Boxing Greats - By Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

1.  Cassius Clay renamed Muhammad Ali fought through probably the toughest Heavyweight division of all time.  Ali defeated Sonny Liston twice, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier twice, George Foreman, Ken Norton twice, George Chuvallo twice, and Leon Spinks, throughout his storied career.  Ali could float like a butterfly and sting like a bee.  He won in convincing fashion when he showed up, which was all the time.  His lifetime record was 56-5 with 37KO’s, even though he missed four years from the prime of his career for his apolitical beliefs.

2.   Joe Louis went 69-3 over his boxing career.  Joe Louis was the second African American (after Jack Johnson) to win the Heavyweight Championship (or any Belt approved by the American Boxing Commission).  He won the Heavyweight Championship in 1927 and held it until 1939.  In his 72 fights Louis recorded 57 KO's.

3.  Rocky Marciano never lost a fight.  He went 49-0 and was the Heavyweight Champion of the World from 1949-1953.  Of his 49 wins, 43 were by knockout.

4.  Sugar Ray Leonard was 36-3-1 in his career.  As an amateur Leonard won the Gold Medal as a Junior Welterweight in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the 1976 Summer Olympics.  As a professional, Leonard took on Roberto Duran to win the Welterweight Championship in 1979 (his first belt).  Sugar Ray then took on and beat Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns to win the Middleweight Championship in 1981.  In 1983 Leonard fought Marvin Hagler to win the light-Heavyweight Championship.  Of his 36 wins, 25  came by way of knockout. 

5.  George Foreman fought against Ali, Frazier, Norton, Tyson, and Holyfield, throughout his career.  He is the only boxer to have won the belt in two different eras.  Foreman finished his career 76-5 with 68KO’s.  Considering that Foreman had won the Heavyweight Championship Belt for the first time in 1972 and for the last time in 1996, his career span makes him one for the ages.

6.  Marvin Hagler was as polished a fighter as there has ever been.  Hagler won the Middleweight Championship in 1978 and was also an accomplished light-Heavyweight fighter, winning the belt in 1985, once Sugar Ray Leonard retired.  Over the course of his career Hagler fought against the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas ‘Hit Man’ Hearns, and Donny Lalonde.  Hagler finished his career 62-3-2 with 52KO’s.

7.  Floyd Mayweather is the greatest Welterweight of all-time, neigh Sugar Ray Leonard.  His professional career has seen him go undefeated 49-0 to this point of his career with 26 by way of Knockout.  Time will tell if Mayweather supplants Leonard as the most versatile Boxer in the history of the sport, with respect to fighting in different weight classes over the course of his career.

8. Wladimir 'Vitali' Klitschko -  Was Gold Medallist for Ukraine as a Super-Heavyweight in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  He soon climbed to the highest level in Professional Boxing and became the Heavyweight Champion of the World in 2006.  Overall, he is the third longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of all time and has the fourth most successful title defenses total of any heavyweight boxer with 16 (including his "super" title recognition), behind just Joe Louis (25), Larry Holmes (20), and Muhammad Ali (19). He had 11 consecutive title defenses, behind Joe Louis's 25 consecutive title defenses and Larry Holmes's 20 consecutive title defenses.  He is also second of all-time in Heavyweight Title Fights with 26, trailing only Joe Louis (who had 27 Heavyweight Title Fights).  Klitschko was 45-2 lifetime with 41 Knockouts.  His storybook career dictates his high ranking.

9.  Sugar Ray Robinson was the Middleweight Champion in the 1950’s.  He finished his career 173-19-6 with 108 KO’s.  He fought against the likes of Jake LaMotta, and ‘Kid’ Galvicon in the toughest fighting division in the 50’s.

10. Joe Frazier – A lefty from Philadelphia, Frazier defeated Ali in 'The Fight of the Century' in 1972 and went on to win the Heavyweight Belt, before losing to George Foreman in his first defence of the belt (in 1973).  Frazier stuck around to fight Ali again twice, this time losing both matches but going going the distance in the first rematch and then managing to last 14 rounds toe to toe with the greatest of all-time.  Frazier was probably the best pure brawler to come out of Philly.  His lifetime record was 32-4-1 with 27 KO’s.

11. Jake LaMotta is best remembered for the movie made by Martin Scorcese, Raging Bull.  LaMotta was a great fighter.  He will unfortunately be remembered for the dives he took in the prime of his career against the likes of Sugar Ray Robinson.  LaMotta won the Middleweight Belt briefly in the mid-fifties.  He went 93-9-4 and recorded 30 knockouts in his boxing career.

12. Jack Dempsey was a fighter from the 1910’s and1920’s.  He was the Heavyweight Champion for most of the 1910’s.  In his prime, his toughest foe was Gene Tunney, who he knocked out twice.  His career shows a mark of 65-6-11 with 51 knockouts.

13. Roberto Duran fought for almost an eternity.  Having fought in over 100 matches, Duran is best known for the rematch fight against Sugar Ray Leonard, (No Mas) in which he lost to Leonard.  Nonetheless Duran was one of the greatest fighters the sport has ever seen (and he did beat Leonard in their first epic battle).  His lifetime record was 104-16 with 69 knockouts.

14. Lennox Lewis – Was Gold Medallist for Canada as a Super-Heavyweight in the 1988 Seoul Olympics.  Lewis soon climbed to the top of the professional ranks and won the Heavyweight Title as Heavyweight Champion of the World against Evander Holyfield, in 1995.  He held the belt, off and on, until 2002 when he retired.  Some of the boxers Lewis fought include Mike Tyson, George Foreman, and the previously mentioned Evander Holyfield.  His career record shows 41-2-1 (32 wins coming by way of KO).

15. Matthew Hilton is the best Canadian Boxer in the Pro-Ranks, of all-time.  In his storied career he was 32-3-2 fighting against a legend in Wilfred Benitez (knocking him out in the ninth round).  Of his 32 wins 24 were by Knockout.  Had cocaine not entered the picture, Hilton surely would have held on to the Middleweight Belt that he earned at one point of his career.   

16. Roy Jones Jr. – Established himself to be the greatest Light-Heavyweight boxer of his day.  Had the competition been better he very well may have cracked the top ten. Jones has lost only eight fights his entire career.  Through his career to date, Jones Jr. held the light-Heavyweight belt from 1994 until 2001. His career shows a mark of 56 Wins and 8 Losses with 40 Wins coming by way of Knockout.
    
17. Tommy ‘Hit Man’ Hearns – ‘Hit Man’ Tommy Hearns was thought of, in the early – mid eighties, to be at the top of the middleweight division.  He fought against the likes of Duran, Leonard, Hagler and only lost six fights in his entire career. His career record was 61 Wins 6 Losses and 1 Draw (48 Wins by knockout).

18. Mike Tyson – A true enigma.  Had Tyson fought any real tough boxers when he started out, his wins may have carried a little more weight to them.  When Tyson won the Heavyweight Title of the World he was thought, at the time, to being the real thing.  Although Tyson was dominant against Trevor Berbick and Michael Spinks, once he fought against Buster Douglas and lost, the sentiment changed.  Had Tyson fought against Douglas in America, I firmly believe he would have remained undefeated throughout his career.  Tyson though never got back to the level that most thought was inevitable after that defeat.  He could never beat Holyfield, Foreman, and Lewis and therefore ranks this low on my all-time list of boxing greats.  In his career Tyson won 50 Fights (44 by knockout) and lost 6.

19. Larry Holmes – Finished his career with 69 Wins and 6 Losses (with 44 KO's).  Holmes started his career, like Tyson, undefeated through his first 30 fights.  Although he accomplished an excellent record through his career, he never had to fight the great fighters that Ali, or Lewis did.  Although Holmes fought and beat Ali, it was beyond Ali’s prime.  In his toughest and most influential victory Holmes fought against Ken Norton.  They pummeled each-other for 15 Rounds, and even though they were both out of gas after the fifteenth the fight is one of the greatest boxing matches of all-time.  Holmes won the WBC Heavyweight Belt in this fight.

20. Ken Norton –A sentimental favorite of mine, Norton was considered by most to be the strongest man in the fight game of the 70’s.  These times were the days of greats such as Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Holmes, and Chuvallo. Norton fought Ali 3 times over his career, losing 2 and winning one.  Ironically the fight in which Norton beat Ali he didn’t win the Belt as the fight wasn’t sanctioned.  Norton was the Heavyweight Champion in the World in the late-seventies, albiet for only a short time.  Norton’s physique was truly impressive.  Over his career, Norton fought against Ali, Frazier, Foreman, and Holmes.  His Lifetime record was 42 Wins and 7 Losses with 1 draw.  33 of his wins came by way of knockout.    

21. Oscar De La Hoya – De La Hoya compiled a 39-6 Record in his career.  A true Middleweight, De La Hoya had a punishing style leading him to 30 Knockouts.  De La Hoya was one of the most versatile Boxers with respect to weight class, in the history of the sport.  As an Amateur De La Hoya was 221-3.

22. Wilfred Benitez - 53-8-1 Draw, 31 Knockouts

23. Dave Hilton Jr. - 41-2-2 Draws, 26 by Knockout 

24. Adonis Stevenson - 27-1, 22 by Knockout

25. Manny Pacquiao - 57-6-2 Draws, 38 by Knockout

26. Evander Holyfield - 44-10- 2 Draws-1 No Contest, 29 by Knockout

27. Sonny Liston - 50-4, 39 by Knockout

28. Bermane Stiverne - 25-2-1 Draw, 21 by Knockout

29. Michael Spinks - 31-1, 21 by Knockout

30. Donny Lalonde - 41-5-1 Draw, 33 by Knockout

The Massacre and Attrocity in Orlando - by Moses

      On Saturday, June 11/16 coming up to midnight an attack occurred.  It wasn't that there haven't been lone wolf gunmen in the U.S.A before that's astonishing.  It's the fact that this man acted as a representative of Radical Islam and I.S.I.S as he gunned down 49 to death and severely injuring another 53.  We're entering a dangerous time in the World.  A time when instant gratification has led most people to believe that technology will provide every answer known to man.  The problem is that with it comes the technology of weaponry and ideological retardation that makes a strike like this a possible reality in any large scale city in North America (the World for that matter).  Most people have progressed and are tolerant of others and their beliefs, and civil rights have only strengthened for the majority in the past 50 years.
  Unfortunately, there are those Islamic Fundamentalists (call them I.S.I.S, Al-Quada, Islamic Jihadists, Hammas) that are around plaguing the World today.  Our Homeland security is in question.  This may be an abhoration within Muslim communities in North America, but there is a common sentiment within Muslim Communities in our Homeland that condemn anyone outside of the the faith of Islam, especially those that are of the Gay and Lesbian Community.  We have just witnessed the single greatest attack by any one individual in America of all-time.  Who's to say there won't be copycats.  The authorities need to operate quickly in determining whether they should act towards those that are on Government watch lists or risk a further breach on life.  It's quite sad that America, Home of the Free, may have to give up Civil Liberties for a year to make sure public safety is adhered to for the sake of the innocent.  Do we really need more examples of massacres like last Saturday Night?      

Muhammad Ali - by Moses (a.k.a Stacey Marc Goldman)

      It is a trying time as we remember the exploits of the late great Muhammad Ali.

  Ali wasn't just the greatest Boxer of all-time, he was an inspiration to Americans, African Americans, and to Muslims all over the World.  From the time he changed his name from Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali he became a figure head of the American Muslim movement and was felt in an adoring way all across America in a time when Civil Rights Movements needed the clout to break down the barriers set forth by the deep Southern States across America that refused to adhere to desegregation.
  In 1960, at the age of 18, Ali, known by his Christian name Cassius Clay won the Boxing Light-Heavyweight Gold Medal for the U.S.A.  A super talent, Ali soon went on to a Professional career and he took hold of the Heavyweight belt defeating Sonny Liston (as a huge underdog no less) in becoming the Heavyweight Champion of the World in 1964.  Soon after winning the belt Ali converted to the faith of Islam going by the name Cassius X Clay and finally was re-named Muhammad Ali, claiming that Clay was his 'slave' name.
  In 1966 Ali refused to serve the U.S Military for the Vietnam draft citing his religious beliefs and opposition to the American involvement in the War, reasoning 'No Vietcong never called me a Nigger'.  He was arrested, and was found guilty of draft evasion charges, and was stripped of his Heavyweight Belts in both the WBC and the WBA.  Ali appealed this decision in the U.S Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971.  Losing four years in the prime of his career would have defeated a lesser competitor.  Ali was not of that fabric and through dedication rose back to the highest level in what was known as 'The Fight of the Century' against a soon to be well known rivalry with 'Smokin' Joe Frazier.  In a twelve round fight Ali lost in a close decision in a battle of two undefeated Boxers.  Ali won the rematch against Frazier in early 1974 and then went on to win his second Heavyweight Championship Belt in late 1974 in 'The Rumble in the Jungle' against legendary George Foreman, the biggest man in the fight game of that time, knocking out Foreman in the Eighth Round.  In that fight Muhammad Ali toyed with Foreman, taking on Foreman's' hardest shots as a ploy to tire him out.  Once the Eighth Round came, Foreman had nothing left in the tank and Ali was successful in strategy (something that is often lost in following a Boxers' career).
  Muhammad Ali then agreed to a third fight against 'Smokin' Joe in the 'Thrilla in Manilla' in 1975 and won in a 15 Round TKO when Frazier's' corner refused to send him out for the Fifteenth Round.
  After some title bouts and exhibition matches against Professional Wrestlers and Mixed Martial Arts fighters, Ali eventually lost the belt a second time (this time in defeat and not by circumstance) against Leon Spinks in 1977.  Ali won the Belt back in a re-match with Spinks in 1978 making him the only man to have ever won the Heavyweight Belt three times over the course of his career.
  Had Ali retired at this point in his glory, some have speculated that he may have sidestepped neurological damage leading to his Parkinson's which was diagnosed a few years after he retired from Boxing.  As was, Ali went on to two more fights losing both Matches.  The first fight punished him greatly as he took on the young, in his prime, Larry Holmes who won and took over the Belt for a good amount of time.  Muhammad Ali's last fight was against Canadian Trevor Berbick and father time just took over.
  Muhammad Ali finished his Amateur Career 100-5 and Ali finished his Professional Career 56-5 with 37 Knockouts.  It's not the fact that Ali held the Belt at three different times that made him the best Boxer of all-time.  It's the fact that Ali fought in the 60's and 70's when there were the most dangerous and 'Great' Heavyweights around, and in analyzing why Ali would be considered  the greatest Boxer of all-time is the fact that he never ducked anyone throughout his tumultuous career.  Ali fought Sonny Liston twice, Floyd Patterson, George Chuvalo twice, Joe Frazier three times, George Foreman, Ken Norton three times, Leon Spinks twice, and Larry Holmes.
  Truly a man for the ages, inside and outside the ring what made Muhammad Ali so special was his enigmatic personality, boastful playfulness, and his flair for excitement in expressing himself in the Media.  His relationship with Howard Cosell was legendary in its' own right, and the way Ali spoke was truly poetic.  'Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, I'm going to be dropping him in three' was just one of many limericks that Ali devised.

  Muhammad Ali will be remembered by the masses for all eternity.  R.I.P in Louisville, Kentucky and all over the World.