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One of the greatest fights of all time is remembered as we once again look back at what happened 'on this week' in sport.

2005: NFL goes international - October 2

Later this month the New England Patriots will take on the San Diego Chargers at Wembley in a third consecutive sold-out regular season game to come to London.

The NFL has long flown its teams around the world for exhibition matches, but it was on this week four years ago that they first held a competitive, regular-season match outside its borders.

Mexico City's Azteca Stadium was the venue as a bumper crowd of 103,467 watched Arizona Cardinals beat San Francisco 49ers 31-14. That was a record crowd for an NFL regular-season game until this year when more than 105,000 watched Dallas Cowboys open their new Cowboy Stadium against the New York Giants.

1997: Greg Rusedski becomes highest ranked male Brit in open era - October 6

In 1997, Greg Rusedski became the first male British tennis player in the open era to finish the season in the world's top 10 after he won two titles and reached a career-high six finals.

He reached a career-high ranking of fourth on this week back in '97 with his ranking points boosted by an appearance in the final of the US Open the previous month.

It was around this time that people started forgetting that Rusedski was born in Canada.

Tim Henman would also reach fourth in the world (in 2002) but both players have since been eclipsed by Andy Murray who was as high as two in the world at one stage this season.

1991: Wimbledon set low attendance record - October 2

The motives behind the relocation of Wimbledon to Milton Keynes will never sit right with football fans, but when sentimentality fades away 'businesses' can eventually prosper.

The MK Dons had 16,713 people at their League One game with Leeds United at the weekend, while on this week 18 years ago Wimbledon could manage just 3,121 for a top-flight clash with Sheffield Wednesday - the worst crowd in the top division since World War II.

MK Dons continue to prosper while AFC Wimbledon, the club set up by disgruntled fans of the old Wimbledon, have been known to get bigger crowds in non-league football than the one set by their former club on that black day back in 1991.

1975: Muhammad Ali wins 'Thrilla in Manila' - October 1

It was 1-1 in the series going into this contest, but Ali finally got the edge on his greatest rival Smokin' Joe Frazier in their third and final meeting.

The fight ended when a battered and bruised Frazier failed to return for the 15th round. The two had produced one of the greatest fights of all time, and Ali, who had constantly trash talked Frazier in the past, finally had some words of respect for his opponent.

Ali described the fight as "the closest thing to dying," and added: "He is the toughest man in the world. I couldn't have taken the punches he took. I would have given in long before."

1958: BBC's Grandstand first televised - October 1

It ended just a couple of years ago, but the memory of Grandstand lives on - well, its cracking theme tune does anyway. In truth, you'd have to have quite a long memory to remember it being any good as a programme, as in its latter seasons it struggled to find events that would keep you watching past Football Focus.

However, in its day it was the THE sports show to watch. The 1966 World Cup final, Gary Sobers hitting six sixes in one over, Gareth Edwards scoring THAT try for the Barbarians against the All Blacks; all were live on Grandstand, which was first presented by Peter Dimmock on this week back in 1958.

1895: First US Open golf tournament takes place - October 4

The first US Open golf championship took place on this week back in 1895, but it had rather more humble begins than the Major championship we know today.

Just 10 professionals and one amateur took part at the nine-hole layout in Newport, Rhode Island where the course was played four times in a one-day 36-hole competition.

Twenty-one-year-old Englishman Horace Rawlins was victorious as he picked up $150, a $50 gold medal and a trophy. It would not be until 1911 that an American would finally win the title.

Seán Fay / Eurosport