Roberto Duran’s infamous ‘No mas’ declaration. Larry Holmes’ destruction of an ageing Mohammed Ali. Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns in the round from hell. Mike Tyson spitting out a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear. These are some of boxing’s blockbuster events that have inspired countless retellings.
Veteran sportswriter James Lawton was fortunate to cover nearly every significant bout in the final three decades of the 20th century. A Ringside Affair is Lawton’s record of boxing’s most enthralling era. The late 1970s to the early 2000s was dominated by heavyweights and welterweights. Both divisions were packed with quality fighters and charismatic personalities. This made for intense contests, and plenty of bizarre, memorable happenings both in and outside the ring.
Take, for example, Duran’s duel with ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard in November 1980. The normally unbreakable Duran shocked the world when he quit at the end of the eighth round, telling the referee, “No mas” (No more). A depressed Carlos Eleta, Duran’s manager, later said, “Something strange happened to him.” The Panama slugger earned the wrath of fans, before he redeemed himself with robust performances in subsequent fights. A few years later, Hagler and Hearns came out swinging in a violent first-round battle. The ferocity of the blows exchanged prompted Lawton’s friend, a U.S. Navy man, to comment, “I never thought I would see anything so intense outside of war.”
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And then there is Tyson’s defeat to the 42-1 underdog, James ‘Buster’ Douglas — considered the greatest upset in boxing history. A grossly under-prepared Tyson, who had traded his training routine for wild parties in the build up to the fight, fell to the canvas in the tenth round and couldn’t beat the count.
In terms of shock value, it is tough to match James Miller’s paragliding antics during the Holyfield-Riddick Bowe encounter. Miller descended into the ring in the middle of the fight, causing a long disruption. Angry spectators attacked Miller and beat him unconscious.
The book ends with Tyson’s decline, from being the ‘baddest man on the planet’ to a desperate loner in deep financial trouble. In what turned out to be his final appearance in the squared-circle, a disinterested Tyson threw in the towel against Irish journeyman Kevin McBride. “I don’t want to disrespect the sport that I love. My heart is not into this anymore,” Tyson admitted. Boxing had lost a true superstar, and would be the poorer for it. Lawton uses his extensive insider knowledge to add an extra layer to boxing’s storied past.
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A Ringside Affair: Boxing’s Last Golden Age ; James Lawton, Bloomsbury, ₹799.