April Foo— Oh, it's an actual Bobby Czyz tribune episode. Well okay then. This is for our long-time listeners and viewers. They know how we feel about Czyz. SUBSCRIBE! Follow us on social media! Twitter: Patrick Connor - @BoxingHistory Brin-Jonathan Butler: @brinicio Facebook: / kgbradio Instagram: @knucklesandgloves Find us on the usual podcast ap…

At one point, the heavyweight championship was the most-coveted title in mainstream sports. Management teams and promoters are often inspired to take shortcuts, or at least unconventional paths, to lead a fighter to something nearing the heavyweight title. On this episode, we briefly talk about Anthony Joshua's clash with Francis Ngannou, but spend…

A pugilistic tale as old as time: how do today's best fighters measure up to history's best fighters? Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez, Tyson Fury, Terence Crawford, Naoya Inoue, Oleksandr Usyk and company... How would they do against the leaders of yesteryear? On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, the fight historian 1-2 of Patrick Connor and A…

Few fights define almost everything great about boxing the way Diego Corrales wild victory over José Luis Castillo did. When it comes to fights reaching peak insanity, Corrales-Castillo is basically still the standard 20 years later. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and author/filmmaker Brin-Jonath…

Believe it or not, 2023 was a fantastic year for boxing. Even if we're saying goodbye to at least one major fight institution in Showtime Boxing, fans were treated to several very big fights, a few matchups that satisfied the hardcore contingent, and no shortage of star power. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historians Pa…

Floyd Mayweather is one of the biggest boxing stars of all time, so naturally there will be more scrutiny of his career than others. It may be somewhat unfair, but it also makes sense. His two fights with Marcos Maidana are often cited as two of the most difficult of his entire career, and on this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing …

How could a heavyweight champion and Olympic medalist be all but forgotten? "Big" John Tate was a member of a the legendary 1976 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, and later won a version of the heavyweight championship, yet few remember the man or the fighter. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina remember John Ta…

Some sets of fighters, like Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez for instance, match up like puzzle pieces. Just when one pulls away and seems to be greater, the other roars back and again proved to be their equal. Pacquiao and Márquez did this four times. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and aut…

We all thought Tyson Fury would probably outbox Francis Ngannou with ease. It was only logical. But then Tyson Fury had to go ahead an underestimate the UFC's lineal (but deposed) heavyweight champion. It doesn't even matter that Tyson Fury won. Francis Ngannou's moment was huge enough and unexpected enough that it basically counted as win. And on …

We already discussed some high-profile fighters who fought for extended periods of time in Part 1 of the Longest Fighting Careers series. But in a sport full of fighters who fought for a long time, we may have left a few out. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina recall several other fighters with particul…

Even if you're not quite old enough to remember when James "Buster" Douglas upset Mike Tyson for the heavyweight championship back in 1990, you're almost certainly well aware that it was a massive upset. Just how massive? More than 30 years later, it's still held as a sports upset gold standard for many. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves p…

Boxing was wild in the 1970s. And before that too, for that matter, but the sports opened new doors during the 70s, and one of those doors led to Rahway State Prison in New Jersey, where James Scott lived. And fought professionally. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, the boxing historian combo of Patrick Connor and Aris Pina discus…

It's said fighters often feel some kind of bond after a grueling fight, and fighters who go to war together are forever linked. Some fights, like Robert Quiroga vs Akeem Anifowoshe, 1991's "Fight of the Year," epitomize the idea that once two fighters lock horns and give pieces of themselves in a fight, nothing is ever the same afterward.Robert Qui…

So why didn't Lennox Lewis and Riddick Bowe ever fight? And what exactly happened that one time they met in the ring?On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Brin-Jonathan Butler break down the matchup between Lewis and Bowe in the 1988 Olympics, their career and the reasons why they never fought. Yes, including the in…

Mike Tyson and George Foreman are two of the biggest heavyweight punchers both of recent memory, and all-time. And they almost fought!On this episoe of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Brin-Jonathan Butler talk about why Tyson-Foreman never happened, and what the result may have been if they had!SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KN…

Fighters fight on too long as a general rule. Even so, some fighters notably have longer careers than others.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historians Patrick Connor and Aris Pina team up to remember a handful of fighters whose careers spanned impressive lengths of time.SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KNGMerchFollow us o…

Floyd Mayweather's victory over Oscar de la Hoya was a star-making performance, yet many seem to disagree with the final decision. That makes it a good fight to revisit and re-score.There was also a small matter of Oscar de la Hoya's recent "documentary" to discuss. "The Golden Boy" recently debuted on HBO's streaming service, and might figure into…

It makes sense that the biggest fighters are the biggest punchers. Rocky Marciano, Mike Tyson, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey and so forth are legendary punchers, but where do they rank on the list of heavyweight champions with the most knockouts?Here's a list of the Top 15 heavyweight champions who scored the most knockouts during their careers, with box…

Terence Crawford is a magnificent fighter. No need to qualify anything or compare him historically to any fighter from the past. He may truly stand alone as the greatest fighter of his era, and his domination of Errol Spence, Jr. sure seems to back that idea up.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina express…

Naoya Inoue is one scary fighter, and he proved it by going through unified junior featherweight champion Stephen Fulton with ease. How far can Inoue go? Where should he be pound-for-pound? And wait, because there's an entirely DIFFERENT top-level fight in just a few days: Errol Spence, Jr. vs Terence Crawford. It's the one we've been waiting for. …

Tommy Morrison was known as "The Duke," and the 1980s and 90s heavyweight contender was a charismatic, hard-hitting scrapper. Unfortunately he also made many questionable decisions throughout his life, and several of them led to an early demise.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina take a close look at the…

We tend to focus on older history, but sometimes we'll recall fights and fighters from recent history, like the trilogy between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder that spanned three years and produced many thrills.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and author/filmmaker Brin-Jonathan Butler remember and re…

Back in the 1950s, the heavyweight division was more or less held hostage by Floyd Patterson's trainer and manager Cus D'Amato after Rocky Marciano retired. A number of heavyweights during that time ripened on the vine, if not had a good portion of their careers wasted. On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pin…

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier created history and just seemed to do great thing in the ring together.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and author/filmmaker Brin-Jonathan Butler remember the third and final chapter between two all-time greats.SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KNGMerchFollow us on social…

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier were truly great heavyweight champions and bitter rivals. Their trilogy is known by boxing fans and detractors alike.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and author/filmmaker Brin-Jonathan Butler join up to remember the first two fight between these heavyweight giants.SUBSC…

It's not that often boxing gets massive fights, and even less often that they happen all the way down at lightweight. Gervonta "Tank" Davis and "King" Ryan Garcia meet in Las Vegas this weekend, and it's huge.Patrick Connor and Aris Pina teamed up to preview the fight and talk about both fighters' careers to this point, plus give their picks.Let's …

Heavyweight eras, and entire eras of boxing itself, are often defined by a single, popular champion. "As the heavyights go, so goes boxing," they say.But what happens when an entire generation is lost to oblivion because of decisions made by the champion?On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historians Patrick Connor and Aris P…

There are many memorable moments in even recent boxing history, but few, like when George Foreman regained the heavyweight championship over Michael Moorer in 1994, are the kind where you remember who you watched with, or where you were.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historian Patrick Connor and author/filmmaker Brin-Jon…

The year is young, but we've already had a few fights that were far better than anticipated. In fact, the words "fight of the year contender" have already been uttered.History is jammed full of fights that turned out way better than expected, and on this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina remember several of th…

If there's one thing we love on the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, it's boxing history. We couldn't help but relive a bit more early 90s heavyweight action, this time between Mike Tyson and Donovan "Razor" Ruddock.It was a funky time for the heavyweight division. And in the middle of all that, a post-championship Tyson battled Ruddock twice. Join us …

You wouldn't know it now, but in the late 1990s and going into 2001, "Prince" Naseem Hamed was a superstar in the U.K. and on the verge of really breaking into the U.S. boxing scene.Then Marco Antonio Barrera happened.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Brin-Jonathan Butler remember the looming mega-stardom of Ham…

The mid- and late-1990s brought on some hard-charging culture in the U.S., and boxing wasn't exempt. The heavyweight division went through plenty of changes throughout the 90s, until finally it seemed Riddick Bowe stood alone as likely the best around. Then the Andrew Golota fights happened in 1996.There were brawls in the ring, melees outside of i…

Heavyweight boxing is considered the sport's crown jewel or pinnacle, but fight fans are used to sacrificing activity rate and sometimes nuance for the chance at seeing a big heavyweight taken down. Ike Ibeabuchi and David Tua combined to throw 1,730 punches against one another in 1997, however, and it was the kind of fight fans still talk about 25…

It's difficult to believe 25 years have passed since "Prince" Naseem Hamed and "Flushing Flash" Kevin Kelley dazzled a Madison Square Garden crowd with a multiple-knockdown, four-round war. But that's how long it's been.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Aris Pina and Patrick Connor team up to relive and remember Hamed-Kelley. As a…

Often boxing gets slow in the final month of the year, but for some reason we have plenty to talk about: Naoya Inoue's continued dominance in the lower weights, his place in Japanese boxing history, Teófimo López's fortunate win over Sandor Martin, Terence Crawford... and those blasted gloves.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, it's…

First things first: Mills Lane was an honest referee and true boxing icon who will be missed, and a brief tribute was necessary.As for the boxing history, sometimes fighters can't get past a certain opponent or have serious difficulty with a particular style. It's happened numerous times, perhaps most notably when Muhammad Ali struggled with Ken No…

On November 30, 1979, three all-time greats fought on the same fight card when "Sugar" Ray Leonard defeated Wilfred Benítez for his first world title, and Vito Antuofermo kept his middleweight championship with a, uh, fortunate draw with Marvelous Marvin Hagler.This episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast centers on that Las Vegas fight card tha…

Calling boxing "The Theater of the Unexpected" might be cliché, but it's also true. Sometimes unexpected things happen, and every so often those unexpected things are awesome.Such was the case with Evander Holyfield's fun heavyweight championship defense over "Smokin'" Bert Cooper. The fight's tale involves Mike Tyson, Rick "Elvis" Parker and more …

So many boxing figures have become literally cultural icons, if not veritable juggernauts. Don King is such a character, and he had to get his start somewhere.In the early 1970s, Don King signed his first fighter Jeff Merritt, aka "Candy Slim," a troubled, hard-hitting heavyweight. You can probably already guess how that went.On this episode of the…

The International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York has been a boxing history institution since 1990. And this time of year just happens to be when hall of fame voting is submitted.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, IBHOF voters Patrick Connor and Aris Pina discuss the 2023 ballot and their picks.Let's go!SUBSCRIBE!Store: …

It's that time again. The first "Mythical Matchup" episode was well-received and when we asked for some requests, viewers and listeners overwhelmed us!We tackled what we could on a relatively short episode, though.Let's go!SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KNGMerchFollow us on social media!Twitter:Patrick Connor - @PatrickMConnorAris Pina - @PunchZon…

It was a big weekend of boxing, and while there weren't a ton of genuine shocks or surprises, there were important wins and it marked a significant change in discourse for women's boxing.Claressa Shields, Deontay Wilder and Devin Haney all vanquished foes in style, and there's plenty to talk about.Let's go!SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KNGMerchFo…

When it rains it pours, they say. In the case of this weekend's boxing, they're right.Between Deontay Wilder vs Robert Helenius, Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall and Devin Haney vs George Kambosos II, there's something for basically everyone.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, we welcome Lily Ulloa back to the show to preview a…

The heroes and legends of yesteryear are fading quickly, and the best we can do is remember them. Antonio Inoki, who recently died in Japan, rocketed to fame when he fought Muhammad Ali in 1976. But his influence on different combat sports around the world rippled far beyond that.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor an…

Whether you call them mythical matchups, fantasy fights or "What if?" scenarios, pitting two fighters against one another and imagining the outcome is about as basic as it gets from a boxing fan perspective. And ultimately we're all just fans.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina team up and each offer one…

Destiny, fate, predetermined future. Call it what you want, but many of the greatest fighters of all time were discovered early, seemingly guided to greatness by some unseen force.On the other hand, some fighters simply fall short of expectations, whatever the reason. And we remember those fighters on this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast…

Canelo Álvarez and Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin met once more, and a definitive ending to their third fight means the sport of boxing gained another trilogy for the history books.A huge Canelo victory appeared imminent before Golovkin fought his way out of it a little, but Canelo remains the undisputed super middleweight champion. And "Bam" Rodríguez ea…

Controversy. Boxing is filled with it. Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton were no strangers to it either, and particularly against one another.Ali and Noron fought three times from 1973 to 1976, with Ali winning two highly controversial decisions after losing the first fight.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, we break the Ali-Norton trilo…

Three is a nice, round number. Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez and Gennadiy "GGG" Golovkin meet for the third time this weeked, possibly settling unfinished business from the first two clashes.On this episode of the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, boxing historians Patrick Connor and Aris Pina offer of their previews of what we all hope is a great fight!SUBSCRI…

As a general rule, boxing fans don't get sick of knockouts. There are different kinds of details about boxing to love, sure, but knockouts are the most universal.On this final installment of the Greatest Punchers series on the Knuckles and Gloves podcast, Patrick Connor and Aris Pina remember some epic KO artists.SUBSCRIBE!Store: https://bit.ly/KNG…