NASSAU, Bahamas - "The Greatest is Gone," blared the headline on the cover of Time magazine. The image was of Muhammad Ali in defeat, slumped in his corner while his trainer looked him over. The most shocking part about the cover was how true it was. By 1978, Ali was nowhere near the fighter he had once been, very obviously at the end of a career that had completely captivated the boxing world. But now it was over. Everybody could see that now.
Everybody, that is, except Ali. See, that photo was published in February of 1978 after his loss to Leon Spinks, but Ali fought three more times, defeating Spinks in a rematch before losing his final two bouts.
The end for Ali finally came on December 11, 1980, not in the glory of a title fight in a huge stadium or a glorious casino, but rather in the middle of a rundown sandlot baseball field in the Bahamas, fighting against an inconsistent and subpar challenger in a poorly organized event where nothing was going right.
Most people involved in boxing believed that Ali should not have been fighting Trevor Berbick, or anybody at all in 1981. Ali was 39 years old, his body was ravaged by the beatings he took in 62 heavyweight fights. He was neither strong enough to inflict damage nor quick enough to avoid it. In short, he stood no chance.
But he also faced a $1.1 million payday, and even if a lot of people were unsure where the promoters would get the money, Ali agreed to it, and he stepped into the ring against Berbick in Berbick's home country.
Ali lasted the full 10 rounds against Berbick, but that was about the only positive thing that could be said about his bout. Berbick hit him continuously and mercilessly. Perhaps it was a sign of Berbick's ability as a fighter that he couldn't knock Ali out, but Ali stayed up before losing a 10-round decision.
After the fight, even Ali knew it was time to step away. He could no longer protect himself in the ring, could no longer either float like a butterfly or sting like a bee. And so he retired, finishing with a career record of 56-5 and leaving behind a legacy that made him perhaps the most famous athlete the world had ever seen.
Showing posts with label Trevor Berbick. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trevor Berbick. Show all posts
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
November 22, 1986: Destiny reached
LAS VEGAS - Cus D'Amato had seen a lot of great boxers in his day. He had trained light heavyweight champion Jose Torres and got the most fame by training and managing Floyd Patterson throughout Patterson's championship career. After Patterson's retirement from boxing, D'Amato stepped away from the limelight, opening his own gym in New Jersey and teaching young boxers in relative obscurity.
Then, D'Amato met Mike Tyson. Enrolled at a reform school at the time, Tyson had started taking up boxing and was introduced to D'Amato. D'Amato took one look at Tyson's strength and talent and said that he would make him the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
D'Amato did more than just train Tyson. He took the troubled boy under his wing, even adopting him when Tyson's mother died. D'Amato was the stabilizing influence that Tyson had never had in his life, and his work paid dividends.
It didn't take long before Tyson was terrorizing the heavyweight division. He turned pro at the age of 18, then went 15-0 during his first year as a professional, with most of his victories coming in the first or second rounds. He was a terror.
D'Amato died in November of 1985, but his protege was well on his way to stardom. One year later, on November 22, 1986, Tyson got his first chance at the championship, fighting WBC heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick, who had the distinction of being the last man to fight Muhammad Ali.
The fight was over almost before it began. The most noteworthy thing that could be said about Berbick is that he lasted until the second round before falling victim to Tyson's lethal left hook. Berbick went down slowly, almost in a delayed reaction. He was able to get up, but he was woozy, falling into the ropes a couple times. The referee did the right thing stopped the fight immediately, giving Tyson the crown.
For Tyson, it was the fulfillment of his destiny. He was 20 years and 4 months old, making him the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Just like D'Amato had promised.
Then, D'Amato met Mike Tyson. Enrolled at a reform school at the time, Tyson had started taking up boxing and was introduced to D'Amato. D'Amato took one look at Tyson's strength and talent and said that he would make him the youngest heavyweight champion in history.
D'Amato did more than just train Tyson. He took the troubled boy under his wing, even adopting him when Tyson's mother died. D'Amato was the stabilizing influence that Tyson had never had in his life, and his work paid dividends.
It didn't take long before Tyson was terrorizing the heavyweight division. He turned pro at the age of 18, then went 15-0 during his first year as a professional, with most of his victories coming in the first or second rounds. He was a terror.
D'Amato died in November of 1985, but his protege was well on his way to stardom. One year later, on November 22, 1986, Tyson got his first chance at the championship, fighting WBC heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick, who had the distinction of being the last man to fight Muhammad Ali.
The fight was over almost before it began. The most noteworthy thing that could be said about Berbick is that he lasted until the second round before falling victim to Tyson's lethal left hook. Berbick went down slowly, almost in a delayed reaction. He was able to get up, but he was woozy, falling into the ropes a couple times. The referee did the right thing stopped the fight immediately, giving Tyson the crown.
For Tyson, it was the fulfillment of his destiny. He was 20 years and 4 months old, making him the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Just like D'Amato had promised.
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