This is my continuing list of the fights I watched on HBO over the years.
11. Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks 2. April 19, 1986. I didn’t want to go watch the fight with my cousin Paul, so I opted instead to go to a nearby hotel and pay $25 for a room. Since I had no intentions of sleeping there, I just looked at it as going to see the fight on closed circuit tv. The rematch was at the Hilton Center in Las Vegas, and this time Holmes was healthy, and much more prepared. After throwing Spinks to the ground at the bout’s start, Larry won most of the first seven rounds. Michael did become more competitive, but never hurt Holmes. Larry on the other hand hurt Michael on several occasions, and as the fight came to a close after fifteen rounds, there was no way in the world that Spinks won the fight. Unbelievably, the decision was a split one for Michael, and I was shocked. Holmes left the ring in disgust, what was in my opinion a travesty of justice. As much as I liked Michael Spinks, Larry Holmes got screwed that night in Vegas.
12. Hector Camacho vs. Cornelius Boza Edwards. September 26, 1986. I had moved to Vegas in late April of 1986, and saw this bout on the screen at the Sports Book at Caesar’s Palace. I had always liked Edwards, and couldn’t stand Camacho. Hector talked a big game, but usually fought like a coward, running and never engaging in close. Even though it was a stinker, and Camacho won an easy decision, the other fight on the card caught my attention more. Edwin Rosario knocked out Livingstone Bramble out in two rounds, something I never thought I’d see. The same Bramble that gave Mancini hell for two fights, was starched by Rosario with just one blow.
13. Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick. November 22, 1986. I had moved home after six months in Vegas, mostly because I couldn’t find a decent job out there. My sister Lisa had moved out of our home the previous year, and she had HBO, which was perfect for me. A place to go to see the bouts, and I was thrilled to say the least. I had lived a mile from the International Hilton in Vegas, where the Tyson-Berbick fight took place. Tyson’s performance that night was incredible. He easily disposed of Trevor Berbick in two rounds, and was certainly the spark the heavyweight division needed. Since Sugar Ray Leonard’s retirement, the sport needed a new face to make it exciting again, and I knew Tyson would be that person.
14. Tim Witherspoon vs. James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith. December 12, 1986. Again, thanks to my sister Lisa, I got to see this fight from Madison Square Garden. The original opponent for Witherspoon was supposed to be Tony Tubbs, but he stepped out, claiming a shoulder injury. Shockingly, Smith came out guns blazing, and knocked Witherspoon down three times in the first round, ending the bout. It was a huge upset, and put Smith next in line to fight Mike Tyson in the HBO Heavyweight Tournament they had come up with. ‘Bonecrusher’ was a likeable sort, and I was happy he won the fight, especially since I had never been a Tim Witherspoon fan at all.
15. Mike Tyson vs. James ‘Bonecrusher’ Smith. March 7, 1987. I really didn’t give Smith much of a chance in this one, and I was right. He never really tried to win the fight in the outdoor arena at the Hilton in Las Vegas, and did more hugging and grabbing than fighting. Tyson won every round of the twelve round snooze fest, with the only action coming late in the final round. Smith finally threw a hard right hand that landed, and actually buzzed Tyson for a second or two. But it was far too little to late, and his reign as WBA heavyweight champion ended less than three months after he won it.
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