ON Thursday, October thirtieth, Prime Rank provided a present free to US viewers on the promoter’s streaming channel, Prime Rank Classics. This has jogged my memory that it’s now three months since Prime Rank’s streaming take care of ESPN got here to an finish.
ESPN’s Prime Rank broadcasts began in 1980. It appeared to many people that the Prime Rank/ESPN partnership would by no means finish. Nevertheless it did. Now we’re left with the recollections. Listed below are a few of mine — 10 fights from the numerous which were watched over time.
Roger Stafford WON PTS 10 Pipino CuevasHacienda Lodge, Las Vegas, November 7, 1981
Mexico’s heavy-handed Cuevas, the previous WBA welterweight champion, was pencilled in to battle Sugar Ray Leonard. Philadelphia’s Stafford tore up the script, profitable an upset unanimous 10-round choice.
Stafford, a sensible boxer with a 17-2-1 report, floored Cuevas within the second spherical. Cuevas bought up, survived, and got here again to pound Stafford with large left hooks within the fourth. Stafford bought by way of the spherical and Cuevas appeared to punch himself out.
It was all Stafford within the later rounds. Cuevas was minimize over the left eye and Stafford was outboxing him and touchdown clear photographs. He had Cuevas damage and nearly out on his ft within the final spherical.
Donald Curry WON PTS 15 Hwang Jun-sukFort Value, Texas, February 13, 1983
Curry needed to get off the canvas to win this battle between undefeated fighters for the vacant WBA welter title. Hwang, crude however robust, dropped Curry to 1 knee with a proper hand within the seventh spherical.
Curry was up shortly and got here again to dominate proceedings, bloodying the South Korean slugger’s nostril together with his sharp jabs. The hometown crowd roared Curry on, however the shorter, stockier Hwang saved swinging.
By the later rounds, Hwang’s white trunks took on a crimson hue as blood flowed from his nostril, however he was sport and defiant to the tip. This was Curry’s sixteenth win in a row and he appeared destined for greatness. However, though he later unified the welter title by knocking out WBC champion Milton McCrory in two rounds, one had the sensation that Curry by no means fairly fulfilled his potential.
Tyrone Crawley WON PTS 10 Robin BlakeLevelland, Texas, October 8, 1983
Prime Rank was build up Blake as a future star. And the tall, rangy, southpaw with clean-cut attractiveness appeared effectively on his method to a light-weight title shot when he confronted Philadelphia’s Crawley.
It was a Saturday night time hometown battle in Levelland for the undefeated Blake (22-0, 16 KOs) and he was closely favoured. However the slick, speedy ‘Butterfly’ Crawley outboxed and outsmarted the hometown fighter.
The packed crowd of 5,000 “watched in shocked silence”, as I reported for Boxing Information, Blake was thought of the puncher within the battle. Crawley had stopped solely three opponents in his 13-1 report. However when Crawley staggered Blake with a proper hand within the third spherical, you knew that ‘Rockin’ Robin’ was in for a rocky night time.
Crawley switched between the orthodox and southpaw stances and had Blake lacking and looking out bewildered. Blake, solely 21, was in over his head. Crawley gained a deserved unanimous choice, though one of many Texas judges had this only a one-point battle.
Terrence Alli w 12 John MeekinsTrump Fort, Atlantic Metropolis, January 20, 1991
Alli, born in Guyana however Brooklyn-based, was an ESPN common. One in all his most interesting wins was his unanimous 12-round choice over proficient John Meekins on an ESPN Sunday present.
Meekins, who was additionally an ESPN staple, was defending the NABF 140lbs title. (Ringside analyst Al Bernstein referred to Alli and Meekins because the “poster boys” of ESPN boxing.)
Alli was quick and sharp, pumping the jab, bothering Meekins together with his speedy motion and at instances nearly leaping in together with his punches.
From time to time, Alli landed the suitable hand, however his jab principally gained him the battle. Meekins landed good physique punches, however Bernstein commented that Alli was “utilizing his left hand like a surgeon”.
Tommy Morrison KO 2 Artwork TuckerHarrah’s Marina on line casino, Atlantic Metropolis, Could 14, 1992
Heavyweight big-hitter Morrison was combating his manner again after his loss to Ray Mercer seven months earlier. Tucker, a 40-year-old, 6ft 6ins ex-convict from Newark, New Jersey, had a good report (20-3-1, 15 KOs), however didn’t take a punch too effectively.
There was a “matter of time” really feel about this match-up. However the scheduled 10-rounder was vigorous whereas it lasted.
Tucker landed a few proper arms and likewise a proper uppercut within the opening spherical, however Morrison blasted him into the ropes with a left hook.
It was throughout within the second. A left hook had Tucker squatting on the ropes and referee Rudy Battle gave him an eight depend — and nearly instantly after the “field on” sign, a left hook closed the present after 72 seconds of the spherical.
Roger Mayweather DQ 5 Livingstone BrambleThe Aladdin, Las Vegas, March 14, 1993
Mayweather profitable by DQ towards Bramble in a conflict of ex-champs was an unsatisfactory end — this actually ought to have been a TKO win for the ‘Black Mamba’.
Bramble was aggressive for 2 rounds within the scheduled 10-round super-lightweight contest, however then Mayweather bought his timing locked in and dominated with an unerring jab and sharp photographs.
Mayweather dropped Bramble with a proper hand within the fourth. Now Bramble was minimize and swollen over the suitable eye and had blood inside his mouth.
It was extra goal observe for Mayweather within the fifth and Bramble’s coach, Janks Morton, bought up on the ring apron to inform referee Joe Cortez he wished the battle to be stopped.
Cortez, nonetheless, felt that Morton had contravened the principles by coming into the ring-apron space, and the consequence went into the data as a disqualification as an alternative of a TKO.
James Toney TKO 7 Anthony HembrickFernwood Resort, Bushkill, Pennsylvania, January 16, 1994
Toney was one of many many excellent fighters showcased on ESPN. The IBF champion at 168lbs, Toney was stepping as much as light-heavy for the bout with Hembrick.
This was seen as a great take a look at for Toney, as Hembrick had twice challenged for the light-heavy title. Toney, nonetheless, took aside his fellow Michigander and made it look straightforward.
Toney countered superbly when backed up on the ropes, bloodied Hembrick’s nostril and appeared capable of hit and damage his man at any time when he happy. He dropped Hembrick within the third spherical and once more within the sixth; Hembrick’s nook threw within the towel within the seventh.
Kevin Kelley TKO 9 Ricardo RiveraMountaineer Race Monitor, Chester, West Virginia, March 31, 1995
This was a kind of fights the place the overwhelming favorite discovered himself in a life-and-death battle.
Kelley was having his first bout after dropping the WBC featherweight title to Alejandro Gonzalez in a struggle. Rivera, a lanky, shaven-skulled Puerto Rican boxer, didn’t have something like Kelley’s expertise, however he nearly gained.
Rivera knocked Kelley down with a proper hand within the second spherical. By the fourth, Kelley’s nostril was bloody and his left eye was swollen and shutting. The sixth spherical noticed Kelley getting ready to being stopped.
Rivera hammered him on the ropes and the referee issued a standing eight-count. However Kelley began to battle his manner again within the seventh, rocking Rivera with a left hand from his southpaw stance.
“If he knocks out Ricardo Rivera, this would be the most dramatic comeback inside a battle I’ve ever seen,” Al Bernstein remarked. And Kelley did it! He dropped his tormentor with an enormous left hand within the ninth spherical and the battle was stopped, with Rivera on his ft however out of it.
Erik Morales TKO 11 Rudy BradleyArizona Charlie’s, Las Vegas, February 25, 1996
Morales was a 19-year-old star on the rise (20-0, 16 KOs) when he was matched with Phoenix southpaw Bradley in a scheduled 12-rounder for the NABF super-bantamweight title, which the Mexican fighter was defending.
Morales appeared a lot larger than Bradley, who produced some artful strikes however was remorselessly worn down. At lengthy vary, Morales’ proper hand jolted again Bradley’s head. Bradley, 28, tried to crowd Morales to the ropes however even then he was getting the worst of it.
Bradley was minimize over the left eye and wilting when referee Richard Steele referred to as a halt.
Floyd Mayweather Jr WON PTS 10 Tony PepTrump Taj Mahal, Atlantic Metropolis, June 14, 1998
Mayweather boxed superbly towards the lengthy and lanky Canadian boxer, profitable each spherical on two judges’ playing cards, whereas the third choose discovered a spherical to offer to Pep (actual identify Pipke).
It was Mayweather’s seventeenth win in a row and Fairly Boy (as he was then recognized) handled the bout like a health club session: “I hit you, you miss me.”
Pep caught with it however had a bewildered look, telling his nook after the seventh spherical: “I can’t hit this man.”
