The Joy of Six: outlandish crossover boxing fights | Alex Reid
Promoted as “The War of the Worlds,” Muhammad Ali took on Antonio Inoki, Japan’s biggest pro wrestling star. It was a match that inspired modern mixed martial arts and ended with the world heavyweight champion in the hospital. Unfortunately, the action in the ring was a total flop. Originally planned as a staged match, Ali reportedly got cold feet in advance about entering into a ‘set’ fight and a bewildering set of crossover rules was hastily cobbled together. Ali fought in boxing gloves, Inoki did not, but he was forbidden to wrestle, throw or kick unless he had one knee on the canvas. Wisely, Inoki chose to lie down, away from Ali’s fists, and deliver a series of leg kicks as the boxer tried to persuade him to get up. This lasted 15 endless rounds. By the end, Ali had blood clots in his swollen right leg, the fight was declared a draw, and the Tokyo crowd pelted the ring with trash chanting “money back!” chanted. There really was no winner here.
2
Mayweather vs. McGregor (2017)
A dazzlingly successful event that generated $600 million in worldwide revenue, all to answer the eternal question: Can a non-boxer beat the best boxer in the world… in boxing? Floyd Mayweather was 40 years old and semi-retired when he chose to fight the UFC’s biggest name, Conor McGregor, in a robbery in Las Vegas. McGregor even gave a good impression of himself in the first rounds. But it soon became clear that his MMA punching power had not translated from the octagon to the boxing ring and Mayweather took over, stopping the tiring Irishman in round 10. Unsurprisingly, the boxer with a record of 49-0 entered had defeated the fighter with a 0 -0 slate. Yet both made so much money – more than $100 million each – that Mayweather continued to make money with a series of exhibitions against kickboxers, YouTubers and Geordie Shore stars. The sweet science indeed.
“George Foreman versus five guys” isn’t the old grill salesman promoting a fast food chain. Instead, it was the highly unusual way in which promoter Don King chose to bring back the brooding heavyweight after his historic defeat to Ali in Zaire. The concept: Foreman would fight five journeymen in three-round matches, one after the other, in Toronto. The first blow to Foreman’s psyche was Ali’s presence as a TV pundit at ringside, and the two frequently exchanged jokes and glances. “Muhammad Ali and his antics created the atmosphere of a circus,” Foreman later grumbled (although the circus ship may have already sailed during an event where the main act crushes five tomato cans). Foreman seemed confused about how to go about it all, sometimes crushing opponents with his vaunted power, at other times showboating and comedic haymakers. He held off his first three enemies, but as he tired, the last two survived the distance. Each fight had all the hallmarks of a pro fight, but none ended up on Foreman’s official record. Thanks for nothing, Don.
Trevor Berbick is probably best known for being violently separated from his WBC world heavyweight title by a 20-year-old Mike Tyson, the Jamaican left who flopped around the ring on rubbery legs. But that is not the most humiliating defeat on his record. In 1991, Berbick traveled to Tokyo for a fight imaginatively titled “Boxer v Wrestler” against Japan’s Nobuhiko Takada. Berbick, who was wearing boxing gloves while Takada was in wrestling gear, had either misunderstood the rules or expected a staged WWE-style fight. Because when Takada started with a vicious kick to the legs, a shocked Berbick complained bitterly to the referee. He angrily gestured for Takada to keep his kicks above his waist, but his opponent stuck to his plan. Berbick grabbed the referee, held the top rope and eventually, after one too many kicks, climbed between the ropes and marched into the crowd, never to return. The fight had lasted less than one round and Berbick didn’t throw a single punch.
5
Flintoff v Dawson (2012)
Cricketer vs Boxer. Finally! In a more innocent time, before celebrity and influencer boxing became a boring cash cow for the untalented, there was something very wholesome about Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff putting himself in a great position to fight a real heavyweight boxer. Even if it’s not a very good one. Yet Freddie did it the right way: he linked up with a top trainer in Shane McGuigan and was given a British license to compete against American Richard Dawson in Manchester.
Flintoff was game, kicking forward with admittedly less accuracy than he ever showed when targeting a batsman’s stumps. Although Dawson, in noticeably weaker form than Flintoff, landed the best punch of the fight, a slashing left hook that knocked the home favorite down. However, in true Rocky style, Flintoff rose and outwitted Dawson to earn a decisive victory in four rounds. “As a personal achievement I think this is the best,” said Flintoff, a two-time Ashes winner and the 2005 ICC Cricketer of the Year, afterwards, which may have raised eyebrows in the Long Room. Smartly, the all-rounder never fought again, his unbeaten record forever intact.
6
Galento vs. Octopus (1946)
“Two-Ton” Tony Galento was a colorful, cigar-chomping, tough, hard-drinking heavyweight contender best known for his loss to Joe Louis in a world title fight in 1939. What he was most known for was his willingness to take on anyone and anything. fighting, including, unfortunately, a kangaroo, a bear and an octopus in PR stunts. It is clear that animal protection still has a long way to go. Reports of his fight with the giant mollusk vary widely, with one claiming that by the time the stocky heavyweight lowered himself into the tank, the octopus was already dead (giving Galento a clear advantage). Another story claims that after the boxer delivered a gentle jab, the octopus sprayed him with ink, causing an alarmed Galento to jump out of the water – a clear TKO victory for the eight-pronged Oceanic champion.
Fortunately, despite all the sport’s numerous shortcomings, such a competition is not considered acceptable in the 21st century. Although, unless Francis Ngannou can truly shock the sporting world, Tyson Fury against a hulking cephalopod could provide a more competitive fight than an MMA rookie taking on the world’s best heavyweight in Saudi Arabia.