Two for the Ages
Can you imagine what it was like as fight fan to wake up on a Saturday much like this one 25 years ago and to already have witnessed possibly the fight of the 80's the night before, and have a fight ahead of you on Saturday afternoon that would be nearly as great, before becoming an era-defining tragedy destined to permanently change the sport of boxing?
Twenty-five years ago this week, there was indeed such a weekend, two fights in under 24 hours, one in Miami and one in Vegas, that would live forever in fistic lore - Alexis Arguello v. Aaron Pryor I, and Ray Mancini v. Duk Koo Kim.
Were there ever two fights of this historical magnitude in the same weekend? I am not the boxing historian to answer that question, but I would venture to guess that the answer is no. Pryor/Arguello is either the best fight of the 80's or the second best depending on where you rate Leonard/Hearns I from 1981. In my greatest fights of my lifetime piece, I had Leonard/Hearns just above Pryor/Arguello, but it's easy to argue that one either way.
As for Mancini/Kim, well, it's hard to celebrate the greatness of a fight that resulted in a man dying - today is the 25th anniversary of Kim's death from head-wounds endured at the hands of Mancini, a tragedy that would mark the great Boom Boom forever afterwards. ESPN Classic released a one-hour doc this week called Triumph and Tragedy about Mancini's rise to fame and the Kim fight, and in it you must face a stark truth as a fight fan - watching the footage of the bout, it's hard not to be aware that the fight that resulted in Kim's death was a jaw-droppingly great contest, Graziano/Zale, Gatti/Ward, Castillo/Corrales-type material. If Kim had lived, it probably would be mentioned regularly with Leonard/Hearns and Pryor/Arguello as a contender for the greatest fight of the decade. It's just one of those facts that we acolytes of the sweet science must live with in our hearts - we never want anyone to die, but inevitably what we call truly "great" flirts all too closely to the line of death, and sometimes crosses over. As someone once wrote, "I guess there's just a meanness... in this world." 
2 Comments:
Haha, I just watched both these fights earlier this week. Pryor was one hell of a fighter. Firing bombs from all angles. And Alexis was no slouch either, using his lanky body to land some tough shots. Maybe you guys should check out creating a "Hawk Time!" shirt. And seeing Mancini Vs. Kim chills me straight down to the core of my soul. Maybe it's because I know the outcome results in death. I've never seen a fighter so fucking determined in my entire life. Kim laid it all on the line. I don't think there will ever be another fighter that could replicate his spirit.
p.s. On a random note, what's your thoughts Yoko Guishiken? He seems like another great idea for a shirt too. I'd buy that in a second.
No doubt Czar K. - Kim's determination is truly frightening. After the knockdown, the way he struggles to get to his feet is unreal - the guy is actually in the process of dying at that point and he's desperately trying to get back to the fight.
As for the "Hawk Time!" t-shirt, uh, it is the source of considerable controversy here at No Mas headquarters. I'll leave it at that.
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