While May typically lacks championship matchups, it’s significant for many reasons. May 18, for instance, has hosted the Stanley Cup and European Cup football finals, as well as some important moments in the development of mixed martial arts in the United States. Additionally, this date witnessed various incredible individual performances.
Remarkable Individual Performances and A Legacy-Defining Fight
- 1956: New York Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle hit home runs from each side of the plate, leading the Yankees to an 8-7 win over the Chicago White Sox.
- 1972: Professional basketball player Johnny Sebastian made 63 consecutive free throws while blindfolded, an unusual but notable achievement.
- 2002: In one of the greatest boxing matches of all time, Micky Ward fought Arturo Gatti in a junior welterweight bout. The back-and-forth nature of the fight, combined with the ridiculous amount of damage done by each man, earned the matchup Fight of the Year honors while sparking one of the greatest boxing trilogies ever.
- 2004: MLB legend Randy Johnson tossed a perfect game for the Arizona Diamondbacks, becoming the 16th pitcher in MLB history to do so.
Championships and Promotional Achievements in MMA
- 1960: Real Madrid faced Eintracht Frankfurt in the European Cup Final, destroying the German club 7-3 to secure the club’s fifth straight European Cup win.
- 1971: The Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup with a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7.
- 1990: The Edmonton Oilers faced the Boston Bruins in a hotly contested Stanley Cup Finals series. Oilers right wing Jari Kurri took things into his own hands, setting a Stanley Cup record by scoring three goals and two assists en route to a 7-2 Edmonton victory.
- 1994: In another championship football matchup, Milan beat FC Barcelona, winning the UEFA Champions League Final 4-0.
- 2013: The UFC traveled to Brazil for a card headlined by promotional legend Vitor Belfort. Belfort faced newcomer and future middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, defeating him with a spinning heel kick knockout in the first round.
- 2019: In a card that featured three lightweight championship contenders, the UFC hosted a Fight Night in Rochester, New York. Former champion Rafael Dos Anjos headlined the event against former title challenger Kevin Lee, while future champion Charles Oliveira put on a Fight of the Night performance earlier in the card.
The boxing match between Ward and Gatti is most notable among these individual performances. The incredible fight helped usher in a new generation of boxing fans while setting up two more fights between the legends, making it one of the most influential bouts ever. Randy Johnson’s first perfect game also occurred on this date, stamping an excellent Hall of Fame career for the starting pitcher.
