"Fights of the Century" that could have eclipsed Ali/Frazier 1 if they'd been made?

Maybe Lewis-Bowe if it took place before the McCall loss.

Tyson-Holyfield in the early 90s.

 

Too much pre fight history and press surrounded that fight so I don't think it could have been surpassed.

 

I immediatly thought about Jeffries vs Johnson and I don't think it could be topped by any other possible matchup. Dempsey vs Wills would be huge as well, but not as significant as the first choice.

 

these are two of my three picks. my third is more of a fun one, basically the ultimate old man match -- old Foreman vs old Holmes.

 

Many good examples have already been mentioned. However, I think Ali vs Frazier I is hard to beat. It's not just about great boxers, it's also about the fight. For instance, Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling II could be considered as the FOTC if Schmeling would be competitive on this night.

Anyway, a few more theoretical possibilities for great bouts:

Vitali Klitschko vs. Wladimir Klitschko

Maybe George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes (especially if Foreman would have started his comeback earlier) or George Foreman vs. Mike Tyson in the late 80s.

Rocky Marciano vs. Ingemar Johansson. If Rocky would have made a comeback and would have won against Johansson 1959 (which is quite questionable due to his age, inactivity and back problems). Then he could've been the first two-time heavyweight Champion instead of Floyd Patterson.

 

I don't know if it's possible. I mean, Dempsey-Wills is the obvious matchup that should have happened that didn't and that would have been very big but I don't think it would have been any bigger than the original fight of the century, Johnson-Jeffries.

Ali-Frazier 1 happened at a remarkable moment in modern American history and the fight was caught up in that. You also had two legitimate, undefeated world heavyweight champions facing off in a fight that had been building for years. Ali, "The People's Champion" and, in boxing terms, lineal champion who had never lost the title in the ring and Frazier, the official champion, Ali's successor, who had won the title in a tournament and then unified it, a champion in all ways but one... he hadn't defeated Ali. The stars aligned for this once in a lifetime event.

Then for the fight to match all that hype and expectation and for Frazier to win and prove his greatness and Ali to prove his mettle too. Nope, that's not happening again, or probably couldn't have happened at any other time in history with any other two contemporaries.

 

Tyson losing to Douglas takes the edge off that one, even at that point, I think.

Bowe-Lewis for the undisputed title with both fighters bringing title claims and undefeated records to the ring comes closer, but neither fighter had the same profile as Ali. It would have been huge, but not transcended the sport in the same way.

Good choices, though.

 

I'd probably pick Marciano-Patterson over Marciano-Johansson.

 

I would prefer Marciano vs. Patterson too.

Well, the thing is that we know it better in retrospect. If the fight between Marciano vs. Johansson would have happened, boxing history would change. There would be probably no triology between Patterson and Johansson. Who knows if they'd ever fought a second time? Maybe people would say that Johansson wasn't the same anymore after the Marciano fight.... (who knows)

Whatever, it’s just too speculative.

 

Ben Caunt vs Tom Hyer, could have created a world title claim, back in the early 1840s!

 

Not sure anything could surpass Ali v Frazier but a few could come close. 30 years ago tomorrow would be one, November 8th 1991, Holyfield v Tyson......the one that got away.

 

Any two random guys in a pub could have roped off a ring in the 1600s and fought and declared it the fight of that century.

 

Objectively not true.

 

Leonard vs. Hagler in 1983
Pacquiao vs. Mayweather in 2009