Memorable Fights at Yankee Stadium

SI Staff | Oct 20, 2010

Memorable Fights at Yankee Stadium

Yuri Foreman vs. Miguel Cotto

George Napolitano/Getty Images

Boxing returns to Yankee Stadium following a 34-year absence Saturday when Yuri Foreman defends his WBA junior middleweight title against former welterweight champion Miguel Cotto. Here's a look at some of the most memorable bouts to take place at the iconic Bronx stadium through the years.

Joe Louis TKO 1 Max Schmeling

AP

Two years after suffering the lone defeat of his prime at the hands of Schmeling -- the German puncher who'd been cast as an example of Aryan supremacy -- Louis responded with an emphatic first-round knockout before more than 70,000 fans.

Tony Zale KO 6 Rocky Graziano

AP

Yankee Stadium played host to the first of three classic ring wars between Graziano and Zale. After trading knockdowns in the first two rounds, Zale retained the world middleweight championship with a sixth-round knockout.

Sugar Ray Robinson W 10 Kid Gavilan

AP

On the undercard of the lightweight title fight between Ike Williams and Jesse Flores, Robinson won a controversial decision in the first of two unforgettable clashes with the future welterweight champ from Cuba.

Sandy Saddler TKO 7 Willie Pep

AP

The third installment of the famous four-bout series between Saddler and Pep came to a premature finish after the seventh round, when Pep retired with a separated shoulder despite a considerable lead on all three scorecards. Saddler walked away with the precious rubber-match victory and the world featherweight championship.

Rocky Marciano W 15 Ezzard Charles

Hy Peskin/SI

The first of two clashes between Marciano and Charles -- the current and former heavyweight champions, respectively -- took place between 47,585 fans at Yankee Stadium. Marciano suffered a gruesome cut in the fourth round but still came away with the unanimous decision.

Rocky Marciano KO 9 Archie Moore

AP

Marciano came off the canvas to score a ninth-round of knockout of Moore, the light heavyweight champion who had moved up in weight. It was the last fight of Marciano's career. He remains the lone heavyweight champion to retire undefeated.

Carmen Basilio W 15 Sugar Ray Robinson

AP

The middleweight title changed hands before a crowd of 38,000 when Basilio outpointed Robinson in a split decision. The fight is best remembered for the 11th round -- one of the most explosive frames in middleweight history. Robinson would regain the title for a record fifth time in the rematch.

Ingemar Johansson TKO 3 Floyd Patterson

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A modest crowd of 21,961 saw the brash Swede floor Patterson no less than seven times in a shocking upset.

Muhammad Ali W 15 Ken Norton

Jerry Cooke/SI

Ali came away with a controversial decision in his third meeting with Norton, an underwhelming fight best remembered for the New York Police Department strike that engendered a climate of anarchy outside the stadium. The result: a modest crowd of 30,298 with just eight walk-up tickets sold.