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Heavyweights in the 60s Trivia Quiz

The 1960s was a golden era for the Heavyweight division, with several legendary champions. If you think you know a thing or two about this era, give it try.....

A multiple-choice quiz by Misregistered. Estimated time: 8 mins.

Author
Misregistered

Time
8 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
97,125

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
7 / 15

Plays
3344

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (10/15), Guest 194 (15/15), Guest 69 (9/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Entering the decade, there was a new heavyweight champion. He had scored an unexpected victory to win the title in 1959. Who was he?

Answer: (Two words or just surname)

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Question 2 of 15

2. The title changed hands again in 1960, with Floyd Patterson becoming the first man to regain the heavyweight title. In what round did he knock the heavyweight champion out to regain the title? Hint

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Question 3 of 15

3. Having regained the title, Patterson accepted a fight with the number one contender, Sonny Liston. Liston beat Patterson to become the champion, and then beat him again in a rematch. How many total rounds did these two fights last? Hint

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Question 4 of 15

4. By this time, the Canadian heavyweight champion was climbing the rankings, and had reached the top ten in the world. He would get his title shot against Muhammad Ali in 1966, after Ali had beaten Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion. Who was he?

Answer: (Name, or just surname)

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Question 5 of 15

5. Zora Folley was a great contender for many years before he finally received his title shot against Ali in 1967. He and another contender had been promised a title shot in 1959, when they squared off against each other. The winner was to go on to fight Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight championship. Who was his opponent in this fight? Hint

Ingemar Johansson

Howard King

Brian London

Eddie Machen

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Question 6 of 15

6. A British heavyweight was also moving up as a contender in the early to mid 1960s. He was known for having a powerful left hook, which he called 'The Hammer'. Who was this fighter? Hint

Henry Cooper

Tom McNeeley

Brian London

Tommy 'Hurricane' Jackson

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Question 7 of 15

7. After losing the heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali in 1964, Sonny Liston fought primarily in Europe for several years. When he finally came back to America to fight a top contender, he was knocked out in the ninth round. Who was the contender that knocked him out? Hint

Ernie Terrell

Joe Frazier

Jerry Quarry

Leotis Martin

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Question 8 of 15

8. Ali defended against lethal punching Cleveland Williams in 1966. Williams still had a bullet in his stomach from an earlier altercation with the police. Williams had an interesting nickname. What was it? Hint

The Big Cat

The Jackrabbit

The Dragon

Superman

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Question 9 of 15

9. True or False: only one man went the distance against Muhammad Ali in his reign as heavyweight champion (1964-1967).

True

False

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Question 10 of 15

10. When Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing in 1967, the WBA staged an elimination tournament to determine the new heavyweight champion. Who won the tournament? Hint

Ernie Terrell

Floyd Patterson

Jerry Quarry

Jimmy Ellis

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Question 11 of 15

11. The New York State Atheltic Commission also crowned a new heavyweight champion while the WBA was doing so. Joe Frazier was the new NYAC champion. True or False: the NYAC also had an elimination tournament to determine their champion.

True

False

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Question 12 of 15

12. Who was the only man to fight for both the WBA and NYAC heavyweight championship during the post-Ali 1960s era? Hint

Ernie Terrell

Jerry Quarry

Oscar Bonavena

Thad Spencer

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Question 13 of 15

13. In 1968, the Mexican Heavyweight champion came very close to knocking Joe Frazier out in the first round of their fight, which would have made him the new champion. Who was this fighter? Hint

Oscar Bonavena

Manuel Ramos

Don 'Toro' Smith

Roberto Davila

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Question 14 of 15

14. Jimmy Ellis fought another former champion in Sweden in 1968 for the WBA title, winning a unanimous decision. Which former champion did he fight? Hint

Floyd Patterson

'Jersey' Joe Walcott

Ingemar Johansson

Ezzard Charles

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Question 15 of 15

15. Who was the last man to fight as a challenger for either version of the title in the 1960s? Hint

Mac Foster

'Florida' Al Jones

Henry Cooper

Jerry Quarry

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Most Recent Scores

Mar 16 2024 : Guest 98: 10/15
Mar 12 2024 : Guest 194: 15/15
Feb 27 2024 : Guest 69: 9/15

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Entering the decade, there was a new heavyweight champion. He had scored an unexpected victory to win the title in 1959. Who was he?

Answer: Ingemar Johansson

Ingemar had knocked Floyd Patterson down seven times in the third round of their fight, and won the heavyweight title. Floyd would later avenge this loss twice.

2. The title changed hands again in 1960, with Floyd Patterson becoming the first man to regain the heavyweight title. In what round did he knock the heavyweight champion out to regain the title?

Answer: 5

Floyd was desperate to avenge his earlier loss to Johansson, and knocked him out cold with a devastating left hook in the fifth round.

Answer: 2

Sonny Liston knocked Floyd out in the first round to win the championship in 1962, and then repeated the first round KO in the 1963 rematch.

Answer: George Chuvalo

Chuvalo would be the first man to go the 15 round distance with Muhammad Ali. One of the toughest men ever to step into the ring, Chuvalo was never knocked down in a 18 year career.

Answer: Eddie Machen

Folley and Machen fought to a draw, and neither man received the promised title shot. Machen fought Johansson immediately after this fight, with the winner to get the title shot. Ingemar knocked Machen out in the first round.

6. A British heavyweight was also moving up as a contender in the early to mid 1960s. He was known for having a powerful left hook, which he called 'The Hammer'. Who was this fighter?

Answer: Henry Cooper

Cooper would get his title shot in 1966 against Muhammad Ali.

Answer: Leotis Martin

Martin was well behind in the scoring when he hit Liston with back-to-back right crosses and knocked him out. Interestingly, this was Martin's last fight, as he suffered serious damage to his eyes in the fight.

Answer: The Big Cat

Cleveland 'Big Cat' Williams was a tall and lean fighter with smooth movements in the ring. This led to his nickname.

9. True or False: only one man went the distance against Muhammad Ali in his reign as heavyweight champion (1964-1967).

Answer: False

Both George Chuvalo and Ernie Terrell went the full 15 rounds with Ali during this span.

10. When Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing in 1967, the WBA staged an elimination tournament to determine the new heavyweight champion. Who won the tournament?

Answer: Jimmy Ellis

Ellis had been a sparring partner of Ali's, and he beat Quarry in the final to become the WBA heavyweight champion.

Answer: False

Frazier and Buster Mathis were the #1 and #2 contenders, and they squared off to determine the new champion. This was a title fight, but since there were only two men involved, it could not be called a tournament.

12. Who was the only man to fight for both the WBA and NYAC heavyweight championship during the post-Ali 1960s era?

Answer: Jerry Quarry

Quarry lost to Jimmy Ellis on a split decision in the final of the WBA elimination tournament, and was TKOed by Joe Frazier the following year for the NYAC version of the title.

13. In 1968, the Mexican Heavyweight champion came very close to knocking Joe Frazier out in the first round of their fight, which would have made him the new champion. Who was this fighter?

Answer: Manuel Ramos

Ramos hit Frazier with a big uppercut to the head that literally lifted Joe off his feet. Frazier survived and knocked Ramos out in the next round.

14. Jimmy Ellis fought another former champion in Sweden in 1968 for the WBA title, winning a unanimous decision. Which former champion did he fight?

Answer: Floyd Patterson

Johansson, Walcott and Charles had all retired by 1968. This was Patterson's last shot at the title, though he would fight Ali for the North American Boxing Federation title in 1972.

15. Who was the last man to fight as a challenger for either version of the title in the 1960s?

Answer: Jerry Quarry

Quarry's fight with Frazier was the last title fight of the 1960s. Frazier and Ellis would unify the titles the following year (with Frazier KOing Ellis in the fourth round).

Source: Author Misregistered

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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