As is your assertion that Vasquez-Marquez III was overrated, imo. But, when dealing with just how exciting fights are, these things do tend to be subjective.
I can't get over how many mentions the Brawl in Montreal gets. It is, without question, the best fight I've ever seen. So many little stories that develop in that match. Duran having to adjust to Leonard's speed in round 1, Leonards somewhat panick-stricken (but competitive!) reaction to Duran outclassing him inside in rounds two and three (Duran ducks under so many punches), Leonard finding a formula that works in round 4 by using subtle footwork to keep the middle distance and staying at centre ring (when he can)....it just keeps going and going like that. They adjust, and then make re-adjustments, and it keeps going. All the while you're being punched, mauled, pushed, fouled, there's a battle of wits going on to complement the clash of wills and synergy of talents. I even forgot to mention Leonard being gunshy early on, Duran taking advantage by feinting him to the ropes, and then Leonard ad******g, which Duran attempts to exploit by going for counter overhand rights from way outside. He manages to land one IIRC. Meanwhile everything these two do is at the absolute peak of tiers. Jabs, sways, footwork, combinations, it is brilliant stuff. Put a random top ten fighter in with either and see what they do with 'em. These fighters together, pushing eachother to a higher plane, is a privelige. Anyway, I'll mention Gatti-Ward 1. Great effort by both fighters, but not on the level of Montreal, Barrera-Morales and Vasquez-Marquez. Heart + skill > heart+.
Actually, Pryor/Arguello 1 is kind of overrated, to be honest. It's a very good fight, but it's more of a high-quality dismantling, and less of a two-way, back-and-forth classic.
..........Agreed; too one-sided to be called great, but it was entertaining, certainly. It featured a refreshing lack of grappling like Duran-Leonard I. :smoke
.............No, not at all. I'm not even trolling with that one. It WAS one-sided. Arguello won at most four rounds.
Too one sided to be called 'great' ? It sure was damn compeitive and wild affair the first bell to the last. If that wasn't a great fight, then god help us all. I couldn't care if you scored every round for Pryor. He never won many rounds convincingly anyway, apart from 2 or 3 of the completed 13. That was a crazy fight.
Agreed - Although I don't think you are allowed to critise Ali on this site, or if you do you know nothing about boxing.
Ali-Foreman...1974....Foreman fights one of the dumbest fights I've sever seen...runs out of gas...and is KO'd by the light hitting Ali...
I'd say Vasquez-Marquez 3 is one of my top 5 fights of all time. I think Hagler-Hearns is a little overrated in terms of what actually happened in the fight (best 1st round ever no doubt, but pretty dull 2nd and one-sided 3rd) but I think the two fighters involved lift it into the upper echelons.