Special feature: 10 unforgettable heavyweight rematches
The rematch between Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua on Saturday is as compelling as it gets because of their first fight.
Ruiz, a replacement opponent known as much for his paunch as his ability, pulled off one of the great upsets by putting Joshua down four times and stopping him in Round 7 on June 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Can Ruiz do it again in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, the site of the rematch? Or will Joshua have made the necessary adjustments and avenge his career-changing setback?
Of course, we can only imagine whether Ruiz-Joshua II will live up to the original. Some sequels are as good or better than the first fight, some fall short.
Here are 10 heavyweight rematches - or third fights - that remain in our consciousness for reasons unique to each of the fights.
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GENE TUNNEY VS. JACK DEMPSEY II
Date / Location: Sept. 22, 1927 / Chicago
Result of first fight: Tunney UD
Result of rematch: Tunney UD
Background: Tunney, the superior boxer, had no trouble outpointing the once-feared knockout artist to become heavyweight champion in September 1926. Their second meeting - dubbed "The Long Count Fight" - wouldn't be quite as uneventful. Tunney was winning again after six rounds when, in Round 7, Dempsey put him down with ferocious flurry of punches but Dempsey then made a mistake. He forgot the new rule requiring fighters to go to a neutral corner after a knockdown; instead, he hovered over his wounded prey. The referee got Dempsey to retreat but that process extended the count, allowing Tunney more time to recover. Did he need that time? That debate rages to this day. Tunney won another unanimous decision and Dempsey never fought again.
MAX SCHMELING VS. JOE LOUIS II
Date / Location: June 22, 1938 / New York City
Result of first fight: Schmeling KO 12
Result of rematch: Louis KO 1
Background: Schmeling stunned the boxing world - and Louis - in their June 1936 first fight, taking advantage of the rising young star's low left hand to knock him down in Round 4 and stop in Round 12. The Brown Bomber won the heavyweight championship by knocking out Jim Braddock the following year but said he wouldn't feel like the true champion until he exacted revenge on his German rival. The backdrop to the rematch, at Yankee Stadium, added to the drama. Louis became a symbol of good and Schmeling a representative of the evil Third Reich. Good overcame evil very quickly in the ring. Louis recorded one of the most vicious knockouts in history, putting an overwhelmed Schmeling away in only 2 minutes, 4 seconds. He got his revenge.
JOE LOUIS VS. JERSEY JOE WALCOTT II
Date / Location: June 25, 1948 / New York City
Result of first fight: Louis SD 15
Result of rematch: Louis KO 11
Background: Louis defeated Walcott by a split decision to retain his title in their first fight, in December 1947, but he knew he was lucky to have had his hand raised. Most observers thought Walcott did enough to win. Louis didn't leave his fate in the judges' hands in the rematch. Walcott, a slick, mobile boxer, gave the more stationary Louis trouble again by moving in and out and winning rounds. He put Louis down in Round 3. However, in Round 11, Louis finally caught up with Walcott. He hurt the challenger with a right and then - recapturing the ferocity of his youth - unleased a breathtaking series of damaging punches that sent Walcott to the canvas and rendered him unable to continue. It was the last great performance in a great career.
MUHAMMAD ALI VS. SONNY LISTON II
Date / Location: May 25, 1965 / Lewiston, Maine
Result of first fight: Ali (Cassius Clay) TKO 6
Result of rematch: Ali KO 1
Background: Ali, then Cassius Clay, "shook up the world" in February 1964 when he forced the seemingly unbeatable Liston to retire on his stool in their first fight. The rematch would be less competitive but live on as a source of conspiracy theories. The spectators at the Central Maine Civic Center had barely settled into their seats when Liston suddenly went down from what became known as a "phantom punch." In fact, replays show a right hand to the jaw was responsible for the knockdown. Liston got up and continued fighting amid confusion over the count but officials quickly ended matters. The fight lasted only 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Did Liston, under the thumb of mobsters, take a dive? Or was it a legitimate knockout? We still don't know for sure.
INGEMAR JOHANSSON VS. FLOYD PATTERSON II
Date / Location: June 20, 1960 / New York City
Result of first fight: Johansson TKO 3
Result of second fight: Patterson KO 5
Result of third fight: Patterson KO 6
Background: The first of their three fights was unforgettable. The then-champion Patterson went down a comical seven times in the third and final round in June 1959. A reasonable question was: How the hell was Patterson supposed to rebound from that? He did. A year later at the Polo Grounds, the quick, skillful former Olympic middleweight champion absorbed a big punch from Johansson early and then proceeded to break down the big Swede. Finally, after having knocked down Johansson, Patterson landed a left hook from hell that sent his beaten opponent crashing to the canvas. Johansson lay on his back motionless - aside from a twitching left foot - as referee Arthur Mercante counted him out. Thus, Patterson became the first to regain the title.
MUHAMMAD ALI VS. JOE FRAZIER III
Date / Location: Oct. 1, 1975 / Manila, Philippines
Result of first fight: Frazier UD 15
Result of second fight: Ali UD 12
Result of third fight: Ali TKO 14
Background: Ali and Frazier split the first two fights in arguably the greatest heavyweight rivalry in history. They had to do it one more time. And to say that the rubber match was not disappointing is a tremendous understatement. "The Thrilla in Manila" happened when neither Ali nor Frazier were at the peak of their abilities but the courage both displayed was inspirational, as they traded punishing - truly damaging - blows from the opening bell until moments before Frazier's trainer, Eddie Futch, stopped the fight to save a badly beaten Smokin' Joe from suffering further trauma. And if you think Ali was somehow spared, think again. The Greatest called his epic encounter with Frazier, "The closest thing to death." Neither fighter was ever the same.
EVANDER HOLYFIELD VS. MIKE TYSON II
Date / Location: June 28, 1997 / Las Vegas
Result of first fight: Holyfield TKO 11
Result of rematch: Holyfield DQ 3
Background: Holyfield was as much as a 25-1 underdog when, in November 1996, he stopped the still-formidable Tyson in 11 rounds in their first fight. The second fight was highly anticipated. Little did anyone know that they would witness one of the darkest moments in the history of the sport. Holyfield seemed to pick where he left in the first fight when Tyson, later claiming he was retaliating for intentional head butts, gnawed off a chunk of Holyfield's right ear while they were in a clinch. Holyfield pulled away and leaped in the air in pain. Referee Mills Lane docked Tyson two points. So what does Iron Mike do then? He bites Holyfield's left ear. Lane DQ'd Tyson at the end of the round. Tyson was fined and suspended. Holyfield eventually forgave him.
RIDDICK BOWE VS. EVANDER HOLYFIELD II
Date / Location: Nov. 6, 1993 / Las Vegas
Result of first fight: Bowe UD 12
Result of second fight: Holyfield MD 12
Result of third fight: Bowe
Background: Bowe wasn't an enduring champion but he was exceptional around of time of his trilogy with Holyfield, which is why he was able to hand Holyfield his first loss and win the title in their first fight. The Real Deal, outsized but always confident, was determined to turn the tables in the rematch in the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace. Holyfield fought with fire and great skill, which allowed him to eke out a close, majority decision and regain the title. That's not what is memorable about the fight, though. A man later identified James "Fan Man" Miller, strapped to a motorized paraglider, suddenly appeared overhead and then crashed into the ring ropes. That delayed the fight for 21 minutes. "Fan Man" overshadowed one of the best performances of Holyfield's career.
HASIM RAHMAN VS. LENNOX LEWIS II
Date / Location: Nov. 17, 2001 / Las Vegas
Result of first fight: Rahman KO 5
Result of rematch: Lewis KO 4
Background: The unheralded Rahman recorded a major upset when a big right hand split Lewis' guard and knocked him down and out in April 2001 in South Africa, making the 20-1 underdog from Baltimore the heavyweight champion of the world. Lewis, who had held the title since 1997, evidently had taken Rahman for granted in his preparation. And he was careless in the ring. A different Lewis showed up for the rematch at Mandalay Bay. He was in shape, laser focused and bent on revenge. He boxed carefully, but with purpose, waiting for his opportunity to hurt his conqueror. Then it came. A left hook, followed by a huge right put Rahman flat on his back and he couldn't continue. Order in the heavyweight division was restored.
DEONTAY WILDER VS. LUIS ORTIZ II
Date / Location: Nov. 23, 2019 / Las Vegas
Result of first fight: Wilder TKO 10
Result of rematch: Wilder KO 7
Background: A wounded Wilder came within one or two hard punches from being knocked out by Ortiz in a harrowing seventh round before he turned the tables and stopped the talented Cuban in Round 10 in March of last year. The close call and Oritz's obvious ability - as well as the 40-year-old's new fitness regimen - added intrigue to the rematch. A slimmed down Oritz moved and boxed well for six-plus rounds, building a 59-55, 59-55 and 58-56 lead on the official cards. The possibility of a major upset was in the air at the MGM Grand. Wilder was merely biding his time, though, measuring Ortiz, subtly maneuvering him into a position where he could land his monstrous right hand. Then BAM! Fight over in an instant.
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