Playing host to boxing legends

By Ben Dirs

Following Ricky Hatton's memorable win over light welterweight great Kostya Tszyu, BBC Sport looks at six previous visits to these shores by legends of the ring.

Barry McGuigan v Eusebio Pedroza, Loftus Road, 8 June 1985

Pedroza defended his title 19 times before running into McGuigan

McGuigan hailed from County Monaghan in Ireland but was a British champion and hugely popular in England.

Pedroza, from Panama, had held the WBA featherweight crown for more than seven years and was lured to Queens Park Rangers' home ground in London by a division-record $1m purse.

But almost 20 years ago to the day, the 32-year-old was blown away by the "The Clones Cyclone" and 27,000 adoring fans, and lost a unanimous decision.

McGuigan, still only 25, looked set for a long reign but lost his crown - and nearly his life - to Steve Cruz a year later in a Las Vegas car park in temperatures which topped 125 degrees.

Alan Minter v Marvin Hagler, Wembley, 27 September 1980

Plucky Minter went into the ring with one of the most fearsome middleweights in history full of expectations.

But his title hopes ended early when Hagler inflicted a deep cut over his eye.

A shower of bottles greeted the resulting stoppage in round three on a night without glory for British fighter and fans.

Freddie Mills v Joey Maxim, Earls Court, 24 January 1950

"Fearless Freddie" had won the title from Gus Lesnevich in 1948 but his bout with Ohio's finest was his first defence.

Maxim was considered a powder-puff puncher who had nevertheless been in with some of the era's greatest names, including Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott (both three times).

Maxim, a big underdog, stopped Mills in the 10th round and gave the Englishman such a beating that he never fought again.

Maxim nearly lost his crown to Sugar Ray Robinson in 1952 before succumbing to Archie Moore in his next defence. Tragically, Mills was found shot in the head in 1965.

Jim Watt v Alexis Arguello, Wembley Arena, 20 June 1981

Watt comes under attack from Arguello at Wembley

Nicaragua's Arguello was already a two-weight world champion when he travelled to London to challenge for Watt's WBC lightweight crown.

Glasgow's Watt had won the title with a 12th-round stoppage of Alfredo Pitalua two years earlier and defended it four times.

But "El Flaco Explosivo" had too much for Watt on the night and took a deserved 15-round decision.

Watt - aged 32 - retired, while Arguello was never beaten as a lightweight and came close to dethroning WBA light welterweight great Aaron Pryor.

Henry Cooper v Muhammad Ali, Highbury Stadium, 21 May 1966

Three years earlier, as a brash heavyweight prospect, Cassius Clay was decked by 'Enry's 'Ammer on a wild night at Wembley Stadium.

Clay stopped Cooper in the following round but returned to London as Muhammad Ali with the world championship belt around his waist.

This time, an ageing Cooper was outclassed from the opening bell and stopped in round six after sustaining a horrific cut over his left eye.

Largely due to his two clashes with Ali, Cooper became a British icon, while Ali became perhaps the most important sporting figure of the 20th Century.

Randy Turpin v Sugar Ray Robinson, Earls Court, 10 July 1951

Robinson had been beaten once in his previous 131 contests and was considered the most complete fighter ever to grace a ring.

However, the world middleweight champion tuned up for his match against Turpin with a three-month jaunt around Europe in a pink Cadillac convertible.

Eighteen thousand crammed into Earls Court to see "The Leamington Licker" frustrate an ill-prepared Robinson and earn a famous 15-round decision.

Sixty-four days later, Robinson won the rematch in New York. The tragic Turpin took his own life in 1966, less than 15 years after his glorious coup.