Saturday 25 June 2016 23:37, UK
Ahead of Anthony Joshua v Dominic Breazeale, we look back at the first world title defences of legends such as Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
Perhaps the most famous first defence of them all. Ali had, in his own words, "shook up the world" the previous year by ending the reign of the fearsome Liston, who failed to emerge for the seventh round. A rematch was arranged and Liston was again favoured by the bookmakers.
'The Louisville Lip', who since becoming heavyweight champion of the world had changed his name from Cassius Clay to Cassius X and then to Muhammad Ali, didn't quite have the same audience to perform to in the second bout. This was due to last-minute problems with the promotion forcing the event to switch a hall in Lewiston, Maine, where 2,434 crammed in.
The fight didn't last long, of course. Debate over the 'phantom punch' is unlikely to abate but the fact remains that Liston was slow to get up from a snappy Ali counter right and after some confusion with the timekeeper, Jersey Joe Walcott eventually waved the fight off. Ali would go on to become the most famous boxer of all-time while Liston retired in 1970 into relative obscurity.
Tyson became the youngest world heavyweight champion of all time in November of 1986 when he obliterated Trevor Berbick inside two rounds for the WBC title. His first bout after that was a unification clash with WBA holder James 'Bonecrusher' Smith and again, boxing fans flooded to Las Vegas in expectation of Tyson further enhancing his reputation as 'The Baddest Man on the Planet' with another savage knockout.
They had not banked on the durability of Smith, though. Although nearing his 34th birthday, the North Carolinian was buoyed by his stunning first-round victory over Tim Witherspoon and was determined not to end up simply the latest victim strewn along Tyson's road to glory.
The result was the New Yorker being taken the distance for only the third time in his career (previously James Tillis and Mitch Green had done the same) and a slight sense of anti-climax. Tyson was back with a stoppage against Pinklon Thomas next up, and then added the IBF crown to his collection by outpointing Tony Tucker. In defence of all three titles, he then stopped Tyrell Biggs, Larry Holmes, Tony Tubbs, Michael Spinks, Frank Bruno and Carl Williams.
In winning Olympic gold and gliding through the early stages of his professional career, Lewis had always seemed like a man destined to relieve Tyson as supreme commander of the heavyweight division. In the previous May, Lewis had become WBC world champion with supreme ease; knocking Tucker down in the third and ninth rounds on his way to a wide points victory.
London heavyweight Bruno had become a favourite among British fans. He'd fought for world titles twice before; outpointed by Witherspoon at Wembley in July 1986 and hammered by Tyson inside five in Las Vegas in February 1989. His third shot, against newly-crowned Lewis at Cardiff's National Stadium would end in similar disappointment.
Interestingly, Bruno was level on two scorecards and ahead on the other when the stoppage came. Bruno was having success of his own in the seventh, backing Lewis up into the corner under a barrage of shots when the younger man suddenly pounced out with a huge left hook. Three huge right uppercuts found their marks soon after and referee Micky Vann stepped in to delay Bruno becoming a world champion further.
By the late 1990s, the threat to Lewis' position as the leading light of the division was coming not only from the west in Tyson, but from the east too. The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, were quite a story. The elder brother, Vitali, had turned from a successful kickboxing career to professional boxing. None of his first 10 opponents saw the third round.
The knockout run continued all the way up to his first world title shot, when he silenced Millwall's New London Arena by stopping Herbie Hide inside two rounds to seize the WBO world title. The first defence would be back in Germany against St Louis' Mahone who, although unbeaten, was out of his depth against 'Dr Ironfist.'
With his brother Wladimir cheering him on at ringside, Klitschko used the first two rounds to size up his opponent and in the third, put together combinations. Klitschko's famous right hand put the finishing touches to one accurate flurry to record the initial knockdown and although Mahone gamely rose to his feet to try and soak up some more, his legs were visibly unsteady. After a second visit to the canvas, the fight was waved off.
The younger Klitschko trod a more routine path to professional boxing; a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games prompted some to claim he would surpass the achievements of his brother. His early career was successful but lacked the consistency of his sibling's and he was stunned by a stoppage defeat to Ross Puritty in 1998. Wladimir rebuilt admirably and became world champion two years later with an emphatic points win over Chris Byrd.
Much like his elder brother, Wladimir was handed a relatively routine task for his first defence. In his three bouts prior to challenging for a world title, Derrick Jefferson had been stopped by David Izon and Oleg Maskaev. Few expected him to last very long against the heavy-handed Ukrainian.
In the event, they were proved right. A crushing overhand right from Klitschko in the second round sent Jefferson down and he slumped to the floor again after standing up for further punishment. Wladimir's WBO reign would continue until March 2003, when he was shocked in the second round by Corrie Sanders.
Watch Anthony Joshua vs Dominic Breazeale live on Sky Sports Box Office from The O2, June 25. Book the event via your Sky remote or online here.
