The greatest fantasy boxing matches that could have happened

Clenelo-Benavidez could have been such an intriguing match had it happened in 2021

 

Roy Jones - Gerald McClellan 1994
Roy probably didn't really want this fight, I think he would have knocked Gerald out but Roy didn't like the risk. If McClellan had beaten Benn, I think this fight would have happened. In my opinion it would have been a great fight but Jones would have won by KO at the end and it would have been the same as Leonard vs Hearns. Leonard is great even without Hearns but with Hearns he is bigger. Jones would have been bigger too.
To a lesser extent Jones vs Benn, Jones vs Eubank, Jones vs Michalczewski.
It would have been nice to see Lewis-Bowe 92, Tyson-Moorer 96 and of course Klitschko vs Klitschko 2010,

 

Larry Holmes vs George Foreman, 1977 & 1992

 

Ray Robinsons vs Carmen Basilio III....this one should have happened Robinson later in life says he should've done it because the money would have been great.

Roberto Duran vs. Alexis Arguello

Roberto Duran vs. Antonio Cervantes....Duran would be a 5 division champ.

Larry Homes vs Gerrie Cooney 2

Mike Tyson vs Michael Moorer.....loved to have seen even a faded Tyson fight against a southpaw.

Felix Trinidad vs. Terry Norris.

Joe Frazier vs Ken Norton.....Kenny gets flattened mid-rounds ko.

Iran Barkley vs Nigel Benn 2...since Barkley was robbed with a way too early stoppage.

Julio Cesar Chavez vs Yori Boy Campas

Naseem Hamed against anyone with a heartbeat......oh wait that happened against Barrera.

Roy Jones against any heavyweight not named Ruiz.

 

They both mid but AJ vs Wilder in early 2020s...

 

Believe me, Chavez wouldn't have gone near Trinidad

 

That was THE fight for a second there at HW had they met and busted each other up in a trilogy… well we’d look at them more fondly, Wilder wouldn’t be washed up and fighting his best opponents… probably pop his 0 then start fighting everybody, AJ too, Wilder would burnout fast doe on the money maker path. Fury’s return bout could still be Wilder than AJ. Undisputed showdown with Chisora and then some Usyk guy.

 

For me the 2 biggest regrets are John Henry Lewis and Ketchel.


John Henry Lewis could have fought Moore, Ezzard Charles, Bivins, Marshall, Conn etc. He retired before 25 and should have still been in his prime when they were top LHWs. At HW he could have tested himself against giants like Buddy Baer and Abe Simon.

Ketchel would have been older when Greb, Gibbons, Miske etc came up but he could have fought that golden generation of smaller HWs larger MWs. At least the earlier part of it. Would have been a spectacle to see Ketchel try and beat Fred Fulton, Coffey, Jess Willard and even Jack Dempsey.

Trinidad v Mosley in particular is an amazing fight we missed out on at 147 or 154. Not much needs to change to make that happen.

Moorer feels like he fought at LHW and HW and missed mostly everyone and timing wise its quite unfortunate. Spinks, Virgil Hill, RJJ, Lennox, Bowe, Tyson, Buster Douglas. All could have happened and it just didn't.

Luis Ortiz v more of Wlads generation like Povetkin and Pulev.

 

Wilfredo Gomez vs Danny Lopez

Ray Leonard vs Pipino Cuevas

Matthew Saad Muhammad vs James Scott (would have meant MSM going to Rahway prison for it since Scott was incarcerated and wasn’t able to get a furlough to do it in AC, but still could have been made)

Not necessarily of monumental consequence, but I’d love to have seen Ray Mancini vs Sean O’Grady

Charlie “White Lightning” Brown vs Charlie “Choo Choo” Brown to settle the rightful owner of the name

 

Ray Mancini vs Henry Arroyo. Battle of Youngstown! I don't know why it never happened; not enough $$$ for Ray? Would have been a big TV fight back in the day.

 

In addition to the many already mentioned, I will add:

James J. Braddock vs Max Schmeling, 1937
This fight was supposed to happen. Schmeling had won the elimination fight against heavily-favored Joe Louis and became the #1 contender. The powers that be did not want Max to get the chance, and ultimately offered Braddock an additional 10% of championship fights for the next 10 years. Max did get his title shot against champion Louis in 1938 but really should have been in the ring with Braddock a year earlier. He may well have been the first to regain the heavy title.

Archie Moore vs Harold Johnson VI 1956-7
Yes, they had fought five times already, and Moore had prevailed in 5 of them, stopping Johnson in their last fight. But that statistic does not tell the whole story. Their bouts were close, and in their last fight, for the LH title, Johnson was ahead in the scoring when the bout was stopped in the 14th. Johnson had floored Moore in the earlier rounds. Both were getting on in years, but Johnson remained a real title threat. In fact he did gain recognition as champion after Moore had been stripped of the title due to inactivity. Johnson may well have taken the title from Moore had a sixth match taken place in the late 50s.

 

McAvoy vs Steele
Gilroy vs McAvoy
Roderick vs Zivic
Mills vs Conn

a few British Boys from the late 30's through the 40's that were actively expected & proposed during those years.

other 'outside' hopes also proposed then were Mills & Woodcock vs Joe Louis.

 

Robinson by ko.

 

My picks, Steele, Roderick and Conn. Never leave out Ted Kid Lewis.

 

Featherweight Title, Henry Armstrong vs. Willie Pep.