10 notable heavyweight fights in New York

On Saturday night, March 3, WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder defends his title against unbeaten Cuban challenger Luis Ortiz at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Wilder, who is 39-0, is making the seventh defense of his title. It’s his third appearance at Barclays Center. Ortiz, 28-0, with 24 knockouts, is vying to become the first Latino heavyweight born outside of the United States to win the heavyweight title.

Here is a look at some significant heavyweight bouts in New York.

Joe Frazier W 15 Muhammad Ali, March 8, 1971, Madison Square Garden

This was billed as “The Fight of the Century” and to this day remains unparalleled in the history of boxing. It was the first time that two undefeated heavyweight champions — as well as Olympic gold medalists — fought for the heavyweight crown. Ali captured the heavyweight title in 1964 and reigned over the division for three years until he was stripped of his belt for refusing induction into the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Ali would be inactive for more than three years while the courts decided if he could fight again. In that time, Frazier became the heavyweight champion. When they agreed to fight, battle lines were immediately drawn. Ali was seen as the controversial voice of the 1960s, while Frazier was cast as the establishment’s champion. It was the hottest ticket in sports — Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Diana Ross and Sammy Davis Jr. were ringside. Frank Sinatra was taking photographs for Life magazine. Ali and Frazier fought for a then-record $2.5 million purse. After 15 rounds of thrilling toe-to-toe action, Frazier won a unanimous decision.

Joe Louis KO 1 Max Schmeling, June 22, 1938, Yankee Stadium

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This was much more than a boxing match. The fight lasted a mere 124 seconds. But it’s outcome would live forever. The second fight between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling is remembered as one of the major sports events of the 20th century. As the United States inched closer to World War II, the 1938 rematch between Louis and Schmeling had worldwide implications. Adolf Hitler had risen to power in Germany and his persecution of Jews, which ultimately led to the Holocaust, had begun in 1935. Schmeling, who knocked out Louis in their first fight, was upheld by Hitler as a symbol of Aryan superiority.

A crowd of 70,043 paying customers jammed into Yankee Stadium and millions more heard the bout on radio. It was broadcast in four languages: English, German, Portuguese and Spanish. At the opening bell, Louis forced Schmeling to the ropes. Suddenly a Louis right lifted Schmeling’s right foot in the air and the German grabbed the top rope to steady himself. Schmeling extended only his left arm for protection. Louis then unloaded a barrage of punches, many landing against Schmeling’s head. Schmeling then turned away from the champion and a body shot seemed to leave him paralyzed. With Schmeling still pinned along the ropes, a Louis right buckled his knees and referee Arthur Donovan intervened. After a brief count, he allowed the action to continue.

Schmeling wobbled toward Louis and was met with a right hand that sent him crashing to the canvas. Schmeling gamely reached his feet but another Louis combination sent him down again.

Jack Dempsey KO 2 Luis Angel Firpo, Sept. 14, 1923, Polo Grounds

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One of the most action-filled heavyweight fights in history saw Jack Dempsey knocked down twice, including falling out of the ring in the first round. Luis Angel Firpo, of Argentina, was dropped 10 times before getting knocked out in the second round. Over 80,000 fans produced a gate of $1.25 million. It was Dempsey’s fifth defense of the heavyweight title. In 1950, the Associated Press ranked Dempsey vs. Firpo as the most dramatic sports moment of the previous 50 years. In 2001, The Ring magazine named the second round the most exciting round in history.

Joe Louis KO 13 Billy Conn, June 18, 1941, Polo Grounds

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Billy Conn, a master boxer, was trying to become the first light heavyweight champion to rise in weight and capture the heavyweight title. He came very close to making history. A crowd of 54,487 made its way to the Polo Grounds for the fight. After 12 rounds, Conn was ahead on two of the three scorecards, and the bout was even on the third. Conn needed to win just one of the three remaining rounds to upset Louis. However, after staggering Louis in the 12th, Conn believed he could stop him and went for a knockout in the 13th. Louis, who was told by his trainer, Jack Blackburn, that he had to stop Conn to win, also went for a knockout. Louis hurt Conn with a right about a minute into the round. Louis, one of the greatest finishers of all time, didn’t let Conn off the hook. A volley of lefts and rights put Conn down for the count at 2:58 of the 13th round.

James J. Braddock W 15 Max Baer, June 13, 1935, Madison Square Garden Bowl

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James J. Braddock, a week away from his 30th birthday, was considered washed up and a 10-1 underdog against heavyweight champion Max Baer. They fought in the open-air Madison Square Garden Bowl in Long Island City. Baer, a devastating puncher in the ring, once killed a man during a bout. But on this night, Braddock outboxed the slugger and became heavyweight champion of the world. He jabbed and circled to the left, staying away from Baer’s powerful right hand. Damon Runyon, reporting on the fight, wrote the next day, “The fistic fairy tale comes true. James J. Braddock of New Jersey, ‘The Cinderella Man’ of pugilism, is the new heavyweight champion of the world.” The story of Braddock, who was living on public assistance a short time before the fight, captured and inspired a beleagured nation much the way Seabiscuit, the long-shot thoroughbred did during the same era. Braddock’s story was the inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film, “Cinderella Man.”

Rocky Marciano TKO 8 Joe Louis, Oct. 26, 1951, Madison Square Garden

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This was a passing of the torch. Marciano, 27, was on the verge of fighting for the heavyweight title. Louis, 37, was in desperate need of one more payday. A crowd of 17,241 produced a gross gate of $152,845. Louis, a 6-5 favorite, received a purse of $132,000, and Marciano got $44,000. What everyone saw was a mismatch. Louis was knocked down by a left hook in the eighth round. He got to one knee at the count of three and took an eight-count before getting up. Marciano moved in for the finish and ended the fight with a right that sent Louis through the ropes and onto the ring apron.

Floyd Patterson KO 5 Ingemar Johansson, June 20, 1960, Polo Grounds

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A year earlier, at Yankee Stadium, Sweden’s Ingemar Johansson knocked out Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight title. Johansson was an 8-5 betting favorite to duplicate the feat. But this time Patterson had other ideas. He would become the first former heavyweight champion in history to regain the title. Eight previous champions — Jim Corbett (two times), Bob Fitzsimmons, Jim Jeffries, Jack Dempsey, Max Schmeling, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles (three times) and Jersey Joe Walcott — had tried and failed. In the fifth round, Patterson dropped Johansson. The Swede was up at nine, bleeding from his mouth and with a cut over his left eye. A relentless follow-up by Patterson felled the champion again, and he was counted at 1:51 of the fifth round.

Muhammad Ali W 15 Ken Norton, Sept. 28, 1976, Yankee Stadium

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In the third fight of their trilogy, Muhammad Ali retained the heavyweight title by winning a very close but unanimous decision against Ken Norton at Yankee Stadium. Referee Arthur Mercante scored it 8-6 and judges Harold Lederman and Barney Smith scored it 8-7. All in favor of Ali. They had split their two previous fights, with Norton breaking Ali’s jaw in the first encounter. After the third match, Norton said, “I won at least nine or 10 rounds. I was robbed.” Ali countered with: “I had just enough to win. I know I’m the winner.”

New York City police officers were on strike at the time of the fight, leaving thousands of fans to police themselves. Promoter Bob Arum blamed the strike for a reduction in walk-up ticket sales. It was the last fight at the old Yankee Stadium.

Lennox Lewis draws with Evander Holyfield, March 13, 1999, Madison Square Garden

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This was a heavyweight title unification bout between WBA-IBF champion Evander Holyfield and WBC champion Lennox Lewis. Holyfield, 36, predicted he would win by third-round knockout. It would be the 33-year-old Lewis though, who seemingly dictated the action for much of the fight. He used his left jab and significant reach advantage to pile up the points. The scores were 116-113 for Lewis by judge Stanley Christodoulou, 115-113 for Holyfield by judge Eugenia Williams and judge Larry O’Connell scored it 115-115. A sellout crowd of 21,284 at Madison Square Garden produced a gate of $13.5 million. Holyfield’s purse was $20 million, and Lewis’ was $10 million. Most observers felt Lewis won the fight, and the decision was loudly booed. “I felt I won the fight,” said Lewis after the bout. “It was my time to shine, and they ripped me off. I’m the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, and the whole world knows it. He should give me those two belts because he knows they’re mine.”

Deontay Wilder KO 9 Artur Szpilka, Jan. 16, 2016, Barclays Center

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Brooklyn had not hosted a heavyweight title fight in 115 years, and on this night fans would see two. In the opening bout, Charles Martin beat Vyacheslav Glazkov for the IBF title. But in the evening’s main event, Deontay Wilder, the WBC champion, scored a brutal ninth-round knockout of Poland’s Artur Szpilka. Wilder was ahead on all three scorecards at the time of the stoppage.