What Was The Greatest Match Ever?

Ali Frazier 1

 

Didn't turn out well, but you couldn't get two fighters more on peak than Spinks vs. Braxton. Unfortunately, Braxton was qawi by then and the hungry, feral, ass-stomping, garbage compacting animal of 1980-1982 was no more.

 

Robinson vs. Gavilan
Leonard-Benitez
Leonard-DURAN 1
Leonard-Hearns
SANCHEZ-Gomez
******LITTLE RED vs. SCHOOLBOY BOBBY CHACON******
Tunney-Greb 1
Ketchel-Papke1
DURAN-DE JESUS 3
Arguello-Escalera
GOMEZ-Zarate
Fletcher-Singletary
MARCIANO-Vingo
Pipino Cuevas-Pete Ranzany
Antuofermo-Hagler 1

 

Pryor-Arguello
Gomez-Pintor
Chavez-Taylor
Whitaker-Chavez
Jones-Toney

 

So he is asking for the greatest match 1 and he was answered with lists of 300 fights

 

Nelson vs gans or wolgast are up there

 

No mention of Pep - Saddler yet. Charles - Moore were also monster matches in class. Greb vs Walker too. These matches would be hard to separate and right in the mix.

 

Sanchez-Nelson

 

Leonard’s fights at WW vs. Duran and Hearns are up there.

 

Another vote for Ali-Frazier I - this had global attention like few other fights; I heard even the IRA declared a cease-fire to watch the fight, but that could be one of those sports urban myths. Regardless, between the facts - two undefeated heavyweights battling to decide who was the real champ - and the personalities involved (obviously, especially, Ali who was an icon around the world, but also Frazier who was an ideal polar-opposite foil), this was an Event in the era before cable and internet. And it lived up to the hype - fifteen rounds of action and drama, with a last-round knockdown as an exclamation point. A classic.

 

"at the point of their careers it was actually fought"

Both Maske and Hill were 43 years old.
Maske had not fought for nearly 11years.

Jeffries was coming back after 6 years inactivity.

 

Leonard-Duran I and Leonard-Hearns I are obvious choices.

Barrera-Morales I deserves a mention. It was as high-skilled as 12 rounds of mayhem is likely to get.

 

I don't know but I'll start by eliminating fights involving Johnny Nelson.

 

Any match you'd like to contribute?