What Are The Biggest "What Ifs '', In Boxing History?

For me in terms of actual fights that could/should have happened in real timeline I’d say:
Bowe vs Lewis.
Bowe vs Tyson.
Tyson vs Tua.
Foreman vs Holmes.
Holmes vs Majority of List generation b

 

what if Cus lived another 10 years
what if Frazier never damaged his arm and never got speed bag shrapnel in his eye
what if Holyfield never had heart problems
what if Hagler and SRL fought during primes
what if Duran didn't quit in the second SRL fight
what if Tyson didn't bite Holyfield's ear
what if Tyson and Lewis fought in 1989
what if Frazier's corner didn't throw in the towel in Manila

 

What if RJJ retired after beating Ruiz where would he be ranked now ? Probably top 10 of all time on some lists. It still frustrates me that RJJ didn't retire at the right time.

 

Tyson-Lewis 1989 would have a been a non-runner as Lennox only turned pro in July of that year.

I really think that Frazier could have incurred a serious life changing injury had his corner let him out for the final round. Nice one,Mr Futch!

 

What if Joe Frazier's corner didn't stop the fight in Thrilla in Manila?

What if the referee didn't stop the fight in the last second of Julio Cesar Chavez vs Meldrick Taylor?

What if Salvador Sanchez didn't tragically pass away so early?

 

I actually don't think Taylor's career would've panned out much differently in all honesty, he'd already took alot of damage vs Chavez getting a W doesn't erase that, although it would look better on his resume to have a W over Chavez.

The only thing i think that would change would be that Taylor might get an immediate rematch vs Chavez, instead of waiting 4 years for a rematch.

But Taylor stated he had trouble making 140 so his intention was always to move up to 147, and even if Taylor gets a W over Chavez he's not beating Whitaker, Quartey, Trinidad, at Welterweight.

Taylor just took much punishment in his career, he liked to exchange too much instead of boxing. And i don't think he ever really would've of long career career where he was at his peak.

 

What if Robin Reid got decision wins against the longest reigning Super Middleweight champions in history in Calzaghe ? Ottke ?

What if Roberto Duran stayed at Lightweight ?

 

Then the world would never know about the magical healing hands of Benny Hinn.

 

What if Roberto Duran had gone ahead with the proposed light-welterweight title challenge of Antonio Cervantes ‘79 instead of jumping straight to welter?
What if Hopkins didn’t skip Super-middleweight?
What if Hagler tried to get one the belts again after Leonard quit middleweight?
What if Mike Tyson retired, as he threatened to, after the Spinks fight?
What if Big George never came back?

 

What if Foreman had won in Zaire?
What if a devastating earthquake had hit Tokyo in early February 1990.?

 

He took damage from Chavez but a win over him would have still elevated his resume and be seen as one of the biggest wins in boxing at that time. Taylor did show that he still had more in the tank at WW when he beat Aaron Davis in a great performance. It was after he took his beating against a bigger guy Terry Norris that he started his downward spiral.

He would have had to face JCC again and even if he were to have beaten him again Chavez would always leave some damage on to him that would shorten his career. I do agree that his career wouldn't have been that much more successful given the fighters he would have to face later on but it would still be interesting to see Taylor face other WWs at the time such as Buddy McGirt (who he already beat), Simon Brown, Trinidad, Whitaker, Carr, Quartey. He would probably have success against McGirt again, Simon Brown, and Oba Carr but would fall short against the rest of them IMO.