“When friends get together inside that circle it can go one of two ways. They either know each other so well it becomes boring, or they just suspend all friendship, and they go at each other.”
– Ferdie Pacheco
FRIENDS turning into rivals and preventing one one other is nothing new to boxing.
When Joshua Buatsi and Dan Azeez stand throughout from one one other contained in the ring on Saturday night, their very own friendship and respect for one one other will probably be solid apart. How tight the bond is between the 2 Londoners is unknown however having educated collectively, sparred one one other and frolicked in one another’s firm there seems to be a liking for one one other at the least.
Over its historical past boxing has by no means been in need of a storyline and a sub-plot to assist strengthen the sale of a battle to the general public. But when two friends come collectively to try to higher the opposite what’s at stake is probably way more than a win or a belt.
Boxing News brings you a number of 5 fights the place for one night friends or former friends tried to beat one another up.
July 26, 1971 – Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Ellis (Ali gained by twelfth spherical TKO)
The two Kentuckians got here by way of the novice scene collectively and shared one win apiece after two bouts. With Ellis’s skilled profession stalling, Ali satisfied his coach Angelo Dundee to coach and handle his buddy. When they arrived in Texas for their bout dubbed ‘The Inevitable Fight’, Dundee selected to work the nook of Ellis whereas Harry Wiley, former coach to Sugar Ray Robinson, led Ali’s nook. ‘The Greatest’ danced round and picked off the undersized Ellis, who gave away 30lbs in weight on the night and was stopped within the twelfth spherical.
Muhammad Ali and Jimmy Ellis
April 7, 1978 – Bruce Curry vs Monroe Brooks (Curry gained by ninth spherical TKO)
Former roommates and friends, Curry vs Brooks had was a light-welterweight grudge match by the point they met on the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. The nature of their feud was by no means absolutely revealed however one sturdy hearsay centred round a lady whom they each appreciated. In the second around the extra skilled Brooks was dropped by an enormous left hook. After surviving the knockdown each went after one one other, however the energy of Donald’s older brother gained the day, with one other left hook within the ninth body ending issues. Whatever their downside, they unleashed hell on one another in a hidden gem of the Nineteen Seventies.
February 14, 1987 – Evander Holyfield vs Henry Tillman (Holyfield gained by seventh spherical TKO)
Three years earlier Holyfield and Tillman had been a part of the good USA group on the Los Angeles Olympics, the place the previous gained cruiserweight bronze and the latter gained heavyweight gold. The two had become nice friends. When they confronted off as cruisers within the professional ranks, Holyfield was WBA champion and Tillman was quantity one contender. Their battle, dubbed “The St Valentine’s Day Massacre”, proved to be a one-sided affair, with Tillman dropped 4 instances in whole, together with thrice in spherical seven when the bout was stopped. Five months later Holyfield attended Tillman’s wedding ceremony as one of his groomsmen.
March 18, 1991 – Simon Brown vs Maurice Blocker (Brown gained by tenth spherical TKO)
Brown as soon as described he and Blocker as “blood brothers”. Friends since 1979, the 2 welterweights fought one another at The Mirage in Las Vegas in 1991. The reality it was a unification felt secondary to the 2 males preventing one one other 5 years after they mentioned they wouldn’t. In the fascinating motion that adopted you wouldn’t have believed they had been greatest friends, with each of them regularly making an attempt to land knockout blows. Blocker was dropped early within the tenth however quickly recovered. However, Brown, sensing the tip was close to, confirmed no mercy and a number of other jolting pictures pressured Mills Lane to cease the battle.
November 2, 2002 – Marco Antonio Barrera vs Johnny Tapia (Barrera gained by unanimous determination)
Johnny Tapia’s greatest days had been behind him when he fought Marco Antonio Barrera in 2002. It had been 5 years since his electrifying win in opposition to Danny Romero at super-flyweight. His classics with Paulie Ayala in 1999 and 2000 resulted in losses however Tapia liked and likewise wanted to battle because of the reality private points had been by no means far-off. The night of April 7, 2001 noticed Tapia accompany Barrera to the ring and watch his buddy deliver Naseem Hamed right down to earth. When Tapia walked a bit additional and bought into the ring with Barrera on the MGM Grand, he gave a very good account of himself in defeat. Their friendship didn’t endure, nevertheless, due to their battle. Barrera classed Tapia as household and the 2 males had monumental respect for one one other.
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