The timing could hardly have been worse. Just 13 days earlier, Duk Koo Kim died from injuries sustained in his lightweight title fight with Ray Mancini. Boxing was facing intense criticism over fighter safety, and every televised bout carried added scrutiny. Holmes then defended his WBC heavyweight championship against Randall “Tex” Cobb, a durable pressure fighter whose style played directly into the champion’s strengths.
It took only a few minutes to see how difficult the fight would be. Holmes established his jab immediately, keeping Cobb at the end of his punches while the challenger trudged forward lookin
