December 11: This Day in Boxing History — Key Fights From This Day

December 11: This Day in Boxing History — Key Fights From This Day

December 11 has produced a concise but meaningful slice of boxing history, marked by milestone moments that cut across eras and weight classes. The events that have landed on December 11 offer a clear view of the sport’s evolution, from aging icons and brutal grudge matches to high-tempo, globally televised title fights.

 Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick — Ali’s Final Bout (1981)

 Muhammad Ali fought the final match of his career against Trevor Berbick. The heavyweight contest, scheduled for 10 rounds, ended in a unanimous decision for Berbick (scores: 99–94, 99–94, 97–94). Ali entered the ring with a record of 56–4 (37 KOs); with the loss sealing his final professional record at 56–5.

Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limon IV — Chacon Claims WBC Super-Featherweight Title (1982)

 “School Boy” Bobby Chacon and Rafael “Bazooka” Limón met in the fourth and final installment of a bitter rivalry, this time with the WBC super-featherweight title on the line. The fight took place at Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento, California. After being knocked down twice by Limón (rounds 3 and 10), Chacon staged a dramatic comeback. He knocked Limón down with only 10 seconds left in round 15, earning him the win on points and the championship. That last-second knockdown proved decisive: two judges had the bout 142–141 and 141–140 for Chacon, the third 143–141, giving him the title by a narrow but unanimous decision.
Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana — Light-Welterweight Showdown (2010)

 Amir Khan defended his WBA light-welterweight title against Argentine challenger Marcos Maidana at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout, billed “Thunder & Lightning,” saw Khan score a knockdown in the first round with body punches. Maidana pressed hard in the later rounds, nearly finishing Khan in the tenth. Ultimately, Khan retained his belt via unanimous decision (114–111, 114–111, 113–112).

 Yonnhy Perez vs Joseph Agbeko II — IBF Bantamweight Tournament Match (2010)

Also on December 11, 2010, a key fight took place in the The Bantamweight Tournament: Winner Takes All — a single-elimination event at 118 lbs. In that semifinal match, challenger Joseph Agbeko defeated defending champion Yonnhy Pérez by unanimous decision (116–112, 117–111, 115–113) to reclaim the IBF bantamweight title.
December 11^th Over the Years

 Ali’s last stand, Chacon’s narrow championship win, and the high-stakes title bouts of the 2010s each reflect a different stage in the sport’s progression — technically, commercially, and culturally. The fights that occurred on this date span a wide range of eras, weight classes, and significance: from a heavyweight legend’s final bow, to a brutal 15-round title war, to modern televised title fights and tournament action.

INTERESTING FACTS:

Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick (1981)

 The bout took place at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Nassau, Bahamas — a venue chosen because no U.S. state would license the aging Ali after concerns about his health.

On fight day, the event was almost derailed: gloves had to be flown in from Miami and organizers struggled to complete basic ring preparations. A cowbell was ultimately used instead of a proper round bell.

Tickets sold poorly; some reports suggest fewer than 7,500 people attended, a stark contrast to the sell-out crowds Ali once drew. Despite the modest crowd and rough build-up, Ali’s purse for the fight was reportedly US$1.1 million, while Berbick’s was about US$350,000.

Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limón IV (1982)

 Their December 11, 1982 bout (the fourth in their series) was the only one that featured a world title, the WBC super‑featherweight title.

The fight is historically significant because it was among the final 15-round world-title bouts before the shift toward 12-rounder standardization.

 At the time, Chacon was reportedly motivated by personal tragedy: he dedicated the fight to his wife, whose death earlier that year had deeply affected him.

The fight was later honored by The Ring as Fight of the Year and is widely regarded as one of the great 15-round wars in boxing history.

 The fight was televised live on American network television (ABC’s Wide World of Sports), giving wide exposure to a super-featherweight rivalry that otherwise might have flown under the radar.

Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana — 2010 “Thunder & Lightning”

 The fight earned the 2010 Fight of the Year award from the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), a testament to its intensity, high stakes, and dramatic swings.

Yonnhy Pérez vs. Joseph Agbeko II — 2010 IBF Bantamweight Tournament

On the same night as Khan–Maidana, the lower-weight 118-lb division saw a key bout between Pérez and Agbeko as part of a one-night elimination format, reflecting modern boxing’s efforts to revitalize interest in lighter divisions through tournaments; a contrast to traditional, single-match title defenses.