1982: Boxing’s Five Weeks of Chaos

1982: Boxing’s Five Weeks of Chaos

By Cain Bradley

1982 was the year of Thriller and ET. The Spanish World Cup took place, and Bjorn Borg retired. Boxing was emerging from the dark state it had ended the 70s in. The MLB experienced strikes to begin the 80s, and the NFL also missed time due to a lockout.

Boxing went through arguably the biggest week as a sport for years when Naoya Inoue and Terrence Crawford both clinched massive victories. In 1982, it would go through five weeks that would arguably be the most important five weeks in the history of the sport. The announcements and fights would change the shape of the sport, and if you could relive any five weeks of boxing, especially in the age of Twitter, this would surely be the number one choice.

Tuesday November 9th

Sugar Ray Leonard was boxing’s biggest star following the retirement of Muhammad Ali. The Olympic gold medalist with the megawatt smile emerged from his bouts with Roberto Duran before a big win over Thomas Hearns in 1981 left him as the undisputed welterweight champion. He made one defence, a routine third-round TKO victory over Bruce Finch. A bout against Roger Stafford was cancelled due to a pre-fight physical finding of a detached retina, which was operated upon. Leonard booked the Baltimore Civic Centre for November 9th on his return from Italy, where he had commentated on the Hagler vs. Obelmejias bout. After that bout, he got in the ring as Hagler provoked him, “The people want to see you, Lenny. They don’t want you to retire.” 10,000 tickets were sold, and another 2,000 guests were invited to the site of his professional debut for a “historic announcement.”

That big announcement began with Leonard confirming his eye to be healed, with thanks to his surgeon. He described how a bout with Marvin Hagler was one they had wanted for years and would make them rich beyond their richest years. The smile on the face of Hagler would only widen with every sentence until the bombshell came. “Unfortunately, it’s not going to happen.” In a Sports Illustrated article, he hoped “it ends forever all speculation that I will come back to fight Marvin Hagler or anyone else.” He went on to state that his mind was already made up prior to the injury, although he was desperate to fight Aaron Pryor on account of his trash talk. Boxing had lost its biggest star. Leonard would return, despite his proclamations, he laboured to a victory over Kevin Howard, who dropped him in the fourth in 1984. Following that, he would again retire. Again, he would return. It was almost three years later that he would take on Marvin Hagler. Hagler had never forgiven Leonard for how he was treated and lost a controversial decision that day. It perhaps rankles more to many fans than any other fight in boxing history. It was the last time boxing fans would see Hagler in a boxing ring.

Friday November 12th

Aaron Pryor had been The Ring light welterweight champion since a 1980 fourth-round stoppage of Antonio Cervantes. Six stoppage victories followed, and despite being offered fights against Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, he had not had a defining moment. Alexis Arguello had begun his career 3-2 but was a two-weight Ring world champion as well as holding a world title in a third division. Ruben Olivares, Rafael Limon, Bobby Chacon, Jose Luiz Ramirez, Cornelius Boza-Edwards, Jim Watt, and Ray Mancini were all victims of the explosive thin man. It was one of the more controversial events of all time. The controversy even began before the bout started. A man with a weapon tried to gain access to Arguello’s dressing room only to be stopped by members of the public as Arguello was rushed into a shower and shielded by his team.

The opening round would set the tone for this fight. It was up there with the famed Hagler vs. Hearns opening salvo. The two traded massive blows, each being rocked. Pryor’s incredible pace would see him take the opening rounds. As he began to slow, Arguello would start to win rounds, landing heavy punches in between the Pryor combinations. Pryor would begin to box and move, dictating the pace. Both were landing massive shots. In the fourteenth round, Pryor left Arguello helpless on the ropes, and after fifteen unanswered blows, he was unconscious as the referee stepped in. It took seven minutes before Arguello was back on his stall, having received oxygen. Before that last round, the trainer of Aaron Pryor, Panama Brown, asked for “the one I mixed” regarding a water bottle, which he then gave to Pryor.

Neither fighter was the same after the fight. Pryor would win a rematch, even more convincingly. He would retire at 39-1 with the Arguello fight, the only big one of his career, losing to Bobby Joe Young and falling into a drug addiction. Arguello would never win another world title and was soon retired after his own spell of drug addiction.  Panama Lewis, meanwhile, would go on to spend time in jail, having removed the padding from the gloves of Luis Resto, who beat Billy Collins to within an inch of his life. It was a horrifying affair and one that saw many give credence to the likelihood that the substance Pryor was given was potentially illegal. Perhaps most importantly, this was one of the top five fights of the 1980s and a must-watch for any boxing fan.

Saturday November 13th

Ray Mancini was the next big thing from Ohio. Son of Lenny Mancini, he had aimed to fulfil his father’s dream of becoming a world champion.  His first world title attempt saw him come up short against Alexis Arguello. Mancini would beat Arturo Frias to win the WBA title and was fast on his way to becoming one of the most exciting boxers in the United States. His second title defence came against Duk Koo Kim. Kim had struggled to make the 135lb weight limit, but when the bell rang, he showed he was there for a fight. Instead of wilting, as most Mancini opponents did, Kim chose to fight fire with fire and opened up a swelling of the left eye of Mancini. Mancini later told that he thought about quitting in the corner, but in the ring, he showed no sign of letting up and eventually began to take over the fight. The championship rounds were what Mancini claimed he “lived for.” A massive combination opened the 13th, but as Kim was responding, the referee never looked to step in. It was a big right hand that finished things in the 14th with Kim’s head bouncing off the canvas. Mancini celebrated, but it was a victory that would change his life.

Kim would fall into a coma that night, and a blood clot had formed on his brain due to the severe punishment he was given. Despite being operated on, a few days later, the brutal news of his demise arrived. Kim’s mum and the referee Richard Green would both commit suicide over the next year. Mancini would never forget it, replaying the scene over and over in his mind. Mancini would go 4-4 after that fight with Bob Arum saying “he was never the same fighter.” Boxing reacted by changing rules. The WBC reduced title fights down to twelve rounds, and the other sanctioning bodies would do the same before the end of the decade. Medical tests were also required pre-fight, and licenses were suspended for 45 days after a knockout loss. On that same day, a USA v Cuba amateur show would take place. Highlights included Pernell Whitaker gaining revenge from his World Championship loss to Angel Herrera and Mark Breland being pushed to the brink for one of the few times in his amateur career, as he only win a split decision against Candelario Duvergel. 

Saturday November 20th

Dwight Muhammad Qawi had changed his life around since emerging from prison. His potential was seen by a passer-by, and he was soon competing in a professional ring. It took him three years to win his first world title, stopping Matthew Saad Muhammad in ten rounds. Two defences would follow, including the rematch, with Qawi stopping both opponents. Eddie Davis had won seven straight and the IBF USBA title. Qawi took control of the fight early, with a knockdown in the first round. They would slug it out toe-to-toe. However, in the tenth, Qawi would go to the body, looking to regain some control. It worked as Davis was slow getting off his stall to start the eleventh, and a left-right-left combo saw him sent backwards and then dropped. Tony Perez would stop the fight, twenty seconds into the eleventh round. Probably the least notable of all these fights, it saw Qawi showing other dimensions to his game and starting to cement his growing legacy.

Friday November 26th

Larry Holmes had been WBC heavyweight champion since 1978 when he beat Ken Norton. He had made twelve successful defences, including wins over Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks, and most recently, Gerry Cooney. Randall “Tex” Cobb had amassed a 20-2 record most notable for a win over Earnie Shavers. Holmes came out jabbing with trainer Eddie Futch correctly, assuming that Cobb would be looking to go to the body. Holmes was not giving Cobb the time he needed to set up his big punches. The ninth round saw Holmes batter Cobb around, but he barely moved Cobb. By the final round, Holmes’ hands were beginning to hurt and he stayed away from Cobb for the first 90 seconds, later claiming “I didn’t want any knockout in the 15th because that’s when guys get killed,” perhaps conscious of the Mancini fight from earlier in the month.

Mainly, it’s a fight famous for Cobb having an incredibly tough chin with his desire to survive, taking him through to the judges’ scorecards. It is also known as the last fight of Howard Cosell, who described it as “as brutal a mismatch I think I’ve ever seen” and commented that “this kind of savagery doesn’t deserve commendation.” Cobb managed to parlay it into a successful career in entertainment, being a chat show guest and movie actor. Larry would continue his reign as the best heavyweight in the world until his 49th bout against Michael Spinks, where he lost a decision. He would retire before returning to fight Mike Tyson, who viciously stopped him. He would continue to retire and return to boxing, ending up with a 69-6 record, finally retiring in 2002 with a last win against Butterbean.

Friday December 3rd

Thomas Hearns was one of the dominant fighters of the 1980s and had moved up to light-middleweight after his loss to Sugar Ray Leonard. Wilfred Benitez was a two-weight world champion who had been the youngest world title holder in history and had also only lost to Sugar Ray. He was the holder of the WBC title after defeating Maurice Hope and had beat Roberto Duran to retain the title. It was a fight that had originally been organised to take place in February 1981 but was cancelled as promoter Harold Smith was brought up on fraud and embezzlement charges. For the actual fight, Hearns would start by landing his stiff jab to keep Benitez at bay. Benitez would manage to avoid many of the punches with his sharp slips. Hearns landed a knockdown in the fifth as a big right hand saw Benitez touch down with both hands. Benitez couldn’t deal with the reach of Hearns, struggling to land anything of consequence.

The fight looked like changing in the eighth round as Hearns landed a big right hand that rocked Benitez. However, it injured his famed right hand, shattering several bones in his wrist and popping them through the linear muscles at the back of his hand. Benitez got a knockdown back in the ninth, although replays showed Hearns avoided the punch, and Benitez stepped on his foot, causing Hearns to go over. Hearns would win the decision 146-137, 144-139, and 142-142. It would show just how good a boxer Hearns was. He beat a master technician without his big right hand for half the fight. Emmanuel Steward described it after as “Thomas outboxed the boxer.” Benitez would never quite reach the heights again, never again winning a world title. For Hearns, it’s a big part of his legacy as one of the finest light middleweights of all time. Just a few years later, his famous bouts against Marvin Hagler would become arguably the greatest fight ever.

On the undercard, there was a clash for the WBC Super-Bantamweight title. Ex-bantamweight champion Lupe Pintor, who was 49-5-1, took on Wilfredo Gomez, who at 37-1-1 had only lost when stepping up to take on Salvador Sanchez with his reign including 16 successful defences. A classic Mexico-Puerto Rico bout, it may go down as the greatest of those bouts. Gomez started fast, pinging Pintor with right hands and wobbling him in the third. He would continue to beat Pintor on the ropes until a left hook from Pintor hurt Gomez. They would trade massive shots until the end of the round, with The Ring later naming it the round of the year. Pure aggression won Gomez the fourth round before Pintor rebounded in the fifth. In the sixth, Pintor would again stun Gomez on several occasions who was trying his best to get back to his boxing. As his eyes swelled up, he took the next few rounds by going back to his boxing. The two fighters would engage in a ninth-round war trading massive shots. It was a similar round in the tenth, but Gomez would outland Pintor two to one. The eleventh saw Gomez land heavy on Pintor, who still looked the fresher of the two fighters.

Gomez put his foot on the accelerator again in the twelfth after hurting Pintor with an early combination. He terrorised Pintor, who spent the majority of the round on the ropes only to hurt Gomez in the final minute with a left hook and Gomez needing to be dragged back to his corner.  Pintor had the momentum in the 13th with Gomez struggling to see out of his swollen eyes and mainly staying on the back foot. He would be back again in the 14th, despite as he described it only fighting on instinct. A sustained attack and a big left hand to the body followed by a right hand finally saw Pintor touch the canvas. Although he made it up it eight, Gomez would trap him on the ropes and show his famed finishing instincts with the left hook again doing the job. Pintor would eventually go on the win the WBC Super-Bantamweight world title and, after his retirement, opened a boxing school in Mexico. Gomez went down as one of the greatest Puerto Rican boxers of all time, winning world titles in the two weights above. Mainly though, this is merely remembered as an incredible war and one of the better fights between two classic boxing rivals.

Friday December 10th

Heavyweight boxing was not in a great state at the start of the 1980s, with the exception of Larry Holmes. Mike Weaver was the WBA champion, having amassed a record of 24-9. Michael Dokes was 25-0-1 and considered by some to be the future of the division. The bout started fast, which both men looking to exchange combinations as Dokes knew Weaver was a slow starter. A right hook made Dokes’ knees buckle, but Dokes managed to recompose himself and land a left hook that sent Weaver to the deck. He would make it up, but when the referees’ count was over, Dokes would chase Weaver into the corner, launching an all-out attack but struggling to land anything of real significance. Referee Joey Curtis stepped between the pair and raised Dokes’ hand to signal he was stopping the bout. The fight had only lasted 63 seconds.

Dokes would need medical attention on his left knee due to his celebrations whilst Weaver and his camp started a mini-riot to show their displeasure, including his brother throwing a punch at Dokes. The crowd would chant “bullshit” and “Don King sucks.” In the aftermath of the fight, Weaver would claim that the fight was fixed by Don King. However, a WBA investigation would later reveal the referee had been affected by the recent death of Duk Koo Kim. A repeat would be set up for 1983, and it would be one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time as they scored a draw. Neither would win a world title fight ever again. Dokes immediately lost the title to Gerrie Coetzee. He was involved in another classic fight with Evander Holyfield, but alcoholism and addiction would take over his life. Weaver would continue to be a gatekeeper to the top level, finishing with a 41-18-1 record.

Saturday December 11th

Part of the growing Mexican and Mexican-American rivalry, Bobby Chacon and Rafael Limon, has engaged in a series of brutal bouts. Limon, the rising fighter at the time, won the first bout before a draw in the second bout, which some observers described as the best rematch of all time. Chacon won the third fight. Between that fight and the fourth, Limon would win the WBC title twice. Chacon had continued to box, a decision which had reportedly played a role in causing his wife to commit suicide. He would dedicate the fourth fight to her wife. Limon started quickly, throwing punishing, looping shots. In round two, the perfect example of what type of fight this would become. Limon had forced Chacon into the corner and was punching away only for Chacon to charge forward and landing his own punishing right hands. It was an exchange that would repeat itself through the fight. Limon’s pressure proved fruitful when, in the third round, he scored a knockdown with a counter straight left. Chacon didn’t seem hurt and would continue to work the body in an effort to slow Limon down. In the ninth, Limon would again march Chacon back to the ropes only for a massive right hand to cause him to retreat. Limon pawed at him, hoping to hold, but Chacon would viciously punish him with right hands. Limon bounced back and would knock Chacon down in the tenth with a right hand.

The major turnaround would come in the final third of the fight as Chacón’s body punching had put Limon on the back foot. In the thirteenth, they even staggered each other in the same exchange as both landed power punches. The round ended with Chacon heading to the wrong corner. Heading for a draw, in the final fifteen seconds of the bout, Chacon landed a hard right before two more punishing shots sent Limon to the canvas. It was enough to give Chacon the victory on the scorecards, winning 142-141, 141-140, and 143-141. It was the last big win for either fighter. The fight was called The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year. It would also cement this as a historic boxing rivalry. The pace had been hellacious. Both men were hurt throughout the bout. Almost fittingly, this would be the last WBC title fight that would be sanctioned for the 15-round distance. On the undercard, Julio Cesar Chavez won his 33rd bout.

In five weeks, the sport would see an announcement which had ramifications for the sport through the entire decade, eight world title fights, one of which changed the sport irrevocably, another which causes controversial debate until this day. Two of the bouts saw two of the biggest fighters of the generation clash whilst another household name made a big announcement. There were also some incredible fights. Four of the clashes that would be talked about as some of the best bouts in the 1980s and many consider Limon vs Chacon IV to be one of the best-ever bouts, let alone rivalry. How the sport could do with a run like this.