Forgotten / Underatted Heavyweight Fights

Holyfield-Dokes
Holyfield-Cooper
Jefferson-Harris
Rahman-Sanders

 

Lewis - Mercer
Louis - Baer
Holmes - Shavers 1
Corbett - Jackson
Dempsey - Brennen (title bout)
Holmes - Weaver 1 (a war)
Frazier - Bonevena 2
Patterson - Rademacher (What a circus)
Louis - Godoy 2 (exceptional adjustment by Louis)
Louis - B.Baer 1 (Louis knocked through the ropes)
Jeffries - Fitz 2 - Fitz deals out tremendous punishment in a much better showing
Ike - Byrd ... Ike shows what might have been
Lewis-Vitali ...pretty interesting scrap ..
Tyson - Bruno 2 .. pretty amazing performance by Tyson, didn't look washed up to me .
Holyfield - Holmes .. very underappreciated fight by Larry who made Evander look foolish at times .

 

Ali Norton II

The significance of this fight is overlooked because Ali came out victorious and subsequently got a shot at Foreman for the title. But with Ken Norton, Ali was rematching a fighter who previously beat him and was a stylistic nightmare. This was by no means a forgone conclusion. Had Norton won, Ali's legacy as we know it would not be the same. Rumble in the jungle may not have happened and Foreman may have coasted on a few title defenses before Ali even had a chance to fight him.

 

Holyfield-Moorer II
The two Bowe-Golota fights were shockingly great, and yet whenever somebody brings up those bouts, they bring up the controversy of the low blows instead of how good the actual fights were

 

derrick roddy tko 2 ricardo kennedy. both down multiple times. kennedy was a "prospect" at the time and roddy was a chinless journeyman. neither ever really amounted 2 much but this was a classic brawl,in a wild and reckless way. great fun...

 

Ruddock vs. Morrison

Sanders vs. Rhaman

Lyachovich vs. Brewster

Moorer vs. Cooper

 

I remember the Roddy v Kennedy fight.. i knew Ricardo (Explosive) Kennedy and i was at his fight with Pele Reid, he had power but lacked some basic tools that a good trainer would have instilled in him, he was always reaching for the KO...

Holy v Dokes.. a definite classic..

Evander v Alex Stewart 1.. a gem of a fight, Alex was unbeaten and went out on his bloody sheild...

Clifford Ettiene v Fres Oquendo

Tony Tucker v Bruce Seldon

Frank Bruno v Lennox Lewis





mirageboxing.blogspot.com

 

Ray Mercer vs. Bert Cooper.

12 rounds of non-stop punching.

 

Lennox Lewis/Gary Mason was a great slugfest. Mason did very well, showed a granite chin and Lennox showed a very good one. This fight is almost never mentioned around here.

Byrd/Thunder was a pretty good fight.

Maurice Harris/Lyakhovich was a damned good fight. Think it was the opener on that card as well, strange enough.

 

Patterson v Ingo Trilogy.

The whole thing gets underrated. Two guys who can dish but can't take it. Extremely entertaining back and forth action with guys falling down all the time.

Agree with OP. Tyson v Ruddock is a solid fight that seems largely forgotten.

 

Bowe-Golota 2 was a great fight. I remember watching it when it happened and being amazed at the back and forth nature of it (mainly the first 5 rounds), and then after the first 5, being worried that Bowe would die.

 

I've always liked Moorer-Stewart.


Keith

 

Tyson vs. Tillis for the fact that Tillis was the first fighter ever to go the distance with him and not bad for action.

 

Riddick Bowe TKO8 Tyrell Biggs (1991)
Bowe very aggresive but Biggs refuses to bow and shows some good fire and technique. Bowe eventually grinds him down for the win.

Tommy Morrison TKO9 Joe Hipp (1992)
Hipp so durable, Morrison busted up very badly (both hands and jaw broken) and on the edge of dropping from exhaustion, but fights on and floors Hipp heavily for the win.

Tommy Morrison TKO8 Carl 'The Truth' Williams (1993)
Williams down in the 1st and 3rd but his jab gives Morrison plenty of problems. Suddenly floors Morrison in the 5th, then again, plenty of time left in the round but Morrison manages to hold out long enough to survive the three-knockdown rule (wouldn't be so fortunate against Bentt!) More back-and-forth before Morrison gets through in the 8th with Williams's eternal nemesis, the left hook, belting Carl about before the ref stops the fight.

Michael Grant TKO9 Obed Sullivan (1998 )
Sullivan, disappointed with his poor loss to Rahman, turned up very focused and prepared. Gave Grant a very good scrap, landing several heavy blows and refusing to back off, before Grant turned the volume up and finished it in the 9th with a knockdown and flurry.

Shannon Briggs D10 Frans Botha (1999)
Lots of action, Briggs floors Botha in the 8th and seems set to win before Botha fights back ad has Briggs staggered in the 10th, bleeding from the ear. Popular opinion favoured Botha but I actually thought the draw was fair.

Clifford Etienne UD10 Lawrence Clay-Bey (2000)
Both guys bombing, fun fight.