurting Hearns as that blistering round ended.
This article was originally published on dmboxing.com on December 22, 2011
David Martinez was recently interviewed by David Tyler, boxing writer for www.doghouseboxing.com. We’ve been given permission to display that interview here. Enjoy!
David Tyler: David, what qualifies someone as a boxing historian? David Martinez: Somebody that religiously, daily, every minute of their life, is passionately devoted to the sport of boxing.
DT: How many years have you accumulated using your criteria as a historian? DM: I have about 52 years. It’s in my life, my DNA, that’s all I do. My house is like a boxing museum.
DT: I noticed that on your website is a posting of your top 12 boxers. In alphabetical order: Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong, Roberto Duran, Joe Gans, Harry Greb, Eder Jofre, Jack Johnson, Benny Leonard, Joe Louis, Carlos Monzon, Willie Pep, and Sugar Ray Robinson. How did you decide these were the top 12? DM: That’s my personal opinion over 52 years. All of these fighters would be ‘all time’ greats. My decisions were easy….let me give you an example from my top Heavyweights also on the website…. people question why I rate Jack Dempsey over Gene Tunney and bring up the fact that Tunney beat Dempsey twice. I simply say this, ‘at the pinnacle of both of their careers, I believe that Dempsey was a better fighter than Tunney.’
DT: James Corbett lost twice to James Jeffries. Why do you rate Corbett higher than Jeffries? DM: Same logic…I think that at the pinnacle of his career, Corbett was a better fighter than Jeffries. Here’s another example, I think that Joe Frazier was a better fighter than George Foreman at the pinnacle of his career even though Foreman beat him twice.
This article originally appeared on dmboxing.com on August 6, 2013
By Steve Corbo
In December, 2012 I lost a good friend, Johnny Lira, to liver disease. He campaigned as a lightweight back in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. At one time he was the WBA’s #1 rated lightweight in the world. He also won the USBA lightweight title in spectacular fashion when he knocked out the undefeated Andy Ganigan. Nicknamed the “Hawaiian Punch”, Ganigan had a record of 25 – 0, with 23 wins by KO and he was looking to keep busy, while waiting for a shot at then champion, Roberto Duran. Johnny seemed a safe enough tune-up, he was only 14-0-1 with 8 wins by KO. The smart guys figured he’d go a few rounds, give Ganigan a little work and in short order become KO victim number 24. But the smart guys never could get a handle on the tough kid from Grand Avenue on the west side of Chicago.
Lira got his shot at a world championship in front of a home town crowd, when he took on WBA Lightweight Champion Ernesto Espana in 1979. The fight was televised on the old ABC Wide World of Sports with Howard Cosell calling the action. What a fight it was! Cosell called it even after five. Lira knocked down the champ in the seventh and it looked like he was going to put him away. But Espana fought back hard. That’s what champions do! Lira was dropped near the end of the 8th, then suffered a severely lacerated right eye and picked up a broken jaw. The ringside doctor stopped the fight after the ninth round.
There were more ring wars to come. After Espana, Lira’s career included losses to Willie “Fireball” Rodriguez, Howard Davis, Jr. and Alfredo Escalera . There were also wins over rugged Bobby Plegge, Al Ford and Sammy Matos! Lira finally hung up the gloves in 1984 with a record of 29-6-1 with 15 wins by KO.
L to R: John Trombino, Steve Corbo, Lenny LaPaglia, John Nocita
I am now sad to report the loss of another friend and Chicago fighter, Lenny LaPaglia. He passed away at home, on July 06, 2013. Like Lira, Lenny was also a westsider, from Melrose Park. Lenny had a pro career that spanned 15 years. His record stood at 36-9 with 33 wins by KO. He was the Illinois State Light Heavyweight Champion and the first IBO World Champion, when he was crowned IBO Light heavyweight Champ in 1993. He also fought and lost to Tommy Hearns for the WBU Cruiserweight Title
But if you are from Chicago, Lenny will forever be linked with fellow Chicagoan, John Collins and their war for the Illinois State Middleweight Title. This was one of the last great, probablythelast great, fights held in Chicago. The bout took place March 20, 1983. Collins was a Southside Irish American, the son of a Chicago Police Lieutenant. He had a record of 26-0 with 24 wins by KO. LaPaglia was a Westside Italian American, with a record of 19-0 with 18 wins by KO. Los Angeles may have had Danny “Little Red” Lopez vs. “School Boy” Bobby Chacon, but Chicago had LaPaglia vs. Collins!
This article originallyappeared ondmboxing.comon June 24, 2000
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
One of the best fighters that I have witnessed in my 59 years of involvement in boxing was junior lightweight Tyrone Everett.
Unfortunately, these days his name is obscure and nobody talks much about him, let alone recalling many of his fights.
Everett was born on April 18, 1953 in South Philadelphia. He started his professional boxing career in September 1971 and would win all of his 34 bouts, propelling him to a world title match with Puerto Rican champion Alfredo Escalera on November 30, 1976 – Escalera’s 7th defense of the 130 pound title . Scheduled for 15 rounds, the fight took place at the Spectrum in Philadelphia for the WBC Super Featherweight Championship. A crowd of 16,109 packed the Spectrum, which is still a record for the largest number of spectators at a Pennsylvania indoor boxing match.
During the fight, Everett would show Escalera his artistic boxing skills, winning most of the rounds handily . Escalera’s best round was definitely the fifth as his signature right hand punches rocked the southpaw Everett. What was amazing, though, was that Everett stayed on the outside and boxed beautifully, never losing his composure in that round.
*** FLASHBACK*** This article originally appeared on dmboxing.com with great historical interest on January 17, 2019. It is republished now for your viewing.
By Bob Quackenbush / dmboxing.com
In last week’s article, we looked at nine classic prize fights that were contested at well known outdoor stadiums. In Chicago, it was Soldier Field and Comiskey Park; in New York, the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field; and in Washington D.C., Griffith Stadium.
Yankee Stadium – 1923
This week, the spotlight will be on “The House that Ruth Built”, the legendary Yankee Stadium. Though the Bambino and his famous baseball teams were the star attraction at this venue, and the New York Giants football team was the gridiron tenant (1956-73), the sport of boxing brought in big names and big crowds, as well. It was said that Yankee Stadium was Joe Louis’ personal fight club as he appeared there so many times (twelve times per BoxRec). The stadium was actually prepared for the fight game as a concrete vault with radio lines permanently installed for broadcasters was buried in the ground under second base .
Thirteen famous bouts highlight Part 2 of our look at famous prize fights in the great outdoors. [Reminder … this is not an exhaustive list, but a selection of some of the most famous bouts contested at this location.]
*** FLASHBACK – This article originally appeared on dmboxing.com with great historical interest on January 8, 2019. It is republished now for your viewing.
By Bob Quackenbush / dmboxing.com
In the world of boxing, indoor arenas are the venues that typically come to mind. These locations with their traditional images of sweat, cigar smoke, and packed crowds close to the ring are what is envisioned when “prize fighting” is the topic of discussion. Wonderful examples would be Philadelphia’s Blue Horizon, The Olympic Auditorium and Hollywood Legion Stadium in Los Angeles, and, on a larger scale, Madison Square Garden .
Firpo versus Dempsey at the Polo Grounds by George Bellows
However, many title fights have been held in the “great outdoors” at facilities such as baseball and football stadiums . Some even took place in temporary structures built for specific events, the most famous being the “Fight of the Century” between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries in Reno, Nevada, on July 4, 1910.
Most of the famous outdoor bouts took place in New York City, with several more in Chicago. There were others, too, but for the purposes of this article, the focus will be on the Big Apple and the Windy City, plus a fight in our nation’s capital. Here’s a look at several well known contests held in some legendary outdoor venues from years gone by. [Note: This is not an exhaustive list.]
