Boxing has long been a sport filled with drama, skill, and unforgettable moments. However, beyond the victories and titles, the sport has seen its fair share of controversies that have left fans and experts debating for decades. From questionable decisions by judges to scandals that shook the foundation of the sport, these incidents have become part of boxing’s history. This article dives into the most significant controversies that continue to spark conversations among boxing enthusiasts.
Boxing and controversy have been inextricably linked throughout the sport’s history. The sport has had connections to organized crime from the very beginning, as well as its fair share of dubious personalities and decisions made by referees that have been called into doubt. Both inside and outside of the ring, boxing has never been devoid of tension and excitement. The most notorious disputes in the sport have been featured in headlines all around the world, which has only served to reinforce the notion that boxing is a breeding ground for bad behavior. The following is a list of the most contentious debates in the history of boxing.
1. Mike Tyson’s Ear Bite
Mike Tyson, who is widely considered to be one of the best heavyweights of all time and the most feared, appeared to actively seek out controversy. The ‘Baddest Man on the Planet’ was involved in a number of infamous occasions both inside and outside of the ring; however, his encounter with Evander Holyfield in June 1997 is widely considered to be the most incredible and unforgettable of all of them. When Iron Mike was leaning in for a clinch in the third round, he grabbed a chunk out of his opponent’s ear and spit it out onto the canvas. This occurred after Iron Mike had taken many headbutts from Holyfield in the early stages of the fight. In response to Holyfield’s protests, the referee deducted two points off Tyson’s score. On the other hand, when the battle resumed, Tyson came back for a second helping, which resulted in the fight being stopped and Iron Mike being disqualified. The former heavyweight world champion was subjected to additional punishment for his actions, which included a fine of three million dollars and a yearlong suspension from the ring.
2. Ali VS. Liston 1965
The rematch that took place between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in 1965 is widely considered to be one of the most peculiar and contentious contests in the history of boxing. Ali, who was competing under his birth name at the time, Cassius Clay, had stunned the world with a shocking defeat over Liston the previous year, and their rematch was one of the most highly anticipated events in the world of sports. On the other hand, it appeared as though Sonny Liston had planned ahead to bring the spectacle to a close earlier than expected. Ali landed a “phantom punch” on Liston in the first round, which caused him to fall to the canvas. Liston fell again in a humorous manner as he attempted to get up, and the referee reluctantly called a stop to the fight as the clock crossed ten. There are a lot of other hypotheses that have been proposed to explain why Liston was killed, such as mob connections, death threats, and alleged attempts to kill Ali. The list goes on. In any case, the 25th of May in 1965 was one of the most contentious events in the history of boxing.
3. Antonio Margarito’s Handwraps
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Unbeaten Puerto Rican boxing champion Miguel Cotto was stopped by Mexican middleweight Antonio Margarito in the 11th round of their 2008 fight. This shocked the boxing world. After Margarito’s impressive win, he was matched up with Shane Mosely early the next year. But Moseley’s sharp-eyed trainer, Naazim Richardson, noticed that Margarito’s hand wraps had an odd white powdery material on them. It turned out that this material was like plaster of Paris; it would harden when it got wet. When Moseley told the Mexican to re-wrap his hands, he did so and knocked him out in the ninth round.
4. The Dempsey VS. Tunney ‘Long Count’
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During the year 1927, a crowd of 105,000 boxing enthusiasts gathered at Soldier Field in Chicago to see a very contentious refereeing decision, which would later become one of the most debated incidents in the sport’s history. Following his loss of the heavyweight title to Gene Tunney in the previous year, Jack Dempsey was determined to seek retribution for the defeat. In this bout, a novel regulation was implemented, stipulating that a fighter must promptly retreat to a neutral corner subsequent to knocking down their adversary. Failure to comply with this rule will result in the referee refraining from commencing the countdown. Dempsey successfully accomplished the challenging task of knocking down Tunney, which had never happened before in Tunney’s career. However, Dempsey neglected to promptly go to a designated neutral corner for a significant number of seconds. Upon the commencement of the referee’s count, Tunney promptly stood up and proceeded to knock down Dempsey in the subsequent round, thus maintaining his championship through a decision.
The world of boxing is not only defined by its champions and their achievements but also by the controversies that have challenged the integrity of the sport. These moments remind us that boxing, like any other competition, is subject to human error, misjudgments, and, at times, scandal. While these incidents have tarnished the sport in certain respects, they have also contributed to its evolving legacy, ensuring that the history of boxing remains as complex and captivating as the athletes who step into the ring.