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Cardiff's greatest fight nights

Legends
by Sean D - BBC Sport (U1712711) 01 November 2007
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Saturday's Joe Calzaghe v Mikkel Kessler fight at the Millennium Stadium - news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/box... - has sent me off on a tangent...

If we can keep the main talk about that fight on the thread here - www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A28574... - I just wanted to gather your thoughts about the biggest fights - on a world level - that have been held in Cardiff. Do you agree with them? And what are your memories of these fight nights?

Now I'm being a real lazy hack here as I haven't done any proper research, but I figured that you'd enjoy pointing out any glaring errors! So, off the top of my head here's my top five (in order):

1. Freddie Welsh v Jim Driscoll
Two of Wales' all-time greats clashed in front of a sell-out 8,000 crowd at Westgate Street's American Roller Rink on 1 December, 1910. This had more than local significance, though, with Welsh - a superstar in the States - championing the US style of fighting against Driscoll's classical British style in a lightweight division second in prominence only to the heavyweights. Welsh won a disappointing, dirty fight when a frustrated Driscoll was disqualified for a head-butt. More on the fight here - news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/box...

2. Lennox Lewis v Frank Bruno
Frank Warren brought the all-British clash for the WBC heavyweight title to the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park in front of over 20,000 damp fans on 1 October, 1993. Bruno started strongly, but an out-of-sorts Lewis caught up with his glass chin in the seventh round to retain his treasured belt. The fight programme reveals a certain "Joe Calzache" making his debut on the undercard.

3. Vicente Saldivar v Howard Winstone
The second of the thrilling trio of Saldivar-Winstone fights was brought to Ninian Park on 15 June, 1967. Winstone built a huge lead, but was dropped by the awesome Mexican in the 14th. That proved decisive as Saldivar claimed a tight, controversial decision to retain his WBA and WBC featherweight titles. More on Winstone here - news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/wal...

4. Ike Williams v Ronnie James
After 103 fights the hugely popular James landed a dream bout when the great Williams was lured to Ninian Park on 4 September, 1946. Williams' world lightweight crown was on the line, making this the first world title bout to be held in Wales. Promoter Jack Solomons made the match, but nearly saw the event washed away by torrential rain in the fortnight leading up to the event. Williams, 23, was lax in preparations and hopes were high for James. But the Swansea man was nearly 10 years older, had not made lightweight for two years, and was badly over-matched. He was knocked down six times before Williams' devastating bolo punch to the body finished it in the ninth - and effectively ended James' distinguished career.

5. Prince Naseem Hamed v Steve Robinson
Wales' "Ciderella Man" Robinson's dream rise to glory peaked at Cardiff Arms Park on 30 September, 1995, in an Anglo-Welsh battle that gripped the nation. Hamed proved to be a class above the brave Welshman, though, dismissing the jeers of a hostile crowd to take Robinson's WBO featherweight title after eight one-sided rounds.

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posted Nov 2, 2007

The best fight i have seen in Cardiff was outside Central market when two tramps were fighting....the footwork

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posted Nov 2, 2007

Cardiff vs Leeds in the FA Cup a few years back.

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posted Nov 3, 2007

Who wrote this nonsense? Was Lennox really 'out of sorts'? Or was Bruno ramming his jab into his face making Lennox out of sorts?

And calling Bruno glass chinned? I'd love to see the writer put down his laptop get into his local boxing gym and try his own chin out.

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posted Nov 3, 2007

From a boxing point of view - Lewis was out of sorts in the first 3 rds becasue Bruno started more aggressivly than Lewis expected but as Bruno tired Lewis got back in it - showed his classier skills and stopped Bruno in 7, i wouldnt say it was a glass jaw from Bruno, he didnt go down, but he got hit with some hard shots and it had to stop there.

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comment by shafto (U2782362)

posted Nov 3, 2007

Was Lewis V Bruno a World Title Match? I thought Bruno won a World Title then lost his next fight to Mike Tyson.

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posted Nov 3, 2007

Yes Lewis v Bruno was a world title match. For the WBC title which Lennox picked out of the bin Riddick Bower dumped it in. He defended it once against Tony Tucker before defending against Bruno.

For the record I'm of the same opinion as Frank's good friend Nigel Benn. Nigel said that Frank wasn't at all 'chinny' - he was just too brave for his own good and too proud to go down to a knee and take an 8 count to give him time to recover his senses. Remember Frank was only ever properly KO'd once and that was by Bonecrusher Smith. Even a fairly prime Tyson (1st fight) didn't actually KO him.

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posted Nov 3, 2007

Bruno's problem wasnt a glass jaw, the problem was he never went down to clear his head and just stood there taking blow after blow. As someone else said, he had little or no survival skills (except for that last round against McCall!)

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posted Nov 4, 2007

Bruno was a prime example of a guy who was not a natural fighter. A natural boxer will clinch, hang on or do anything to get a few seconds to regain his senses. Thomas Hearns was a good example of this when he was hurt as his chin was "suspect" Bruno was a very brave but limited fighter. winkeye

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comment by shafto (U2782362)

posted Nov 4, 2007

Thanks Andy, appreciate that.

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posted Jun 24, 2008

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