Best championship fight for each weight division

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, May 25, 2020.


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  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    What is the best title fight from heavy downs to light flyweight?

    I figure we have to make it for major titles (I’ll include the WBO) — those widely recognized as being for a legit championship (not just lineal though).

    To me there’s a difference between a great fight and a great performance by one of the competitors — the Saddler-Pep series has a couple of great performances but I don’t know that any of their meetings would be the greatest featherweight championship fight ever, for instance.

    Here’s a few I’ll throw out to start with off the top of my head:

    Heavyweight: Larry Holmes-Mike Weaver I

    Cruiserweight: Evander Holyfield-Dwight Muhammad Qawi I

    Light heavyweight: Matthew Saad Muhammad-Marvin Johnson II

    Super middleweight: Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns II

    Middleweight: Roberto Duran-Iran Barkley

    Junior middleweight: Mike McCallum-Julian Jackson

    Welterweight: Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns I

    Junior welterweight: Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello I

    Lightweight: Jose Luis Ramirez-Edwin Rosario II

    Junior lightweight: Bobby Chacon-Bazooka Limon IV

    Featherweight: Alexis Arguello-Rubin Olivares

    Junior featherweight: Wilfredo Gomez-Lupe Pintor

    Bantamweight: From here down I’d have to do more research and we have lots of experts who know the lower-weights territory better than me. And some of my above, I’m sure someone else will have better candidates than mine.

    But I thought this might make a fun exercise. So have at it.
     
    Saintpat, May 25, 2020
    Saintpat, May 25, 2020
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  2. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    Well, you've made this a bit more difficult, but I'll give it ago. It's amazing how many of my favourite fights aren't title fights.

    HW - Ali vs Frazier III
    CW - Toney vs Jirov
    LHW - Saad vs López II
    SMW - Toney vs Williams
    MW - Fullmer vs Basilio I
    JMW - Tito vs Vargas
    WW - Basilio vs DeMarco II
    JWW - Cotto vs Torres*
    LW - Mancini vs Kim*
    SFW - Salido vs Vargas*
    FW - Fenech vs Villasana
    SBW - Vásquez vs Márquez III
    BW - Olivares vs Kanazawa*
    SFly - Quiroga vs Anifowoshe
    Fly - Chionoi vs Torres I?
    LFly - Yuh vs DeMarco I
    Min - Rodriguez Jr vs Takayama

    *Obviously some of these aren't the best, but I'll let others take the obvious ones like Pryor vs Argüello, Chacón vs Limón, or Castillo vs Corrales ect.
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
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  3. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    In memoriam and in recognition of his great courage, I’ll throw out this for 118:

    Lupe Pintor-Johnny Owen

    RIP Merthyr Matchstick

    Also: Super fly, Johnny Tapia-Danny Romero

    And featherweight, perhaps Danny Lopez-Mike Ayala is a better choice than Arguello-Olivares.
     
    Saintpat, May 25, 2020
    Saintpat, May 25, 2020
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  4. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Are we talking on film or regardless?

    Here's mine (just based on complete fights on film that are still available) and I'm going for the low-hanging fruit here too so there's some overlap with ones already posted, but if it's the best, it's the best...

    Heavyweight: Ali-Frazier 3
    Cruiserweight: Holyfield-Qawi 1
    Light-heavyweight: Moore-Durelle 1 / Saad Muhammad-Lopez 2 (tie)
    Super middleweight: Lilles-Littles 2
    Middleweight: Hagler-Hearns
    Junior middleweight: Trinidad-Vargas
    Welterweight: Basilio-DeMarco 2
    Junior welterweight: Pryor-Arguello 1
    Lightweight: Corrales-Castillo 1
    Junior lightweight: Chacon-Limon 4
    Featherweight: Saldivar-Winstone 2
    Junior featherweight: Gomez-Pintor
    Bantamweight: Olivares-Kanazawa 2
    Junior bantamweight: Quiroga-Anifwoshe
    Flyweight: Chionoi-Torres 1
    Junior flyweight: Carbajal-Gonzalez 1
     
    Jel, May 25, 2020
    Jel, May 25, 2020
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  5. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    I really wanted to mention Nana Konadu vs Sung-Kil Moon here, but I agree that this one is definitely the better fight.
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
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  6. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    I actually forgot that one! I could happily replace Quiroga-Anifwoshe with Moon-Konadu. I found it more enjoyable.
     
    Jel, May 25, 2020
    Jel, May 25, 2020
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  7. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    Fair do's! I noticed you had Hagler/Hearns? I thought there were others you liked better.
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
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  8. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Yeah, to be honest, I could have at least picked Toney-McCallum 1 with hindsight. Just rushed the list off a bit!
     
    Jel, May 25, 2020
    Jel, May 25, 2020
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  9. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    I had a few moments like that, I could've gone with Sahaprom vs Chuvatana for BWs, or Yuri vs Campas at 160. Or maybe McKinney vs Barrera at 122.

    God, there's so many... and that's just title fights!
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
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  10. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    **** me, I forgot Duran-Barkley at middleweight! That's in my personal top 10 fights of all time!
     
    Jel, May 25, 2020
    Jel, May 25, 2020
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  11. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Heavyweight-Dempsey-Firpo
    Lt-heavyweight- Saad-Lopez2
    Middleweight- Zale-Graziano 1 (greatest fight period ever)
    Welterweight-Leonard-Duran 1
    Jr-Welter-Pryor-Arguello
    Lightweight-Duran-DeJesus 2
    Jr-Light-Limon- Chacon 4 (best fight in my lifetime)
    Featherweight-Lopez-Malvarez
    Jr-Feather-Gomez-Pintor
    Bantamweight-Pintor-Owens
    Jr-Bantam-Kim-Watababe
    Flyweight-McLarnin-Villa
     
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
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  12. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    Care to expand? I'm intrigued....
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
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  13. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Watch it and be flabbergasted, yes FLABBERGASTED, at what pure power is
     
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
    #13
  14. George Crowcroft

    George Crowcroft He Who Saw The Deep Full Member

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    I was gonna watch it lol, I meant first names.
     
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    George Crowcroft, May 25, 2020
    #14
  15. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Little Red vs Juan
     
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
    The Morlocks, May 25, 2020
    #15
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