During the 1970s,boxing was characterized by dominating champions and history-making rivalries. The decade had many superstars, who also had fierce rivals.Alexis Argüello, for example, who won the world Featherweight and Jr. Lightweight titles in the '70s, had to overcomeAlfredo Escalera twice before the decade was over.
At least six divisions had world champions who could be considered dominant: The Bantamweights had Carlos Zárate; the Super Bantamweights, (a division created in 1976) hadWilfredo Gómez winning the title in 1977 and keeping it until he left it vacant in 1983; the Lightweights hadRoberto Durán, who won the title in 1972 and vacated it in 1979 to seek championships at other weights; the Jr. Welterweights hadAntonio Cervantes, who reigned twice; the Middleweights hadCarlos Monzón, sometimes referred to asKing Carlos because of his seven-year reign as champion; the Light-Heavyweights hadBob Foster. The Heavyweights hadMuhammad Ali, who ruled twice between 1974 and 1979.[1]
April 18 –Rubén Olivares begins his trilogy of world championship fights withChucho Castillo by defeating Castillo with a fifteen-round unanimous decision inInglewood.
May 9 –Vicente Saldivar returns to the ring, with only one fight in the last two years, to win theWBC world Featherweight championship with a fifteen-round unanimous decision overJohnny Famechon inRome, Italy.
October 16 – Chapter 2 of Olivares-Castillo, as Chucho Castillo conquers the world Featherweight title with a fourteenth-round technical knockout of Rubén Olivares in Inglewood.
November 7 –Carlos Monzón becomes world Middleweight champion by knocking outNino Benvenuti in twelve rounds in Rome.
November 18 – Joe Frazier retains his world Heavyweight crown with a two-round knockout of reigning world Light Heavyweight championBob Foster in Detroit.
March 16 - In what turn out to beHenry Cooper's final fight, he lost toJoe Bugner in a controversial 15-round decision as Bugner became the British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight champion in Cooper's hometown ofLondon, England.
April 3 – In the last chapter of the Olivares-Castillo trilogy,Rubén Olivares recovers from a knockdown to regain the world Featherweight title with a fifteen-round unanimous decision overChucho Castillo inInglewood.
June 4 –José Nápoles recovers his world Welterweight title with an eighth-round knockout ofBilly Backus in Inglewood.
July 26 – Former world Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali beats his friend and gymmate, former Heavyweight championJimmy Ellis, by a knockout in round twelve inHouston.
August 9 –Rodrigo Valdez beatsBobby Cassidy by ten round unanimous decision in New York, but gets infected withHepatitis, which Cassidy did not know he had before entering the ring. Both boxers then enter quarantine.
September 25 – Carlos Monzón retains his world Middleweight championship with a fourteen-round knockout of multiple time world championEmile Griffith in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
November 5 –Pedro Carrasco becomes Spain's second world boxing champion, beatingMando Ramos by an eleventh round disqualification inMadrid, Spain to take theWBC's vacant world Lightweight title. This bout was extremely controversial; Ramos was disqualified because, after Carrasco hit the deck in round eleven, the referee decided to declare Carrasco the winner because he didn't know if Carrasco had been felled by a punch or a push.
April 7 –Bob Foster recovers theWBA world Light-Heavyweight title, unifying it once again with hisWBC championship, knocking outVicente Rondon in two rounds at Miami. Rondon had become the secondLatin American world Light Heavyweight champion when the WBA recognized him after Foster refused to defend the championship against him, but the WBC had kept Foster as world champion.
May 26 – Joe Frazier retains his world Heavyweight title with a five-round knockout overRon Stander inOmaha.
June 26 –Roberto Durán wins the first of four world titles, knocking out WBA world Lightweight championKen Buchanan in thirteen rounds at New York City. The fight has a controversial ending: many believe that the blow with which Duran ended the fight was actually low and that he should have been disqualified.
September 20 –Muhammad Ali beatsFloyd Patterson by a knockout in round seven of their rematch, held at New York. It is Patterson's last professional fight, he retires with a record of 55–8–1 with 40 knockouts.
November 17 –Esteban De Jesús begins his trilogy of fights with Roberto Durán by defeating the world Lightweight champion by a ten-round unanimous decision in New York. Durán suffers his first career defeat in the non-title fight.
January 24 –WBA world Flyweight championMasao Ohba dies after his car collided with a truck inTokyo, Japan. He left a record of 35 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw, with 15 knockouts.
March 31 –Ken Norton becomes the second boxer to defeatMuhammad Ali, breaking Ali's jaw en route to a twelve-round split decision inSan Diego.
May 5 –Eder Jofre wins theWBC world Featherweight title three years after his first retirement from boxing, defeating world championJose Legra by a fifteen-round majority decision inBrasília, Brazil.
July 2 – Former world Heavyweight champion Joe Frazier returns to the ring, beatingJoe Bugner by a twelve-round decision at London.
September 1 – George Foreman retains his world Heavyweight title with a first-round knockout overJosé Roman, who becomes the firstPuerto Rican to challenge for the world Heavyweight championship, in Tokyo.
September 10 – Muhammad Ali avenges his loss to Ken Norton, beating Norton by a twelve-round split decision inInglewood, California.
November 3 –Arnold Taylor survives four knockdowns to knock out WBA world Bantamweight championRomeo Anaya in fourteen rounds, winning the world title inJohannesburg, South Africa, in what boxing writerChris Greyvenstein calledprobably the most murderous and dramatic (fight) in South African history.
December 1 – In the first boxing fight pitting a Black man against a White man in South African history,Bob Foster, an African-American, retains his world Light Heavyweight championship with a fifteen-round unanimous decision overPierre Fourie. It was, in addition, Foster's second fifteen-round decision win over Fourie.
January 28 –Muhammad Ali avenges his defeat toJoe Frazier, beating Frazier by a unanimous decision in twelve rounds at New York City.
February 9 –Carlos Monzón retains the world's Middleweight title with a seventh-round knockout over world Welterweight championJosé Nápoles in Paris, France.
March 16 –Roberto Durán avenges his loss toEsteban De Jesús, recovering from a first round knockdown to knock out thePuerto Rican in round eleven and retain his world Lightweight championship in Panama City, Panama.
July 17 –Bob Foster is knocked down in round thirteen, but retains his world Light-Heavyweight title with a draw (tie) withJorge Ahumada inAlbuquerque. It is Foster's last championship defense.
August 24 – WBA world Jr. Lightweight championBen Villaflor, a Hawaiian-basedFilipino, retains his world title with a second-round knockout of Japan's future world champion,Yasutsune Uehara, inHonolulu.
October 30 –The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali regains the world Heavyweight championship, joiningFloyd Patterson as the two only boxers to achieve such a feat, by knocking out George Foreman in eight rounds atZaire.
November 23 – Alexis Argüello wins the first of three world titles, knocking out Rubén Olivares in the thirteenth round at Inglewood. He also becomes the first Nicaraguan world boxing champion.
March 24: The fight that inspired the movieRocky: With a youngSylvester Stallone sitting at home and watching,Muhammad Ali retains his world Heavyweight championship with a fifteenth-round knockout over underdogChuck Wepner, but not without suffering a ninth round knockdown first, inCleveland.
March 30 –José Nápoles retains his world Welterweight title with a highly controversial and suspicious twelve round technical decision overArmando Muniz inAcapulco, Mexico. Although no one knew for sure when Nápoles' facial cuts (which caused the fight to be stopped) happened, it was decided that they were probably the result of a headbutt in round three. Therefore, instead of giving the world title to Muniz by technical knockout, it was decided to check the judge's scorecards, and Nápoles was ahead on points, making him the winner by technical decision.
April 26 –George Foreman stages a boxing exhibition against five different boxers, including formerJoe Frazier challengerTerry Daniels. He beats the five men by knockout inToronto, Ontario, Canada.
May 16 – Muhammad Ali retains the world Heavyweight title with an eleventh-round knockout ofRon Lyle inLas Vegas.
June 28 –Ángel Espada wins the vacant WBA world Welterweight title that had been stripped from José Nápoles after Nápoles refused to fight him, by beatingClyde Gray with a fifteen-round decision inSan Juan, Puerto Rico.
June 30 – Muhammad Ali retains his world Heavyweight title with a fifteen-round unanimous decision overJoe Bugner inKuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
July 12 – José Nápoles retains his world Welterweight title with a fifteen-round decision over Armando Muniz in theirMexico City,Mexico rematch.
July 15 – With only two previous professional bouts,Thailand'sSaensak Muangsuring makes history by winning the WBC world Jr. Welterweight title, knocking out world champion Jose Fernandez inBangkok. Muangsuring becomes the fastest boxer to reach a world championship after his debut.
August 23 – The first world Junior Flyweight world championship fight seesJaime Rios beatRigoberto Marcano by decision in fifteen rounds at Panama City to become the WBA's world champion.
September 20 –David Kotey becomesGhana's first world champion, defeating Rubén Olivares by a fifteen-round decision to win the WBC's world Featherweight championship in Inglewood.
September 30 – TheThrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali retains his world Heavyweight title in his third fight with Joe Frazier, by TKO in round fourteen inManila. Ali compared this bout to beingnext to death.
December 6 – José Nápoles' last fight, as he loses his WBC world Welterweight title toJohn H. Stracey in Mexico City, Mexico.
January 24 –George Foreman recovers from two four round knockdowns and beatsRon Lyle by a knockout in the fifth round atLas Vegas. Lyle had also suffered a knockdown in round four, which was pickedround of the year byThe Ring, publication that also selected the fight asfight of the year. Also, it was the major boxing fight at theCaesars Palace hotel and casino, which would become known as the "Home of Champions".
March 17 –Wilfred Benítez becomes, at age 17, the youngest world champion in boxing history and wins his first of three world titles, defeatingWBA world Jr. Welterweight championAntonio Cervantes by a fifteen-round split decision inSan Juan, Puerto Rico.
May 24 -Muhammad Ali knocks outRichard Dunn in 5 rounds to retain his undisputed heavyweight championship. For Ali, it was his 37th and final knockout of his Hall of Fame career.
June 26 –Carlos Monzón re-unifies his WBA world Middleweight title with the WBC one by defeating WBC championRodrigo Valdez with a fifteen-round unanimous decision atMonte Carlo, Monaco. (The WBC had stripped Monzon in 1974 for failing to defend the title against Valdez)
September 28 – In the last chapter of their trilogy, Muhammad Ali retains the world Heavyweight championship with a disputed fifteen round unanimous decision overKen Norton, at New York City'sYankee Stadium.
January 16 - In front of anABC National Television audience, future Boxing Hall of Famer Larry Holmes defeated Tom Prater in an 8-round unanimous decision on board theUSSLexington in Pensacola,Florida.
March 17 –Jimmy Young defeatsGeorge Foreman by a twelve-round unanimous decision at theRoberto Clemente Coliseum,San Juan, Puerto Rico. Yet Ali still refused to give Young a title fight rematch. Immediately after the fight, Foreman has a religious experience, becomes a new-born Christian and retires from boxing.
May 21 –Wilfredo Gómez wins the first of three world titles by knocking out WBC world Jr. Featherweight championDong Kyun Yum in twelve rounds at San Juan.
July 30 –Carlos Monzón recovers from a second round knockdown and retains his world Middleweight championship with a fifteen-round unanimous decision againstRodrigo Valdez in their rematch, atMonte Carlo, Monaco. Monzon broke the all-time record of defenses at the Middleweight division with fourteen successful defenses, and he retired permanently after this fight.
September 29 –Muhammad Ali retains the world Heavyweight championship with a fifteen-round unanimous decision overEarnie Shavers in New York.
November 5 – Rodrigo Valdez wins the undisputed world Middleweight championship left vacant by archrival Carlos Monzón, outpointingBennie Briscoe by unanimity after fifteen rounds inCampioni d' Italia, Italy.
January 21 –Roberto Durán vs. Esteban de Jesús III : The third and final chapter of theDuran-De Jesus trilogy, as Roberto Durán re-unifies hisWBA world Lightweight championship with theWBC one, defeating Esteban De Jesús by a knockout in round twelve atLas Vegas. Duran had been stripped of his WBC belt for failing to meetIshimatzu Suzuki in a world championship bout, Suzuki later won the WBC title and lost it to De Jesus.
February 15 –Leon Spinks, a novice who had had only had seven professional fights, wins the undisputed world Heavyweight championship, defeatingMuhammad Ali by a fifteen-round split decision, in Las Vegas.
March 18 – Recognition of World Heavyweight ChampionLeon Spinks is withdrawn by theWorld Boxing Council after Spinks elected to fightMuhammad Ali in a rematch rather than face the organization's #1 contender,Ken Norton. In an unprecedented step, the WBC immediately announces its recognition of Norton as champion, and orders him to fight the highest ranked contender available (Larry Holmes) not later than June 17.
March 25 -Larry Holmes earned his spot for the heavyweight title by beatingEarnie Shavers in a twelve-round unanimous decision in front of a nationalABC television audience inLas Vegas.
May 20 –José Cuevas retains his WBA world welterweight title with a first-round knockout of former world championBilly Backus inInglewood.
June 9 –Larry Holmes becomes the WBC's fourth World Heavyweight champion in precisely four months (after Muhammad Ali, Leon Spinks and Ken Norton) by defeatingKen Norton by a fifteen-round split decision.
September 15 – Muhammad Ali makes history, becoming the first boxer to be world Heavyweight champion three times, by beating novice Leon Spinks by a fifteen-round unanimous decision at theirNew Orleans rematch.
February 4 – The rematch betweenAlexis Argüello andAlfredo Escalera has exactly the first result as their first bout, when Arguello retains his WBC world Jr. Lightweight title with a knockout in round thirteen atRimini, Italy. Both fights were picked byThe Ring among the 100 greatest fights of all times in 1994.
March 14 –Larry Holmes retains his WBC world Heavyweight title with a seventh-round knockout of futureWBA world Cruiserweight championOssie Ocasio inLas Vegas.
April 14 –Victor Galindez regains the WBA world Light Heavyweight championship with a tenth-round knockout of his former conqueror,Mike Rossman, inNew Orleans.
June 3 –Lupe Pintor survives a knockdown to win the WBC world Bantamweight title, defeatingCarlos Zarate by a fifteen-round split decision at Las Vegas.
June 17 – In Ring Magazine'sfight of the year,Danny Lopez retains his WBC world Featherweight title by knocking outMike Ayala in round fifteen atSan Antonio. Ayala later admitted to beinghigh ondrugs during the fight.
June 22 –Roberto Durán beats Carlos Palomino by a ten-round unanimous decision in Palomino's last fight for the next eighteen years, and Larry Holmes retains his WBC world Heavyweight title with a twelfth-round knockout ofMike Weaver at theMadison Square Garden, New York City.
September 28 – Larry Holmes recovers from a seventh round knockdown to defeat perennial challengerEarnie Shavers by an eleventh-round knockout to retain his WBC world Heavyweight title at Las Vegas.Wilfredo Gómez retains his WBC world Super Bantamweight title with a tenth-round knockout win overCarlos Mendoza in the same undercard.
November 30 – A preview of things to come, asSugar Ray Leonard wins his first of five world titles by knocking outWilfred Benítez in round fifteen for the WBC world Welterweight title andMarvin Hagler draws in fifteen round with undisputed world Middleweight championVito Antuofermo in Las Vegas.
