Historically the best division in boxing for me.. packed with talent & intense rivalry.. been concentrating a lot on the history of the MW division recently.. what a superb division it has been.. here are some of my favourite rivalries: Nino Benvenutti vs. Emile Griffith. A trilogy (won by Benvenutti) of highly skillful competitive fights showcasing boxing at it's finest. Tony Zale vs. Rocky Graziano. 3 fight series which has to be one of the most legendary and brutal in boxing history. All 3 fights were ring magazines FOTY. Harry Greb vs. Tiger Flowers. They fought 3 times with Flowers winning 2, although the general consensus is Greb won at least 2. No footage though. Plenty of reading material. Carlos Monzón vs. Rodrigo Valdés. These two fought twice, two of the best MWs of the 70s.. fantastic style clash , both are a must watch. Lamotta vs. Robinson. What needs be said about this rivalry that already hasn't.. its probably the most well known of the rivalries & weight wise is an interesting one too because Robinson fought most of the series as a WW, whereas Lamotta was a MW. Toney vs. McCallum. Fought twice in the early 90s, both very tactical fights.. superb skill, probably should have got one each though officially it was a draw & a win for the American. Benn vs. Eubank. Fought twice yet only the first one was at 160.. probably the most intense British boxing rivalry ever. A clash of both styles and personality the fight lived up to the hype. GGG vs. Canelo. A recent example.. feels like only yesterday when GGG was at the peak of his powers, both brilliant fights (3rd isn't relevant to me) that are still argued over now. I personally thought GGG won both. There are lesser know ones that still stand on their own merit such as Abraham vs. Miranda .. Both big punchers who produced two brutal encounters.. Mark Kaylor vs. Errol Christie.. a highly charged British MW title eliminator that took place at a time of racial tension in Britain.. again a hard fought gruelling fight that Kaylor eventually won. What & who are your favourite moments & fighter's from 160? Rivalries I've not mentioned?
The Philadelphia wars of the 1970s were often top notch. The quintet of Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Bobby "Boogaloo" Watts, Eugene "Cyclone" Hart, Bad Bennie Briscoe and Willie "The Worm" Monroe fought 12 times between them and many of them were wars. In fact, Hagler's only two losses before the Ray Leonard fight came against these guys.
In my era Kelly Pavlik vs Jermain Taylor the 1st fight is one of the best Middleweight title fights in the last 50 years. The 2nd was also good and fought at a high level. They also had a rivalry from the amateur days so it made for a memorable contest.
On the Aussie scene Mundine and Geale had a good rivalry. The first fight in 2009 was a really high level tactical affair, Mundine was already a bit past it at 34 years old and Geale was 28 it was a very close fight with Mundine scoring a knockdown in round 2 which was the difference maker. It was one of the best domestic fights I have ever seen. The rematch wasn't as good Mundine was 37 at the time and Geale was at his peak and dominated the fight.
Basilio vs. Saxton is an oft forgotten about rivalry.. they fought 3 times in the 50s.. i think tne second was a ring mag FOTY. Great clash of styles, what a warrior Basilio was.
The greatest middleweight rivalries? There are so many to choose from, but I think Marvin Hagler vs. Sugar Ray Leonard is right up there with the best. The intensity, history, and the contrasting styles made it unforgettable. You’ve also got the rivalry between Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. Middleweights always bring a lot of drama and excitement to the ring. In your opinion, who stands out the most in that category?
Hi Buddy. Hope this doesn't come across as perdanctic, but there fights were at WW, that typo again , stay safe LH , chat soon.
