In Feb '88 edition of The Ring... they listed the 12 fights they most wanted to see. Interesting. 1.Mike Tyson/Michael Spinks (Ring regarded Spinks the true Heavyweight champion and wanted the title to be "really" unified even though Tyson already held the BA/BC/BF versions.) Predictions: Nigel Collins: Tyson, close decision promting a rematch Phill Marder: Tyson, cuts induced TKO 6th round. 2.Tony Tucker/Evander Holyfield (Ring really likes Holyfield. Brisk encounter, plenty of smart boxing and good exchanges) Nigel Collins: Holyfield by dec. over 10 rounds, or KO if scheduled for 12 or more. Marder: Holyfield by KO 3.Pernell Whitaker/Meldrick Taylor (Two fastest fighters in boxing. Taylor had trouble coping with Howard Davis Jr. boxing skills, getting a draw and Whitaker showed that his chin wasn't the greatest getting knocked down and hurt by R. Mayweather.) Collins: Taylor by decision on the strength of kncckdown Marder: Whitaker by decision based on outside boxing ability (which gave Taylor fits against Davis) 4.Foreman/Mike Weaver (just for the fun of it) Collins: Foreman by early TKO to set up match with Spinks/Tyson winner Marder: Weaver lands a crusher in the 3rd round 5.Ray Leonard/Marvin Hagler (They reason that the rematch won't happen for these reasons. 1) Leonard had 1 rematch, against Duran who beat him. 2) No title would be at stake. Hagler was man enough to face Leonard, Leonard should be man enough to give Hagler an equal opportunity and it should be over 15 rounds) Collins: Leonard by cut inducded TKO Marder: Ditto 6.Darrin Van Horn/Matt Hilton (This would be for the IBF 154 lb. championship and 15 rounds, but who cares? Schedule it for 10 rounds and bill it for what it is: 2 top young fighters in a good matchup. Whoever wins will be a true middleweight contender(Ring had gone back to only recognizing 8 division) Collins: Hilton by KO early Marder: No one goes toe-to-toe with Hilton and survives 7.Winner between upcoming Edwin Rosario/Julio Cesar Chavez vs Jose Luis Ramirez (Winner would be true world light champ (Rosario ranked first, Chavez (WBC jr. light champ) second and Ramirez 5th.) Collins: Rosario outpoints Ramirez and Chavez would do the same Marder: Chavez would outbox Ramirez and Rosario wouldn't let him off the hook 8.Fidel Bassa/Myung Woo Yuh (Bassa WBA fly champ, Yuh WBA light fly champ. Winner would provide serious challenge for World Fly champ Sot Chitalada(WBC, but linear).) Collins: Yuh very strong, Bassa goes out late in a classic Marder: Bassa by 11th round KO 9.Khaosai Galaxy vs winner of Sugar Baby Rojas/Happy Lora (Galaxy is WBA jr bany tiltist and Lora is WBC banty tiltist. Winner of round robin would be the true bantam world champion. Collins: Lora has all around class to beat both Galaxy and Rojas Marder: Ditto 10. Sot Chitalada/Jung Koo Chang (Oversea's blockbuster. Greatest oriental matchup. Chitalada might become greater than Pone Kingpetch.) Collins: Jung Koo Chang, but Chitalada is also a future hall of famer Marder; Chitalad by 12 round decision(because it would be a 12 rounder) but Chang if it were over 15. 11. Jeff Fenech/Azumah Nelson vs Antonio Esparragoza (Esparagoza true Feather champ and Nelson and Fenech, close behind. A round robin war) Collins: Esparragoza by decision against both Nelson and Fenech Marder: Nelson by late KO over Esparragoza, but Fenech could be the best of the 3. 12. Frank Tate/Mike McCallum (Tate looked great winning a 15-round decison over Mike Olajide. McCallum has looked great beating Donald Curry) Collins: McCallum can punch, but Tate can box and punch. Tate by wide decision Marder: Tate, no matter which way McCallum fights.
That's exactly what caught my eye first. Even mentioning the two paired together is odd since I don't remember people wanting to see them fight in 1988. Thanks for sharing Atberry. I love looking back at these lists.
I would've loved to have seen Nelson or Fenech against Esparragoza. Funny in retrospect that Nelson was actually considered the weakest of the three.