Boxing in The 1970s - 1979

1979

• January 14- Wilfred Benítez wins his second of three world titles, defeating WBC world Welterweight champion Carlos Palomino by a fifteen round split decision in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• February 4- The rematch between Alexis Argüello and Alfredo Escalera has exactly the first result as their first bout, when Arguello retains his WBC world Jr. Lightweight title with a knockout in round thirteen at Rimini, Italy. Both fights were picked by The Ring among the 100 greatest fights of all times in 1994.
• March 14- Larry Holmes retains his WBC world Heavyweight title with a seventh round knockout of future WBA world Cruiserweight champion Ossie Ocasio in Las Vegas.
• April 14- Victor Galindez regains the WBA world Light Heavyweight championship with a tenth round knockout of his former conqueror, Mike Rossman, in New Orleans.
• April 22- Matthew Saad Muhammad wins the WBC world Light Heavyweight title with an eighth round knockout of WBC world champion Marvin Johnson in Indianapolis.
• June 3- Lupe Pintor survives a knockdown to win the WBC world Bantamweight title, defeating Carlos Zarate by a fifteen round split decision at Las Vegas.
• June 17- In Ring Magazine's fight of the year, Danny Lopez retains his WBC world Featherweight title by knocking out Mike Ayala in round fifteen at San Antonio. Ayala later admitted to being high on drugs during the fight.
• June 22- Roberto Durán beats Carlos Palomino by a ten round unanimous decision in Palomino's last fight for the next eighteen years, and Larry Holmes retains his WBC world Heavyweight title with a twelfth round knockout of Mike Weaver at the Madison Square Garden, New York.
• September 28- Larry Holmes recovers from a seventh round knockdown to defeat perennial challenger Earnie Shavers by an eleventh round knockout to retain his WBC world Heavyweight title at Las Vegas. Wilfredo Gómez retains his WBC world Super Bantamweight title with a tenth round knockout win over Carlos Mendoza in the same undercard.
• October 20- John Tate defeats Gerrie Coetzee by a fifteen round unanimous decision to win the WBA world Heavyweight title that had been vacated by Muhammad Ali, Pretoria.
• November 30- A preview of things to come, as Sugar Ray Leonard wins his first of five world titles by knocking out Wilfred Benítez in round fifteen for the WBC world Welterweight title and Marvin Hagler draws in fifteen round with undisputed world Middleweight champion Vito Antuofermo in Las Vegas.