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True - and having already had a look at it already, it's a pretty tough call! There are many factors like: 1/ Do you rate world title winning performances above all others? 2/ Do you only consider winning performances? 3/ Were title winning performances in the days when there were only 8 titles, so far ahead of those in recent times where there are alphabet titles, that they rate significantly higher? etc, etc.
I'll stick my head in the noose and name my Top 10: 1/ Lionel Rose vs fighting Harada - already written in folklore. 2/ Jimmy Carrothers vs Vic Toweel - unbeaten world champion is simply assaulted & humiliated in his own backyard. 3/ Kostya Tszyu vs Zab Judah - Kostya unifies titles and hands out the chicken walk to a brash cahampion in the process. 4/ Johnny Famechon vs Jose Legra - the 109-6-4 Legra was a legend. 5/ Ron Richards vs Gus Lesnevich - Lesnevich held the world title for 7 years. 6/ Jeff Fenech vs Azumah Nelson - the controversial draw in Vegas, and egardless of the decision a brilliant performance. 7/ Jeff Harding vs Denis Andries - has there been a more Rocky-like performance ever? 8/ Dave Sands vs Bobo Olson - Olson would go on and win the title, one that would surely have been Sands', as acknowledged by Olson. 9/ Robbie Peden vs Nate Campbell - after all those years overseas Peden bought a title fight home and bought home the bacon. 10/ Danny Green vs Roy Jones Jnr - Jones had been the undisputed p4p fighter in the world but was no longer when Green shocked him with 1st round KO. Start throwing the tomatos guys!
These lists are always fun because there's no definitive correct answer. One of the tricky parts is: Do you consider what the opponents did AFTER the particular performance in assessing that performance? Remember Judah was undefeated at 27-0 when he met Kostya and it was his 6th defence of the IBF title. The other thing I factored in is was, that Kostya in beating Judah, unified the titles. Something that hadn't been done in that division for yonks. But I take on board your opinion Ippy. Why don't you have a crack at a Top 10 mate?
You're right, he was 27-0 heading in. He'd been sat down by Terron Millett and Bergman before hand though. There was plenty of hype about him, but he was already showing signs of a fragile chin IMO. As you said, there's no right or wrong answer.
Similarly with Campbell - he did big things after Bomber got him - so does that make Robbie performance better than it would otherwise? Looking forward to your 10 Ippy.
CHB - Move No.7 up. Harding's performance that night was just simply awesome and still one of the greatest performances by an Australian ever in my opinion.
Hey CHB, top effort making an initial list and bloody hard working one through! Question - don't you rank any of Fenech's victories? Your right about the Nelson fight, a great performance and he was robbed, simple as. The Villasana fight though was as tough as you'll see. Victor Callejas with the broken hand. The Daniel Zaragoza fight, brilliant stuff. The Samart Payakaroon demolition. What about the spanking to the smart ass - Georgie 'Go Go' Navarro, who in the end, was saying "no, no!" Love him or hate him, he was a ****ing briliant fighter. I'm probably biased because I grew up and really my love of boxing is because of him. No one can question though, he provided some truly outstanding fights. One that didn't get a Top 10 but deserving in my opinion - Barry Michael vs. Lester Ellis - great fight, had the emotion, the title, the action and an appreciative crowd. As old Keith Ellis said in the documentary about that fight "It was a tasty fight." Good old Keithy!
1. Rose MD15 Harada. 2. Carruthers KO1 Toweel. 3. Femechon W15 Legra. 4. Carruthers KO10 Toweel. 5. Ron Richards W15 Gus Lesnevich. 6. Fenech D12 Nelson. 7. Peter Jackson NC61 James J Corbett. 8. Dave Sands UD10 Olsen. 9. Harding TKO12 Andries. 10. Tszyu KO2 Judah.