Fights which involved the two best of a nation?

Mannnn. You have no clue how bad I wish we would have seen Pacquiao vs Valero. Philippines vs Valenzuela.

 

If Valero hadn’t killed himself was that ever likely though? Pac man was already fighting welterweights an light middleweights at that time an Valero was the lightweight champ.

 

Lennox Lewis (UK) vs Andrew Golota (Poland)

 

I wonder why nobody has mentioned Salsanchez (Mexico) vs. Wilfredo Gomez (Puerto Rico).

By the way, I don't care at all about that "Puerto Rico is a country or not" issue.
Puerto Rico is an "associated state" and in a class of his own, and regardless what the passport or ID says there is a definitive and distinctive Puertorrican identity and culture. You can bet they don't consider themselves "Americans" in the sense somebody from let's say Iowa or New Jersey.

So going back on topic, Salsanchez vs Gomez is widely considered the ultimate bout in the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico boxing rivalry.

 

Hopkins was in no way, shape or form considered the best fighter in America. For most, he was not in their top 10 pound for pound rankings. Forget Jones Jr, De La Hoya or Mosley, he wasn’t even ranked above Hamed prior to beating Trinidad.

 

Harvey wasnt even in the top ten at LHVY. However McAvoy was rated number 3.

 

Salvador Sanchez (debatable) vs Wilfredo Gomez (debatable)

 

I was in person at Gomez-Nelson....

 

Trust me, to us "independence warriors", Puerto Rico is a hole other country. When I get on a plane from Georgia or Texas to Puerto Rico and they say "today, we will have a domestic flight" it annoys the heck out of me.

 

I think there are some really good examples of the latter, while so many possibilities (and nations) are excluded by the mere fact that one country’s best all-time might be a bantam and that’s only true of so many countries … whereas every country of boxing note has a best bantam, a best lightweight, etc.

 

Any flight out of Atlanta is domestic. That airport is so big some of its concourses are located outside the continental United States.

 

lol...Delta City!

 

Counting best fighters from their respective countries on fight night, how about Donald Curry vs. Nino Larocca? Larocca fought out of Italy, but if we're talking birthplace, Larocca is the only pro fighter to ever come out of Mauritania as far as I can tell, so there's no debating that end of it. Curry I believe was rated the best Welterweight at the time the fight took place (1984).

 

Where LaMotta and Cerdan the best MWs in their respective countries when they fought for the title in '49?