Boxing in The 1970s - 1976

1976

• January 24- George Foreman recovers from two four round knockdowns and beats Ron Lyle by a knockout in the fifth round at Las Vegas. Lyle had also suffered a knockdown in round four, which was picked round of the year by The Ring, publication that also selected the fight as fight of the year.
• March 17- Wilfred Benítez becomes, at age 17, the youngest world champion in boxing history and wins his first of three world titles, defeating WBA world Jr. Welterweight champion Antonio Cervantes by a fifteen round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• April 3- The first Jr. Featherweight world title bout in history, as Rigoberto Riasco knocks out Wainunge Wakayama in ten rounds at Panama City, Panama to win the WBC's vacant title.
• April 30- Muhammad Ali retains the world Heavyweight title with a highly disputed fifteen round unanimous decision over Jimmy Young at Landover.
• June 26- Carlos Monzón re-unifies his WBA world Middleweight title with the WBC one by defeating WBC champion Rodrigo Valdez with a fifteen round unanimous decision at Monte Carlo, Monaco. (The WBC had stripped Monzon in 1974 for failing to defend the title against Valdez)
• September 28- In the last chapter of their trilogy, Muhammad Ali retains the world Heavyweight championship with a disputed fifteen round unanimous decision over Ken Norton, at New York's Yankee Stadium.