ON OCTOBER 1, 1975, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier staged the most punishing heavyweight title fight of them all. The Thrilla In Manila remains the gold standard for courage, drama and brutality. In the decades since, boxing’s most historic division has delivered many unforgettable nights, reminding us why boxing’s big men sit atop the sport.
1976-1985
THE HOLMES YEARS
A changing of the guard arrived a couple of years after Ali’s heroic efforts in Manila. Larry Holmes started off his reign with a momentum-shifting epic against Ken Norton (main picture) to win the WBC title. The 15th remains one of the greatest rounds in history and forced Holmes to dig deep to win by split decision.
“Both fighters looked on the verge of exhaustion,” BN editor Harry Mullan wrote.
A year later, Holmes’ first defence was a compelling one against Mike Weaver and he needed all his resolve to withstand the underdog who gave his all until he was stopped in the 12th.
Also that year, ‘The Easton Assassin’ recovered from a seventh-round knockdown in a rematch against charging bull Earnie Shavers to stop the ‘Black Destroyer.’
“Earnie hits hard enough to knock over a mountain,” Holmes said afterwards.
John Tate was ahead after 11 rounds in his first WBA title defence, against unfancied Mike Weaver in March 1980. Weighing 25lbs less than the champion, Weaver landed three left hooks in the 12th. He then crashed one against Tate’s jaw in the 15th and ‘Big John’ fell.
“I felt the weight of that punch all the day down to his toes,” Weaver said.
Weaver travelled to South Africa to face Gerrie Coetzee at an unfinished sports venue. His own first defence saw him survive a number of heavy right hands from the former dental technician.
Coetzee couldn’t put him down and, in the 14th, Weaver opened a cut on the challenger’s nose and detonated a left hand to send 16,000 South Africans home unhappy.
More title thrillas: Holmes vs Tim Witherspoon, Weaver vs Michael Dokes II, Pinklon Thomas vs Weaver.
1986-1995
TYSON, BOWE AND HOLYFIELD
If the late ’70s and early ’80s belonged to Holmes, then November 1986 kicked off the ‘Iron’ era. Ferocious young spartan Mike Tyson breathed life into the division, but his rise and fall was spectacular. By 1990, it was essentially over. Buster Douglas shattered Tyson’s world – but his time on the throne was even briefer.
In April 1991, George Foreman rocked Evander Holyfield with bombs, trying to become heavyweight champion at 42. In the sixth, both hammered away at one another, while the seventh was another beauty. Holyfield couldn’t put the old man away but held on to his belts.
“This game is about winning, not about knocking people out,” he said.
Seven months later, Bert Cooper nearly pulled off a major upset against Holyfield in round three. Holyfield’s powers of recovery went into overdrive and he landed more than 20 punches to stop Cooper in the seventh.
November 1992 and 1993 gave us two thirds of an all-time great trilogy. Holyfield and Riddick Bowe teed off on one another for round after round. Thirty pounds lighter, Holyfield took the fight to Bowe, but it ultimately led to his downfall in their first clash.
A year later, a man dropped out of the sky on a hang-glider to interrupt the rematch in round seven. It didn’t matter – they picked up where they left off when the fight resumed. Holyfield wanted to box and not brawl in the rematch, but as soon as he was hit he reverted to type.
Bowe began to tire and bleed against an inspired Holyfield who would not be denied. In the final round they left everything in the ring and continued after the bell.
More title thrillas: Morrison vs Mercer, Moorer vs Cooper, Foreman vs Moorer.
1996-2005
THE LEWIS ERA
Man mountain Lennox Lewis ruled the late ’90s and early 2000s. Intelligence, size and power saw him emerge through divisional chaos as the top dog.
In 1996, Tyson’s menace blitzed Frank Bruno again and frightened Bruce Seldon into submission, but Holyfield would have none of it on November 9 in their WBA title fight.
Five years after their original bout was called off, Holyfield, written off by the masses, bullied the bully and pounded Tyson into submission. It was a shocking scene and the Tyson aura was shattered anew.
“I’ve been tested more than any boxer out there,” Holyfield said. “People forget that I fought everybody.”
Lewis had a five-round row with Shannon Briggs in his second reign as WBC champion. Lewis had been a tough sell Stateside, but the scare he received from Briggs helped. Rocked in round one, Lewis put Briggs on the canvas twice in the fourth. Briggs survived the onslaught to march into the fifth but a thumping right hand humbled him again. He was eventually stopped in the sixth.
“Lennox proved again that he’s not a normal British heavyweight,” his trainer, Emanuel Steward, said.
In the final fight of his career, Lewis survived an even greater gut-check against Vitali Klitschko in 2003.
A ringside doctor retired the Ukrainian as he sat bloodied on his stool after six rounds, but not before Klitschko had given the ageing champion a brutal examination. Lewis had been behind on the scorecards but left the Staples Center as champion by the skin of his teeth.
More title thrillas: Holyfield vs Moorer II, Lewis vs Grant, Byrd vs Golota, Lewis vs Rahman II.
2016-2025
A NEW GOLDEN AGE
In April 2017, Wembley Stadium was treated to a thriller when Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko played last man standing. It brought the curtain down on Klitschko’s career and prompted Joshua to change his aggressive tactics.
Deontay Wilder, like Earnie Shavers, had a right hand to bail him out of nearly any situation. Luis Ortiz found that out to his cost, twice, in 2018 and 2019. And Tyson Fury taught us to believe in boxing miracles when he climbed off the canvas against Wilder, proving he could endure the power of ‘The Bronze Bomber.’
Fury annihilated him in the rematch but their third instalment in October 2021 has to be seen to be believed – a donnybrook that stands alongside the wildest and most thrilling heavyweight title fights.
Joshua’s vulnerabilities were laid bare at Madison Square Garden against Andy Ruiz Jr – a five-knockdown shocker where the body beautiful Joshua was brutally exposed by the podgy Ruiz.
Oleksandr Usyk may be a grandmaster of the Sweet Science, but Fight of the Year contenders are not his forte. However, both his wins over Tyson Fury were edge-of-the- seat affairs for other reasons. You couldn’t take your eyes off the unfolding drama.
Joshua, again, found out that gunslinging isn’t the best way forward after Daniel Dubois silenced Wembley and blasted ‘AJ’ out in five rounds last September.
