What is the greatest matchup of all time?

In the HW division:

Muhammad Ali vs Larry Holmes
Joe Louis vs Rocky Marciano
Joe Louis vs Ezzard Charles
Larry Holmes vs Mike Tyson

 

Would you have anyone rank of Floyd and Manny? Just asking out of curiosity.

 

The sport was different pre TV. If you try to do resume breakdowns like with Floyd vs. Manny vs. Duran and throw in someone like Robinson, it doesn’t work because there were fewer divisions and belts and they were fighting more but preparing less.

There’s also the issue of limited footage.

That’s why I do a cutoff instead of asking if Manny would beat McFarland or whatever.

 

Fair enough. I have never done a P4P list in my life I think they are to hard to do let alone across all era's.

 

Holyfield vs Quawi

 

So many posts since this one, many citing fights between 2 x ATGs, but this post, the first in response to the OP, definitively answers the question posed in the OP and for me settled the topic of the thread.

2 x fighters generally accepted as being in the top 4 p4p fighters of all time fighting each other, is THE correct answer.

 

I'd take his rankings over yours any day.. because despite all the smoke & mirrors FMJ never faced a significant size deficit his entire career. He also fought in an era that has 17 weight divisions & 4 major belts per division.. meaning its much easier to pick up a title & become a multi weighter. They're also aided by PEDs & IV drips (the more successfulu u are the better access u have to them) softer 8oz gloves & lower fight frequency.. all of which allows for greater longevity, less jeopardy & more opportunity to become a title holder. It's a tamer, more diluted era now.

Floyd is a brilliant fighter but a long way off the best ever.. beating a shot ODH & a fading Pacquiao doesn't equate to taking a prime 6ft 175lb Gene Tunneys 0 & tearing up a prime Mickey Walker despite being past your physical prime like Greb managed to do.. & it certainly doesn't equate to beating prime Moore, Bivins, Maxim, Burley & Marshall multiple times & then facing off against HW greats Walcott, Louis & Marciano like Charles did..

Oscar, Canelo, Cotto, Mosley, Manny, Maidana, Hatton etc.. all great fighters yes.. looks great on paper.. but what did they go on to do that was so great? How many future HOFers do u think they all went on to beat? & none of them were notably dissimilar size either. Canelo weighed 152lbs .. its not even a division.. if you're so great why bother about 2lbs? Imagine having that mentality (especially in today's softer era) & then u & your fans have the audacity to claim you're better than all the past greats who never had the advantages of today & who fought elite fighter's time & again regardless of size differential & timing.. Floyd took years to get the stones to fight Pacquiao... these fellas mentioned above would fight each other on a months notice! Or less..

Call em pre TV or dismiss through lack of footage all u like .. ultimately it comes down to record & adversity faced for me.. & you 100% can NOT compare Floyd to the ATGs mentioned above.

 

Give me some bullet points if you want me to address this. Floyd entered the ring outweighed by most of his opponents in big fights since Corrales.

 

I agree….and if had happened a few years earlier…it could have been one of the biggest signature wins of all time

 

If your sole criterion is that they shared the ring, irrespective of how shot or green ether guy was, Ali-Holmes is certainly up there for heavyweight.

 

Pryor vs Arguello

 

I've seen alot of great fights in my lifetime, but 1 that always sticks out is Corrales-Castillo I. But Morales-Barerra I, Pacquaio-Morales I, Tyson-Holyfield I, Holyfield-Bowe were all great fights. And those are just a few off the top of my head.

 

They were such special fighters that supposed boxing fans have a bone to pick with the pfp 1 outclassing the pfp 2.

 

Mikey got that Rizz.

 

Duran>Moore>Leonard>Floyd>Ali>Pac realistically