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It's difficult to find a video that starts at the beginning and has great audio quality. This is the best compromise that I can get.

These are the gods of 1980s boxing, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and Iron Mike Tyson and they were interviewed (together) by Arsenio Hall in 1990.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUIemJj5G4s?si=UOI5zMjkGjSD002R

I had this man's book a very long time ago. I wish I still have it.

This man is the only person that could do this to Ali.

(He commentated on virtually all of Ali's fights).

Howard: "But I do want to bring on our first guest. He's a magnificent young man. Nobody else has aroused so much passion during the decade of the 60s. I have known him almost from the beginning. He came to New York first as a brash, arrogant, obnoxious youngster. Nothing about him has changed, except for the palpable decline in his pugilistic skills. Once he was a very great fighter. Now he is a worn relic of the past, a fated hero of yesteryear, living off weak opponents, but still mouthing of words that he can no longer employ the skills to back up.

I have travelled the world with him. I've seen him alienate nation after nation with his braggadocio and he still proclaims to be that which he is no longer, the heavyweight champion of the world. So I am going to bring out, in all of the futility that emblazons his current efforts, the former heavyweight champion of the world, Muhammad Ali".

(Ali comes out and refuses to shake Howard. Howard playfully taps him on the face. Ali points his finger at Howard as he begins talking and Howard says, "Don't touch me, I'll deck you" ).

Muhammad Ali: "I sat back there and I listened to every word you said, Howard, every time you open your mouth you should be arrested for air pollution. You give me more trouble than my opponents. I heard that you were going to host the show, so I thought that I would give you the honour of coming to talk to you, now what do you want to talk about?"


Howard Cossel: "I want to talk with you about the fact that you would still be an impoverished anonymity in this country if I hadn't made you famous".

The audience laughs

Muhammad Ali: "No listen. He's awful serious. You told me that you made Floyd Patterson popular, but you know yourself if it wasn't for me you wouldn't really be who you are today, because every time I fight, go to foreign countries, you would always be there and you never would have gotten to those countries if it wasn't for me and lately you haven't been able to follow me because I understand your budget is much cheaper".

Howard Cossel was a legendary American sports commentator. His commentary was the soundtrack to Muhammad Ali's career. He commentated on almost all of Ali's fights. His unique voice and distinct commentary style made him a household name around the world. So many characters have tried to imitate his unique voice in cartoons and situation comedies. He was the American commentator on Peter Konyegwachie's final match at the 1984 Olympics (he also believed that Konyegwachie beat the American).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hXF-ule0pw

This is the book:

Howard Cossell: I Never Played The Game (1985).

This is my entire 1980s boxing in one video.

All the story lines revolved around these three people.

The decade began with Muhammad Ali and quickly shifted to Sugar Ray Leonard. A large part of the 1980s was about Leonard. And then came Mike Tyson sometime around 1987 and he ended the decade in Tokyo.

I knew everybody else, and I mean everybody else, because of these three men.

The only minor possible exception was Azumah "Zoom Zoom" Nelson.

They are being interviewed by one of the greatest talk show hosts of the late 1980s and early 1990s, Arsenio Hall.


(This happened 30 years ago and I remembered it because I've already posted it 10 years ago).


The 3 legends in one place.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMfZ86oUcSI


Not just the '80s, this is my entire boxing journey period!

I started out with Muhammad Ali, then thr heavyweight division lost steam and we were in the Sugar Ray era, then came Mike Tyson and my boxing journey ended with Mike Tyson in the 1990s.

This was another fight that was heavily promoted.

It was USA vs UK.

You had British fans singing in the arena.

This was

Iron Mike Tyson vs Frank Bruno (1989)

Highlights


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NytfiOvRcs?si=HZ_-16xx9VmBPo6j


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfpUia2gJjg?si=EKLtoFX_HGBvkwTm

Iron Mike Tyson's best era was in the 1980s before he lost the belt and before he went to jail.

I never missed Chuka Momah's boxing show at 8pm. They changed the name of the show at some point, but it was originally called Big Fight of The Decade.

You are quite right. The second name of the show was Sports Spectacular. I just spoke to someone who reminded me.

The show originally started with the name “Big Fight Of The Decade” around 1984, ’85 or ’86. They showed classic fights involving Mohammed Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Henry Cooper, Roberto Duran, Rocky Marciano, Rocky Graziano, Sugar Ray Robinson, The Chicago Hitman Thomas Hearns, John The Beast Mugabi, Marvellous Marvin Hagler, etc. It was shown at prime time (8pm) and I never missed it.

(My favourite matches were those between Sugar Ray Leonard and any of Duran, Hagler or Hearns. Do you remember the “No Mas” fight in which Duran gave up because he couldn’t stand Sugar Ray’s dancing? However, Ali was certainly the greatest. )

Then they changed the name of the show to Sports Spectacular in the late 1980s and they included other sports like tennis, although the show was still primarily about boxing.

Below: a more recent picture of Chuka Momah.

I have written this list in the past, but I can't find it any more (maybe it was washed away by the data loss tsunami).

There was a period in the 1980s when the middleweight category was the most exciting category in boxing and these are the people that made it so.


Sugar Ray Leonard

Marvelous Marvin Hagler

The Chicago Hitman, Thomas Hearns

Roberto Duran

Julio Cesar Chavez

John The Beast Mugabi

People paid big money to get tickets to this fight. The hype before the match was insane!

Yet some of these people hadn't even sat down when Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks.

The match only lasted 91 seconds!

Iron Mike Tyson vs Michael Spinks (1988)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pzy3eJQ8u2g?si=RZCqeRTNi6f6qDB-

There are certain plays in sport that transcend that particular sport. These things are the stuff that movies are made of.

Larry Bird taking that final shot and walking away with his hands in the air (fingers in the shape of a v), without even looking at the rim and scoring to win the 1986 Three Point contest.


The miracle of Dhammam, Nigeria losing 4-0 with less than 30 minutes to go in the semi-final of the junior world cup, equalising and eventually winning on penalties.

Robin Van Persie's Superman goal in the 2014 World Cup.

Rashidi Yekini's goal from the corner flag.


Then this.

Sugar Ray Leonard (the champion) fought against Roberto Duran in 1980. It was a bad tempered fight. The boxers had exchanged insults before the fight, so Sugar Ray did not fight in his usual flashy and fancy style. He stood and fought toe to toe with Duran in a brutal battle. Sugar Ray lost on points. The fighters continued to insult each other, so there was definitely going to be a rematch and what a rematch it was.


Sugar Ray went back to his flashy style. His hands were as fast as lightning. He utilised the ring very well and Duran had trouble keeping up with him.

Then came the 7th round. Sugar Ray started dancing. He would stick out his face and dare Duran to punch him. He did the Bugs Bunny punch - he wound his right arm round and round like a cartoon character and smashed Duran in the face with his left hand. He would shuffle his feet at the speed of light. Duran simply did not know what to do.

This continued in the 8th round and Duran, realising that there was no way he could catch Sugar Ray and also realising that Sugar Ray Leonard would always hithim with those quick jabs, just turned round and walked away. The refree stopped him and asked what was going on. Duran replied "No mas" (no more) and continued to walk away.


Highlights.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZGbERQLc_A?si=XmJd2_4aMyxwwqME





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZGbERQLc_A?si=jUVMlViFna8v5e77

This was the War! This is what is called, "We die here".

These two men fought as if they had forgotten that there would be other rounds. This was just the first round bu they fought as if this was going to lead to the end of the world.

There was no holding or defending. This was agidigbo. This was power for power, punch for punch. It was a slugfest. Some say that this is the greatest round in boxing history.


This is only the first round. I repeat, what you have in this video is only the first round, but it is more than enough.

Can you believe that Tommy Hearns broke his hand in that opening exchange? You would not believe it if you see the way he kept punching. These guys were dropping bombs on each other.


This is the first round of


Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs The Chicago Hitman Thomas Hearns (1985).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL2a2-8OHdg

1970s and 1980s

1970s Heavyweight

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk1XjsE7gb4?si=LbDgIPvVqx-TBnxx