Festive boxing trivia quiz.

First topic message reminder :

Let's see if we can revive this old chestnut while we're still enjoying the festive season and, presumably, in light hearted mood. You know the score ; somebody asks a question and the person who provides the correct answer asks the next question, and so on.

I'll get the ball rolling with a fairly easy one :

One of the most controversial title fights in heavyweight history is linked to a true legend of boxing ( not a heavyweight, ) by a major US city and a relative who is not yet famous but will become famous immediately after the fight in question.

Who are the relatives, which is the city and which is the title fight?

You are correct Windy but worded the question poorly i'll add, meant that they held different world titles at the time but not necessarily defended them in the same fight. Armstrong of course at one point or another defended all three of his titles while holding the other two.

On reflection having read this believe it to be wrong anyway as Saddler held and defended the featherweight and super featherweight titles at the same time.

Men such as Leonard and Whitaker held two titles at the same time but only went on to defend one of them.

Still a good brain teaser though, Ghosty.

Besides, it's murder sorting out the multi weight champs and what they did or didn't do for a given fight.

Which fight is famous for its "Ten Seconds of Sunlight" moniker, and what is the significance of those ten seconds of sunlight?

I believe it refers to a tragic fight in which Luther McCarthy was killed, Windy, as they fought on a dark, overcast day in which the only ray of sunlight which appeared just happened to fall on the body of the fallen man. Can't remember who he was fighting, but I'm pretty sure that's the one - there are a couple of good articles on it which I've stumbled across in the past.

Bang on, Chris. Well done.

McCarty was thought to be the best of the ' white hopes ' and not just casual fans but also some boxing insiders believed he could beat Johnson. Sadly, he died when facing Arthur Pelkey from what later turned out to be injuries previously suffered in a riding accident.

The day was overcast but, as the referee began administering the count, a bright beam of sunlight abruptly appeared on McCarty's face. At the count of ten it disappeared just as suddenly, and McCarty died minutes later.

Incredible story really isn't it, Windy? A pretty chilling one, too.

I imagine this will be a straightforward one, but I'm running a bit low on questions!

Tex Rickard doubled as both promoter and then referee in the 1910 'Fight of the Century' between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries. But which very special individual had Rickard first asked to referee the bout, to which the individual in question replied that he was 'busy'?

The american president, who's name escapes me.

It certainly is, Chris.

I believe Rickard actually asked former President Teddy Roosevelt, ( who was a boxing fan, ) to referee it.

Well, you're definitely right in so much that he asked a President to officiate the fight, Windy, though I have a different name to Roosevelt - which is desperately close to the answer I have.

In that case, Chris, I'd reckon that Ghosty nailed it with the serving President at the time which was Taft, if I remember rightly.

Taft is indeed the name I was after, Windy - though I can't say with any certainty that he didn't ask Roosevelt first. Nice work.

Thank you, Chris.

However, Ghosty deserves the plaudits, since I had been pretty sure it had been the former president, Roosevelt, owing to his having been a friend of John L Sullivan - he was asked to be a pall bearer at Sullivan's funeral - and a boxing fan.

Didn't realise Ghosty had posted an answer! Apologies. Take it away, either one of you.

All yours, Ghosty.

I'm away for an hour or two, fellas. Have fun.

Which Welterweight twice failed in attempts at winning a second world title despite knocking his opponent down twice both times.

Tough one. Tony DeMarco, maybe?

A lot more recent.

Just to ask / point out something, did Manny Pacqiaou hold two titles at the same time? He won his Welterweight WBO and defended it against Cotto then Clottey, faced Marg at LMW and won that then came back down to redefend his Welterweight title, though he didn't defend both titles att he same time, but held them at the same time, am I correct?

Ghosty, just to clarify, are we talking about exclusively Welterweight fights here? Or can those knockdowns have come in title tilts at higher weights?

Is it Quartey? Remember him having DLH over unless the mind is playing tricks, no idea who else he fought or knocked over though.

I thought about Quartey too, Rowley, but like you I couldn't see where a second knockdown in another unsuccessful title fight came from. Also considered Mosley who 'decked' Manny last year, but a second case wasn't forthcoming.

AlexHuckerby wrote:Just to ask / point out something, did Manny Pacqiaou hold two titles at the same time? He won his Welterweight WBO and defended it against Cotto then Clottey, faced Marg at LMW and won that then came back down to redefend his Welterweight title, though he didn't defend both titles att he same time, but held them at the same time, am I correct?

He held them at the same time much like Leonard, Hatton and Whitaker but vacated almost straight away.

88Chris05 wrote:I thought about Quartey too, Rowley, but like you I couldn't see where a second knockdown in another unsuccessful title fight came from. Also considered Mosley who 'decked' Manny last year, but a second case wasn't forthcoming.

Very close with Quartey.

Both title tilts were at Welterweight and on both occassions he knocked the champion down twice.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:

88Chris05 wrote:I thought about Quartey too, Rowley, but like you I couldn't see where a second knockdown in another unsuccessful title fight came from. Also considered Mosley who 'decked' Manny last year, but a second case wasn't forthcoming.

Very close with Quartey.

Both title tilts were at Welterweight and on both occassions he knocked the champion down twice.

Colin Jones against Milt McCrory?

Nope.

Harold Weston

He's fairly recent.

And he still lost?

Which Welterweight twice failed in attempts at winning a second world title despite knocking his opponent down twice both times?

Zab

Nope, need to think outside the box, he's not a very well known boxer.

More clues please.

Not really any clues to give about the guy but Rowley has been agonisingly close.

Brainwave - Jose Luis Lopez?

Bang on Chris

Dropped Quartey twice before drawing and dropped James Page twice before losing, had previously won the very lightly regarded at the time WBO title.

The Quartey fight I remembered well, the Page one less so. Tough question, that one!

Really struggling for decent questions myself, mind you! Erm...

Who is the youngest Lightweight world title holder in history?

Ramos

Very close Azania, but no.

Lopez is very much a forgotten man of the 90's.

Edwin Rosario?

88Chris05 wrote:Very close Azania, but no.

Damn. As Ghosty said, it must be Rosario.

And it's Ghosty by a nose. Rosario was the answer.

Nice easy one this time.

What links Basilio, De La Hoya and Cooney?

Easy? wtf. Ok, random but correct without doubt. They all have 'o' in their names.

It's easy if you know the answer, decided to throw a wild card name into the mix.

God knows. Will take a guess - did they all command a (then) record fee for a challenger in a world title fight?

Not the answer I was thinking of Chris, another name or two i'll add if the answer isn't forthcoming.

Imperial Ghosty wrote:Not the answer I was thinking of Chris, another name or two i'll add if the answer isn't forthcoming.

YOu may as well add them now. They have all been involved in racially charged fights. Cooney/Holmes. Oscar/Pernell (he said African americans dont like body punches) and Basillo/SRR perhaps?

Joe Frazier.

Southpaws

or natural lefties converted to fighting orthodox.