Panel: What is your most memorable moment at ringside?

Mike Costello (Commentator)

Anthony Joshua against Andy Ruiz at Madison Square Garden in 2019. One that will be talked about for many years to come. It was one of the last big nights that I did at [BBC Radio] 5 Live before moving over into television. I was presenting the programme as well as commentating, so I was running around doing interviews. Four or five hours on air. Incredibly fulfilling. A really special night in a special venue.

Kevin Mitchell (Journalist/Author)

Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson II. The ear-biting incident. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing because it’s such a surreal thing to witness. You think, Oh. Has he really done that? Even in boxing which is a crazy old business I thought that was pretty extreme. The heavyweight division was still buzzing a lot around Tyson in those days even though everyone suspected he wasn’t what he was.

Donald McRae (Journalist/Author)

In March 1993, I was writing Dark Trade, and I went to Los Angeles. In the Olympic Auditorium James Toney defended his world super-middleweight title against Tim Littles. In the third round, he suffered a terrible cut. The referee told Toney he had one round left before they stopped the fight. Toney tore into Littles. He dropped his rival three times before the referee waved the fight over. It was brutal, and electrifying.

Daniel Herbert (Boxing Journalist)

Mike Tyson beating Trevor Berbick. It was the second round when Berbick got clobbered and went down heavily, got up and was reeling all over the ring. Even then some people were saying Mike Tyson’s overrated, and he doesn’t compare to the all-time greats. When he did Berbick like that it was a realisation that this guy is for real and he’s everything he’s meant to be, and he really has got something special.