The five greatest fights of all time

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, Jun 9, 2019.



  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Inspired by the Leonard-Duran I thread ... what exactly are the five best fights of all time?

    Let’s limit ourselves to fights that are on film ... no way to measure how great a scrap was because someone who was there said so — especially since that person from those days clearly hadn’t seen all that was to come later and probably very little of what had happened before since you had to be there in person.

    Rank them 1-5 if you feel so inspired, but in general which five fights would you say are considered the best ever? (I know a lot of people will say Hagler-Hearns but really it’s one round and the rest isn’t all that, but feel free to disagree.)

    Come up with your own criteria, but to me it has to be top-level guys (can’t be two 4-round pugs no matter how much action), there has to be some degree of skill involved (not just a sloppy slugfest) and while it may not have to be a title fight, it needs to be significant to its day at the very least.

    I have a few in mind but want to see what you have to say.
     
  2. Balder

    Balder Well-Known Member banned Full Member

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    I would not put the Hagler / Hearns fight as it was to short. For the best fights at the highest levels. I will go with long fights with sustained greatness.

    1 Duran - Leonard 1
    2 Ali - Frazier 1
    3 Leonard - Hearns 1
    4 Marcaino - Walcott 1
    5 JCC - Taylor 1

    Honorable mention Gatti - Ward 1, Corrales- Castillo.
     
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  3. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Not sure why some of these parameters need to be in place. Example - 'sloppy slugfest' is a bit loaded. Can you give an example of one that you think wouldn't qualify ?

    To my mind, some of the greatest of all time were slugfests and potentially sloppy by their nature. Marciano-Walcottas a slugfest. It was also a great fight. Was it sloppy? I've no idea.

    So is the 5 greatest of all time on film (except for the type of fights you may not personally like)? Or just the 5 greatest on film? Anyway, I'll take a crack at this...
     
    Last edited: Jun 9, 2019
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  4. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    This is my personal list. Remarkably, all the fights below took place in the space of 6 months (apart from Saad-Lopez 2 which I snuck in just because I couldn't leave it off!)
    1. Pryor-Arguello 1
    2. Chacon-Limon 4
    3. Gomez-Pintor
    4. Chacon-Boza 2
    5a. Sanchez-Nelson
    5b. Saad Muhammad-Lopez 2

    This is my attempt at a more historically significant list (great matchups that were also great fights):

    1. Ali-Frazier 1 (a unique historical moment - two legitimate claimants to the world heavyweight title and both undefeated. Plus the fight lived up to the hype)

    2. Leonard-Hearns 1 (Maybe the greatest welterweight title fight of all time? Great shifts in momentum. One fighter establishing his greatness over a future great)

    3. Duran-Leonard 1 (How many other matchups are there on film of 2 all-time p4p top 20 fighters in their primes? Fantasic competitive matchup and a landmark victory for Duran)

    4. Harada-Jofre 1 (two all-time great bantamweights in a great fight meeting at their peaks - doesn't get much better)

    5. Pryor-Arguello 1 (not as historically significant as the fights above it but for pure action at a very high skill level, this is hard to beat. My personal no. 1)
     
  5. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Idk about them being the greatest or whatever but these are my favourite

    1. Kusuo Eguchi vs Katsuaki Eguchi
    Aside from the action, the fact these are twins is ****ing mental

    2. Bowe vs Golota 2
    3. Koo Chang vs Tokashiki
    4. Gatti vs Ward 1
    5. Chavez vs Taylor 1
     
  6. Rumsfeld

    Rumsfeld Moderator Staff Member

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    I'd have to give it some thought, but the 2 that jump to mind for my tastes are Foreman-Lyle and Moore-Durelle I.
     
  7. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    GREAT LISTS AND POSTS! Outstanding!
     
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  8. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    No list is there without Dempsey-Firpo
     
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  9. lets_go_champ

    lets_go_champ Never give up, you can do it! Full Member

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    A fine list. That gatti/ward fight should be in everyones top 5.
     
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  10. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Probably my 5 favourites

    Nelson Vs Wolgast
    Dempsey Vs Firpo
    Louis Vs Schmeling II
    Walcott Vs Marciano
    Patterson Vs Johansson III
     
  11. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I said come up with your own. For me, Foreman-Lyle would fall into the sloppy slugfest category although it has that fascinating quality like a car crash you can’t take your eyes off of.
     
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  12. Greb & Papke 707

    Greb & Papke 707 Active Member Full Member

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    My personal is
    1 ward vs Gatti 1
    2 hearns vs haggler
    3 Dempsey vs firpo
    4 Pryor vs Arguello/Dempsey vs Willard
    5 Zale vs Graziano
     
  13. ChrisJS

    ChrisJS Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Really hard to narrow down. I have probably 20-30 that I could have 2-3 new inclusions if I answered this question every day.

    1. Pryor-Arguello I - I think this is the best

    Chacon-Limon IV
    Gomez-Pintor
    Morales-Barrera I
    Saad Muhammad-Lopez II

    5 very honorable mentions: Chacon-Edwards II, Saad-Muhammad-Johnson I & II, Corrales-Castillo I, Vazquez-Marquez III

    Some of my absolute personal favorites would be Trinidad-Vargas, Marquez-Pacquaio IV, Olivares-Kanazawa II, Sánchez-Gomez

    My list has a lot of the same as @Jel list.
     
  14. Skins

    Skins Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Your top 3 were all within a month of each other back in that great year of 1982:ARMS1:
     
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  15. Reinhardt

    Reinhardt Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Good point, when making a list like this it really is about your favorites in general

    #1 Ali Frazier 1 , It captivated the world.
    #2 Duran Leonard
    3# Morales Barrera , I just love these guys
    4# Duran Barkley , this one had it all
    #5 Too many good ones to name