ringside

He suffered a controversial knockdown in the fourth that ringsiders feel was merely a slip.

Rutherford was narrowly beaten on points by Evatt with some ringsiders feeling he had done enough to win.

WEALTHY ringsiders paid more than pounds 100-a-minute for their view of Lennox Lewis' destructive powers against Frans Botha.

Referee Paul Thomas ended the fight just before the end of the second round but most ringsiders were of the opinion that he should lhave stepped in at least a minute earlier with Reid in total disarray.

It ill behoves most ringsiders - especially journalists - to question a boxer's courage.

In that fight held in Los Angeles, the judges ruled the bout a draw although a lot of ringsiders believed Nietes did enough to merit the decision.

Martinez came out smoking in the first round and both fighters traded vicious body shots as ringsiders wondered who would fold up first.

Even though most ringsiders had the 28-year-old from Coventry ahead after nine rounds, Brown was a point ahead on referee Grant Wallis's scorecard.

So he was perfectly primed for battle 30 years ago on the night of September 19, 1980, and it showed from the start when to ringsiders' amazement he took the fight to Pintor, his familiar swarming style overwhelming the Mexican in the early rounds.

A lot of ringsiders thought he had won by more than that." And to put the cherry on the cake school teacher Rachael Murray from the Birmingham City Club reached the finals of the National Women's Championships in Manchester next week.

As security men ushered ringsiders towards the exits, the contest continued, although both fighters were clearly distracted, and eventually they too were asked to leave the hall, still in their boxing kit.

Corrales holds the WBC and WBO lightweight titles, having stopped Castillo last month in a war most ringsiders described as one of the greatest in boxing history.

Nicknamed 'Feet Of Flames', Flately was out in the first round of the 'King Of The Welterweights' knockout contest - though ringsiders believed judges got it wrong when they awarded finalist Douglas Morrison the points.

Many ringsiders thought his career had permanently hit the buffers after Jacklord Jacobs stopped him in two rounds at the Aston Villa Leisure Centre in January last year.

JOE BUGNER bt Cooper (Wembley, 1971): Ref Harry Gibbs astonished ringsiders by raising 21-year-old Bugner's hand after Cooper, nearly 37, had seemed to finish the 15-rounder more strongly.