Most Anticipated Comeback?

[gilgamesh]

Yes, but only in USA. Ali's and Tyson's combacks were highly anticipated around the world.

That's a good point

Ive always assumed the Johnson/Jeffries saga was of worldwide interest back then ?

You'd think so.

[Tony1244]

I guess it's how you look at things.
The Jeffries-Johnson fight was hugely anticipated. I guess it's how you look at things. Many fans (primarily white) just wanted to see Johnson lose. Many thought that Jeffries had the best chance (at least of any white fighter to beat Johnson). However, it's doubtful that many people would have been that excited to see Jeffries come back if Johnson was not in the picture.

Obviously having Joe Frazier as the champion made Ali's return greatly anticipated. However, even Frazier was not in the picture, Ali's comeback would still have been hugely anticipated.

Imagine if Quarry could have beaten Frazier in 1969?

[Tony1244]

That's a good point

Ive always assumed the Johnson/Jeffries saga was of worldwide interest back then ?

This might help though it is only the Daily Mail's writer looking back. I could find nothing from the British press at the time the fight actually took place.

Jack Johnson, as the first black world heavyweight champion, was the bane of the white supremacists in America in the early 1900s.

They hated it when the Galveston Giant beat Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia, in 1908 to win the title they had brandished as the symbol of their racial superiority.

Thus began the quest for The Great White Hope.

When Johnson KO’d their best hope of all, Stanley Ketchel, the crusade to bring their old idol Jeffries out of six-year retirement reached a frenzy.

The bout was scheduled for 45 rounds but Johnson said he knew it was as good as over in the fourth when he saw the alarmed reaction to his trademark uppercut and ‘the old ship sinking.’

Jeffries, hitherto undefeated, had never been off his feet but after two knock-downs his corner threw in the towel at the end of the 15th.

He dismayed white America by saying: ‘I could never have whipped Johnson at my best, not in a thousand years.’

Symbolically, the Fourth of July shook the foundations of America’s old white order.

Riots broke out that night in 25 cities across the United States and 50 cities including New York and Washington.

As police joined enraged white citizens in subduing black American celebrations, 20 people were killed and hundreds injured.

I had forgotten that very interesting tidbit about Jeffries saying he never could have beaten him. Considering Jeffries was out for 6 years and lost all that weight, it was really brilliant for the white promoters to schedule it for 45 rounds.

[Tony1244]

I had forgotten that very interesting tidbit about Jeffries saying he never could have beaten him. Considering Jeffries was out for 6 years and lost all that weight, it was really brilliant for the white promoters to schedule it for 45 rounds.

Not the brightest of ideas was it?

Maybe if they had it for 10 rounds and tell him to just blitz the guy it would have been smarter. Still apparently would not have worked.

[Ambling Alp II]

I think many were completely underestimating the effect of being off for so long of a period of time; and also losing about 100 pounds. If it was a prime Jeffries, then the longer that the fight was scheduled the better chance he would have had.

[SenorPipino]

Wasn't 45 rounds simply the norm for title fights around that time?

It seems mind boggling today when fighters are gassed in the 6th round.

Johnson's defeat to Willard was also a scheduled 45 round bout.

I think shortly after that time, 20 round fights seemed to come into vogue. I believe Louis had a couple title defenses scheduled for 20.

Interestingly I recall that one of the Dempsey-Tunney title fights was only a 10 rounder.

There appeared to be little rhyme or reason why early 20th century fights were scheduled for a certain number of rounds.

[Syntax Error]

Any other comeback simply has to pale into insignificance when compared to Ali's. The guy was unbeaten in the ring, forced into exile by the might of his government, and as has been stated by a poster above, the shift in public opinion regarding Vietnam somewhat vindicated Ali, so the WORLD wanted to see if he could rekindle his career.

Too true.

I wish I was old enough to have savoured Ali's 1970 return, because that must have been something else.

I remember Tyson's 1995 return & that was huge, but Ali's must have dwarfed it.

On a side note, one thing that has surprised me is the lack of hype about Sugar Ray Robinson's 1955 return.

I know he'd lost his last fight before that in 1952, but that was at 175.

Here was the biggest name in the sport returning at 160, but it doesn't seem to have registered as big as some of the other comebacks.

[Ambling Alp II]

Wasn't 45 rounds simply the norm for title fights around that time?

It seems mind boggling today when fighters are gassed in the 6th round.

Johnson's defeat to Willard was also a scheduled 45 round bout.

I think shortly after that time, 20 round fights seemed to come into vogue. I believe Louis had a couple title defenses scheduled for 20.

Interestingly I recall that one of the Dempsey-Tunney title fights was only a 10 rounder.

There appeared to be little rhyme or reason why early 20th century fights were scheduled for a certain number of rounds.

It is amazing that some of these fights went for so long.
45 was pretty common, but there really was not a "norm" for title fights until at least the late the 1920s.
Title fights scheduled 20 round were pretty common. Occasionally there were fights scheduled for 25 rounds. For whatever reason, there doesn't seem to be many scheduled for between 25-45 rounds.
12-round fights between contenders was pretty common as well.

Different states had different rules. Actually both of the Dempsey-Tunney fights were 10-rounders.

[SenorPipino]

I've never understood how fighters could go 45 rounds.

It's doesn't seem humanely possibly unless you paced yourself to a degree where you did absolutely nothing for a good number of rounds.

In perspective, 45 rounds is 3 15-round fights all at once.

Can you imagine Ali and Frazier doing it again....and then again.....immediately after their March 8 1971 epic 15 round encounter?

I know that there was a time, apparently pre Marquis de Queensbury, that boxing matches were fought to a finish.

Until one fighter was knocked out. Fights could easily exceed 100 rounds.

However rounds would end as soon as a fighter was knocked down, assuming he rose.

So in theory, a round could last just seconds, explaining how bouts could last so long.

[Syntax Error]

Any other comeback simply has to pale into insignificance when compared to Ali's. The guy was unbeaten in the ring, forced into exile by the might of his government, and as has been stated by a poster above, the shift in public opinion regarding Vietnam somewhat vindicated Ali, so the WORLD wanted to see if he could rekindle his career.

Too true.

I wish I was old enough to have savoured Ali's 1970 return, because that must have been something else.

Trust me you don't Syntax. The memories aren't worth the aches and pains, and taking ten minutes to get your socks and shoes on in the morning.

[elmersalsa]

Ali in 1970 or Tyson in 1995. No doubt about it

Nuff said.

[elmersalsa]

Any other comeback simply has to pale into insignificance when compared to Ali's. The guy was unbeaten in the ring, forced into exile by the might of his government, and as has been stated by a poster above, the shift in public opinion regarding Vietnam somewhat vindicated Ali, so the WORLD wanted to see if he could rekindle his career.

Too true.

I wish I was old enough to have savoured Ali's 1970 return, because that must have been something else.

I remember Tyson's 1995 return & that was huge, but Ali's must have dwarfed it.

On a side note, one thing that has surprised me is the lack of hype about Sugar Ray Robinson's 1955 return.

I know he'd lost his last fight before that in 1952, but that was at 175.

Here was the biggest name in the sport returning at 160, but it doesn't seem to have registered as big as some of the other comebacks.

The great Sugar Ray Robinson's return to the ring didn't had much hype.

Another great return was the great Joe Louis fighting the great Ezzard Charles for the Universally Recognized World Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 1950.

[elmersalsa]

Definitely, The Greatest return to the ring in 1970 was tops. The whole world watched. The second most anticipated come back was the great Mike Tyson's.

Other less and insignificant comebacks:
Benny Leonard in 1931
Eder Jofre in 1969
Joe Frazier in 1981
Willie Pep in 1965
Alexis Arguello in 1994
Ruben Olivares in 1986
Carlos Zarate in 1986
Thomas Hearns in 2005
Erik Morales in 2010

[Ambling Alp II]

Thanks for that list of insignificant comebacks. Probably a 100 more like that we could add.
Leonard-Hagler would have to be up there; though there was not quite as much as you might think because Hagler was supposed to crush Leonard.
It's really hard to imagine the interest in fights before our time such as Jeffries-Johnson.

[SenorPipino]

Any other comeback simply has to pale into insignificance when compared to Ali's. The guy was unbeaten in the ring, forced into exile by the might of his government, and as has been stated by a poster above, the shift in public opinion regarding Vietnam somewhat vindicated Ali, so the WORLD wanted to see if he could rekindle his career.

Too true.

I wish I was old enough to have savoured Ali's 1970 return, because that must have been something else.

I remember Tyson's 1995 return & that was huge, but Ali's must have dwarfed it.

On a side note, one thing that has surprised me is the lack of hype about Sugar Ray Robinson's 1955 return.

I know he'd lost his last fight before that in 1952, but that was at 175.

Here was the biggest name in the sport returning at 160, but it doesn't seem to have registered as big as some of the other comebacks.

The great Sugar Ray Robinson's return to the ring didn't had much hype.

Another great return was the great Joe Louis fighting the great Ezzard Charles for the Universally Recognized World Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 1950.

Robinson's return was strictly a boxing story. It was big in the sport's pages but that was it.

Robinson was not a social force who attracted mainstream attention. If you didn't follow boxing, you didn't follow Robinson.

Ali was a social force.

His affiliation with the Black Muslims, his refusal to he drafted, his banishment from boxing, his denunciation of the controversial Vietnam War, his 4 year judicial odyssey, all made him a controversial figure of global interest.

Jeffries was also a social force. Happily retired, the old heavyweight champion was coaxed back into the ring for one purpose---to demonstrate white superiority over the black man.

Much of white society was counting on Jeffries. Not just boxing or sport's fans.
His matchup with Johnson was an event of worldwide significance.

And while Tyson wasn't exactly a lightening rod for social change, his return to boxing created a great deal of controversy and animosity, primarily from women's groups.

After serving his prison sentence for rape, many women were resentful of his return to the ring and his ability to earn millions doing so.

They felt a convicted rapist shouldn't be so handsomely rewarded.

Major protests and demonstrations were held as the fight with McNeeley neared.

These same demonstrations followed Tyson for the remainder of his career, even when he fought in the UK.

The thuggish Tyson was a pariah to many, especially females.

But others believed that Iron Mike had been railroaded, falsely convicted and brought down by a conniving beauty pageant contestant intent on profiting from her rendezvous with the former champ.

Outside the ring, Robinson aroused none of these same visceral passions as did the trio of Ali, Jefferies and Tyson.

Hence, his comeback lacked the same global sizzle that surrounded the other three.

[Syntax Error]

Too true.

I wish I was old enough to have savoured Ali's 1970 return, because that must have been something else.

I remember Tyson's 1995 return & that was huge, but Ali's must have dwarfed it.

On a side note, one thing that has surprised me is the lack of hype about Sugar Ray Robinson's 1955 return.

I know he'd lost his last fight before that in 1952, but that was at 175.

Here was the biggest name in the sport returning at 160, but it doesn't seem to have registered as big as some of the other comebacks.

The great Sugar Ray Robinson's return to the ring didn't had much hype.

Another great return was the great Joe Louis fighting the great Ezzard Charles for the Universally Recognized World Heavyweight Championship on September 27, 1950.

Robinson's return was strictly a boxing story. It was big in the sport's pages but that was it.

Robinson was not a social force who attracted mainstream attention. If you didn't follow boxing, you didn't follow Robinson.

Ali was a social force.

His affiliation with the Black Muslims, his refusal to he drafted, his banishment from boxing, his denunciation of the controversial Vietnam War, his 4 year judicial odyssey, all made him a controversial figure of global interest.

Jeffries was also a social force. Happily retired, the old heavyweight champion was coaxed back into the ring for one purpose---to demonstrate white superiority over the black man.

Much of white society was counting on Jeffries. Not just boxing or sport's fans.
His matchup with Johnson was an event of worldwide significance.

And while Tyson wasn't exactly a lightening rod for social change, his return to boxing created a great deal of controversy and animosity, primarily from women's groups.

After serving his prison sentence for rape, many women were resentful of his return to the ring and his ability to earn millions doing so.

They felt a convicted rapist shouldn't be so handsomely rewarded.

Major protests and demonstrations were held as the fight with McNeeley neared.

These same demonstrations followed Tyson for the remainder of his career, even when he fought in the UK.

The thuggish Tyson was a pariah to many, especially females.

But others believed that Iron Mike had been railroaded, falsely convicted and brought down by a conniving beauty pageant contestant intent on profiting from her rendezvous with the former champ.

Outside the ring, Robinson aroused none of these same visceral passions as did the trio of Ali, Jefferies and Tyson.

Hence, his comeback lacked the same global sizzle that surrounded the other three.