Events in Sport
- 1884-07-30 Nonpareil Dempsey [John Edward Kelly] fights George Fulljames, possibly the 1st middleweight fight with boxing gloves
- 1933-08-23 First televised boxing match — 6-round exhibition at Broadcasting House in London between middleweights Archie Sexton and Lauri Raiteri; aired by BBC-TV
- 1948-08-13 Hungarian boxer László Papp wins the first of 3 consecutive Olympic gold medals; beats British middleweight Johnny Wright on points at the London Games
Boxing Title Fight
1950-08-25 Sugar Ray Robinson KOs Jose Basora to win middleweight boxing title
- 1951-02-14 Sugar Ray Robinson defeats Jake LaMotta & takes middleweight title
Patterson KOs Tita
1952-08-02 17 year-old future world champion Floyd Patterson wins the gold medal in the middleweight division at the Helsinki Olympic Games with a 1st round KO of Romanian Vasile Tita
Nardico vs. LaMotta
1952-12-31 Danny Nardico stops former world middleweight champion Jake LaMotta in 7 rounds in a light heavyweight non-title bout in Coral Gables, Florida; LaMotta is knocked down for the only time in his career, his corner stopping fight after the round
- 1955-01-07 20 year-old future world heavyweight boxing champion Floyd Patterson scores a 5th-round TKO of Willie Troy in a non-title super middleweight bout at New York’s Madison Square Garden
- 1957-01-02 In the first of 4 meetings between the fighters, Gene Fullmer wins the world middleweight boxing title with a 15-round unanimous decision over Sugar Ray Robinson at New York’s Madison Square Garden
- 1960-01-22 Paul Pender beats Sugar Ray Robinson for middleweight boxing title
Olympic Gold
1960-09-05 Future world middleweight boxing champion Nino Benvenuti of Italy beats Yuri Radonyak of the Soviet Union to win welterweight gold medal at the Rome Olympics
- 1967-04-17 Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti beats American Emile Griffith in a 15 round points decision to win world middleweight crown at Madison Square Garden; start of famous trilogy of fights between the pair
- 1967-09-29 American boxer Emile Griffith regains his world middleweight crown on points in a brawling re-match with Italian Nino Benvenuti at Shea Stadium, NY; second of famous trilogy of fights
- 1968-03-04 Italian boxer Nino Benvenuti regains world middleweight title with a 15-round points decision over American champion Emile Griffith at Madison Square Garden, NY; last of famous trilogy of fights
- 1970-11-07 Argentine boxer Carlos Monzon upsets defending champion Nino Benvenuti of Italy in 12th round KO in Rome to win WBC, WBA middleweight titles
- 1976-01-13 Future undisputed world middleweight boxing champion Marvin Hagler suffers his first career loss in a controversial 10-round majority decision to Bobby Watts at the Philadelphia Spectrum
- 1980-09-27 Marvin Hagler defeats Alan Minter to claim boxing's world Middleweight championship in London. They have to be escorted away by police after a riot forms.
- 1983-04-13 Undefeated middleweight boxer Tony Ayala gets 35 years on sex assault
- 1983-07-08 Rudi Koopmans retains European middleweight title
Hagler vs. Durán
1983-11-10 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler retains world middleweight boxing title with a 15-round unanimous points decision over Roberto Durán at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas; first time Hagler taken the distance as champion
Sports History
1987-04-06 Middleweight World Boxing Championship bout: Sugar Ray Leonard upsets Marvelous Marvin Hagler at Caesars Palace in Paradise, Nevada
- 1989-02-24 Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Durán wins 4th world title in different weight divisions when he beats Iran Barkley in a 12 round split decision in Atlantic City; 37-year-old Durán wins WBC middleweight title
- 1995-01-14 Vinny Pazienza beats Panamanian boxing legend Roberto Durán in a 12-round unanimous decision in a super middleweight bout in Atlantic City; 2nd time in 6 months Pazienza wears down 43-year-old Duran in a high profile pay-pay-view bout
- 1995-02-25 British super middleweight Nigel Benn puts opponent Gerard McClellan in hospital
- 1997-03-01 Puerto Rican boxer Héctor Camacho stops Sugar Ray Leonard in 5th round in Atlantic City, NJ to retain IBC middleweight title; only time Leonard's is KO'ed and sends him into permanent retirement
Sports History
2015-07-06 Floyd Mayweather Jr. is stripped of his WBO welterweight boxing title after failing to pay $200k sanctioning fee and vacate his 2 junior middleweight titles
Sports History
2018-09-15 Russian boxer Gennady Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) loses his first pro fight in record 20th title defense as well as undisputed world middleweight crown when outpointed by Mexican Canelo Álvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) in Las Vegas
- 2019-05-04 Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez unifies a trio of middleweight world titles in a close, unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV
Birthdays in Sport
- 1862-12-15 Jack 'The Nonpareil' Dempsey, Irish boxer (first holder of World Middleweight Championship 1886-90), born in Curran, County Kildare (d. 1895)
Bob Fitzsimmons (1863-1917)
1863-05-26 English boxer (first 3-division world champion; Middleweight 1981-96, Light Heavyweight 1903, Heavyweight 1897-99), born in Helston, England
- 1870-03-31 Tommy Ryan, American boxer (World Welterweight, Middleweight champion), born in Redwood, NY (d. 1948)
- 1882-09-03 Johnny Douglas, English cricket all-rounder, captain (23 Tests, 1 x 100, 45 wickets; Essex CCC) and boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1908), born in London, England (d. 1930)
- 1884-02-08 Reginald "Snowy" Baker, Australian boxer (Olympic silver middleweight 1908), rugby union halfback (2 caps) and actor (The Sword of Valor), born in Sydney, Australia (d. 1953)
- 1901-07-13 Mickey Walker, American boxer (World Welterweight Champion 1922-26; World Middleweight Champion 1926-29), born in Elizabeth, New Jersey (d. 1981)
- 1903-06-20 Sam Rabin [Rabinowitz], British sculptor, artist, actor and freestyle wrestler (Olympic bronze middleweight 1928), born in Cheetham, North Manchester, England (d. 1991)
- 1906-08-26 Ceferino Garcia, Filipino boxer (World Middleweight champion 1939-40), born in Naval, Biliran, Philippine Islands (d. 1981)
- 1913-05-29 Tony Zale, American boxer (World Middleweight Champion 1940-47, 48), born in Gary, Indiana (d. 1997)
- 1916-07-22 Marcel Cerdan, French boxer (NBA, NYSAC, The Ring middleweight titles 1948-49), born in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria (d. 1949)
- 1919-01-01 Rocky Graziano, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1947-48; famous Tony Zale trilogy) and entertainer (Pantomime Quiz, Miami Undercover), born in Brooklyn, New York (d. 1990)
Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989)
1921-05-03 American boxer (world welterweight champion 1946-51; middleweight champion 1951-52, 55, 58), born in Ailey, Georgia
Jake LaMotta (1922-2017)
1922-07-10 American boxer (world middleweight champion 1949-51, immortalised in 'Raging Bull'), born in New York City
- 1923-11-03 Glen Brand, American wrestler (Olympic gold middleweight 1948), born in Clarion, Iowa (d. 2008)
- 1927-04-02 Carmen Basilio, American boxer (World Welterweight title 1955-56; Middleweight title 1957-58), born in Canastota, New York (d. 2012)
- 1928-06-07 Randy Turpin, British boxer (NYSAC, NBA and The Ring middleweight titles 1951-53), born in Leamington Spa, England (d. 1966)
- 1928-07-11 (Carl) "Bobo" Olson, American boxer World Middleweight Champion, 1953-55), born in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii (d. 2002)
- 1929-04-19 Eddie Crook Jr., American boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1960), born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 2005)
- 1930-06-20 Paul Pender, American boxer (World Middleweight Champion 1960–61; The Ring Middleweight Champion 1962–63 Retired; Lineal Middleweight Champion 1962–63 Retired), born in Brookline, Massachusetts (d. 2003)
- 1931-07-21 Gene Fullmer, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1957; NBA [WBA] World Middleweight title 1959-62), born in West Jordan, Utah (d. 2015)
- 1936-05-09 Terry Downes, British middleweight boxing champion (1961-62), born in London (d. 2017)
Emile Griffith (1938-2013)
1938-02-03 American boxer, (world welterweight, middleweight & junior middleweight champion), born in Saint Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Nino Benvenuti (85 years old)
1938-04-26 Italian boxer (world middleweight champion), born in Izola, Slovenia
- 1941-04-05 Viktor Kurentsov, Belarusian weightlifter (Olympic gold middleweight 1968; silver 1964; 5 x World C'ship gold middleweight), born in Tukhinka, Belarus (d. 2021)
- 1942-08-07 Carlos Monzón, Argentine boxer (Undisputed world middleweight champion 1970-74, 76-77), born in San Javier, Argentina (d. 1995)
- 1944-06-05 Chris Finnegan, British boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1968), born in Iver, Buckinghamshire, England (d. 2009)
- 1952-05-23 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler, American boxer (undisputed World Middleweight champion 1980-87; second-longest unified C'ship reign in history), born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2021)
- 1956-07-13 Michael Spinks, American boxer (undisputed world light heavyweight title 1983-85; lineal world heavyweight title 1985-88; Olympic gold middleweight 1976), born in St. Louis, Missouri
- 1964-01-18 Virgil Hill, American boxer (WBA light heavyweight title 1987, 97; IBF & lineal light heavyweight titles 1996-97; WBA cruiserweight title 2000-02, 2006-07), born in Clinton, Missouri
- 1966-08-08 Chris Eubank, English boxer (WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles), born in London, England
- 1970-08-15 Chris Byrd, American boxer (WBO heavyweight title 2000; IBF heavyweight tile 2002; Olympic silver middleweight 1992), born in Flint, Michigan
- 1971-05-29 Éric Lucas, Canadian boxer (WBC Super Middleweight title 2001-02), born in Montreal, Quebec
- 1972-03-23 Joe Calzaghe, Welsh boxer, (unified & lineal world super-middleweight title 2007; Ring magazine light-heavyweight title 2008), born in Hammersmith, London, England
- 1974-10-05 Rich Franklin, American mixed martial artist (UFC Middleweight title 2005-06), born in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 1978-08-11 Jermain Taylor, American boxer (undisputed world middleweight champion 2005-07), born in Little Rock, Arkansas
- 1979-03-01 Mikkel Kessler, Danish boxer (WBA super-middleweight title x 3; WBC title x 2; IBA title 2002), born in Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1979-07-01 Forrest Griffin, American UFC HOF mixed martial artist (UFC Light Heavyweight C'ship 2008; UFC Middleweight C'ship 2011, 12), born in Columbus, Ohio
- 1982-04-08 Gennady Golovkin, Kazakh boxer (undisputed world middleweight champion), born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan
- 1982-09-07 Andre Dirrell, American boxer (IBF interim super middleweight 2017-18), born in Flint, Michigan
- 1984-06-11 Andy Lee, Irish boxer (WBO middleweight title 2014-15), born in London, England
Weddings in Sport
Jake LaMotta
2013-01-04 American former World Middleweight champ Jake LaMotta (90) weds seventh and final wife, longtime fiancée Denise Baker (62) in Bisbee, Arizona, until his death in 2017
Deaths in Sport
- 1895-11-02 Jack 'The Nonpareil' Dempsey, Irish boxer (first holder of World Middleweight Championship 1886-90), dies from tuberculosis at 32
Bob Fitzsimmons (1863-1917)
1917-10-22 English boxer (first 3-division world champion; Middleweight 1981-96, Light Heavyweight 1903, Heavyweight 1897-99), dies from pneumonia at 54
- 1930-12-19 Johnny Douglas, English cricket all-rounder, captain (23 Tests, 1 x 100, 45 wickets; Essex CCC) and boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1908), dies by drowning at 48
- 1948-08-03 Tommy Ryan, American boxer (World Welterweight, Middleweight champion), dies at 78
- 1949-10-27 Marcel Cerdan, French boxer (NBA, NYSAC, The Ring middleweight titles 1948-49), dies in a plane crash at 33
- 1953-12-02 Reginald "Snowy" Baker, Australian boxer (Olympic silver middleweight 1908), rugby union halfback (2 caps) and actor (The Sword of Valor), dies at 69
- 1966-05-16 Randy Turpin, British boxer (NYSAC, NBA and The Ring middleweight titles 1951-53), shot dead in his home at 37
- 1981-01-01 Ceferino Garcia, Filipino boxer (World Middleweight champion 1939-40), dies at 74
- 1981-04-28 Mickey Walker, American boxer (World Welterweight Champion 1922-26; World Middleweight Champion 1926-29), dies at 79
Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989)
1989-04-12 American boxer (world welterweight champion 1946-51; middleweight champion 1951-52, 55, 58), dies of Alzheimer's disease at 67
- 1990-05-22 Rocky Graziano, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1947-48; famous Tony Zale trilogy) and entertainer (Pantomime Quiz, Miami Undercover), dies of heart failure at 71
- 1991-12-20 Sam Rabin [Rabinowitz], British sculptor, artist, actor and freestyle wrestler (Olympic bronze middleweight 1928), dies at 88
- 1995-01-08 Carlos Monzón, Argentine boxer (Undisputed world middleweight champion 1970-74, 76-77), dies in a car accident at 52
- 1997-03-20 Tony Zale, American boxer (World Middleweight Champion 1940-47, 48), dies at 83
- 2002-01-16 (Carl) "Bobo" Olson, American boxer World Middleweight Champion, 1953-55), dies at 73
- 2003-01-12 Paul Pender, American boxer (World Middleweight Champion 1960–61; The Ring Middleweight Champion 1962–63 Retired; Lineal Middleweight Champion 1962–63 Retired), dies at 72
- 2005-07-25 Eddie Crook Jr., American boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1960), dies at 76
- 2008-11-15 Glen Brand, American wrestler (Olympic gold middleweight 1948), dies at 85
- 2009-03-02 Chris Finnegan, British boxer (Olympic gold middleweight 1968), dies of pneumonia at 64
- 2012-11-07 Carmen Basilio, American boxer (World Welterweight title 1955-56; Middleweight title 1957-58), dies from pneumonia at 85
Emile Griffith (1938-2013)
2013-07-23 American boxer, (world welterweight, middleweight & junior middleweight champion), dies of dementia complications at 75
- 2015-04-27 Gene Fullmer, American boxer (World Middleweight title 1957; NBA [WBA] World Middleweight title 1959-62), dies at 83
Jake LaMotta (1922-2017)
2017-09-19 American boxer (world middleweight champion 1949-51, immortalised in 'Raging Bull'), dies at 95
- 2017-10-06 Terry Downes, British middleweight boxing champion (1961-62), dies at 81
- 2020-09-09 Alan Minter, English boxer (world middleweight champion 1980), dies from cancer at 69
- 2021-03-13 'Marvelous' Marvin Hagler, American boxer (undisputed World Middleweight champion 1980-87; second-longest unified C'ship reign in history), dies at 66
- 2021-04-07 Viktor Kurentsov, Belarusian weightlifter (Olympic gold middleweight 1968; silver 1964; 5 x World C'ship gold middleweight), dies at 80