Rounds of the Year since 1945

[bennie]

Courtesy of Ring magazine


1945 Williams-Joyce: round 12
1946 Zale-Graziano: round six
1947 Louis-Walcott: round four
1948 Louis-Walcott: round 11
1949 Graziano-Fusari: round 10
1950 LaMotta-Dauthuille: round 15
1951 Marciano-Louis: round eight
1952 Marciano-Walcott: round 13
1953 Gavilan-Basilio: round two
1954 Moore-Johnson: round 14
1955 Moore-Olson: round three
1956 Robinson-Olson: round four
1957 Robinson-Fullmer: round five
1958 Johansson-Machen: round one
1959 Johansson-Patterson: round three
1960 Patterson-Johansson: round five
1961 Patterson-Johansson: round one
1962 Liston-Pattterson: round one
1963 Liston-Patterson: round one
1964 Torres-Olson: round one
1965 Torres-Pastrano: round six
1966 Ortiz-Ramos: round five
1967 Tiger-Rouse: round 12
1968 Foster-Tiger: round four
1969 Benvenuti-Rodriguez: round 11
1970 Ali-Bonavena: round 15
1971 Frazier-Ali: round 15
1972 Ali-Foster: round five
1973 Foreman-Frazier: round two
1974 Ali-Foreman: round eight
1975 Ali-Frazier: round 12
1976 Foreman-Lyle: rounds four and five
1977 Young-Foreman: round 12
1978 Spinks-Ali: round 15
1979 Franklin-Johnson: round eight
1980 Saad Muhamad-Lopez: round eight
1981 Lee-LoCicero: round five
1982 Gomez-Pintor: round three
1983 Holmes-Witherspoon: round nine
1984 Meza-Garza: round one
1985 Hagler-Hearns: round one
1986 Cruz-McGuigan: round 15
1987 Seabrooks-Jacob: round one
1988 Tyson-Spinks: round one
1989 Gutierrez-Franklin: round 12
1990 Davis-Breland: round nine
1991 NO AWARD
1992 Bowe-Holyfield: round 10
1993 Norris-Waters: round two
1994 Castro-Jackson: round nine
1995 Sorjaturong-Gonzalez: round seven
1996 Liles-Littles: round three
1997 Gatti-Ruelas: round five
1998 Robinson-Gatti II: round three
1999 De La Hoya-Quartey: round six
2000 Morales-Barrera: round five
2001 Hopkins-Trinidad: round 10
2002 Ward-Gatti I: round nine

[Goz]

I would give an honourable mention to Round 9 of the Leonard-Hagler fight in 1987. As I recall it Hagler finally trapped Leonard in a corner and began to furiously bang away. For a few seconds it looked like Leonard may wilt and you thought the Marvellous one had finally caught up with him. Then back came Sugar Ray with a blistering flurry and they stood toe to toe, Leonard actually appearing to stun Hagler as he punched his way out of trouble, a real turning pont in the most significant fight of that year.

My other 2 favourite rounds since I've been following the sport make the list, Bowe-Holyfield 1 (Round 10) and Hagler-Hearns Round 1.

Funny they picked DLH-Quartey Round 6, I would have gone for the final round of that fight when DLH came out blazing and nearly stopped Quartey before punching himself out.

[MightyWarrior]

Tyson/Spinks?!

Has to be one of the most disappointing rounds of all time. Two years build up and Spinks folds in 90 seconds, without landing a punch.

[bennie]

Tyson/Spinks?!

Has to be one of the most disappointing rounds of all time. Two years build up and Spinks folds in 90 seconds, without landing a punch.

I thought the same with both Liston-Patterson kayoes. How can they be rounds of the year! They were just blowouts.

[MightyWarrior]

Tyson/Spinks?!

Has to be one of the most disappointing rounds of all time. Two years build up and Spinks folds in 90 seconds, without landing a punch.

I thought the same with both Liston-Patterson kayoes. How can they be rounds of the year! They were just blowouts.

Yes completely one sided - more like performance of the year awards..Round 15 of Holmes v Norton deserves a mention - must've been a great year to beat that.

See you got your photo sorted at long last! Who is that, Rossman? What was that famous comment about him being a Jewish fighter? It was by him, or one of his opponents - I'm sure you remember

[bennie]

Tyson/Spinks?!

Has to be one of the most disappointing rounds of all time. Two years build up and Spinks folds in 90 seconds, without landing a punch.

I thought the same with both Liston-Patterson kayoes. How can they be rounds of the year! They were just blowouts.

Yes completely one sided - more like performance of the year awards..Round 15 of Holmes v Norton deserves a mention - must've been a great year to beat that.

See you got your photo sorted at long last! Who is that, Rossman? What was that famous comment about him being a Jewish fighter? It was by him, or one of his opponents - I'm sure you remember

No, I don't remember that. Tell me more.

[stujones]

I would give an honourable mention to Round 9 of the Leonard-Hagler fight in 1987.

Complete agree, I was about to say the same thing. The greatest round of boxing I have ever seen.

I know this is a British forum and were supposed to be pro-British fighters, but Round 1 - 12 of Barerra vs Hamed was a pleasure to watch

Round 12 of Heans vs Leonard II was also great, round 11 wasn't bad either.

Franklin-Johnson: round eight :) :) :)

This was the one that beat Holmes vs Norton, very close but I think a good call.

Weaver vs Tate Round 15 (can't remember the year) was also a classic, thats all Tate had to do was hang on, and he was more than doing it he didn't look exhausted at all- then a punch that didn't seem hard just poleaxed him with 45 seconds to go, he was camoflaguing how knackerd he was really well.

If he would have hung around for 45 seconds, who knows he might still be alive now. His life and career went down hill from there.

1986 Cruz-McGuigan: round 15

[MightyWarrior]

I thought the same with both Liston-Patterson kayoes. How can they be rounds of the year! They were just blowouts.

Yes completely one sided - more like performance of the year awards..Round 15 of Holmes v Norton deserves a mention - must've been a great year to beat that.

See you got your photo sorted at long last! Who is that, Rossman? What was that famous comment about him being a Jewish fighter? It was by him, or one of his opponents - I'm sure you remember

No, I don't remember that. Tell me more.

Sorry I'm getting my facts arse-about-face as usual - I think it was something Rossman said about Yaqui Lopez before they fought - insulted him about being an no-good Indian - something along those lines

[bennie]

Yes completely one sided - more like performance of the year awards..Round 15 of Holmes v Norton deserves a mention - must've been a great year to beat that.

See you got your photo sorted at long last! Who is that, Rossman? What was that famous comment about him being a Jewish fighter? It was by him, or one of his opponents - I'm sure you remember

No, I don't remember that. Tell me more.

Sorry I'm getting my facts arse-about-face as usual - I think it was something Rossman said about Yaqui Lopez before they fought - insulted him about being an no-good Indian - something along those lines

And Lopez then kicked his arse in six rounds! Destroyed Rossman. But two fights later, Rossman is in turn destroying Galindez for the world title and looking sensational on the big Ali-Spinks II bill in New Orleans. He was 22. Had the world at his feet. But he never fought as well again.
The light-heavyweight division was so strong in the late 70's. Think of Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, Mike Spinks, Saad, Marvin Johnson, Galindez, Parlov, Braxton...
It's scary.

[MightyWarrior]

Lopez was a really mild mannered guy ( which you wouldn't guess watching the legendary Saad fight ) but he took exception to Rossman's unkind words, and like you say, Mike paid for it big time.

Yes, looking back the 70's had to be the Light Heavy division's heyday - of course we had John Conteh in the mix too.
I think my favorite was The Camden Buzzsaw - he went right through a faded Rossman too.

Rossman was a sensation when he won the title, shame he faded so quickly. What's he up to these days, anyone know?

[bennie]

Lopez was a really mild mannered guy ( which you wouldn't guess watching the legendary Saad fight ) but he took exception to Rossman's unkind words, and like you say, Mike paid for it big time.

Yes, looking back the 70's had to be the Light Heavy division's heyday - of course we had John Conteh in the mix too.
I think my favorite was The Camden Buzzsaw - he went right through a faded Rossman too.

Rossman was a sensation when he won the title, shame he faded so quickly. What's he up to these days, anyone know?

Now, MW, I'm bitterly disappointed in you. Boxing News is currently running features on former greats from the past and what they're doing now. In recent weeks those features have chronicled Jimmy Young, Harold Johnson, Buster Douglas, Vonzell Johnson and...Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Tony and I are going to pay a little visit.

[MightyWarrior]

Lopez was a really mild mannered guy ( which you wouldn't guess watching the legendary Saad fight ) but he took exception to Rossman's unkind words, and like you say, Mike paid for it big time.

Yes, looking back the 70's had to be the Light Heavy division's heyday - of course we had John Conteh in the mix too.
I think my favorite was The Camden Buzzsaw - he went right through a faded Rossman too.

Rossman was a sensation when he won the title, shame he faded so quickly. What's he up to these days, anyone know?

Now, MW, I'm bitterly disappointed in you. Boxing News is currently running features on former greats from the past and what they're doing now. In recent weeks those features have chronicled Jimmy Young, Harold Johnson, Buster Douglas, Vonzell Johnson and...Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Tony and I are going to pay a little visit.

I'm just popping down to the news agent right now!

I did read last week's Buster Douglas one

[bennie]

Oops, you meant Rossman. He's not doing that great at the moment.

They lined up by the thousands, some in pajamas and slippers, the younger ones up way past their bedtime, to welcome home King Mike.
Some didn't know a jab from an uppercut, but they knew King Mike was their champion.
From Philadelphia International Airport, he rode with a police escort. By the time it hit Washington Township for a victory lap that night, the motorcade stretched as far as anyone could see.
Returning home a hero, Mike Rossman, just 22 years old, must have thought his future was just as boundless.
But just five years later, he'd find himself facing what the doomed heavyweight Jerry Quarry once called "the long slide down."
On Sept. 15, 1978 - 25 years ago - Rossman, then a township resident, won the World Boxing Association light heavyweight title. At the time, he was the youngest fighter ever to win the title.
For the residents of Washington Township, which then was a community of 27,000 people where everyone knew everyone and you were identified by which development you lived in, Rossman brought home much more than a title belt.
His victory over Victor Galindez at the New Orleans Superdome gave the township, on the verge of a development boom, a sense of pride and identity.
"I don't think we've ever repeated anything like that," said Anthony Marsella, a former Assemblyman who was the township's mayor in 1978.
Rossman's win over Galindez also recalled an era of great Jewish boxers - the first half of the 20th century - when championships belonged to fighters such as lightweight Benny Leonard, light heavyweight "Slapsie" Maxie Rosenbloom and heavyweight Max Baer.
Rossman was born Albert Michele DePiano. But when he turned pro, he took his mother Ceilia's maiden name to honor her Jewish heritage. His father, Jimmy DePiano, who was also his manager, nicknamed the young fighter "The Jewish Bomber."
The night Rossman beat Galindez in a nationally televised bout, Italian-American families in Washington Township painted the Star of David on the sides of their houses.
Rossman, now 47 and living in Atlantic City, declined several interview requests, despite the urging of his family to talk about his life on the anniversary of the fight that made him a part of boxing history. Rossman, a member of Local 30 of the Roofer's Union in Atlantic City, said he didn't want to talk because he's had too many problems with the media over the years and he feared being exploited.
Although Rossman could easily work as a trainer or open his own gym, family members said he's left boxing behind because he's bitter at the way his career petered out.
When he's not working, Rossman, the divorced father of two sons, takes long walks on the Boardwalk or runs on the beach to stay close to his fighting weight of 175 pounds, said Andy DePiano, who was in the corner for every one of his older brother's 54 professional fights.
Rossman started boxing at age 14 after visiting the Seven Champs Gym in Pleasantville, which his father co-owned.
He had his first pro fight just 3 1/2 years later - six months shy of the required age to turn professional, 18. Rossman was still a junior at Washington Township High School. Using a fake birth certificate, he was able to get a boxing license, Andy DePiano said.
Rossman left school before graduation and fought his first professional bout on Aug. 10, 1973, in Atlantic City, knocking out Stanley Dawson in two rounds. He began his career as a middleweight before moving up to light heavyweight.
Rossman won 22 fights in a row before losing a 10-round decision to Mike Nixon in 1975.
On March 2, 1978, he fought Alvaro "Yaqui" Lopez at Madison Square Garden in New York, a bout televised on HBO. Lopez knocked Rossman out in the sixth round.
After two more fights that year - both knockout victories - Rossman was ready for a shot at the light heavyweight title.
No one gave the 22-year-old from South Jersey much of a chance against Victor Galindez, a hard-hitting Argentinian who was eight years older than Rossman and had defended his title 10 times after winning it in December 1974.
For four weeks leading up to the fight, Rossman trained at Deer Lake, Pa., alongside Muhammad Ali.
Ali was preparing for a rematch with Leon Spinks, who had taken his heavyweight title earlier that year. The Rossman-Galindez bout would be on the undercard of the Ali fight at the New Orleans Superdome before a national television audience. (Ali won a 15-round decision over Spinks in the rematch.)
Rossman was in perfect shape on fight night: Sept. 15, 1978. Galindez, however, appeared soft, as if he hadn't taken Rossman seriously leading up to the bout, according to ringside observers. From the first round, a focused Rossman beat Galindez at his own game, hitting him on the inside with hard left hooks and uppercuts.
In the second round, Rossman opened a nasty cut over Galindez's right eye.
By the 13th round, a weary and defenseless Galindez leaned on the ropes as Rossman battered him with combinations before the referee stepped in to stop the fight.
It was more than just Rossman's punching power that helped him win the fight, said Hank Kaplan, a boxing historian and archivist who lives in Miami.
"He had good motivation, dedication and desire," Kaplan said. "All that lumped together is the most important variable (in) the making of a good fighter. It doesn't surprise me that he eventually became a world champion."
In Washington Township, people flooded the streets to celebrate their fighter's incredible win.
"The only thing I can compare it to as a kid is the Flyers winning the Stanley Cup," in 1975, said township Councilman Matt Lyons, who was 12 at the time. "I think everybody felt somehow tied into it. This was our Rocky Balboa."
Rossman came back two nights later to a parade and plenty of new friends.
On Oct. 24, Rossman, his family, and Mayor Marsella traveled to the White House to meet President Jimmy Carter.
"It was definitely the good times," Andy DePiano recalled. "You could do no wrong."
Rossman successfully defended his title once, on Dec. 5, 1978, at the Philadelphia Spectrum, with a bloody sixth-round TKO of Aldo Traversaro. Busloads of Washington Township residents were in the audience. A rematch with Galindez had been scheduled for Feb. 24, 1979, at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
"That was the ruination of Mike Rossman, when Victor Galindez didn't show up," DePiano said.
Rossman had trained hard and was ready to keep his belt no matter what Galindez threw at him.
Galindez, who hadn't fought since losing to Rossman, arrived in Las Vegas out of shape and couldn't make the 175-pound weight limit, DePiano said.
With a sold-out crowd and a national television audience waiting, Galindez refused to come out of his dressing room, while Rossman waited in the ring.
Galindez and his handlers complained that they wouldn't get a fair decision from the Nevada officials who'd been chosen to judge the fight. They wanted neutral judges as replacements. Despite last minute negotiations, the fight was canceled.
"You reach your top peak and you're ready to let it all go and then (have to) come back home," DePiano said. "It was really horrible. From that point on, (Mike) wasn't right."
The rematch was rescheduled for April 14, 1979, at the New Orleans Superdome.
This time, Galindez was in shape. He'd been allowed to have a tune-up fight in Argentina.
Although Rossman appeared fit, he seemed distracted as the rematch began, a videotape of the fight shows.
As Galindez landed hard body shots, Rossman couldn't find the rhythm he'd had in the first fight.
"It was an ugly night," DePiano said. "Every punch he took, I felt."
In the ninth round, Rossman fractured a bone in his right hand and couldn't answer the bell for the 10th. Galindez had won back the belt he'd lost six months earlier.
And Rossman was back to being a contender.
Things got worse that September. Rossman fought lightly regarded Ramon Ranquello at the Meadowlands in what was supposed to be a tune-up fight before another shot at the title.
Rossman was sick with the flu but was pressured to fight anyway by the promoters, DePiano said.
Ranquello knocked Rossman out in the sixth round, sending him plummeting in the rankings.
At the time, Rossman had battles outside the ring as well.
"He and my father weren't getting along," DePiano recalled. "They butted heads at the end."
There were disputes over money and changing Rossman's fighting style.
Rossman fought four more times before a May 1981 bout with another South Jersey light heavyweight, Dwight Braxton, in Atlantic City. (Braxton, nicknamed "The Camden Buzzsaw," is now known as Dwight Muhammad Qawi.)
A tentative Rossman seemed outmatched by the shorter, stockier Braxton, who was in his 16th professional fight.
In the seventh round, Qawi knocked Rossman down and he landed in a sitting position against the ring ropes. Rossman seemed more demoralized than hurt, his eyes closed tight as if he were in deep prayer. He did not get up before the referee counted him out.
Later that year, there was trouble with the law.
In December 1981, Rossman was arrested in Atlantic City and charged with assaulting two police officers who had pulled him over for speeding.
Over the next decade there were other charges - and brief stints in jail - for drug possession, extortion and failure to pay child support.
Rossman didn't fight at all in 1982 as he tried to get his personal life on track. In January 1983, Jimmy DePiano, who had managed his son since the beginning, died. One last shot?
That year, Rossman made a comeback, winning four fights in Atlantic City.
He thought of taking one last shot at a world title, but things didn't feel the same. There would be no third fight with Galindez, who had lost the title soon after regaining it from Rossman. No chance for Rossman to win back part of what he had lost. Galindez retired in 1980 after undergoing surgery to repair two detached retinas.
Rossman was 27 and his ring career was over.
Reflecting on his brief title reign in a February 1980 interview with the Courier-Post, Rossman said, "The whole thing just blew right by me. I didn't have time to think or even enjoy it."
After retiring, Rossman relocated to Atlantic City to be closer to his mother, who still lives in the resort town, and got a job with the roofer's union.
Although Rossman appears to have suffered no permanent damage from the blows he took in the ring, he never got rich from the sport to which he gave his blood, his brother said.
"I worry about him every day," said DePiano, who is co-owner of a family-run carpet store in the township. "He's a rough guy to deal with. Something's bothering him."
But for 211 glorious days, King Mike was the light heavyweight champion of the world. And he was Washington Township's champion.
"To have all that when you're 21, 22 years old and then 10 years later. . .," DePiano said, his voice trailing off. "It doesn't last forever, but while we were there, we enjoyed it."

[MightyWarrior]

Good article...poor old Rossman.
I remember watching the Galindez rematch on TV in America, god knows how he got that rematch, after standing everyone up at the last minute like that.

The Ramon fight was a shocker, upset of the year I think. Is that Rossman beating Gallindez in your photo?

[bennie]

Good article...poor old Rossman.
I remember watching the Galindez rematch on TV in America, god knows how he got that rematch, after standing everyone up at the last minute like that.

The Ramon fight was a shocker, upset of the year I think. Is that Rossman beating Gallindez in your photo?

No, Galindez didn't deserve anything after storming out of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas the way he did. I remember seeing a pic of him walking out with his bandages on and a look on his face that said, "get out of my fornicating way!" And in the background you could see Rossman waiting in the ring! Incredible.
Galindez must have been well in there with the WBA (he was managed by the same guy who managed Carlos Monzon) to get another shot at Rossman. When they did get together a couple of months later, Galindez attacked Rossman's brother who, somewhat stupidly, had squared up to Galindez after the Argentinian had landed a punch after the bell. Rossman's brother probably thought he was being hard, but Galindez snarled at him for a second and then started throwing punches that, as Mike Tyson would put it, were thrown with bad intentions. Rossman's brother couldn't get out of the ring quick enough.

[bennie]

That picture is after their first fight, MW. Galindez had just had the crap beaten out of him for 13 rounds, but he still insisted on walking over to Rossman and his brother to have a little pop.
As you can see, Rossman, the new champion, went "Done it!!"

[Lickszz]

One of my favourite rounds is round 1 of Ray Mancini against Art Frias in 1982.

My favourite off that list is 1979 Franklin v Johnson.

[Syntax Error]

I think this thread needs a revival.

Some interesting picks there & even more interesting is the omission for 1991.

15 years have passed since this thread, so we've got 2003 - 2017 to add to it now.

I need to go away & sieve through my memory banks to come up with my picks.

[prewarboxing]

No problem with reviving it, but shouldn't it be in the history section rather than British and Irish.

[JimJim2009]

Can't recall the year but you're hard pressed to do better than Benn / Barkley.

[ILikeBeer]

Audley Harrison vs Richel Hersisa, round 4. 2004.