This week in boxing history, PBC celebrates Ali’s return from exile, relives the “Rumble in the Jungle” and embraces Holyfield’s beatdown of Douglas. Also, we say farewell to the “Brown Bomber” and remember a 122-pound showdown between Hall of Fame sluggers.
October 25, 1990 – Evander Holyfield knocked out Buster Douglas in the third round in Las Vegas to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
After shocking Mike Tyson eight months earlier in Tokyo to become the champ, Douglas packed on the pounds before his first title defense—officially weighing in at 246 pounds for the bout—and was dominated from the opening bell.
October 26, 1951 – Rocky Marciano knocked out Joe Louis in the eighth round at New York’s Madison Square Garden in the final fight for the “Brown Bomber.”
The 37-year-old Louis (66-3, 52 KOs) was stopped for just the second time in his career, and for the first time since losing to Max Schmeling at Yankee Stadium in June 1936.
October 26, 1970 – Muhammad Ali stopped Jerry Quarry in three rounds in Atlanta in his first fight since being stripped of his world heavyweight title and license to fight because of his refusal to be drafted into military service.
Competing for the first time since March 1967, Ali opened a cut above Quarry’s left eye with a right hand in the third round, which caused the fight to be stopped before the start of the fourth.
October 28, 1978 – Wilfredo Gomez gained a fifth-round TKO of Carlos Zarate in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to defend his WBC super bantamweight title for the sixth time.
Zarate, the WBC bantamweight champion, moved up to 122 pounds to fight Gomez, and the fighters brought a combined record of 73-0-1 with 72 knockouts into the bout. It was the highest KO percentage between two boxers in a world title fight.
October 30, 1974 – Muhammad Ali upset George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle” in Kinshasa, Zaire, gaining a stunning eighth-round KO to regain his world heavyweight championship.
After employing his "rope-a-dope” strategy in which he let Foreman punch himself out, Ali went on the offensive and became the second fighter ever, following Floyd Patterson, to win the heavyweight title a second time.
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