Holmes entered the fight as the lineal heavyweight champion after vacating the WBC title earlier this year following a dispute over penalty payments. Rather than stepping down as a professional, the 35-year-old simply carried his newly created IBF title, making Smith the first to fight for his new title.
It was Holmes’ first appearance in over a year after stopping Marvis Frazier in one round in his previous outing. In this ring stands Smith, who brings a 14-1 record and huge momentum after coming together to knock out undefeated British contender Frank Bruno in the 10th round. Although Smith doesn’t have the championship pedigree of Holmes, his punching power has earned him a reputation as one of the most dangerous competitors in the division.
Referee Davey Pearl was the third man in the ring as Holmes weighed in at 222 pounds and Smith came in at 227.
Holmes took command early, pumping his trademark left to keep Smith on the receiving end of his punches. The champion dominated the range in the opening rounds, forcing Smith to trail him while picking up quick, accurate shots.
Smith spent a lot of time following Holmes around the ring, waiting for opportunities to throw his right hand over the champion’s stick. Whenever Holmes hesitated, the challenger fired a punch, looking for an opening to open the fight in his favor.
During the middle rounds, Smith found success with several heavy right hands that briefly caught Holmes’ attention and produced some uncomfortable moments for the champion fighter. Holmes, however, quickly regained control, reverting to his jab, movement and high ring generalship to prevent Smith from building any further momentum.
The fight took another turn in the seventh round when a clash of heads opened a deep gash over Smith’s left eye.
Holmes returned to the scheme as the fight continued, shooting Smith in the left eye. The damage became more apparent with each round, but Smith continued to try to work inside despite the serious injury.
By the 12th round, the damage was too great. After the ringside medics checked on Smith’s cuts, Pearl stopped the contest at the 2:10 mark, earning Holmes a technical knockout. Holmes was comfortably ahead on all three scorecards when the fight was stopped.
The win extended Holmes’ undefeated record to 46-0 and kept his heavyweight reign intact. He successfully defended the championship twice before losing the first of his career in a controversial decision against Michael Spinks in September 1985.
Smith bounced back from an upset loss to Tim Witherspoon to capture the WBA heavyweight title in 1986, becoming the world heavyweight champion before later losing the belt to Mike Tyson in 1987. His later success gave Holmes’ victory a historic significance, as the undefeated champion had knocked back another future heavyweight title holder during boxing’s greatest tournament.
