Figured it only makes sense to do a follow up thread from 1986 and look back to 30 years ago. 1996 was an eventful year, especially with arguably the biggest HW fight taking place. But which fight from 1996 would you say was the most exciting in your opinion? Mike Tyson vs Evander Holyfield 1 Marco Antonio Barrera vs Kennedy McKinney Arturo Gatti vs WIlson Rodriguez Kevin Kelley vs Derrick Gainer 1 Lennox Lewis vs Ray Mercer Riddick Bowe vs Andrew Golota 1 & 2 Oscar de la Hoya vs Julio Cesar Chavez 1 Azumah Nelson vs Jesse James Leija 3 Daniel Zaragoza vs Joichiro Tatsuyoshi 2 Orlando Canizales vs Junior Jones Nigel Benn vs Thulani Malinga 2 Ike Quartey vs Oba Carr David Tua vs David Izon Wayne McCullough vs Jose Luis Bueno Alejandro Gonzalez vs Luisito Espinosa 2 Rocky Gannon vs Richard Hall Phillip Holiday vs Ivan Robinson Yong Soo Choi vs Yamato Mitani 2 & 3 Yong Soo Choi vs Orlando Soto Saen Sor Ploenchit vs Young Soon Jang Saen Sor Ploenchit vs Leo Gamez
Gatti-Rodriguez is one of my absolute favourite fights ever but Barrera-McKinney was better and the best of that year. Holyfield-Tyson was the biggest fight, though.
Tyson vs Holyfield was the biggest boxing match of the year. Barrera vs McKinney is probably the best overall fight of the year. Kelley vs Gainer 1 is probably the most dramatic KO of the year. Bowe vs Golota the most controversial fight of the year.
I absolutely loved Tyson-Holyfield. I doubt I would have felt it at the time, but I watched that fight more than every other fight on the list combined I bet.
Tim Littles vs Frankie Liles 2 was also a great 3 round war from 1996. Saen Sor Ploenchit's fights against Jang and Gamez are some of the best Flyweight fights IMO. Another terrific fight from that year that nobody seems to know about is Koji Matsumoto vs Samuel Duran. Very wild brawl.
