Emanuel Steward: The Mastermind Behind Boxing Greatness
Emanuel Steward, born on July 17, 1944, in Bottom Creek, West Virginia, was one of the most exceptional and respected figures in boxing. Not only was he a legendary trainer, but he also became a veteran ringside commentator for HBO Sports, where his deep knowledge and unique insight added richness to boxing broadcasts.
Before becoming a trainer, Steward enjoyed a stellar amateur career, compiling an impressive record of 93–4 and winning the 1963 National Golden Gloves bantamweight title. Interestingly, he never fought professionally, yet went on to redefine the art of training.
A former electrician, Steward’s journey began at the famous Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, Michigan, where he first trained his younger brother. By the 1970s, his passion for grooming amateur fighters blossomed, and he developed one of the most successful stables of champions in boxing history.
His first world champion was Hilmer Kenty, who captured the WBA Lightweight title in March 1980. Shortly after, his greatest protégé emerged—Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, a devastating puncher who became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four different divisions. Hearns’ success elevated Steward into the ranks of elite trainers.
Throughout his remarkable career, Steward produced 41 world champions, including Hilmer Kenty, Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko, and Miguel Cotto. His unmatched ability to study fighters, identify weaknesses, and build strategies made him a boxing mastermind.
As a commentator for HBO Sports, Steward further cemented his legacy. Fans valued his clear, passionate, and knowledgeable commentary that combined the perspective of a trainer with the charisma of a natural broadcaster. His voice became part of many unforgettable nights in boxing history.
Emanuel Steward’s place in history is right alongside American greats such as Jack Blackburn, Eddie Futch, Angelo Dundee, George Benton, Lou Duva, and Gil Clancy, all of whom shaped generations of fighters.
Sadly, on October 25, 2012, Emanuel Steward passed away from cancer. His death left a void in both the boxing ring and the broadcast booth, but his influence still echoes through the sport he loved.
Emanuel Steward was more than a trainer—he was a teacher, a visionary, and a voice of boxing. His passion transformed fighters, inspired fans, and built a legacy that remains timeless.
Emanuel Steward encourages Lennox Lewis in his corner. It's a testament to the genius of Emanuel Steward because after Lennox Lewis got with Steward, he became a truly great fighter. Lennox Lewis hooked up with Emanuel Steward in 1994 after Lewis lost his WBC heavyweight title to Oliver McCall. Lewis then trained at Steward's renowned Kronk Gym in Detroit, eventually reclaiming his title in 1997 and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion, and one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time under Steward's guidance.
This is a crazy story, in 2014 Marcos "El Chino" Maidana, a hard-hitting Argentina fighter, and Floyd "Money" Mayweather mixed it up for the second time, Floyd ended up winning both fights, but Maidana gave him all he could handle. Anyway, in their second fight, Maidana rocked Mayweather in the third round, caught him with a brutal right hand and the punch supposedly knocked Mayweather's tooth out of his mouth, if you watch the footage you can definitely see something pop up in the air after the punch lands. After the tooth was knocked out, someone, I don't know who, but someone scooped up the tooth and kept it, and later gave it to Maidana, who then proceeded to make a necklace out of it and wear it. This whole story got started because Maidana came out and made this claim on Instagram in 2020, and posted a video of himself wearing the necklace. Floyd denies it and claims that he's never had a tooth knocked out during a fight. I don't know what to believe but it is a fascinating story.
This is the punch that supposedly knocked out Floyd Mayweather's tooth. A lot of people claim that it was just Vaseline popping off of Floyd's face after the punch and not Floyd's tooth. I've viewed the footage up close many times and whatever it was is solid and it was about the size of a tooth, but honestly, I don't know what to believe, nevertheless it's a fascinating story.
Charley Burley, legendary welterweight and middleweight who fought from 1936 to 1950. He was part of the infamous black murderers row, a group of highly skilled and feared Black middleweight contenders in the 1940s who were so good they were never given a shot at the world title. The term, coined by writer Budd Schulberg and originally associated with the 1927 New York Yankees baseball team, described fighters like Charley Burley, Lloyd Marshall, and Holman Williams, who were avoided by famous champions and were forced to fight each other over and over again in grueling contests. It's a shame because Charley Burley was one of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing. He was as slick as an eel at a Vaseline party, very smart, tactical fighter, defensive genius that would make you miss and counter the crap out of you. There's a bit of footage of him available, and watching him fight is better than porn.
"Burley was the toughest man I ever faced. If anybody was the perfect fighter, it was Burley. When I fought Burley, I was no greenhorn. l'd had nearly 80 fights at the time. He could feint you crazy with his eyes, shoulders, head, even his pectoral muscles. If you threw a punch at Charley Burley, you had better hit him; if you didn't, he would counter your head off. Hitting Burley with a solid punch was near impossible. The night we fought in Hollywood, I caught Burley leaning way back. He appeared to be off balance. I did not think he could find any leverage in that position, but he almost took my head off with a counter right cross. He had suckered me in beautifully. Charley Burley was inhuman!" - Archie Moore
This man was the definition of a freaking gladiator, "Tampa Tommy" Gomez, murderous punching heavyweight that fought from 1939 to 1950. Gomez was as hardcore as it gets, he was forged in fire on the battlefields of World War II. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, he lost eight of his men in a German attack, he earned a Purple Heart for his heroic efforts during the war. Gomez was wounded 16 times in Germany by machine gun fire and shrapnel. As a matter of fact, he returned and resumed his boxing career with shrapnel still lodged in his arms and back. In the ring, he's a legend, he fought wars there as well.
The Story of “Tampa” Tommy Gomez, one of the hardest hitters to grace the divis
When Tommy Gomez made the statement above he was 67-years-old, grey-headed, and had long been divorced from the boxing business, but his mind was as sharp as ever. He would never forget the obstacles he had to overcome or the different things that had motivated him to turn to boxing in the first place. Gomez had to come up the hard way and his childhood was blanketed in cruelty. His father immigrated to the U.S. from Spain in 1916 at Port Tampa, Florida. At that time his father was working as a ship’s steward and seen the possibility of a better life in Florida. Once he was financially able, he sent for his wife to join him on their new journey in the U.S. Little Tommy Gomez was born on Christmas day in 1919, shortly after his parents had settled down. But, it was a fight for the Gomez family from the start, especially for Tommy Jr. Tommy had to deal with daily taunts and racial slurs, as well as finding himself constantly in fist fights in his youth. Spaniards were treated about as poorly as African-Americans were when Gomez was growing up and he couldn’t seem to avoid taking a daily beating.
Fighting was how he survived, it was a part of the constant struggle he faced and nowhere was safe for Gomez — not even at home. Gomez remembered every one of these beatings: “I always wanted to be a fighter because I got beat up three or four times a week for being a Latin in an all-white school. Then the principal would beat me about three times a week, then I got a beating from my father after I got home. That’s about nine beatings a week.”
But Gomez would not be broken, he was a fighter at heart and he was going to let the world know it. He decided to drop out of Hillsborough High School where he attended and went to work as a bellhop at the Floridian Hotel. He also figured it was in his best interest that he found someone who could show him how to give out beatings instead of taking them.
At 19-years-old he wondered into a gym in Tampa, Florida. There he met a man by the name of Joe Leto. Leto took one look at the handsome kid, who was wearing swimming trunks and tennis shoes, and rolled his eyes. He didn’t see a fighter in Gomez. After a few wild, but hard shots at a heavy bag, Leto was even less interested in training the Tampa boy. The kid’s inexperience had shown in full force and Leto had better things to do. Gomez had to plead and argue with Leto until persistence finally paid off and he agreed to train him. And it didn’t take Leto long to see something in Tommy. He had him fighting professional shortly after the two met.
Gomez took his first pro fight against Jack Wallace in Tampa, Florida. Gomez only weighed 164 lbs. at the time and got the decision when the scheduled 4-round bout was over. It was what Gomez had needed more than anything – a win. The success in his debut was a huge confidence booster for a kid that was used to taking the beatings. Gomez started fighting longer round fights very quickly and won nine of his next eleven fights by stoppage. Gomez’s manager had worked with other fighters like Joey Raymond and Chino Alvarez, so he slipped Gomez on the undercard of some of their fights in these earlier bouts in Gomez’s career. However, it didn’t take long for Gomez to rise to the status as a main event fighter. In fact, the ascent was so quick that Leto never forgot it:” Gomez came up faster than any fighter I have ever seen. With all my other boys, I spent years teaching them how to box – without getting a thing out of them. But Gomez became a main event fighter in his 10th fight.” It was actually Gomez’s 11th fight before he headlined a card, but an impressive nonetheless.
From 1939 through 1944 he won most of his fights. Any fighter that he lost to or drew with he made sure that he also collected a win over them, except for Johnny Flynn, who he beat in a return fight in 1947. Gomez’s revenge over Flynn had to wait because there were more pressing matters to focus on. On the same day he was scheduled to fight Flynn the first time, he got the message that he was going overseas for the war. Gomez had signed up with the National Guard’s 116th Field Artillery regiment under the advice of his Godfather, Col. Hesterly, who would later make Gomez a sergeant. Gomez was sent to Camp Blanding for invasion training, but during this time no one bothered to warn the young man of just how much his life was about to change.
Like the other traumatizing events that Gomez faced and conquered in his life, his time in the foxhole was forever burned into his memory. Gomez would always remember in detail how he managed to escape the grip of the Grim Reaper during his time in the war: “We were sent to Europe. I was in the infantry then, a squad leader. We landed in France seven days after D-Day and were quickly in combat. I wasn’t scared then. I am now when I think about it. I remember the big day. It was cold. Ten degrees. We were in the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne, Belgium, when one of the men in my squad started to light a cigarette. I knocked it out of his hands, but the Germans saw the flicker. They let us have it with mortars. Eight of my men were killed around me and I was hit in 16 places by machine gun and shrapnel. We lost our weapons. I had a radio and called for help. It came and, all bloody, I was taken by Jeep to a field hospital, then shipped to Paris, then to England. They patched me up pretty good.”
Gomez spent the remainder of his time in the military recovering in hospitals and fighting exhibitions in Europe when he was able. For his bravery, Gomez was awarded the Purple Heart, but his body would forever show the quarter sized wounds that nearly lead to his termination. Although Gomez survived the war, many in the boxing community were sure that his ring career would not survive. Gomez and his father, however, assured the boxing world that this wasn’t the end of the road and he was going to fight on. It seemed that Gomez’s team didn’t want him to waste any time getting back into action either, especially with their fighter’s career being written off by fans and experts alike. Gomez started his comeback on December 4th, 1945 by stopping Johnny Denson in seven rounds and didn’t slow down. He would continue racking up wins over the next six months, which included wins over “Big” Ben Moroz, who stood 6’8” tall and weighed nearly 300 lbs. Two more of Gomez’s big wins at this time included first round knockouts over Freddie Schott and Phil Muscato.
After scoring some impressive victories, Gomez’s team decided to give their fighter a serious acid test by matching him with ring veteran Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott knew every trick in the book and had even wrote in some of his own. Along with his traps, feints, and clever footwork, Walcott could knock you senseless with either glove. If Gomez was to win it would place him one step closer to Joe Louis’ heavyweight title and on to bigger paydays. The two met on August 16th, 1946 at the mecca of boxing — Madison Square Garden. Gomez was never a ring wizard and knew he better not sit down for a chess match with Walcott. Gomez was a vicious puncher and his best chance was to try and slug it out with Walcott and come out of his corner as if he was escaping a fire. He had survived the brutal weather and mortar bombardments in Belgium during his time in the war, but Walcott proved too much for him in the Garden.
Walcott simply outclassed Gomez when they met and made short work of the war veteran. Referee Frank Fullam stopped the bout in the third round to protect Gomez from further punishment. Gomez, gamely, was willing to fight on, but his night was over. So were his hopes for a title shot for the time being. Gomez would lose his next fight by stoppage to Joe Matisi before picking up nine more wins, including his revenge over Matisi on February 5th, 1948, stopping him in the seventh round. Gomez continued battling, picking up a couple of losses, a draw, and a string of wins.
It was on March 22nd, 1950 at Chicago Stadium where Gomez’s career finally ended. Gomez was matched with the heavy-hitting Bob Satterfield in a fight that was expected to go no more than a few rounds. Satterfield, like Gomez, was a former military veteran who could knockout about anyone he hit. This was Gomez’s last chance for a big win and possible title shot in the future. The two sluggers didn’t disappoint when the bell rang. Satterfield landed his Sunday punch first in the opening round. A left hook crashed into Gomez’s chin, sending him to the canvas. Gomez rose at the count of 5. The small crowd (of 5,133) roared with approval and it would seem it was the beginning of the end for Tampa Tommy. Tommy’s chin and pride may have been bruised with the early knockdown, but the real damage was mentioned when Gomez went to his corner after the round had ended. Gomez complained of severe pain in his ribs, causing a delay for the second round. Dr. Mitchell Corbett examined Gomez and allowed him to continue. Gomez had suffered two broken ribs from one of Satterfield’s heavy right hands in the opening stanza, which was the source of his pain. The second round was no better for Gomez, other than him landing a couple of solid left hooks. Satterfield took control of the round with his brutal barrage of punches.
The second round was even more devastating for Gomez than the fans could see. During the round the Tampa Thumper bounced a heavy blow off Satterfield’s head, breaking his right hand in the process. Gomez fought on with only one good hand for the rest of the fight, all while trying to protect his smashed in ribs. Despite the injuries, Gomez still managed to stagger Satterfield in the third round. But Satterfield took control again and it wasn’t until the sixth round that Gomez had success again. In the seventh round Satterfield slammed a vicious left-handed blow to Gomez’s chin, dropping him to the canvas — hurt and in danger of being stopped. Gomez managed to get to his feet, but his legs were barley supporting him when a series of vicious shots from Satterfield sent him crashing back to floor. Gomez was hurt bad but as the referee got to the count of 8, the bell rang, and the round ended. Gomez came out for the eighth round as if he had never been on the brink of a knockout just a minute before. He took control of the round and managed to split one of Satterfield’s eyes. In the 9th round the two titans traded heavy leather. Then, suddenly, a savage right-hand of Satterfield’s bounced off Gomez’s chin, sending him back to the canvas yet again. But, to the surprise of everyone watching, at the count of 9, Gomez was once again on his feet shortly before the round ended. There were no more knockdowns in the remaining round but had there been I’m sure Gomez would have found a way to get back up and fight on. When it was over, Satterfield got the decision, but Gomez had won over the crowd and no one could doubt the Tampa Thumper’s heart and gameness.
Gomez’s war with Satterfield would never be forgotten by the fans that watched it live in Chicago Stadium, and Gomez would never forget it either. In retirement, Gomez recalled his war with Satterfield saying: “When it was over I didn’t know who had won. I walked to the hospital. I was an amnesia victim and didn’t learn the outcome until a couple of days later.” He would go on to say, “That Satterfield was my toughest. In fact, I got my belly full of the fight game the night I fought him in Chicago Stadium.”
It would be Gomez’s last fight. He never did become a world champion, but success was on the horizon for him, even if not in boxing. For many boxers, the end of their boxing careers usually means financial hardships and a grim future to look forward to. Thankfully for Gomez, this was not what life had in mind for him. After working in the commercial sign business for a short time and spending many years as a liquor salesman for Carbo Liquors, Gomez finally got his break. Gomez recalled when things started looking up for him saying: “The good Lord said to me one day, ‘Son you’ve worked hard long enough that it is time you get on easy street’.” Gomez’s lifelong friend Frank Lorenzo introduced him to Bill Steen at Bankers Insurance who made Tommy an insurance salesman. The insurance business was very good to Tommy and the best decision he ever made according to him.
Gomez lived out the rest of his life comfortably and got to enjoy it how he saw fit. His leisure time included smoking his own personal brand of cigars that were called ‘Champs’, bass fishing, playing golf regularly, and enjoying his time with his friends and family. A happy ending that was well-deserved for one of boxing’s hardest punchers and an American war hero.
One of the best-known brawls to happen in Tampa – a city known for its rich boxing history – occurred 60 years ago this week at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory. It was a doozy of a rematch featuring “Tampa Tommy” Gomez and Joe Matisi.
Gomez, one of the greatest boxers ever to come out of Tampa, sought to avenge a 1946 three-round knockout loss to Matisi. Bruised and battered, Gomez had temporarily retired following their first bout on Matisi’s home turf in Buffalo, N.Y.
Gomez knew a thing or two about adversity, however, as a soldier in World War II. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, the Hillsborough High graduate earned a Purple Heart for his heroic efforts during the war. He spent six months in a French hospital recovering from severe shrapnel and machine-gun bullet wounds.
True to form, Gomez pulled himself up off the mat and resumed his career with nine consecutive knockout wins leading up to the rematch with Matisi.
The eighth-ranked heavyweight in the world, Gomez entered the match with momentum on his side, while Matisi came to Tampa on a three-match losing streak. Tampa fight fans were certainly excited in the days leading up to the bout, as an overflow crowd jammed the Palmetto Beach Boys Club gymnasium two days before the match, just to watch Gomez conduct his final training sessions.
Promoter Lou Viscusi said it was the “biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at a workout since I started promoted boxing in Tampa.”
Advance ticket sales guaranteed a capacity crowd for the fight on the evening of Feb. 5, 1948. A record crowd of 7,500 fans packed into the Armory for what turned out to be a brutal slugfest.
Although neither fighter scored a knockdown during the fight, there was plenty of action, and a few low blows, to make things interesting.
In the fifth round, Matisi threw a low left punch below the waist that sent Gomez to his knees. Referee Eddie Coachman allowed Gomez a five-minute rest period to recover from the shot.
Perhaps doubting the credulity of Gomez’s pain, Matisi’s trainer, Ray Arcel, scoffed after the fight at the severity of the injury, saying modern “protectors” made it impossible to inflict serious injury with a low punch.
Gomez and Matisi traded low blows in the sixth before Gomez took full control of the match. The sixth round proved to be Gomez’s most dominant of the bout, as he battered Matisi with a barrage of left hooks, setting the stage for a seventh-round finale.
Both fighters at this point were the very definition of walking wounded. Gomez had injured his hands earlier in the fight and threw his punches with visible pain. For his part, Matisi could barely keep his mouthpiece in place because of a severe jaw injury. After Matisi absorbed a few more overhand rights, Arcel decided his boxer could take no more – he felt he had no choice but to throw in the towel for Matisi, earning a TKO for the hometown hero Gomez.
By the end of the fight, it was be difficult to discern between the victor and the vanquished. In severe pain, Gomez could barely make it to his dressing room on his own power after the match.
Both fighters were taken to Tampa General Hospital following the fight. Gomez suffered a broken right hand and a sprained left. Matisi left Tampa with a broken nose and serious injuries to his stomach and jaw.
Two months elapsed before Gomez could return to ring action, but the repercussions for Matisi were much more significant. In his next match four months later, Matisi suffered a first-round knockout. He boxed professionally just two more times before retiring in 1949.
Gomez fought in eighteen more matches before calling it a career in 1950. Considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes in Tampa history, Gomez, who passed away in 2006, was ranked in 2003 by The Ring magazine as one of the top 100 punchers of all time. Nights like the one sixty years ago at the Armory will always remind fight fans why.
You know, it's a shame, there are only about six or seven photos of Tommy Gomez available. He's such a a legend in the sport, it's just a shame there isn't more available. And don't even get me started on fight film, there's no fight film of Gomez at all, and that's a shame because he was in some real knockdown-dragouts. I would love to see his fight with Bob Satterfield, two murderous punchers, two trains colliding, that fight really demonstrated what a tough son of a gun Gomez was, it was like trying to nail Jello to a wall, Gomez just wouldn't stay down. It's a shame it's not on film because that fight is mythical. This is one of the photos of Gomez available, he is seen here in his Army uniform.
September 24, 1994 – Oliver McCall Stuns Lennox Lewis at Wembley
On September 24th, 1994, at Wembley Arena in London, the boxing world witnessed one of the sport’s most shocking upsets. American-born Oliver McCall, "The Atomic Bull", delivered a devastating second-round knockout over the reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis, to capture the coveted WBC title.
Reflecting on his career-defining moment, McCall credited the legendary trainer Emanuel Steward for preparing him for the biggest fight of his life.
“I employed the services of Emanuel Steward to train me for this fight. I threw a quick counter right whenever Lennox wound up with his own right hand. In the second round, I waited for him to throw the right hand — and I was perfectly timed with the counter right hand. I threw it, and whoop, it crashed home. Down flopped Lennox Lewis in a heap.” — Oliver McCall
Lewis, however, had a different perspective:
“I just got caught with a lucky shot. I wasn’t badly hurt, but I was dazed.” — Lennox Lewis
This unforgettable night remains one of the most defining moments in McCall’s career and a major turning point in the heavyweight division of the 1990s.
Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi — The Most Avoided Heavyweight of His Era
In the late 1990s, the heavyweight division was bloated with sluggish, uninspiring contenders. Yet, amidst the mediocrity, one man stood out like a blazing torch in the darkness — Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi. The Nigerian-born powerhouse was a humble, ever-smiling wrecking machine with monstrous punching power, an iron chin, and relentless pressure. He was the most avoided heavyweight of his era, a dark horse who seemed destined for greatness.
The mystique surrounding Ibeabuchi burns just as brightly today as it did back then. In an era searching desperately for a savior after the decline of Mike Tyson, Ibeabuchi emerged as a potential king. But just as quickly as he rose, his self-destructive lifestyle derailed what could have been one of the greatest careers in heavyweight history.
The Night of Legends: Ibeabuchi vs. Tua
On June 7, 1997, in Sacramento, California, Ibeabuchi stepped into the ring against the feared Samoan knockout artist David Tua. Tua, unbeaten and heavily favored, was expected to bulldoze through the relatively unknown Nigerian. Instead, fans witnessed one of the greatest slugfests in heavyweight history.
For 12 breathless rounds, both men traded power shots in a war of attrition. The pace was staggering. HBO commentator Larry Merchant could only exclaim: “Something’s got to give!” Yet nothing did. Two iron-chinned warriors went hammer and tongs from the opening bell to the last.
When the dust settled, Ibeabuchi was awarded a unanimous decision, stunning the boxing world. The fight set a record with 1,730 punches thrown, the highest output ever recorded in a heavyweight bout, surpassing even Ali vs. Frazier in the brutal Thrilla in Manila.
The Byrd Who Couldn’t Fly Away
By 1999, Ibeabuchi was 20–0 and rapidly climbing the ranks. His next test came against the unbeaten, slick southpaw Chris Byrd, one of the division’s trickiest defensive fighters. Many expected Byrd to frustrate the aggressive Nigerian. Instead, Ibeabuchi hunted him down and destroyed him inside five rounds. That emphatic victory cemented Ibeabuchi as the most dangerous and avoided heavyweight in the world.
At that moment, the future was his. A clash with Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield seemed inevitable. But fate — and his own demons — had other plans.
The Fall from Grace
While Ibeabuchi defeated every man in the ring, he could not conquer the battles within himself. Born in Nigeria and raised in poverty, his journey was fueled by raw talent, unyielding determination, and natural fighting instinct. Yet, whether through mental illness, ego, greed, or reckless decisions, he sabotaged his own destiny.
In 1999, just as superstardom beckoned, Ibeabuchi was arrested. His career and freedom vanished overnight. What could have been a decade of dominance turned into two decades of wasted potential behind prison walls.
The Myth of the Phantom Champion
Ikemefuna Ibeabuchi had everything — power, chin, ring IQ, charisma, and marketability. He could have earned tens of millions. He could have become undisputed heavyweight champion. He could have ruled the post-Tyson era. Instead, he became one of boxing’s greatest cautionary tales — the legend of what might have been.
To those who saw him fight, however, Ibeabuchi remains a mythic figure. A phantom champion. A man who beat everyone except himself.
The Return of “The President”
At 52 years old, when most fighters are long retired, Ibeabuchi shocked the boxing world again. He staged a comeback and proved that time could not erase his spirit. In his return, he defeated home favorite Idris Affini, rekindling memories of his ferocious prime and reminding fans why he was once the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.
Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi’s story is both inspiring and tragic — a tale of limitless potential, wasted glory, and enduring myth. He will forever be remembered as the heavyweight who could have ruled them all.
Ceferino Garcia, 1930s and 40s murderous punching welterweight and middleweight, he is the only Filipino fighter in history to become middleweight champion. He is also credited with being the first fighter to use the "bolo punch", the punch was later popularized by Kid Gavilan. He was a feared fighter and for good reason, Garcia iced 77 opponents in his career.
On October 2, 1939, Ceferino Garcia fought American fighter Fred Apostoli for the world middleweight title at the Madison Square Garden, New York City and won it by stoppage in the 7th round. Garcia knocked Apostoli down three times in the seventh round before knocking him out at 2:07, becoming the first and only Filipino middleweight champion. This was no small feat, because Apostoli was an all-time great, tough as a coconut on steroids, fighter.
This is an interesting debate that has sprung up a lot over the years, all of these fighters are great candidates. Gun to my head, I would probably choose Jake LaMotta, he fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times, in their last fight, appropriately called "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre", LaMotta took a horrific beating, one of the worst you'll ever see, and Robinson still couldn't knock him down. Irish Bob Murphy once said that hitting Jake LaMotta was like "hitting a telephone pole."
Vasiliy Lomachenko, "Hi-Tech", became a two-division world champion as he won the WBO junior lightweight title with a brutal 5th round KO of Román "Rocky" Martínez at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York in 2016.
Fighting in only his seventh official pro fight, Lomachenko was on the hunt for a title in his second division. Despite his relatively short career in the paid ranks, he was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and amateur standout.
Martínez was a boxer-puncher who took the WBO belt from Orlando Salido, and Salido defeated Lomachenko for the first time as a professional. The gritty Puerto Rican could be caught and he was only moderately durable, but opponents who weren't careful could be outworked.
But Lomachenko was careful, and he easily did as he pleased against Martínez, more or less landing at will. In the 5th, Lomachenko connected with an awful left uppercut-right hook combination that leveled Martínez near the ropes, where he was counted out, Lomachenko then celebrated with a backflip as Martinez looked on.
“I came to do my job, I did my job very well tonight,” Lomachenko said. He then dedicated his win to recently deceased Muhammad Ali, who he called “the greatest man who ever laced up gloves."
Vasyl Lomachenko was nicknamed "Hi-Tech" because he was one of the greatest technical boxers the sport has ever known, it was a thing of beauty watching him surgically dismantling opponents.
Vasyl Lomachenko was also nicknamed "Matrix". The term "Matrix" in relation to Vasyl Lomachenko refers to his boxing style, which is compared to the movie "The Matrix" because of his seemingly supernatural ability to control the ring, evade opponents' attacks, and create seemingly impossible angles for his own punches. His innovative footwork, strategic pre-planning, and ability to predict and manipulate his opponent's movements are what earn him the "Matrix" moniker, making him appear as if he's operating outside the normal rules of boxing. Beautiful fighter.
Johnny Kilbane, world featherweight champion from 1912 to 1923, an 11-year reign, the second longest title reign in boxing history, the first being Joe Louis' heavyweight title reign. He has quite a list of scalps, he beat Benny Leonard, Abe Attell, Rocky Kansas, Freddie Welsh, Charley White, Kid Williams, and Johnny Dundee. He had 142 fights in his career, he lost only four of those fights. All-time great. Kilbane ended the featherweight championship reign of the great Abe Attell. Kilbane was a clever scientific boxer, he knew how to put forth just enough effort to win. If necessary, he could throw a mean punch, but for the most part, he was content to outbox an opponent and avoid getting hit. He fought Abe Attell three times, twice in championship bouts. In 1910, he lost a decision to Attell. Two years later, on a extremely hot night in Vernon, California, Kilbane took the crown from Attell with a twenty-round decision. Kilbane scored frequently with his left jab, while Attell resorted to heeling, butting, and elbowing. After the fight, Kilbane claimed that Attell had coated his back with chloroform in an attempt to daze his opponent. Attell said it was cooling cocoa butter and, for many years, Attell harbored ill will towards Kilbane for this charge, which Kilbane often repeated.
In October 1917, while still world featherweight champion, Kilbane became a lieutenant in the United States Army. He was assigned to Camp Sherman located near Chillicothe, Ohio. He trained soldiers in self defense during World War 1. This is actual footage from those training sessions.
Comments
This was one of the great images from that fight, Ngannou folding up like a lawn chair.
One of my favorite magazine covers, "World-class boxer obliterates mixed martial artist with sickening ease."
The Joshua-Ngannou KO.
Emanuel Steward: The Mastermind Behind Boxing Greatness
Emanuel Steward, born on July 17, 1944, in Bottom Creek, West Virginia, was one of the most exceptional and respected figures in boxing. Not only was he a legendary trainer, but he also became a veteran ringside commentator for HBO Sports, where his deep knowledge and unique insight added richness to boxing broadcasts.
Before becoming a trainer, Steward enjoyed a stellar amateur career, compiling an impressive record of 93–4 and winning the 1963 National Golden Gloves bantamweight title. Interestingly, he never fought professionally, yet went on to redefine the art of training.
A former electrician, Steward’s journey began at the famous Kronk Boxing Gym in Detroit, Michigan, where he first trained his younger brother. By the 1970s, his passion for grooming amateur fighters blossomed, and he developed one of the most successful stables of champions in boxing history.
His first world champion was Hilmer Kenty, who captured the WBA Lightweight title in March 1980. Shortly after, his greatest protégé emerged—Thomas “Hit Man” Hearns, a devastating puncher who became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four different divisions. Hearns’ success elevated Steward into the ranks of elite trainers.
Throughout his remarkable career, Steward produced 41 world champions, including Hilmer Kenty, Thomas Hearns, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield, Wladimir Klitschko, and Miguel Cotto. His unmatched ability to study fighters, identify weaknesses, and build strategies made him a boxing mastermind.
As a commentator for HBO Sports, Steward further cemented his legacy. Fans valued his clear, passionate, and knowledgeable commentary that combined the perspective of a trainer with the charisma of a natural broadcaster. His voice became part of many unforgettable nights in boxing history.
Emanuel Steward’s place in history is right alongside American greats such as Jack Blackburn, Eddie Futch, Angelo Dundee, George Benton, Lou Duva, and Gil Clancy, all of whom shaped generations of fighters.
Sadly, on October 25, 2012, Emanuel Steward passed away from cancer. His death left a void in both the boxing ring and the broadcast booth, but his influence still echoes through the sport he loved.
Emanuel Steward was more than a trainer—he was a teacher, a visionary, and a voice of boxing. His passion transformed fighters, inspired fans, and built a legacy that remains timeless.
Detroit's legendary Thomas Hearns gets his hands wrapped by trainer and manager Emanuel Steward at the Kronk Gym in 1981.
Emanuel Steward encourages Lennox Lewis in his corner. It's a testament to the genius of Emanuel Steward because after Lennox Lewis got with Steward, he became a truly great fighter. Lennox Lewis hooked up with Emanuel Steward in 1994 after Lewis lost his WBC heavyweight title to Oliver McCall. Lewis then trained at Steward's renowned Kronk Gym in Detroit, eventually reclaiming his title in 1997 and becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion, and one of the greatest heavyweights of all-time under Steward's guidance.
This is a crazy story, in 2014 Marcos "El Chino" Maidana, a hard-hitting Argentina fighter, and Floyd "Money" Mayweather mixed it up for the second time, Floyd ended up winning both fights, but Maidana gave him all he could handle. Anyway, in their second fight, Maidana rocked Mayweather in the third round, caught him with a brutal right hand and the punch supposedly knocked Mayweather's tooth out of his mouth, if you watch the footage you can definitely see something pop up in the air after the punch lands. After the tooth was knocked out, someone, I don't know who, but someone scooped up the tooth and kept it, and later gave it to Maidana, who then proceeded to make a necklace out of it and wear it. This whole story got started because Maidana came out and made this claim on Instagram in 2020, and posted a video of himself wearing the necklace. Floyd denies it and claims that he's never had a tooth knocked out during a fight. I don't know what to believe but it is a fascinating story.
This is the punch that supposedly knocked out Floyd Mayweather's tooth. A lot of people claim that it was just Vaseline popping off of Floyd's face after the punch and not Floyd's tooth. I've viewed the footage up close many times and whatever it was is solid and it was about the size of a tooth, but honestly, I don't know what to believe, nevertheless it's a fascinating story.
Charley Burley, legendary welterweight and middleweight who fought from 1936 to 1950. He was part of the infamous black murderers row, a group of highly skilled and feared Black middleweight contenders in the 1940s who were so good they were never given a shot at the world title. The term, coined by writer Budd Schulberg and originally associated with the 1927 New York Yankees baseball team, described fighters like Charley Burley, Lloyd Marshall, and Holman Williams, who were avoided by famous champions and were forced to fight each other over and over again in grueling contests. It's a shame because Charley Burley was one of the greatest fighters in the history of boxing. He was as slick as an eel at a Vaseline party, very smart, tactical fighter, defensive genius that would make you miss and counter the crap out of you. There's a bit of footage of him available, and watching him fight is better than porn.
"Burley was the toughest man I ever faced. If anybody was the perfect fighter, it was Burley. When I fought Burley, I was no greenhorn. l'd had nearly 80 fights at the time. He could feint you crazy with his eyes, shoulders, head, even his pectoral muscles. If you threw a punch at Charley Burley, you had better hit him; if you didn't, he would counter your head off. Hitting Burley with a solid punch was near impossible. The night we fought in Hollywood, I caught Burley leaning way back. He appeared to be off balance. I did not think he could find any leverage in that position, but he almost took my head off with a counter right cross. He had suckered me in beautifully. Charley Burley was inhuman!" - Archie Moore
This man was the definition of a freaking gladiator, "Tampa Tommy" Gomez, murderous punching heavyweight that fought from 1939 to 1950. Gomez was as hardcore as it gets, he was forged in fire on the battlefields of World War II. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, he lost eight of his men in a German attack, he earned a Purple Heart for his heroic efforts during the war. Gomez was wounded 16 times in Germany by machine gun fire and shrapnel. As a matter of fact, he returned and resumed his boxing career with shrapnel still lodged in his arms and back. In the ring, he's a legend, he fought wars there as well.
The Story of “Tampa” Tommy Gomez, one of the hardest hitters to grace the divis
When Tommy Gomez made the statement above he was 67-years-old, grey-headed, and had long been divorced from the boxing business, but his mind was as sharp as ever. He would never forget the obstacles he had to overcome or the different things that had motivated him to turn to boxing in the first place. Gomez had to come up the hard way and his childhood was blanketed in cruelty. His father immigrated to the U.S. from Spain in 1916 at Port Tampa, Florida. At that time his father was working as a ship’s steward and seen the possibility of a better life in Florida. Once he was financially able, he sent for his wife to join him on their new journey in the U.S. Little Tommy Gomez was born on Christmas day in 1919, shortly after his parents had settled down. But, it was a fight for the Gomez family from the start, especially for Tommy Jr. Tommy had to deal with daily taunts and racial slurs, as well as finding himself constantly in fist fights in his youth. Spaniards were treated about as poorly as African-Americans were when Gomez was growing up and he couldn’t seem to avoid taking a daily beating.
Fighting was how he survived, it was a part of the constant struggle he faced and nowhere was safe for Gomez — not even at home. Gomez remembered every one of these beatings: “I always wanted to be a fighter because I got beat up three or four times a week for being a Latin in an all-white school. Then the principal would beat me about three times a week, then I got a beating from my father after I got home. That’s about nine beatings a week.”
But Gomez would not be broken, he was a fighter at heart and he was going to let the world know it. He decided to drop out of Hillsborough High School where he attended and went to work as a bellhop at the Floridian Hotel. He also figured it was in his best interest that he found someone who could show him how to give out beatings instead of taking them.
At 19-years-old he wondered into a gym in Tampa, Florida. There he met a man by the name of Joe Leto. Leto took one look at the handsome kid, who was wearing swimming trunks and tennis shoes, and rolled his eyes. He didn’t see a fighter in Gomez. After a few wild, but hard shots at a heavy bag, Leto was even less interested in training the Tampa boy. The kid’s inexperience had shown in full force and Leto had better things to do. Gomez had to plead and argue with Leto until persistence finally paid off and he agreed to train him. And it didn’t take Leto long to see something in Tommy. He had him fighting professional shortly after the two met.
Gomez took his first pro fight against Jack Wallace in Tampa, Florida. Gomez only weighed 164 lbs. at the time and got the decision when the scheduled 4-round bout was over. It was what Gomez had needed more than anything – a win. The success in his debut was a huge confidence booster for a kid that was used to taking the beatings. Gomez started fighting longer round fights very quickly and won nine of his next eleven fights by stoppage. Gomez’s manager had worked with other fighters like Joey Raymond and Chino Alvarez, so he slipped Gomez on the undercard of some of their fights in these earlier bouts in Gomez’s career. However, it didn’t take long for Gomez to rise to the status as a main event fighter. In fact, the ascent was so quick that Leto never forgot it:” Gomez came up faster than any fighter I have ever seen. With all my other boys, I spent years teaching them how to box – without getting a thing out of them. But Gomez became a main event fighter in his 10th fight.” It was actually Gomez’s 11th fight before he headlined a card, but an impressive nonetheless.
From 1939 through 1944 he won most of his fights. Any fighter that he lost to or drew with he made sure that he also collected a win over them, except for Johnny Flynn, who he beat in a return fight in 1947. Gomez’s revenge over Flynn had to wait because there were more pressing matters to focus on. On the same day he was scheduled to fight Flynn the first time, he got the message that he was going overseas for the war. Gomez had signed up with the National Guard’s 116th Field Artillery regiment under the advice of his Godfather, Col. Hesterly, who would later make Gomez a sergeant. Gomez was sent to Camp Blanding for invasion training, but during this time no one bothered to warn the young man of just how much his life was about to change.
Like the other traumatizing events that Gomez faced and conquered in his life, his time in the foxhole was forever burned into his memory. Gomez would always remember in detail how he managed to escape the grip of the Grim Reaper during his time in the war: “We were sent to Europe. I was in the infantry then, a squad leader. We landed in France seven days after D-Day and were quickly in combat. I wasn’t scared then. I am now when I think about it. I remember the big day. It was cold. Ten degrees. We were in the Battle of the Bulge near Bastogne, Belgium, when one of the men in my squad started to light a cigarette. I knocked it out of his hands, but the Germans saw the flicker. They let us have it with mortars. Eight of my men were killed around me and I was hit in 16 places by machine gun and shrapnel. We lost our weapons. I had a radio and called for help. It came and, all bloody, I was taken by Jeep to a field hospital, then shipped to Paris, then to England. They patched me up pretty good.”
Gomez spent the remainder of his time in the military recovering in hospitals and fighting exhibitions in Europe when he was able. For his bravery, Gomez was awarded the Purple Heart, but his body would forever show the quarter sized wounds that nearly lead to his termination. Although Gomez survived the war, many in the boxing community were sure that his ring career would not survive. Gomez and his father, however, assured the boxing world that this wasn’t the end of the road and he was going to fight on. It seemed that Gomez’s team didn’t want him to waste any time getting back into action either, especially with their fighter’s career being written off by fans and experts alike. Gomez started his comeback on December 4th, 1945 by stopping Johnny Denson in seven rounds and didn’t slow down. He would continue racking up wins over the next six months, which included wins over “Big” Ben Moroz, who stood 6’8” tall and weighed nearly 300 lbs. Two more of Gomez’s big wins at this time included first round knockouts over Freddie Schott and Phil Muscato.
After scoring some impressive victories, Gomez’s team decided to give their fighter a serious acid test by matching him with ring veteran Jersey Joe Walcott. Walcott knew every trick in the book and had even wrote in some of his own. Along with his traps, feints, and clever footwork, Walcott could knock you senseless with either glove. If Gomez was to win it would place him one step closer to Joe Louis’ heavyweight title and on to bigger paydays. The two met on August 16th, 1946 at the mecca of boxing — Madison Square Garden. Gomez was never a ring wizard and knew he better not sit down for a chess match with Walcott. Gomez was a vicious puncher and his best chance was to try and slug it out with Walcott and come out of his corner as if he was escaping a fire. He had survived the brutal weather and mortar bombardments in Belgium during his time in the war, but Walcott proved too much for him in the Garden.
Walcott simply outclassed Gomez when they met and made short work of the war veteran. Referee Frank Fullam stopped the bout in the third round to protect Gomez from further punishment. Gomez, gamely, was willing to fight on, but his night was over. So were his hopes for a title shot for the time being. Gomez would lose his next fight by stoppage to Joe Matisi before picking up nine more wins, including his revenge over Matisi on February 5th, 1948, stopping him in the seventh round. Gomez continued battling, picking up a couple of losses, a draw, and a string of wins.
It was on March 22nd, 1950 at Chicago Stadium where Gomez’s career finally ended. Gomez was matched with the heavy-hitting Bob Satterfield in a fight that was expected to go no more than a few rounds. Satterfield, like Gomez, was a former military veteran who could knockout about anyone he hit. This was Gomez’s last chance for a big win and possible title shot in the future. The two sluggers didn’t disappoint when the bell rang. Satterfield landed his Sunday punch first in the opening round. A left hook crashed into Gomez’s chin, sending him to the canvas. Gomez rose at the count of 5. The small crowd (of 5,133) roared with approval and it would seem it was the beginning of the end for Tampa Tommy. Tommy’s chin and pride may have been bruised with the early knockdown, but the real damage was mentioned when Gomez went to his corner after the round had ended. Gomez complained of severe pain in his ribs, causing a delay for the second round. Dr. Mitchell Corbett examined Gomez and allowed him to continue. Gomez had suffered two broken ribs from one of Satterfield’s heavy right hands in the opening stanza, which was the source of his pain. The second round was no better for Gomez, other than him landing a couple of solid left hooks. Satterfield took control of the round with his brutal barrage of punches.
The second round was even more devastating for Gomez than the fans could see. During the round the Tampa Thumper bounced a heavy blow off Satterfield’s head, breaking his right hand in the process. Gomez fought on with only one good hand for the rest of the fight, all while trying to protect his smashed in ribs. Despite the injuries, Gomez still managed to stagger Satterfield in the third round. But Satterfield took control again and it wasn’t until the sixth round that Gomez had success again. In the seventh round Satterfield slammed a vicious left-handed blow to Gomez’s chin, dropping him to the canvas — hurt and in danger of being stopped. Gomez managed to get to his feet, but his legs were barley supporting him when a series of vicious shots from Satterfield sent him crashing back to floor. Gomez was hurt bad but as the referee got to the count of 8, the bell rang, and the round ended. Gomez came out for the eighth round as if he had never been on the brink of a knockout just a minute before. He took control of the round and managed to split one of Satterfield’s eyes. In the 9th round the two titans traded heavy leather. Then, suddenly, a savage right-hand of Satterfield’s bounced off Gomez’s chin, sending him back to the canvas yet again. But, to the surprise of everyone watching, at the count of 9, Gomez was once again on his feet shortly before the round ended. There were no more knockdowns in the remaining round but had there been I’m sure Gomez would have found a way to get back up and fight on. When it was over, Satterfield got the decision, but Gomez had won over the crowd and no one could doubt the Tampa Thumper’s heart and gameness.
Gomez’s war with Satterfield would never be forgotten by the fans that watched it live in Chicago Stadium, and Gomez would never forget it either. In retirement, Gomez recalled his war with Satterfield saying: “When it was over I didn’t know who had won. I walked to the hospital. I was an amnesia victim and didn’t learn the outcome until a couple of days later.” He would go on to say, “That Satterfield was my toughest. In fact, I got my belly full of the fight game the night I fought him in Chicago Stadium.”
It would be Gomez’s last fight. He never did become a world champion, but success was on the horizon for him, even if not in boxing. For many boxers, the end of their boxing careers usually means financial hardships and a grim future to look forward to. Thankfully for Gomez, this was not what life had in mind for him. After working in the commercial sign business for a short time and spending many years as a liquor salesman for Carbo Liquors, Gomez finally got his break. Gomez recalled when things started looking up for him saying: “The good Lord said to me one day, ‘Son you’ve worked hard long enough that it is time you get on easy street’.” Gomez’s lifelong friend Frank Lorenzo introduced him to Bill Steen at Bankers Insurance who made Tommy an insurance salesman. The insurance business was very good to Tommy and the best decision he ever made according to him.
Gomez lived out the rest of his life comfortably and got to enjoy it how he saw fit. His leisure time included smoking his own personal brand of cigars that were called ‘Champs’, bass fishing, playing golf regularly, and enjoying his time with his friends and family. A happy ending that was well-deserved for one of boxing’s hardest punchers and an American war hero.
Tommy Gomez vs Joe Matisi II, a brutal encounter.
"Tampa Tommy" Gomez, 2/5/48
One of the best-known brawls to happen in Tampa – a city known for its rich boxing history – occurred 60 years ago this week at Fort Homer Hesterly Armory. It was a doozy of a rematch featuring “Tampa Tommy” Gomez and Joe Matisi.
Gomez, one of the greatest boxers ever to come out of Tampa, sought to avenge a 1946 three-round knockout loss to Matisi. Bruised and battered, Gomez had temporarily retired following their first bout on Matisi’s home turf in Buffalo, N.Y.
Gomez knew a thing or two about adversity, however, as a soldier in World War II. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, the Hillsborough High graduate earned a Purple Heart for his heroic efforts during the war. He spent six months in a French hospital recovering from severe shrapnel and machine-gun bullet wounds.
True to form, Gomez pulled himself up off the mat and resumed his career with nine consecutive knockout wins leading up to the rematch with Matisi.
The eighth-ranked heavyweight in the world, Gomez entered the match with momentum on his side, while Matisi came to Tampa on a three-match losing streak. Tampa fight fans were certainly excited in the days leading up to the bout, as an overflow crowd jammed the Palmetto Beach Boys Club gymnasium two days before the match, just to watch Gomez conduct his final training sessions.
Promoter Lou Viscusi said it was the “biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at a workout since I started promoted boxing in Tampa.”
Advance ticket sales guaranteed a capacity crowd for the fight on the evening of Feb. 5, 1948. A record crowd of 7,500 fans packed into the Armory for what turned out to be a brutal slugfest.
Although neither fighter scored a knockdown during the fight, there was plenty of action, and a few low blows, to make things interesting.
In the fifth round, Matisi threw a low left punch below the waist that sent Gomez to his knees. Referee Eddie Coachman allowed Gomez a five-minute rest period to recover from the shot.
Perhaps doubting the credulity of Gomez’s pain, Matisi’s trainer, Ray Arcel, scoffed after the fight at the severity of the injury, saying modern “protectors” made it impossible to inflict serious injury with a low punch.
Gomez and Matisi traded low blows in the sixth before Gomez took full control of the match. The sixth round proved to be Gomez’s most dominant of the bout, as he battered Matisi with a barrage of left hooks, setting the stage for a seventh-round finale.
Both fighters at this point were the very definition of walking wounded. Gomez had injured his hands earlier in the fight and threw his punches with visible pain. For his part, Matisi could barely keep his mouthpiece in place because of a severe jaw injury. After Matisi absorbed a few more overhand rights, Arcel decided his boxer could take no more – he felt he had no choice but to throw in the towel for Matisi, earning a TKO for the hometown hero Gomez.
By the end of the fight, it was be difficult to discern between the victor and the vanquished. In severe pain, Gomez could barely make it to his dressing room on his own power after the match.
Both fighters were taken to Tampa General Hospital following the fight. Gomez suffered a broken right hand and a sprained left. Matisi left Tampa with a broken nose and serious injuries to his stomach and jaw.
Two months elapsed before Gomez could return to ring action, but the repercussions for Matisi were much more significant. In his next match four months later, Matisi suffered a first-round knockout. He boxed professionally just two more times before retiring in 1949.
Gomez fought in eighteen more matches before calling it a career in 1950. Considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes in Tampa history, Gomez, who passed away in 2006, was ranked in 2003 by The Ring magazine as one of the top 100 punchers of all time. Nights like the one sixty years ago at the Armory will always remind fight fans why.
You know, it's a shame, there are only about six or seven photos of Tommy Gomez available. He's such a a legend in the sport, it's just a shame there isn't more available. And don't even get me started on fight film, there's no fight film of Gomez at all, and that's a shame because he was in some real knockdown-dragouts. I would love to see his fight with Bob Satterfield, two murderous punchers, two trains colliding, that fight really demonstrated what a tough son of a gun Gomez was, it was like trying to nail Jello to a wall, Gomez just wouldn't stay down. It's a shame it's not on film because that fight is mythical. This is one of the photos of Gomez available, he is seen here in his Army uniform.
Here's a few of the other photos available of Tommy Gomez.
Tommy Gomez is on the right. I'm not sure who the big dude is.
September 24, 1994 – Oliver McCall Stuns Lennox Lewis at Wembley
On September 24th, 1994, at Wembley Arena in London, the boxing world witnessed one of the sport’s most shocking upsets. American-born Oliver McCall, "The Atomic Bull", delivered a devastating second-round knockout over the reigning WBC Heavyweight Champion, Lennox Lewis, to capture the coveted WBC title.
Reflecting on his career-defining moment, McCall credited the legendary trainer Emanuel Steward for preparing him for the biggest fight of his life.
“I employed the services of Emanuel Steward to train me for this fight. I threw a quick counter right whenever Lennox wound up with his own right hand. In the second round, I waited for him to throw the right hand — and I was perfectly timed with the counter right hand. I threw it, and whoop, it crashed home. Down flopped Lennox Lewis in a heap.” — Oliver McCall
Lewis, however, had a different perspective:
“I just got caught with a lucky shot. I wasn’t badly hurt, but I was dazed.” — Lennox Lewis
This unforgettable night remains one of the most defining moments in McCall’s career and a major turning point in the heavyweight division of the 1990s.
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A cautionary tale for every athlete.
Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi — The Most Avoided Heavyweight of His Era
In the late 1990s, the heavyweight division was bloated with sluggish, uninspiring contenders. Yet, amidst the mediocrity, one man stood out like a blazing torch in the darkness — Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi. The Nigerian-born powerhouse was a humble, ever-smiling wrecking machine with monstrous punching power, an iron chin, and relentless pressure. He was the most avoided heavyweight of his era, a dark horse who seemed destined for greatness.
The mystique surrounding Ibeabuchi burns just as brightly today as it did back then. In an era searching desperately for a savior after the decline of Mike Tyson, Ibeabuchi emerged as a potential king. But just as quickly as he rose, his self-destructive lifestyle derailed what could have been one of the greatest careers in heavyweight history.
The Night of Legends: Ibeabuchi vs. Tua
On June 7, 1997, in Sacramento, California, Ibeabuchi stepped into the ring against the feared Samoan knockout artist David Tua. Tua, unbeaten and heavily favored, was expected to bulldoze through the relatively unknown Nigerian. Instead, fans witnessed one of the greatest slugfests in heavyweight history.
For 12 breathless rounds, both men traded power shots in a war of attrition. The pace was staggering. HBO commentator Larry Merchant could only exclaim: “Something’s got to give!” Yet nothing did. Two iron-chinned warriors went hammer and tongs from the opening bell to the last.
When the dust settled, Ibeabuchi was awarded a unanimous decision, stunning the boxing world. The fight set a record with 1,730 punches thrown, the highest output ever recorded in a heavyweight bout, surpassing even Ali vs. Frazier in the brutal Thrilla in Manila.
The Byrd Who Couldn’t Fly Away
By 1999, Ibeabuchi was 20–0 and rapidly climbing the ranks. His next test came against the unbeaten, slick southpaw Chris Byrd, one of the division’s trickiest defensive fighters. Many expected Byrd to frustrate the aggressive Nigerian. Instead, Ibeabuchi hunted him down and destroyed him inside five rounds. That emphatic victory cemented Ibeabuchi as the most dangerous and avoided heavyweight in the world.
At that moment, the future was his. A clash with Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield seemed inevitable. But fate — and his own demons — had other plans.
The Fall from Grace
While Ibeabuchi defeated every man in the ring, he could not conquer the battles within himself. Born in Nigeria and raised in poverty, his journey was fueled by raw talent, unyielding determination, and natural fighting instinct. Yet, whether through mental illness, ego, greed, or reckless decisions, he sabotaged his own destiny.
In 1999, just as superstardom beckoned, Ibeabuchi was arrested. His career and freedom vanished overnight. What could have been a decade of dominance turned into two decades of wasted potential behind prison walls.
The Myth of the Phantom Champion
Ikemefuna Ibeabuchi had everything — power, chin, ring IQ, charisma, and marketability. He could have earned tens of millions. He could have become undisputed heavyweight champion. He could have ruled the post-Tyson era. Instead, he became one of boxing’s greatest cautionary tales — the legend of what might have been.
To those who saw him fight, however, Ibeabuchi remains a mythic figure. A phantom champion. A man who beat everyone except himself.
The Return of “The President”
At 52 years old, when most fighters are long retired, Ibeabuchi shocked the boxing world again. He staged a comeback and proved that time could not erase his spirit. In his return, he defeated home favorite Idris Affini, rekindling memories of his ferocious prime and reminding fans why he was once the most avoided heavyweight on the planet.
Ikemefuna “The President” Ibeabuchi’s story is both inspiring and tragic — a tale of limitless potential, wasted glory, and enduring myth. He will forever be remembered as the heavyweight who could have ruled them all.
Ike Ibeabuchi sits in his corner, he looks so freaking intimidating, he was built like a brick sh..house. It's a shame he let his demons destroy him.
A great read about Ike Ibeabuchi.
Ceferino Garcia, 1930s and 40s murderous punching welterweight and middleweight, he is the only Filipino fighter in history to become middleweight champion. He is also credited with being the first fighter to use the "bolo punch", the punch was later popularized by Kid Gavilan. He was a feared fighter and for good reason, Garcia iced 77 opponents in his career.
On October 2, 1939, Ceferino Garcia fought American fighter Fred Apostoli for the world middleweight title at the Madison Square Garden, New York City and won it by stoppage in the 7th round. Garcia knocked Apostoli down three times in the seventh round before knocking him out at 2:07, becoming the first and only Filipino middleweight champion. This was no small feat, because Apostoli was an all-time great, tough as a coconut on steroids, fighter.
This is an interesting debate that has sprung up a lot over the years, all of these fighters are great candidates. Gun to my head, I would probably choose Jake LaMotta, he fought Sugar Ray Robinson six times, in their last fight, appropriately called "The St. Valentine's Day Massacre", LaMotta took a horrific beating, one of the worst you'll ever see, and Robinson still couldn't knock him down. Irish Bob Murphy once said that hitting Jake LaMotta was like "hitting a telephone pole."
Vasiliy Lomachenko, "Hi-Tech", became a two-division world champion as he won the WBO junior lightweight title with a brutal 5th round KO of Román "Rocky" Martínez at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York, New York in 2016.
Fighting in only his seventh official pro fight, Lomachenko was on the hunt for a title in his second division. Despite his relatively short career in the paid ranks, he was a two-time Olympic gold medalist and amateur standout.
Martínez was a boxer-puncher who took the WBO belt from Orlando Salido, and Salido defeated Lomachenko for the first time as a professional. The gritty Puerto Rican could be caught and he was only moderately durable, but opponents who weren't careful could be outworked.
But Lomachenko was careful, and he easily did as he pleased against Martínez, more or less landing at will. In the 5th, Lomachenko connected with an awful left uppercut-right hook combination that leveled Martínez near the ropes, where he was counted out, Lomachenko then celebrated with a backflip as Martinez looked on.
“I came to do my job, I did my job very well tonight,” Lomachenko said. He then dedicated his win to recently deceased Muhammad Ali, who he called “the greatest man who ever laced up gloves."
Vasyl Lomachenko was nicknamed "Hi-Tech" because he was one of the greatest technical boxers the sport has ever known, it was a thing of beauty watching him surgically dismantling opponents.
Lomachenko was a bad a..
Vasyl Lomachenko was also nicknamed "Matrix". The term "Matrix" in relation to Vasyl Lomachenko refers to his boxing style, which is compared to the movie "The Matrix" because of his seemingly supernatural ability to control the ring, evade opponents' attacks, and create seemingly impossible angles for his own punches. His innovative footwork, strategic pre-planning, and ability to predict and manipulate his opponent's movements are what earn him the "Matrix" moniker, making him appear as if he's operating outside the normal rules of boxing. Beautiful fighter.
"I'm not scared of blood. Matter of fact, it turns me on sometimes. The monster comes out." - Marvin Hagler
One of the greatest boxing photos ever taken, the cold, emotionless stare of the great Joe Louis.
Sugar Ray Robinson, the pound-for-pound greatest fighter that ever lived, the life of a boxing phenom.
Johnny Kilbane, world featherweight champion from 1912 to 1923, an 11-year reign, the second longest title reign in boxing history, the first being Joe Louis' heavyweight title reign. He has quite a list of scalps, he beat Benny Leonard, Abe Attell, Rocky Kansas, Freddie Welsh, Charley White, Kid Williams, and Johnny Dundee. He had 142 fights in his career, he lost only four of those fights. All-time great. Kilbane ended the featherweight championship reign of the great Abe Attell. Kilbane was a clever scientific boxer, he knew how to put forth just enough effort to win. If necessary, he could throw a mean punch, but for the most part, he was content to outbox an opponent and avoid getting hit. He fought Abe Attell three times, twice in championship bouts. In 1910, he lost a decision to Attell. Two years later, on a extremely hot night in Vernon, California, Kilbane took the crown from Attell with a twenty-round decision. Kilbane scored frequently with his left jab, while Attell resorted to heeling, butting, and elbowing. After the fight, Kilbane claimed that Attell had coated his back with chloroform in an attempt to daze his opponent. Attell said it was cooling cocoa butter and, for many years, Attell harbored ill will towards Kilbane for this charge, which Kilbane often repeated.
One of my favorite images of Johnny Kilbane, he looks wicked in this photo.
In October 1917, while still world featherweight champion, Kilbane became a lieutenant in the United States Army. He was assigned to Camp Sherman located near Chillicothe, Ohio. He trained soldiers in self defense during World War 1. This is actual footage from those training sessions.
Johnny Kilbane in his prime.
Kilbane training with a pistol during his time in the Army.
Kilbane with a broken thumb.
Kilbane in the ring.
Johnny Kilbane chopping trees during training.
Kilbane defeats Abe Attell for the world featherweight crown in 1912.