John Tate vs. Mike Weaver
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| Date | March 31, 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Stokely Athletic Center, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Title(s) on the line | WBA heavyweight title | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tale of the tape | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Result | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weaver wins via 15th-round knockout | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Tate vs. Mike Weaver, billed as the Battle of Ole Smokey, was a professional match contested on March 31, 1980, for the WBA heavyweight title.[1]
Background
Promoter Bob Arum announced in late January 1980, that newly crowned WBA heavyweight champion John Tate would make his first title defense against Mike Weaver later in the year on March 31. Originally set to take place in the Las Vegas Valley, Arum changed the venue, at Tate's request, to the Stokely Athletic Center in Tate's hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee in what would be Tennessee's first ever heavyweight title fight.[2] The Tate–Weaver fight was part of a four-fight, three-venue telecast aired by NBC that also featured WBA light heavyweight champion Marvin Johnson defending his title against Eddie Gregory, also from Knoxville, recently-crowned WBC welterweight champion Sugar Ray Leonard making his first title defense against Dave Boy Green in his native Maryland, and a WBC heavyweight title match between champion Larry Holmes and challenger Leroy Jones in Nevada.[3]
Weaver, a 2–1 underdog, was looked upon as a steppingstone for Tate, who was expected to face the returning former three-time heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali after his expected win over Weaver.[4] Tentatively scheduled for June 27, 1980, Tate and Ali had agreed to face each other in Taiwan, with the two fighters splitting a then-unheard of purse of $14 million.[5] Tate, however, when asked about his potential fight with Ali, refused to look past Weaver, stating "Until I can defeat Mike Weaver, I ain’t gonna think about no Ali. If I don’t beat him, it’ll be Mike Weaver fighting him. So, until I can beat Mike Weaver, I won’t even attempt to think about fighting Ali or anyone else as far as that goes."[6]
Fight details
Tate controlled the majority of the fight and built up a sizeable lead going into the later rounds. However, with Tate tiring by the 12th-round, Weaver caught Tate with a massive left hook just past the one-minute mark that staggered the champion, who in turn frequently clinched and back peddled away from Weaver in order to survive the round. From then on, Weaver was aggressor of the fight as Tate, having built up a big enough lead on the scorecards, tried to avoid getting in exchanges with his powerful challenger, though Weaver still was able to connect with power punches to Tate's head and body. Finally, in the 15th-round, with Tate needing only to survive another 45 seconds to earn a unanimous decision victory, Weaver, having backed Tate into a corner, connected flush with a left hook to Tate's head. The blow knocked Tate unconscious, who fell face first to the canvas and was counted out by referee Ernesto Magana. Weaver had scored a last minute knockout victory at 2:15 of the 15th round.[7]
Aftermath
As a result of Weaver's capturing of the WBA title, The Ring officially recognized WBC titleholder Larry Holmes as its heavyweight champion starting March 31, on the basis that Holmes had previously successfully defended his WBC title against Weaver.[8]
Fight card
Confirmed bouts:[9]
| Weight Class | Weight | vs. | Method | Round | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavyweight | 200+ lbs. | Mike Weaver | def. | John Tate (c) | KO | 15/15 | note 1 |
| Light Heavyweight | 175 lbs. | Eddie Gregory | def. | Marvin Johnson (c) | TKO | 11/15 | note 2 |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs. | Clinton Jackson | def. | Jimmy Heair | TKO | 9/10 | |
| Super Middleweight | 168 lbs. | Irving Hines | def. | Eddie Smith | KO | 2/8 | |
| Heavyweight | 200+ lbs. | Dwain Bonds | def. | Walter Santemore | SD | 6 |
^Note 1 For WBA Heavyweight Title
^Note 2 For WBA Light Heavyweight Title
Broadcasting
| Country | Broadcaster |
|---|---|
 United States | ABC |
References
- ↑ "John Tate vs. Mike Weaver". boxrec.com. BoxRec. Retrieved 29 March 2026.
- ↑ Tate-Weaver Bout Scheduled, The Jackson Sun, 1980-01–24, Retrieved on 2026-03-30
- ↑ Fighters' Egos Bruised, Washington Post article, 1980-03-26 Retrieved on 2026-03-30
- ↑ Ali Is Likely To Box Tate, N.Y. Times article, 1980-03–06, Retrieved on 2026-04-01
- ↑ Ali-Tate details taking shape, Associated Press article, 1980-03–11, Retrieved on 2026-04-01
- ↑ Knoxville's Forgotten Champion: Big John Tate, 'WBIR-TV article, 2022-02–17, Retrieved on 2026-03-29
- ↑ Champion Of W.B.A. Falls in 15th, N.Y. Times article, 1989-04–01, Retrieved on 2026-04-01
- ↑ "Ring's International Ratings". The Ring (June 1980 ed.). p. 41:
With this issue Ring hereby recognizes Larry Holmes' claim as the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Not because he is the WBC claimant, but because he won his title in the ring with his victory last June 22nd over the WBA title claimant, Mike Weaver. That's where titles are won and lost - in The Ring!.
- ↑ "BoxRec - event".