Covid-19 Brings Out Classic Boxing Matches of YesterYear

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By David “The Journeyman” Vaught

With boxing events postponed due to Covid-19, many boxing fans are watching classic fights to help fill the void. HBO has been re-airing some of these favorites, and YouTube has a wealth of vintage fights. With the prospect of waiting weeks or even months for things to get back to normal, I found myself digging through my stash of boxing videos. I started with The Fight of the Century, Muhammad Ali Vs Joe Frazier, followed by Joe Frazier Vs George Foreman. I then naturally progressed to Super Fight Two, the non-title rematch between Frazier and Ali, followed up with The Thrilla in Manila.

Certainly, most of us have watched these amazing and grueling bouts, but watching them one after another, while considering the historical context of each one, was much more entertaining than I had anticipated! I couldn’t stop there! This had unleashed a curiosity to watch George Foreman’s loss to Jimmy Young again, which ended George’s career…or so we thought at the time.

Following this chain of great fights, I wanted to continue with Big George’s comeback. To me, one of his toughest fights was with Evander Holyfield. So that was the next choice, a brutal slugfest that had both men seriously shook at times but ending in a unanimous decision for Holyfield. By this time, I had spent hours taking in these great fights. It was late, and sleep was definitely needed, but there was one more that had to be watched to bring everything full circle. Which was George Foreman regaining the Heavyweight crown (IBF and WBA) from Michael Moorer in a bout billed One for the Ages. I was glued to the screen!

The buildup of watching all these classics had made the fight almost as thrilling as it had been back in November 1994! When Jim Lampley uttered the now-iconic phrase “It Happened! It Happened” I almost stood up out of my chair! So, if you are staying home due to the current Covid-19 situation, I would recommend going back through time and watching your favorite trilogy again or even an old classic that you may have overlooked.

Stay safe fight fans!

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