Michael Dokes vs Mike "Hercules" Weaver 1, they fought twice. Mike Weaver was also part of that 80s heavyweight crop I mentioned earlier. Weaver was a dangerous guy, he was always a threat in any fight because he had a sledgehammer left hook that could take you out at any given moment in a fight, you always had to make sure not to make a mistake against Weaver or you would pay the price. Anyway, the first Dokes-Weaver fight, Dokes comes out in the 1st round like gangbusters, starts immediately attacking Weaver and scores an early knockdown, Weaver gets up and recovers, and Dokes pins Weaver up against the ropes. Dokes unleashes a flurry of punches and the referee steps between them and separates them, and then for some reason, the referee stops the fight and awards a TKO victory to Dokes and the WBA Heavyweight title. The referee said after the fight that he didn't like the way Weaver answered him and decided that Weaver had had enough, but to me it looked like Weaver was perfectly fine to continue, Weaver was a war horse, he had been down in fights before. But some of the blame for the stoppage has to go to Weaver, he wasn't throwing back and Dokes was teeing off on him. Weaver was pissed off about the fight being stopped and protested it, Weaver even went so far as to say he believed the fight was fixed against him. Very bizarre ending.
The second Dokes-Weaver fight was a classic and would also end in controversy. The two men waged war on eachother and the fight was ruled a draw. A lot of people thought Weaver did enough to win and the crowd booed the decision after it was announced. Great fight, Dokes tried to come out fast and stop Weaver in the early going just like the 1st fight, but Weaver was much more prepared this time and held his ground. Dokes got off to a good start but he faded down the stretch, and I felt the fight probably should have gone in Weaver's favor, but it was ruled a draw and Dokes reatained his WBA Heavyweight title.
Dokes had ridiculous hand speed, and good power, he was genuinely frightening when he was on. If he could have kept his head on straight, he would have been an all-time great.
Since I already brought up Mike "Hercules" Weaver, might as well talk about him for a second. He was nicknamed "Hercules" because he looked like the incredible hulk, the muscles and physique. He had a very intimidating presence.
Like I said before, Mike Weaver had a murderous left hook, and he was never out of a fight because of it. You could be outboxing him and then wham, out of know you get hit with a sledgehammer. Take his fight with John Tate for example, Tate was up on the scorecards and was cruising to victory, and then Weaver caught him with a short left hook and Tate was out cold, and I mean out cold. This is one of the most brutal knockouts you'll ever see.
Here is what Mike Weaver said about his knockout of John Tate:
"The crowd cost Tate the fight," Weaver said afterwards. "He made the mistake of trying to come out and slug with me. He was boxing before that. He was responding to the crowd."
April 7, 2001 – Las Vegas
Marco Antonio Barrera, "The Baby Faced Assassin", delivered a masterclass in boxing against the flamboyant and unbeaten Prince Naseem Hamed. Known for his unorthodox style and devastating power, Hamed came in as a heavy favorite. But Barrera didn’t just fight, he dissected. With flawless footwork, calculated counters, and disciplined defense, he neutralized the Prince’s wild angles and showmanship. By the final bell, Hamed’s aura of invincibility was gone, replaced by the reality that brilliance in the ring isn’t only about power it’s about strategy, patience, and skill. That night, Barrera proved that a great puncher can be outclassed by a great boxer. Great shot here, showing Hamed's face being distorted by a Barrera left hook. Barrera was the typical Mexican fighter, tough as nails, great left hook to the body, Hamed couldn't do anything with Barrera that night, Barrera was just too damn tough and technically sound. Both Barrera and Hamed are all-time greats, two of my favorites.
One of the most famous knockouts in boxing history, Jake LaMotta "The Raging Bull" vs Laurent Dauthuille 2 in 1950. LaMotta was about to lose his middleweight crown to Laurent Dauthuille of France, Dauthuille had thoroughly outboxed him and was up on the scorecards, and then with 13 seconds left in the fight, LaMotta went bat$hit, launched a hellacious attack, and blew the doors off of Dauthuille, saving his middleweight title, a sensational last gasp KO, the definition of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Here is the LaMotta-Dauthuille 2 KO, it's a cruel sport, all Dauthuille had to do was make it through that last round and he would have been middleweight champion of the world.
Jimmy Mclarnin, "The Irish Lullaby", so nicknamed because of his Irish heritage and his boxing style, which was often described as deceptively gentle before delivering a knockout. He had brutal power in his left hand. He was one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, he also has one of the best resumes in boxing history, Two-time world welterweight champion, beat 13 Hall of Famers in his career. His collection of scalps is insane.
Fidel LaBarba (HOF)
Pancho Villa (HOF)
Bud Taylor (HOF)
Jackie Fields (HOF) (NBA Middleweight Champion)
Joe Glick
Louis Kaplan (HOF) (Feather Weight Champion)
Billy Wallace
Sid Terris (HOF)
Sammy Mandell (HOF)
Sergeant Sammy Baker
Al Singer
Billy Petrolle (HOF)
Benny Leonard (HOF)
Sammy Fullmer
Young Corbet III (HOF)
Barney Ross (HOF)
Tony Canzoneri (HOF)
Lou Ambers (HOF)
Kelly Pavlik was nicknamed "The Ghost" because his opponents found it difficult to hit him during sparring sessions. They described him as moving so well that he seemed to disappear, like a ghost. This nickname originated in his amateur boxing days in Ohio and followed him into his professional career. Here he is seen after knocking out Jermaine "Bad Intentions" Taylor for the middleweight championship in 2007. Always love watching Pavlik. Ruthless aggression. He was known for his come-forward style, walking his opponents down with powerful combinations, a strong jab, and a granite chin. Ridiculous work rate and stamina, would throw 100 punches a round in his prime.
Kelly Pavlik stops Edison Miranda in 2007. This was one of the most exciting boxing matches you'll ever see, 6 rounds of non-stop punching from two huge punchers who won't back down.
Pavlik demonstrates a tire tip drill during a workout at the Ironman Warehouse in Youngstown. This drill involves continuously flipping over a huge tire to build up strength and endurance.
Pavlik lands a big right hand on Jermaine Taylor during the 11th round of their rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Though Pavlik was middleweight champion, their second meeting was a non-title bout.
"Two Ton" Tony Galento wearing a boxing headgear mask, I love this image, he looks so menacing. I actually own this photo, it is a type 1 original photo, sick image.
Meldrick Taylor after winning a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was a featherweight and one of the youngest Olympic boxing champions in history, achieving this at the age of 17. Taylor's amateur boxing record culminated in his Olympic success, after which he turned professional and went on to become a world champion in both the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions.
Meldrick Taylor of course was involved in one of the greatest fights in boxing history, when he fought Julio Cesar Chavez on March 17th, 1990. If you haven't seen the fight, I highly suggest you watch it. Chavez came into that fight with a 68-0 record, and Taylor had ridiculous hand speed and used it against Chavez to rack up a big points lead, and Taylor was up on the scorecards and was about to hand Chavez his first loss and become undisputed junior welterweight champion. Going into the final round, Chavez would need a knockout if he wanted to stay unbeaten, and in the 12th and final round, with seconds left in the fight, Chavez pulled off a miracle and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and caught Taylor with a shot that put him down. Taylor rose to his feet slowly and made it up to beat the count but referee Richard Steele waved it off and determined Taylor had enough. It's one of the most controversial endings in a fight, a lot of people thought Richard Steele should have let Taylor continue and finish the last few seconds of the fight, more than likely resulting in a points victory for Taylor, but Steele stopped it and Chavez won. Chavez later said that Taylor was the overall best opponent he ever faced, high praise coming from Chavez. One of the greatest and most dramatic fights in boxing history, sports theater at it's finest. Meldrick Taylor later wrote his account of that fight in his autobiography.
"For Twenty Five dollars a day at Cross Bros slaughterhouse I washed blood and dumped guts. Sometimes they'd have me wheel sides of beef into the refrigerated lockup where I'd practice my combos, like you saw with Sky in the Rocky movie. He got that AND running up the steps from me!"
Antonio Cervantes, "Kid Pambele", 1970s and 80s junior welterweight, all-time great. Cervantes was a beast in his prime. Huge at the weight, he had an excellent left jab, great stamina and he was a very smart and tough fighter, long arms, knockout power in both hands, great counterpuncher. Between 1969 and 1983, he was beaten three times, and two of those losses came when he was past his prime, not an easy guy to beat. Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor has stated on camera numerous times that Antonio Cervantes is the only opponent that he feared and was intimidated by, coming from Aaron Pryor, that's a hell of a testament to how great and dangerous Cervantes was in the ring. Pryor also stated that Cervantes was the hardest puncher and best overall fighter he ever faced. Watch his knockout of Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer is you want to see how furious Cervantes could be.
KID PAMBELE
Antonio Cervantes arose from an unusual heritage and upbringing. While approximately 90 percent of Colombians are either white or indian, Cervantes hails from the all black San Basilio de Palenque, a town with a population of about 3,000. The founders of the town were slaves who rebelled against their Spanish masters in the 1500's. Through the use of guerrilla warfare, the former slaves maintained their forest settlement and their freedom.
Cervantes had three formal amateur bouts before turning professional at the age of 18 in 1964. Venezuelan Ramiro Machado, who believed that the raw Cervantes could develop into a fine fighter, purchased Cervantes' contract and moved him to Venezuela. Cervantes' uncle nicknamed his nephew "Kid Pambele" after a favourite Nicaraguan fighter. By 1970, Cervantes outfought his first ranked opponent, Enrique Jana. The next year, Cervantes challenged for the world junior welterweight title held by Argentina's Nicolino Locche. Fighting gamely on Locche's home turf, Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Cervantes lost a fifteen-round decision. After Loche lost the championship to Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer, Cervantes faced Frazer in the champion's native Panama on 28th October, 1972. Cervantes knocked Frazer down three times before the fight was stopped in the tenth round. The first world champion in Colombian history, Cervantes became a national hero. He met with the president and other national political leaders and, through his influence, electricity was first brought to Palenque.
Cervantes defended his title successfully ten times. In these ten defences, the power-punching Colombian recorded seven knockouts. Cervantes' reign came to an end in 1976 when he lost a split decision to Hall of Famer Wilfred Benitez. Benitez, just seventeen, became the youngest-ever world champion. After the loss Cervantes continued to pursue another shot at the title, scoring victories over future champion Saoul Mamby and ranked contender Adriano Marrero. On 25th June, 1977 in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Cervantes fought Carlos Giminez to determine a new WBA junior welterweight champion. The hard hitting Cervantes stopped Giminez in the sixth round. Cervantes defended his title 6 times over the next three years. It took another Hall of Famer to dethrone him. Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor scored a fourth round TKO victory over the ageing champion in their 2nd August, 1980 bout. (This fight was on the same card as Hearns v Cuevas, when Thomas Hearns won the WBA welterweight title). Cervantes would retire three years later in 1983. Although Cervantes invested in apartments, a ranch, houses, and Colombian boxing promotions, he spent much of his earnings on drugs, drinking and partying. Reportedly, he had several brushes with the law including an arrest for beating up drug dealers. Hospitalised for drug and alcohol addiction in Colombia, Cervantes was then sent to a Cuban psychiatric hospital. After his release, he worked as a boxing trainer in Cartagena, Colombia, not far from Palenque.
Antonio Cervantes became the first ever Colombian world champion when he scored a 10th round KO over Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer at the Gimnasio Nuevo Panama in Ciudad de Panama in 1972. Cervantes only fought three times as an amateur before turning professional. Against Frazer, a popular champion in Panama at the time, Cervantes became a national hero himself. Cervantes sent Frazer to the deck three times in round 10 and the fight was stopped immediately after the third knockdown. Reports stated that it took several minutes to get Frazer moving again.
Antonio Cervantes vs Yasuaki Kadota in 1974 in Tokyo Japan, Cervantes floored Kadota three times before knocking him out in round 8. This a great photo.
Larry Holmes, "The Easton Assassin" in his prime. His jab was pure genius, phenomenal technical boxer, good power, a chin made of Tungsten. Larry Holmes was heavyweight champion for seven years and three months. He held the WBC title from 1978 to 1983, and then became the IBF heavyweight champion from 1983 to 1985. He successfully defended his WBC title 20 times, second only to Joe Louis. "The Easton Assassin" was one of the greatest heavyweights to ever live.
I could have a field day with great Larry Holmes photos, the man fought wars in the ring, he was in some epic fights, Shavers, Norton, Witherspoon, Weaver, the man was a warrior.
Comments
A 1991 All World trading card featuring Michael Dokes.
Dokes training in the 80s.
Michael Dokes vs Mike "Hercules" Weaver 1, they fought twice. Mike Weaver was also part of that 80s heavyweight crop I mentioned earlier. Weaver was a dangerous guy, he was always a threat in any fight because he had a sledgehammer left hook that could take you out at any given moment in a fight, you always had to make sure not to make a mistake against Weaver or you would pay the price. Anyway, the first Dokes-Weaver fight, Dokes comes out in the 1st round like gangbusters, starts immediately attacking Weaver and scores an early knockdown, Weaver gets up and recovers, and Dokes pins Weaver up against the ropes. Dokes unleashes a flurry of punches and the referee steps between them and separates them, and then for some reason, the referee stops the fight and awards a TKO victory to Dokes and the WBA Heavyweight title. The referee said after the fight that he didn't like the way Weaver answered him and decided that Weaver had had enough, but to me it looked like Weaver was perfectly fine to continue, Weaver was a war horse, he had been down in fights before. But some of the blame for the stoppage has to go to Weaver, he wasn't throwing back and Dokes was teeing off on him. Weaver was pissed off about the fight being stopped and protested it, Weaver even went so far as to say he believed the fight was fixed against him. Very bizarre ending.
Michael Dokes pins Mike Weaver against the ropes in their first encounter.
Here's the footage of the first Dokes-Weaver fight and the controversial ending.
The second Dokes-Weaver fight was a classic and would also end in controversy. The two men waged war on eachother and the fight was ruled a draw. A lot of people thought Weaver did enough to win and the crowd booed the decision after it was announced. Great fight, Dokes tried to come out fast and stop Weaver in the early going just like the 1st fight, but Weaver was much more prepared this time and held his ground. Dokes got off to a good start but he faded down the stretch, and I felt the fight probably should have gone in Weaver's favor, but it was ruled a draw and Dokes reatained his WBA Heavyweight title.
Dokes had ridiculous hand speed, and good power, he was genuinely frightening when he was on. If he could have kept his head on straight, he would have been an all-time great.
Since I already brought up Mike "Hercules" Weaver, might as well talk about him for a second. He was nicknamed "Hercules" because he looked like the incredible hulk, the muscles and physique. He had a very intimidating presence.
Like I said before, Mike Weaver had a murderous left hook, and he was never out of a fight because of it. You could be outboxing him and then wham, out of know you get hit with a sledgehammer. Take his fight with John Tate for example, Tate was up on the scorecards and was cruising to victory, and then Weaver caught him with a short left hook and Tate was out cold, and I mean out cold. This is one of the most brutal knockouts you'll ever see.
The crazy thing about that knockout, Weaver didn't even load up on the punch, it was just a little short left hook.
Here is what Mike Weaver said about his knockout of John Tate:
"The crowd cost Tate the fight," Weaver said afterwards. "He made the mistake of trying to come out and slug with me. He was boxing before that. He was responding to the crowd."
Weaver was ripped.
April 7, 2001 – Las Vegas
Marco Antonio Barrera, "The Baby Faced Assassin", delivered a masterclass in boxing against the flamboyant and unbeaten Prince Naseem Hamed. Known for his unorthodox style and devastating power, Hamed came in as a heavy favorite. But Barrera didn’t just fight, he dissected. With flawless footwork, calculated counters, and disciplined defense, he neutralized the Prince’s wild angles and showmanship. By the final bell, Hamed’s aura of invincibility was gone, replaced by the reality that brilliance in the ring isn’t only about power it’s about strategy, patience, and skill. That night, Barrera proved that a great puncher can be outclassed by a great boxer. Great shot here, showing Hamed's face being distorted by a Barrera left hook. Barrera was the typical Mexican fighter, tough as nails, great left hook to the body, Hamed couldn't do anything with Barrera that night, Barrera was just too damn tough and technically sound. Both Barrera and Hamed are all-time greats, two of my favorites.
One of the most famous knockouts in boxing history, Jake LaMotta "The Raging Bull" vs Laurent Dauthuille 2 in 1950. LaMotta was about to lose his middleweight crown to Laurent Dauthuille of France, Dauthuille had thoroughly outboxed him and was up on the scorecards, and then with 13 seconds left in the fight, LaMotta went bat$hit, launched a hellacious attack, and blew the doors off of Dauthuille, saving his middleweight title, a sensational last gasp KO, the definition of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
Here is the LaMotta-Dauthuille 2 KO, it's a cruel sport, all Dauthuille had to do was make it through that last round and he would have been middleweight champion of the world.
Jimmy Mclarnin, "The Irish Lullaby", so nicknamed because of his Irish heritage and his boxing style, which was often described as deceptively gentle before delivering a knockout. He had brutal power in his left hand. He was one of the greatest fighters in boxing history, he also has one of the best resumes in boxing history, Two-time world welterweight champion, beat 13 Hall of Famers in his career. His collection of scalps is insane.
Fidel LaBarba (HOF)
Pancho Villa (HOF)
Bud Taylor (HOF)
Jackie Fields (HOF) (NBA Middleweight Champion)
Joe Glick
Louis Kaplan (HOF) (Feather Weight Champion)
Billy Wallace
Sid Terris (HOF)
Sammy Mandell (HOF)
Sergeant Sammy Baker
Al Singer
Billy Petrolle (HOF)
Benny Leonard (HOF)
Sammy Fullmer
Young Corbet III (HOF)
Barney Ross (HOF)
Tony Canzoneri (HOF)
Lou Ambers (HOF)
Joe Frazier lands the left hook that ends Bob Foster in their 1970 bout. What a beast of an image, Frazier going right through Foster.
Kelly Pavlik was nicknamed "The Ghost" because his opponents found it difficult to hit him during sparring sessions. They described him as moving so well that he seemed to disappear, like a ghost. This nickname originated in his amateur boxing days in Ohio and followed him into his professional career. Here he is seen after knocking out Jermaine "Bad Intentions" Taylor for the middleweight championship in 2007. Always love watching Pavlik. Ruthless aggression. He was known for his come-forward style, walking his opponents down with powerful combinations, a strong jab, and a granite chin. Ridiculous work rate and stamina, would throw 100 punches a round in his prime.
Great shot of Pavlik knocking the sweat from Alfonso Lopez.
Kelly Pavlik stops Edison Miranda in 2007. This was one of the most exciting boxing matches you'll ever see, 6 rounds of non-stop punching from two huge punchers who won't back down.
Pavlik demonstrates a tire tip drill during a workout at the Ironman Warehouse in Youngstown. This drill involves continuously flipping over a huge tire to build up strength and endurance.
Pavlik lands a big right hand on Jermaine Taylor during the 11th round of their rematch at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Though Pavlik was middleweight champion, their second meeting was a non-title bout.
Pavlik scores a 5th round TKO over Miguel Espinoza in 2009.
Savage photo of Kelly Pavlik after his fight with Sergio Martinez in 2010.
My 2008 Allen and Ginter Kelly Pavlik, sick card.
The Ghost.
George Foreman trains for Evander Holyfield by pulling a truck uphill.
"Two Ton" Tony Galento wearing a boxing headgear mask, I love this image, he looks so menacing. I actually own this photo, it is a type 1 original photo, sick image.
Meldrick Taylor after winning a gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was a featherweight and one of the youngest Olympic boxing champions in history, achieving this at the age of 17. Taylor's amateur boxing record culminated in his Olympic success, after which he turned professional and went on to become a world champion in both the junior welterweight and welterweight divisions.
Meldrick Taylor of course was involved in one of the greatest fights in boxing history, when he fought Julio Cesar Chavez on March 17th, 1990. If you haven't seen the fight, I highly suggest you watch it. Chavez came into that fight with a 68-0 record, and Taylor had ridiculous hand speed and used it against Chavez to rack up a big points lead, and Taylor was up on the scorecards and was about to hand Chavez his first loss and become undisputed junior welterweight champion. Going into the final round, Chavez would need a knockout if he wanted to stay unbeaten, and in the 12th and final round, with seconds left in the fight, Chavez pulled off a miracle and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and caught Taylor with a shot that put him down. Taylor rose to his feet slowly and made it up to beat the count but referee Richard Steele waved it off and determined Taylor had enough. It's one of the most controversial endings in a fight, a lot of people thought Richard Steele should have let Taylor continue and finish the last few seconds of the fight, more than likely resulting in a points victory for Taylor, but Steele stopped it and Chavez won. Chavez later said that Taylor was the overall best opponent he ever faced, high praise coming from Chavez. One of the greatest and most dramatic fights in boxing history, sports theater at it's finest. Meldrick Taylor later wrote his account of that fight in his autobiography.
A fight poster for Chavez-Taylor 1.
Meldrick Taylor on a 1991 Ringlords trading card.
Sick video showcasing Meldrick Taylor's hand speed.
"For Twenty Five dollars a day at Cross Bros slaughterhouse I washed blood and dumped guts. Sometimes they'd have me wheel sides of beef into the refrigerated lockup where I'd practice my combos, like you saw with Sky in the Rocky movie. He got that AND running up the steps from me!"
Antonio Cervantes, "Kid Pambele", 1970s and 80s junior welterweight, all-time great. Cervantes was a beast in his prime. Huge at the weight, he had an excellent left jab, great stamina and he was a very smart and tough fighter, long arms, knockout power in both hands, great counterpuncher. Between 1969 and 1983, he was beaten three times, and two of those losses came when he was past his prime, not an easy guy to beat. Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor has stated on camera numerous times that Antonio Cervantes is the only opponent that he feared and was intimidated by, coming from Aaron Pryor, that's a hell of a testament to how great and dangerous Cervantes was in the ring. Pryor also stated that Cervantes was the hardest puncher and best overall fighter he ever faced. Watch his knockout of Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer is you want to see how furious Cervantes could be.
KID PAMBELE
Antonio Cervantes arose from an unusual heritage and upbringing. While approximately 90 percent of Colombians are either white or indian, Cervantes hails from the all black San Basilio de Palenque, a town with a population of about 3,000. The founders of the town were slaves who rebelled against their Spanish masters in the 1500's. Through the use of guerrilla warfare, the former slaves maintained their forest settlement and their freedom.
Cervantes had three formal amateur bouts before turning professional at the age of 18 in 1964. Venezuelan Ramiro Machado, who believed that the raw Cervantes could develop into a fine fighter, purchased Cervantes' contract and moved him to Venezuela. Cervantes' uncle nicknamed his nephew "Kid Pambele" after a favourite Nicaraguan fighter. By 1970, Cervantes outfought his first ranked opponent, Enrique Jana. The next year, Cervantes challenged for the world junior welterweight title held by Argentina's Nicolino Locche. Fighting gamely on Locche's home turf, Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Cervantes lost a fifteen-round decision. After Loche lost the championship to Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer, Cervantes faced Frazer in the champion's native Panama on 28th October, 1972. Cervantes knocked Frazer down three times before the fight was stopped in the tenth round. The first world champion in Colombian history, Cervantes became a national hero. He met with the president and other national political leaders and, through his influence, electricity was first brought to Palenque.
Cervantes defended his title successfully ten times. In these ten defences, the power-punching Colombian recorded seven knockouts. Cervantes' reign came to an end in 1976 when he lost a split decision to Hall of Famer Wilfred Benitez. Benitez, just seventeen, became the youngest-ever world champion. After the loss Cervantes continued to pursue another shot at the title, scoring victories over future champion Saoul Mamby and ranked contender Adriano Marrero. On 25th June, 1977 in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Cervantes fought Carlos Giminez to determine a new WBA junior welterweight champion. The hard hitting Cervantes stopped Giminez in the sixth round. Cervantes defended his title 6 times over the next three years. It took another Hall of Famer to dethrone him. Aaron "The Hawk" Pryor scored a fourth round TKO victory over the ageing champion in their 2nd August, 1980 bout. (This fight was on the same card as Hearns v Cuevas, when Thomas Hearns won the WBA welterweight title). Cervantes would retire three years later in 1983. Although Cervantes invested in apartments, a ranch, houses, and Colombian boxing promotions, he spent much of his earnings on drugs, drinking and partying. Reportedly, he had several brushes with the law including an arrest for beating up drug dealers. Hospitalised for drug and alcohol addiction in Colombia, Cervantes was then sent to a Cuban psychiatric hospital. After his release, he worked as a boxing trainer in Cartagena, Colombia, not far from Palenque.
Antonio Cervantes became the first ever Colombian world champion when he scored a 10th round KO over Alfonso "Peppermint" Frazer at the Gimnasio Nuevo Panama in Ciudad de Panama in 1972. Cervantes only fought three times as an amateur before turning professional. Against Frazer, a popular champion in Panama at the time, Cervantes became a national hero himself. Cervantes sent Frazer to the deck three times in round 10 and the fight was stopped immediately after the third knockdown. Reports stated that it took several minutes to get Frazer moving again.
Antonio Cervantes vs Yasuaki Kadota in 1974 in Tokyo Japan, Cervantes floored Kadota three times before knocking him out in round 8. This a great photo.
Antonio Cervantes finishes Kadota.
Antonio Cervantes vs Wilfred Benitez.
Cervantes hitting the speed bag.
The Antonio Cervantes statue, located in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia.
Antonio Cervantes, "Kid Pambele."
Larry Holmes, "The Easton Assassin" in his prime. His jab was pure genius, phenomenal technical boxer, good power, a chin made of Tungsten. Larry Holmes was heavyweight champion for seven years and three months. He held the WBC title from 1978 to 1983, and then became the IBF heavyweight champion from 1983 to 1985. He successfully defended his WBC title 20 times, second only to Joe Louis. "The Easton Assassin" was one of the greatest heavyweights to ever live.
I could have a field day with great Larry Holmes photos, the man fought wars in the ring, he was in some epic fights, Shavers, Norton, Witherspoon, Weaver, the man was a warrior.
Holmes vs Cooney.
Holmes vs Norton. Great back and forth war.