#beyondlegendaryboxing

In the 20th defense of his World Heavyweight title, Joe Louis (206lbs) drops Buddy Baer (250lbs) three times on his way to a first round knockout. "The warring world was reminded today that America posseses perhaps the most formidable individual fighting machine the human race has ever produced in the Dark Destroyer Joe Louis." -Jack Cuddy " Buddy Baer came in at 250 and went out at 2:56." -Jack Guenther, United Press

Former WBO Heavyweight champion Corrie "The Sniper" Sanders (42-4-0, 31KO) was born January 7, 1966 in Brits, South Africa. The late Sanders is known for when he knocked out Wladimir Klitschko on March 8, 2003 in two rounds to win the WBO Heavyweight Championship. Klitschko was down twice in the first round and twice in the second. The Ring named the fight Upset of the Year for 2003. “Man, he could punch. He was definitely the hardest puncher I’ve faced. I don’t know where he got that power from. As soon as he hit me, I said to myself, ‘I’m in trouble here’.” “The punches didn’t even land on my jaw. If they had, I’d have been asleep for days.” -Michael Sprott

Jeff Fenech with Samart Payakaroon in 2013. Fenech won the WBC junior featherweight title with a fourth round bludgeoning of Payakaroon in 1987. The beating was so severe, the Thai retired to live in a monastery in his homeland. "I think my best win was when I won my second world title against Samart Payakaroon. I think I boxed brilliant. I knocked him out with a great punch. The great thing was, though my hands were sore, I hit him early and there was a couple times he hit me and – wow, could he punch. I wanted to get him out of there as quick as I could.”

"The Cuban Hawk" Gerardo González, better known in the boxing world as Kid Gavilan (108-30-5, 28KO) was born January 6, 1926 in Camaguey, Cuba. He was the world welterweight champion from 1951 to '54 and made seven title defenses against top challengers Billy Graham, Gil Turner, Chuck Davey, Carmen Basilio and Johnny Bratton. "Gavilan will let go with a furious flurry, almost like a madman gone berserk. Then he'll coast. Then, with a quick peek at the clock, he'll time his closing sprint just before the end of each round with the hope of convincing the ring officials that he's delivered that identical kind of fisticuffing for the entire three minutes. Even the least gullible of them sometimes find it difficult to disregard the psychological seed he's planted, especially in a close round." -Arthur Daley, New York Times

Jr. Lightweight and featherweight great Eligio Sardiñas Montalvo, better known as Kid Chocolate (136-10-6, 51KO), was born January 6, 1910 in Havana, Cuba. “...one of the greatest natural boxers in the history of the sport.” -Moe Fleischer, trainer

Braxton stops Saad Muhammad wins title Dwight Muhammad Qawi (Braxton) defeats Matthew Saad Muhammad by TKO in round 10 of 15 to win the WBC Light Heavyweight title. Purses Saad Muhammad- $425,000 Braxton- $50,000 "Braxton doesn't try to jab at people, but through them, as though aiming for the back of the head or the spine. He delivers the jab like a battering ram, a savage jolt to the chest or a head-snapping bolt to the chin. Midway through the second round he hurt Saad Muhammad with a heavy right to the head, and then rocked him again with a right uppercut near the end of the round. Another right hand riding behind a snapping jab hurt Saad Muhammad in the third. At the bell Braxton was busily working over the champion's head and body."

Floyd Patterson was born January 4th, 1935 in Waco, North Carolina. At age 21, Patterson was the youngest ever World Heavyweight Champion. His record was surpassed by Mike Tyson, who won the WBC Heavyweight Championship at age 20 in 1986. "I always say that in order to appreciate warm weather, you must experience cold. I wouldn't change one thing - all the embarrassing moments, the defeats, all of everything - through all of this, I have learned me."