The “rematch clause” is a widely known time period in boxing’s language. Earlier than a punch is thrown a security web is put in place for one fighter, often dubbed the “A-Facet”, which permits them a second chunk on the cherry ought to they lose.
This usually applies to fights of nice significance the place a number of of the world belts are on the road. Sivenathi Nontshinga was one recipient of a rematch clause previous to defending his IBF light-flyweight strap in Monte Carlo three months in the past. The supremely assured South African was extensively anticipated to win however was humbled by challenger Adrian Curiel in simply two rounds.
To win his belt again Nontshinga should not solely overturn a second-round knockout defeat however accomplish that on Curiel’s residence turf in Mexico on Friday night time (February 16).
Historical past exhibits that bouncing again within the subsequent battle after such a shattering defeat may be achieved. Boxing Information presents 5 examples of rematches the place the overwhelmed man didn’t have lengthy to attend to proper the outcome.
Floyd Patterson vs. Ingemar Johansson
Battle 1: June 26, 1959 – Johansson wins by third-round TKO.
Battle 2: June 20, 1960 – Patterson wins by fifth-round KO.
Ingemar Johannson weighed 14lbs greater than Floyd Patterson when the European heavyweight champion took on the world champion at Yankee Stadium in June 1959. It mattered little to observers who believed Patterson would efficiently defend his title for a fifth time. Patterson let or not it’s identified beforehand he had by no means seen Johannson battle.
The Swede went on to ground Patterson seven instances in spherical three earlier than referee Ruby Goldstein stopped the battle. “Toonder and Lightning”, the varied names for Johansson’s proper hand, had most actually struck.
One yr later and this time Johannson was the favorite. The often placid Patterson sought revenge and had a dislike for the brand new champ. This time the mighty proper hand of Johannson wouldn’t work to its fullest impact. And in spherical two it whacked Patterson who staggered however shook it off, displaying resilience and willpower.
Historical past was towards Patterson, who hoped to develop into the primary man in historical past to regain the heavyweight title; one thing that Bob Fitzsimmons, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis and extra did not do earlier than him. However Patterson, who weighed eight kilos extra for the rematch, was a modified fighter after experiencing the embarrassment of dropping to Johansson. Within the fifth he cracked the champ’s jaw with a proper hand and adopted up with a leaping left hook which put Johansson on the ground. Reduce and bloodied, the Swede recovered solely to be met with extra left hooks earlier than the ultimate one, one of many best punches ever thrown by Patterson, met Johannson’s face and despatched him crashing together with his head thudding off the canvas. Referee Arthur Mecante counted the champion out at 1.51 of spherical 5.
Patterson accomplished the comeback in March 1961, beating Johansson by sixth spherical knockout. Throughout their surprising trilogy the 2 males visited the canvas 12 instances between them.
Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman
Battle 1: April 22, 2001 – Rahman wins by fifth-round KO.
Battle 2: November 17, 2001 – Lewis wins by fourth-round KO.
After spending time in Las Vegas filming scenes for a component within the Ocean’s Eleven remake, Lennox Lewis received again to his actual job as an actual boxer when he put his WBC and IBF heavyweight belts on the road towards the unfancied Hasim Rahman in South Africa.
British followers have been delighted to be given the possibility to observe Lewis on free-to-air tv with the battle proven dwell on the BBC. Lewis’s preparations have been affected by jetlag, arriving in South Africa later than required and overlooking Rahman, who entered the battle with losses to wrecking ball David Tua and Oleg Maskaev.
Towards Lewis, he made probably the most of his shot and shocked the world by knocking the champion out within the fifth spherical. Seven months later, Lewis was again in Vegas, however this time starring in his personal sequel. The build-up turned bitter with rising animosity between the pair which resulted in a brawl between the 2 massive lumps on ESPN.
Lewis was a distinct animal within the rematch. The challenger was laser-focused on getting his belts again and shutting up Rahman. And within the fourth-round Lewis delivered a devastating one-two which ended Rahman’s brief reign. Beating his chest in celebration, it was revenge and redemption for Lewis.
Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez
Battle 1: March 3, 2007 – Marquez wins after Vazquez retires in spherical seven.
Battle 2: August 4, 2007 – Vazquez wins by sixth-round TKO.
Seventeen years in the past, one of many best boxing rivalries kicked off on the Dwelling Depot Centre in Carson. Vazquez was defending his WBC super-bantamweight strap for the third time and was in fantastic type having out-gunned Jhonny Gonzalez six month earlier.
Marquez, Juan Manuel’s brother, was lastly transferring up in weight after a prolonged keep at bantamweight. Each he and Vazquez have been at their peak however within the opening around the nostril of Vasquez had been punctured by his opponent who then rocked him with a proper hand afterward. The tide turned in spherical three when Marquez, who was getting the higher of exchanges, discovered himself on the ground from a left hook. Nonetheless, Vazquez’s nostril concern virtually value him the battle within the fifth when he turned his again. On the finish of the seventh the battle was over as a result of damage. A Mexican by no means needs to exit like that.
Followers solely needed to wait eight months for the rematch. The primary spherical felt like a complete battle in three minutes. The exchanges grew to become extra frequent, and if one man was compelled again by a shot he would step proper again into the hearth for extra. Regardless of a minimize on his nostril and swelling round his eyes, Vazquez wouldn’t cease.
In the event you blinked, you’ll miss one thing. The punches continued all through. Each males bloodied, the brutality by no means ceased; it was stirring however profession shortening. Extra drama got here within the fifth when Vazquez was on the deck however referee Jose Guadalupe accurately dominated it a slip. Marquez was then lit up by a three-punch mixture which put him down within the sixth. A torrent of photographs adopted earlier than the battle was stopped with over a minute to go. One superlative wouldn’t do the battle justice.
The trilogy arrived in March 2008 – one other barnburner which Vazquez gained by cut up resolution – earlier than an pointless fourth installment, by which a now broken Vazquez was knocked out within the third spherical, got here two years later.
Sergey Kovalev vs. Eleider Alvarez
Battle 1: August 4, 2018
Battle 2: February 2, 2019
After back-to-back defeats towards Andre Ward, the fame of Sergey Kovalev was broken. “Krusher” had been a damaging pressure who occurred to run into a contemporary nice.
By beating up Vyacheslav Shabranskyy and Igor Mikhalin, the Russian received again into the swing of issues earlier than defending his WBO light-heavyweight strap towards challenger Eleider “Storm” Alvarez.
The Colombian swept into Atlantic Metropolis in little question he would beat the person he described as “the very best within the division”, a pop at Adonis Stevenson who Alvarez had been ready three years as WBC necessary challenger to face.
Alvarez introduced his arrival on the high desk in spectacular trend. The 6ft underdog utilised his efficient jab, moved properly, and confirmed no impact from his opponent’s physique photographs. Kovalev appeared to be in management and successful till an extended proper hand had him down in spherical seven. Alvarez repeated the feat on two extra events, signalling a brand new pressure at 175lbs and maybe the start of the top for Kovalev.
Six months later, Kovalev quietened all people by displaying his underrated boxing skills to boss Alvarez, who carried nowhere close to the risk from their first bout. The challenger picked his photographs, snapping Alvarez’s head again all through with quite a lot of punches, and proved as soon as once more why he was top-of-the-line on the planet by successful 120-108 and 116-112 (twice) on all three scorecards.
Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz
Battle 1: June 1, 2019 – Ruiz wins by seventh-round TKO.
Battle 2: December 7, 2019 – Joshua wins by unanimous resolution.
Anthony Joshua’s try to overcome America couldn’t have gone extra unsuitable.
Unique opponent Jarrell Miller was pulled after testing optimistic for a banned substance after which Andy Ruiz, all quick palms and podgy body, was drafted in as Joshua’s opponent for his U.S debut at Madison Sq. Backyard. A foregone conclusion quickly became a dwelling nightmare. Ruiz punched with the heavier-handed Joshua and recovered from a third-round knockdown to blitz AJ, placing him on the deck 4 instances. It was a seismic upset which added to the wealthy boxing historical past of The Backyard.
Hypothesis over what went unsuitable in Joshua’s preparations and the picture of a person clearly not trying proper within the ring pre-fight wouldn’t go away. He had no selection however to take a rematch.
To banish the demons, he would have to take action in Saudi Arabia, lengthy earlier than anybody in boxing began saying “His Excellency”, to get his three belts again. Ruiz had been having fun with life as a champion – possibly just a little an excessive amount of. Of their rematch the Californian barely laid a glove on Joshua, who used stable fundamentals and ring craft to field his method to a large factors win.
Leigh Wooden vs. Mauricio Lara
Battle 1: February 18, 2023 – Lara wins by seventh-round TKO.
Battle 2: Might 27, 2023 – Wooden wins by unanimous resolution.
Wooden strolled into the Nottingham Enviornment 12 months in the past feeling 10-feet tall and using the wave of a three-fight run which included a powerful win over Can Xu and an epic battle towards Michael Conlan.
Subsequent up was the crude however efficient Mauricio Lara, who had battered Josh Warrington in 2021. Wooden might have given up his WBA featherweight belt, however he wasn’t about to let down his Nottingham devoted. He and Lara went toe-to-toe and selected to seek out out who punched the toughest. Wooden’s coach, Ben Davison, confirmed smarts and compassion, saving Wooden for an additional day after his man was dropped in spherical seven.
No-one would have blamed Wooden if he selected an alternate route when resuming his profession, however he wasn’t having any of that. As a substitute, he needed extra of Lara, and it turned out to be the correct transfer. Lara ended his personal WBA reign on the scales the day earlier than, leaving him stripped of his belt.
The fear now was how massive would Lara be on the night time and the way a lot had the Battle of Nottingham three months earlier taken out of Wooden. However worry not. The Brit, combating this time in Manchester, used ring smarts to comfortably beat an ineffective Lara, who was a shadow of the person as soon as deemed unstoppable. Mexico doesn’t usually lose to Britain in a boxing ring so this one was to be savoured.
