In Boxing, a Year of Ups, Downs and KOs by Tyson

Mike Tyson exploded onto the heavyweight championship scene in 1986, and Sugar Ray Leonard prepared to come back for an already criticized, yet highly anticipated, fight against middleweight champion Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

While Leonard was getting ready for only his second fight in 61 months, Larry Holmes, who had been the world’s premier heavyweight for seven years, announced his retirement at age 37. Holmes failed to regain the International Boxing Federation title when he lost a 12-round split decision to Michael Spinks April 19 at Las Vegas.

Spinks was the only one of three heavyweight champions at the beginning of 1986 to still hold a piece of the title at year’s end.

The boxing year a busy one, although there was a scarcity of big-money attractions. It was marked by several big upsets and continued calls for a ban on the sport itself.

On Oct. 8, trainer Carlos (Panama) Lewis and junior welterweight Luis Resto were convicted on assault charges arising from Resto’s beating of Billy Collins Jr. with tampered gloves in a 1983 bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Lewis was sentenced to two to six years in prison; Resto was given one to three years.

The 20-year-old Tyson became the youngest boxer to win a heavyweight title by knocking out Trevor Berbick in the second fight for the World Boxing Council championship Nov. 22 at Las Vegas.

Twenty days later, at New York’s Madison Square Garden, James (Bonecrusher) Smith, a 33-year-old business administration graduate from Shaw University, won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title with a first-round knockout of Tim Witherspoon.

It just wasn’t Witherspoon’s year. After he won the title on a 15-round decision over Tony Tubbs, a urinalysis revealed a trace of marijuana in his system. Witherspoon was fined $25,000 and ordered to give a rematch to Tubbs.

The rematch for set for Dec. 12, but Smith became the opponent after Tubbs withdrew, saying he injured his left shoulder. Five days after he was upset by Smith, the New York State Athletic Commission announced that Witherspoon once again tested positive for marijuana.

Witherspoon did win a defense before losing to Smith. He knocked out Frank Bruno in the 11th round July 19 at London. No British fighter in this century has won a heavyweight title.

Three other big upsets involved heavyweight Pinklon Thomas, welterweight Donald Curry and featherweight Barry McGuigan of Ireland.

Berbick, a 6-1 underdog, scored a 12-round unanimous decision over Thomas for the WBC heavyweight title March 22 at Las Vegas.

On Sept. 26 at Atlantic City, N.J., Lloyd Honeyghan of Britain stopped Curry in six rounds and won the undisputed welterweight championship. And in 108-degree heat at Las Vegas June 23, little-known Stevie Cruz knocked down McGuigan three times and won the WBC featherweight title on a 15-round unanimous decision.

Hagler is the only other undisputed champion, but the WBA and IBF have said they will withdraw title recognition if he goes through with the Leonard fight, for which he is guaranteed $12 million and Leonard $11 million.

Hagler fought only once in 1986, knocking out John “The Beast” Mugabi of Uganda in the 11th round March 10 at Las Vegas. He was expected to sign for a rematch with Thomas Hearns, who he knocked out in the third round of a sensational fight in 1985, but he opted for Leonard. Hagler is the only one he would come out of retirement for, Leonard said, adding he would retire again after the fight.

Boxing fans also were looking forward to seeing more of Tyson, who pumped new life into the sport with his sensational performance in 1986. He fought 13 times, scoring 11 knockouts. He is 28-0, with 26 knockouts, in a pro career of 22 months.

Tyson’s first fight as champion is supposed to be against Smith on March 7 at Las Vegas. That is to be the seventh bout in the HBO television heavyweight title unification series of eight fights.

Under the HBO format, the Tyson-Smith winner would fight Spinks for the undisputed championship in May.

At year’s end, HBO was in court trying to block a proposed fight between Spinks and Gerry Cooney. HBO said the contract with Don King and Butch Lewis, promoters of the unification series, allowed Spinks to have a fight outside the series if the opponent agreed to continue in the tournament should he win. According to HBO, Lewis, who guides Spinks’ career, said Cooney would not agree to it.