Since starting Substack, I’ve found myself reflecting a lot on my time in boxing and thinking: that was one of my favourite moments or that was one of the best things I’ve done in boxing.
I’ve been extremely fortunate since lacing up gloves for the first time in 1995 to have made some wonderful memories. There have been terrible ones, too, and some that might have triggered depression or anxiety – but that’s perhaps a list for another day.
For now, and in the interest of positivity, here are 20 of my favourite moments in boxing, told over four weekly instalments.
This is the first part. It’s free; the remaining three will be paywalled and released each Sunday.
I hope you enjoy the rundown.
20. Being in the room with Muhammad Ali
This is a bit of a reach and I can’t say I ever interacted with Ali, made eye contact with him or claim much else. But I saw him with my own two eyes twice, and both times were when his daughter Laila boxed. Firstly, when Mike Tyson fought Andrew Golota at Auburn Hills, Laila was on the undercard and Ali glided by a few rows in front of me. Then, when Laila boxed Jacqui Frazier in upstate New York, I saw him walking into the tent/marquee that was hosting the event.
It’s not much. But I felt his presence. It was almost like being able to see a mythical man you could have only read about or seen in a film. But there he was, in front of me. Twice. (Photo is the view from my seat in the Turning Stone for Ali-Frazier IV. Earlier in the evening, I’d been about 20ft from Laila’s dad)
(A photo from the day I visited Pryor at his home to tune in to his great fights)
19. Watching Pryor-Arguello with Aaron Pryor
Aaron Pryor’s first fight with Alexis Arguello is one of the great bouts of all time. I’d seen it several times and I’d watched the Legendary Nights episode HBO produced about the Pryor-Arguello rivalry that eventually became a friendship.
But imagine being able to sit on the couch and watch it with Pryor, at his apartment in Cincinnati, with “The Hawk” commentating throughout. Then, imagine Pryor being so invested he reached for the DVD of his title win over Antonio Cervantes and happily did the same thing.
(I wrote about this in more detail recently here)
(My credential for the fight)
18. Manny Pacquiao is flattened in his fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez
I can’t recall ever seeing a fight come to such an abrupt end. We knew Pacquiao and Marquez were bitter rivals and there had been nothing between them in their three excellent previous fights, so the assumption was that the fourth battle would be no different. If anything, Pacquiao was favoured. And he appeared to be taking control of an absolute riot of a fight until he sprung in and onto as flush a right hand as you will ever see.
I remember at the time being disappointed because I’d been enjoying the fight so much I didn’t want it to end, but that was soon replaced by a very real concern as Pacquiao lay motionless. It was one of the most violent and famous knockouts in boxing history.
(My seat on the night. Pacquiao was facing me at the end)
(With Yaqui in his gym)
17. Taking my kids to meet Yaqui Lopez, Yaqui becoming a friend
Arguably Matthew Saad Muhammad’s great ring rival, though you could certainly add John Conteh and Marvin Johnson to the list, I first visited former light-heavyweight contender Yaqui at his home in 2004, but on and off we stayed in touch. (Matthew was a friend of mine and I wound up writing a biography of him after he had passed away)
Then, a couple of years ago, my kids and I were planning a road trip that would see us drive from San Francisco to Yosemite, and that road goes through Stockton, where Yaqui lives.
Seeing Yaqui brings me great joy. It brings me closer to Matthew. And now my kids have been to his home and his gym. Yaqui welcomes me like an old friend and I get the feeling that when we embrace, he feels like he’s hugging Matthew, as do I.
(Ben and Lois meet Yaqui)
(The wrap pictured in my study yesterday)
16. Getting hands wrapped by Freddie Roach in the Wild Card
Freddie could, really, feature a few times in this list. He used to pen a monthly column for me when I was Boxing News editor. He brought me one of his new Nike special edition ‘Freddie Knows’ T-shirts to Washington before Amir Khan fought Lamont Peterson, and we had breakfast the day of that fight.
Also, when Oscar De La Hoya fought Stevie Forbes in Carson, the media pack went to those press days and I stayed back in the Wild Card with Freddie every day, often just he and I, for hours on end.
But in 2012, with my South African friend Colin Nathan helping out in the Wild Card and learning from Freddie, Nathan took me on the pads for a few rounds. But, best of all, I sat at the desk on the left when you go in and Freddie wrapped my hands.
In fact, after I’d trained, both coaches signed the wraps and I still have them today.
(Freddie, Colin and I 14 years ago in the Wild Card)