Historic Boxing

Muhammad Ali beat Ken Norton via a 12-round split decision in their second meeting in Inglewood, California, #OnThisDay in 1973.

Jack Dempsey became World Heavyweight Champion in comprehensive style by utterly destroying the giant Jess Willard in 3 brutal rounds at Toledo, Ohio, #OnThisDay in 1919.

That winning feeling...

Grinning heavyweight king Jack Johnson pictured enjoying himself as he heads towards victory #OTD in 1910 in his title showdown with Jim Jeffries at Reno, Nevada.

Jack Johnson famously retained his world heavyweight crown with a Round 15 TKO of ex-champion Jim Jeffries at Reno, Nevada, in "The Fight of the Century" #OnThisDay in 1910.

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Born #OnThisDay in 1966 - the legendary "Iron" Mike Tyson.

Bite Night - Evander Holyfield retained the WBA world heavyweight crown #OnThisDay in 1997 when Mike Tyson was disqualified following three rounds of their fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas after infamously trying to feast on Holyfield's ears.

Clay v. United States: #OnThisDay in 1971 the US Supreme Court voted 8 - 0 to overturn Muhammad Ali's 1967 conviction for draft evasion.

Mike Tyson retained the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight crowns #OnThisDay in 1988 when he took just 91 seconds to KO Michael Spinks at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

History maker - George Dixon became the first black fighter to win a boxing world title when he captured the bantamweight crown #OnThisDay in 1890 by stopping Britain's Nunc Wallace in the 18th round of their fight in London.

Roberto Duran won the WBA world lightweight crown in controversial fashion #OTD in 1972 when he beat Ken Buchanan via a Round 13 TKO at Madison Square Garden in New York. Duran was comfortably ahead in the fight but the end came when a low blow thudded into Buchanan's testicles.

Hammer of Thor - Ingemar Johansson won the world heavyweight crown #OnThisDay in 1959 by battering his way to a third round TKO of Floyd Patterson at Yankee Stadium in New York.

Legendary heavyweight world champion Jack Dempsey was born in Manassa, Colorado, #OnThisDay in 1895 - weighing in at a hefty 11lbs, the 9th of 13 children, he was named William Harrison Dempsey after the 9th US President.

A legendary heavyweight reign began #OnThisDay in 1937 when Joe Louis KO'd Jim Braddock in Round 8 of 15 to win the world title in Chicago. Louis would keep the crown for nearly 12 years and make 25 title defences (or 26 if one counts the oddity involving Johnny Davis).

The world said a final and moving farewell to Muhammad Ali #OnThisDay in 2016 with a memorial service in Louisville, Kentucky, followed by a private burial for The Greatest.

Former World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson died from injuries sustained in a car crash in North Carolina #OnThisDay in 1946 at the age of 68.

Legendary World Middleweight Champion Harry Greb, aka "The Pittsburgh Windmill", was born #OnThisDay in 1894.

The Greatest takes the final count - Muhammad Ali died in Scottsdale, Arizona, #OnThisDay in 2016 at the age of 74.

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Iconic welterweight and middleweight world champion Sugar Ray Robinson (Walker Smith Jr), regarded by many as the greatest boxer who ever lived, was born #OnThisDay in 1921.

Floyd Mayweather Jr retained the WBC and WBA world welterweight crowns #OnThisDay in 2015 with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Manny Pacquiao won the IBO light welterweight crown #OnThisDay in 2009 with a thunderous Round 2 KO of Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Former British, Commonwealth and European Heavyweight Champion Sir Henry Cooper, known affectionately to UK fight fans as "Our 'Enry", died #OnThisDay in 2011 at the age of 76.

Sugar Ray Robinson won the world middleweight title for a fourth time #OnThisDay in 1957 with a Round 5 KO of Gene Fullmer at Chicago Stadium. Robinson dispatched his opponent with an explosive left hook to the chin and later dubbed it "the most perfect punch of my career".

The great Bob Fitzsimmons, boxing's first triple-weight world champion, depicted on a 1948 Leaf trading card. The middle initial "L" on the card is an error.

Smokin' Joe Frazier unified the world heavyweight crown #OnThisDay in 1970 when WBA champion Jimmy Ellis retired after four rounds of their fight at Madison Square Garden. Frazier, already NYSAC king, also added the vacant WBC title and Ring magazine strap to his collection.

The Greatest gets his "butt kicked" - Leon Spinks stunned the world #OnThisDay in 1978 when he won the WBC and WBA heavyweight titles with a 15-round split decision over Muhammad Ali in Las Vegas.

Buster Douglas pulled off one of the greatest upsets in boxing history #OnThisDay in 1990 - surviving an 8th round knockdown before KO'ing Mike Tyson in Round 10 of their battle at the Tokyo Dome in Japan to seize the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight crowns.

"Sibson marched bravely to a bloody defeat..."

Marvin Hagler retained his WBC and WBA middleweight crowns with a Round 6 TKO of Britain's Tony Sibson in Worcester, Massachusetts, #OnThisDay in 1983.

Willie Pep regained the world featherweight crown #OnThisDay in 1949 with a 15-round unanimous decision victory over Sandy Saddler at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Max Baer, World Heavyweight Champion 1934 - 1935, was born in Omaha, Nebraska, #OnThisDay in 1909.

Jake LaMotta ended the unbeaten pro record of Sugar Ray Robinson #OTD in 1943 with a 10-round UD in Detroit in SRR's 41st paid bout. The press erroneously reported it was his first defeat in 130 fights on the basis of what was incorrectly believed to be an 89 - 0 amateur record.