JULIAN JACKSON w rsf 2 TERRY NORRIS

July 30, 1989; Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ

ONE week after Mike Tyson halted Carl Williams inside a round, Julian Jackson thundered into position as the unofficial race to be regarded as the sport’s most dangerous man gathered pace. “I have a message for Mike,” Jackson sneered after bulldozing Terry Norris in four and a half minutes, “I can do it too.” But before Jackson whipped out a savage three-punch combo that plummeted Norris into the darkness, the WBC super-welterweight boss briefly struggled with his challenger. The world didn’t yet know about Norris – his lengthy spell among the very best in boxing came afterwards – but on this day, there was only one man stating his claim.  

DID YOU KNOW? When talking to BN in 2016, Norris admitted he feared he would be gun shy following this defeat. “But I had a couple of fights and when I got hit, I responded well. I knew then I was okay,” he explained.

WATCH OUT FOR: Aside from the crash-bang-wallop finish, there’s an interesting short about Jackson’s power-punching ability.