Just watched The Fighter last night, it was pretty good. People in the theater kept talking about how Gatti and Ward ended up being the greatest fight ever. Those fights were incredible, however I think that Castillo Corrales is without question the greatest fight in history. Two ELITE fighters, trading bombs, back and forward all night, great skill level and combinations, and then two savage knockdowns in the corner and a famous line from Joe Goosen "You Better ****ING get inside of him now!" and then..... it happened. The place goes ****ing WILD, the type of emotion that almost no other sport can evoke. Something was truly INCREDIBLE. Get Chills just thinking about it.
Ali-Frazier I Duran-Leonard I Louis-Conn I Hagler-Hearns Gans-Nelson I Dempsey-Firpo Arguello-Pryor I pick one
I think the Gatti-Ward fights kind of get over-hyped. Yes, they were exciting and demonstrated courage and bravery, but for the most part it was a slugfest with a solid-display of B-class boxing skills. I mean round 5 of the first fight is just Gatti taking bomb after bomb to the head offering nothing back. That aint boxing. Swarmer has a very nice list of good fights that contained great displays of A-class skill as well as slugging and courage when necessary. I'd just like to add Vazquez v Marquez (first three fights) to the list. First two Pacquiao-Morales fights rank pretty high as well.
Exactly! This is why I think Gatti-Ward isn't that awesome. Sometimes slugfests can be really great, but they have to have a ton of drama if they are(lyle-foreman, dempsey-firpo, zale-graziano). A really great boxing match(boxing being the operative here) has to be a combination of skills, styles, courage, and two realy physically gifted fighters. I don't really think Gatti nor Ward were great fighters at all, same with Corrales and Castillo. But that's just me.
Gatti vs Ward was one of the most entertaining fights of all time. But Hagler vs. Hearns is the greatest fight for myself
A few honorable mentions that maybe haven't been discussed... Tua-Ibeabuchi Frazier-Quarry I Tyson-Ruddock II Camacho-Rosario
castillo vs corrales! it was non stop action from start to finish with both fighters being rocked several times during the fight,cuts, and the brutal and incredible finish I don't think I have ever seen a fight like that new or old!
what about the morales vs barrera trilogy 3 great fights that got to be up there and plenty to talk about with the decisions plus aaron pryor vs alexis arguello 1 was a great fight
Lots of good calls so far, but my personal favorite has not been mentioned. Lopez/Ayala for the WBC featherweight crown. Classic Stalker vs cutie pie match-up, 14 action packed rounds, Ring Magazine 1979 fight of the year, and a candidate for fight of the decade.