source: http://www.boxing-memorabilia.com/Carmen_Basilio.htm
By defeating Carmen Basilio, Sugar Ray Robinson regains the middleweight title for the 5th time in his career. The match went the distance of 15 rounds with Robinson winning the decision.
March 25, 1958 – Sugar Ray Robinson wins 5th career title
March 25th, 2012March 24, 1975 – Ali defeats Chuck Wepner
March 24th, 2012
source: http://www.planetrapture.com/wepner.htm
At the Richfield Coliseum in Ohio Muhammad Ali defeats Chuck Wepner in a 15th round knockout to retain his title. Wepner, an obscure boxer nicknamed “The Bayonne Bleeder”, wasn’t expected to do much against Ali but was able to knock down the heavyweight champion in the 9th round and hung in until the 15th. Wepner’s performance was the inspiration for the movie Rocky written by Sylvester Stallone.
March 23, 1994 – Wayne Gretzky becomes the all time NHL goals leader
March 23rd, 2012
March 23, 1957 – NCAA National Championship game ends in triple OT thriller
March 23rd, 2012
In what is known as perhaps the greatest national championship game ever played in college basketball the Tar Heels of North Carolina defeat Wilt Chamberlain and the Kansas Jayhawks. Both teams entered the game undefeated and it took triple overtime to determine a winner as North Carolina prevailed by one point 54-53.
March 22, 1969 – UCLA wins 5th national championship in 6 years
March 22nd, 2012
source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/cover/featured/8120/index.htm
UCLA Bruins defeat Purdue 92-72 in the NCAA title game. It would be the final college basketball game for Lew Alcindor who would be named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Alcindor scored 37 points and grabbed 20 rebounds in the victory over Purdue.
March 21, 1940 – Kansas beats USC in NCAA semi final
March 21st, 2012
source: http://hoopedia.nba.com/index.php?title=Ralph_Miller
In just the second NCAA men’s basketball tournament the Kansas Jayhawks defeat USC in the semifinal game. One of Phog Allen’s starting five was Ralph Miller, a three sport star at Kansas who went on to a successful basketball coaching career of his own. Miller earned 657 wins coaching three different schools over 38 years.
March 20, 2006 – Japan wins first World Baseball Classic
March 20th, 2012
source: http://www.japanfocus.org/-Robert-Whiting/2235
By defeating Cuba 10-6 in the championship game Japan wins the first ever World Baseball Classic. The tournament featured teams from 16 countries divided into four pools with games being played over 17 days. South Korea had the best record of the tournament at 6-1 but the one loss came in the semi-finals against Japan. In the other semi-final Cuba beat the Dominican Republic.
March 19, 1955 – Bill Russell leads USF to NCAA title
March 19th, 2012
source: http://www.marchmadness-betting.com/ncaa_history.html
In a game that was billed as Russell the Remarkable vs. Gola the Great, Bill Russell and his University of San Francisco squad faced Tom Gola and the defending NCAA champions from LaSalle. USF would win the game 77-63 behind K.C. Jones who had 24 points and played stellar defense limiting Gola to only 16. Russell’s 118 points in 5 tournament games, a new record, earned him the tournament MVP honors, the first African American to win the award.
March 19, 1966 – Kentucky vs. Texas Western in NCAA Final
March 19th, 2012
source: http://www.sixties60s.com/1966sports.htm
For the first time in NCAA championship history an all black starting five takes the court as Texas Western faces off against Adolph Rupp’s all white top ranked Wildcats, including #42 Pat Riley. Texas Western pulls off the upset by beating Kentucky 72-65.
March 19, 1955 – Oscar Robertson leads his high school team to Indiana state championship
March 19th, 2012
source: http://www.insideathletics.com/profile/Wilder
As a junior at Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, Oscar Robertson leads his team to a 31-1 season record and a shot at the Indiana state title. In the championship game against Gary Roosevelt, Robertson (#43) sets the tone with the game’s first basket. Attucks would reign supreme 94-74 to become the first all black high school basketball team to win a state championship in the United States. 11 years later on the same day Texas Western would become the first college basketball team to win the NCAA title with 5 starting black players.