On This Day in Boxing History… April 22nd

1969.- American Joe Frazier knocked out fellow countryman Dave Zyglewicz in the first round to claim the WBC Heavyweight title in Houston, Texas. It was a devastating display that lasted only 96 seconds; Frazier flattened the challenger with his legendary left hook before the crowd had even settled into their seats.

1972.- At Arena Mexico in Mexico City, Mexican fighter Ricardo Arredondo stopped Nicaragua’s William Martinez in the fifth round. The WBC Super Featherweight title was on the line. “Pajarito” Arredondo capitalized on his home-turf advantage and physical power, successfully defending his crown for the second time in one of the world’s most iconic boxing venues.

1978.- Mexican legend Carlos Zárate knocked out Puerto Rico’s Andrés Hernández in the 13th round to defend his WBC Bantamweight title. The bout took place at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Zárate proved why he was considered a “monster” of the lower weight classes by silencing the Puerto Rican fans, securing his 50th career knockout victory at the time.

1978.- At the Ariston Theatre in San Remo, Italy, Argentina’s Hugo Pastor Corro defeated Colombia’s Rodrigo Valdez by decision to capture the WBC Middleweight title. Corro put on a masterclass of technical boxing to dethrone the gritty Valdez, becoming the third Argentine in history to rule the middleweight division.

1979.- In an all-American clash, Matthew Saad Muhammad knocked out Marvin Johnson in 8 rounds in Indianapolis, Indiana, with the WBC Light Heavyweight title at stake. This fight is remembered as one of the bloodiest and most courageous in history; Saad Muhammad staged an epic comeback despite suffering severe cuts to both eyes.

2001.- American Hasim Rahman knocked out Britain’s Lennox Lewis in the 5th round in Brakpan, South Africa, for the WBC Heavyweight championship. Known as the “Thunder in Africa,” this result shocked the sporting world as Rahman landed a perfect right hand that ended Lewis’s reign in one of the greatest upsets in heavyweight history.

2017.- In a bout held in Brooklyn, New York, Jermell Charlo defended his WBC Super Welterweight title by knocking out Charles Hatley in the sixth round. It was Jermell’s first defense, and he closed the night with a spectacular knockout that sent Hatley to the canvas for good, cementing his status as one of the elite figures in boxing today.