By Adam Narat

Broken bones, gashes, sprains, strains, infections and so forth, the list of injuries a professional boxer can sustain before he gets in the ring are many, examples of these injuries are countless. We’ve come to love the sport of boxing through it’s refusal to be calculable, it’s sheer unpredictability. Of course this is a two-way street and too many mouth-watering bouts have been shot down by one of the combatants receiving injuries in training before the final road to the ring could be trod. Many fights too have been shot down by factors irrelevant to the fighters physical conditioning. Money, disaster, boxing politics, rape charges! Sheer unpredictability.

In the past few weeks prize fighting has taken blow after blow with the biggest, most anticipated fights crumbling one by one, falling like dominoes.

The first news was of the scheduled June 27th fight between Kelly Pavlik and Sergio Mora being called off due to Pavlik suffering from an alleged Staph infection. This fight however wasn’t so much anticipated and was frankly unimportant, this opinion was even echoed by Pavlik himself. The effect of it’s cancelation was of a minor disappointment to fight fans, who were for the most part looking forward to seeing a showcase from Pavlik.

Never mind, our bloodlust was already set to be satisfied 7 days before the Pavlik–Mora fight was even to take place. Pavlik–Mora was just to be the soufflé, The main course was still on. Boxing fans were universally anticipating the first meaningful heavyweight fight in years between Briton David Haye and Ukranian giant Vladamir Klitshko, a fight that was as important to boxing as it could possibly be.

Days later when it was announced the scheduled fight was off due to a back injury suffered by Haye, it seemed the whole boxing world let out a simultaneous groan from the built up tension created by all the pre fight theatrics and promises of explosiveness.

With no chance of an output for this heavyweight tension, at least not for what will most likely be several months now, if they ever meet. For Hayes countrymen at least, the anticipation was transferred to the upcoming fight for Haye’s fellow Englishman Amir Khan who was scheduled to challenge interestingly enough another Ukranian, Andreas Kotelnik. For what would be Khans first world title shot scheduled a week after Haye-Klitschko

The boxing world was then informed this bout too was not to be, due to a tooth infection plaguing Kotelnik. Though this fight is merely being rescheduled at a later date and in another arena (due to Michael Jackson taking the o2 stage for his comeback tour), this came as a blow to many for Brits who longed to see at least one more champion up there with lone British world titlist Carl Froch.

We were left then on Saturday night, to satisfy our needs with the tasty prospect of an explosive fight between heavy-handed welterweights Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey. Though one could not make major complaints with the fight, an early gash over Cottos eye and lack of fluid output by Clottey lead to a fight that above all things, did not satisfy our hunger.

So it came down to the final card, the biggest fight of the summer between the returning former number 1 pound for pound superstar Floyd Mayweather Jr and pound for pound number 2, the man who several critics see as the best in the world and a true boxers boxer, Juan Manuel Marquez. The fight that was in the back of everybody’s minds whilst the other bouts where due to commence.

The fight that would be built up with the verbal self promotion of Mayweather at press conferences, with another instalment of the award winning HBO documentary 24/7 and with the promise of a final decision into which one of the two combatants would go on to be in the next great superfight possibly crowning the winner as the greatest fighter of the era.

Alas injury was to once again rear it’s ugly head, this time in the form of a sore rib on Mayweathers part. Leaving the fight details cloudy but confirming the fight would not be taking place when we were ready to release our now obese ball of tension.

Injuries sustained before the fight are commonplace and as stated before have been for years. Many of the biggest fights of all time have been put back due to injuries.

In an attempt to lift the spirits of the reader in the spirit of sods law, this is a reminder that we’re not alone. Fight fans have suffered as we are now for decades, time over time and waited out tedious postponements to be rewarded with historic fights. Some fights that went on to be controversial, went on to be shocking and some fights that went on to be all out classic slugfests.

This is my list of the top five biggest fights in modern boxing that commenced only after they were set and postponed before the original fight date.

5: Hopkins-Trinidad

September 2001, a month that will be solemnly embedded in history forever. The events of the start of the month were of little consequence to most globally. Peru’s ex-president Alberto Fujimorihad had homicide charges put upon him. England football team beat long time rivals Germany 5-1. Ahmed Shah Massoud, leader of the Afghan Northern Alliance, was assassinated in Afghanistan and boxing fans were anticipating the September 15th showdown between Bernard Hopkins and Felix Trinidad.

Then came September 11th, a date we are all familiar with. And suddenly finding out who would be the first undisputed middleweight champion since Marvin Hagler wasn’t so important. The fight was pushed back two weeks whilst America mourned the 2,993 that were killed in the World Trade Center attacks in New York. When the two weeks came around we were given a great lesson in how the sport of boxing can evoke excitement and sheer thrill even in the darkest of times.

Trinidad, the pride of Puerto Rico brought with him to Madison Square Garden thousands of New Yorks population of Puerto Rican Americans determined to have a good time amidst the despair and to see their man punish Hopkins, who desecrated their beloved flag by throwing it to the ground on a press tour. Trinidad thrived off the cheers he received dancing and smiling as he came to the ring donning a police cap to honor the brave New York City officers.

What transpired was a fight that little predicted, with Hopkins (who even back then was presumed to be getting on in age) outworking Trinidad and finishing by cracking a big right to Trinidad’s chin to end the fight in the 12th.

4: Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney

The bout between Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney was a fight that almost provoked a race war due to promoter Don Kings efforts to make the fight colossal by playing on the color of Cooney’ s skin in order to create a great White Hope. Threats were issued by extremist groups, celebrities and even the president brushed shoulders with Cooney. Excitement for the fight grew as big as King could have possibly wanted. The date was scheduled for March 1982 and the public were more than ready.

Alas the outcome of whether there would be the first white champion in 22 years would have to wait. Cooney damaged his back and the fight was pushed back all the way to June.

When the fight did take place Cooney showed grit and bravery but it was not enough as Holmes worked over Cooney with hard shots and superior boxing ability over 13 rounds until Cooney's corner had saw enough and threw in the towel. The two went on to become friends and thankfully the rising bigotry died down.

3: Tyson-Holyfield I

Tyson-Holyfield I was a fight that will most likely be remembered throughout boxing history, albeit for all the wrong reasons. However the notorious bout had to overcome several hurdles before it took place.

The fight was first arranged in 1990, when Tyson was the undisputed champion, it would be finalized once Tyson finished the task of forcing his way past the small barrier that was James ‘Buster’ Douglas. It turned out the barrier wouldn’t shift as Douglas knocked out Tyson in what is arguably the biggest upset in boxing history.

Holyfield then made easy work of Douglas by knocking him out in the third and the bout with Tyson was rearranged in 1991. This time it was a rib injury that stopped Tyson from getting in the ring with ‘The Real Deal’.

Third time lucky?  The fight was finally put back on for 1992 only for Tyson to be convicted of rape and would go on to spend three years and six weeks in prison.

Following his release from prison, the public demand for Tyson-Holyfield was still there and the fight took place in November 1996. The event aptly named ‘Finally’. Tyson however was never the same after his prison stretch. Holyfield would stop him in eleven rounds.

2: Hearns–Hagler

Tommy Hearns vs. Marvin Hagler was a meeting of two of the 80’s elite. An inevitable matchup considering that almost all of the possible matchups between ‘The Four Kings’ Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran had already taken place. Both men had defeated Roberto Duran, though Hearns in a much more devastating style with a second round KO. Hagler however, claimed Duran was never the same after he was through with him and was softened up for Hearns.

Regardless, this was the fight the public wanted to see. Hearns, the lanky powerhouse with freakish reach and great boxing skills - but a tainted chin. Hagler, the hard-hitting, tough as nails brash road warrior, out to demand respect from boxing fans and critics.

The fight was scheduled for May 24th 1982. However, due to an injury to Hearn’s finger the fight was postponed and eventually off due to money problems. An angry Hagler blamed Hearns and said he was a coward and the fight looked like it was never going to happen.

Three years later the fight was rearranged and turned out to be one of the greatest bouts in boxing history, with ring magazine dubbing it ‘the most electrifying 8 minutes ever.' Hagler overcame being hurt early on in the first by a devastating right hand, and having a gushing cut on his forehead, to knock out Hearns in the third.

1: The Rumble in the Jungle

The five words that even the most casual of boxing fans would be able to recall in an instant. The night Muhammad Ali shocked the world all over again. Not only was he the underdog but people genuinely feared for his life and with reason. The unbeaten George Foreman was devastating in every sense of the word. Anyway we all know the story. Ali developed his rope-a-dope technique, let Foreman punch himself out and KO’d him in the 8th.

The fight was a cultural triumph, inspiring musicians, an oscar winning documentary and perhaps mostly the troubled people of Zaire, who came out in the thousands to catch a glimpse of the greatest.

This wasn’t a fight it was an event, however once more the fans all over the world crumbled in disappointment when the scheduled fight of September 25, 1974 was postponed due to a cut Foreman received in sparring. Foreman wanted to call the fight off and Ali asked the promoter Don King to fly Joe Fraizer in to take Foreman’s place but the fight was pushed five weeks back and went on to surpass all expectations.

Considering the sport's past, fans of David Haye, Wladimir Klitshko, Amir Khan, Andreas Kotelnik, Floyd Mayweather or Juan Manuel Marquez shouldn’t despair. If history is anything to go by, a truly great fight will find its way to surface regardless of the obstacles.