I'm trying to think of a guy that maybe finished his career with his last fight, being a great win? Lennox s last fight of course was a victory, but he struggled obviously. Maybe Marciano s, Would we say that was a great victory against Moore? Possibly.
Good question. Scoring a great win usually suggests there's something left in the tank, and most fighters aren't willing to hang up the gloves at that point. Lennox did beat a future HOF fighter in Klitschko. Good call on Marciano as well. Another good...but not great IMO...win in a career finale off the top of my head would be Andre Ward over Kovalev. Also, Froch went out with a nice domestic win over Groves. Another would be Salvador Sanchez' win over Azumah Nelson. Nelson only had 13 fights I believe going into that, but was a talent and future HOFer.
Ernesto Marcel beating Arguello Masao Oba beating three-time flyweight champion Chartchai Chionoi Jeff Fenech also ended his career with a win over Nelson, although Nelson was not a future HOFer but an already-inducted HOFer at that point (Fenech too, for that matter). No doubt the rarer feat, but somehow I imagine the public finds it less impressive than Sanchez's win.
Lewis and Marciano both struggled in their final fights, but they were still great wins . So I'm not sure what your specific requirements are. Are you looking for one sided dominant performances? Andre Ward and Joe Calzaghe both finished their careers with excellent, career defining wins.
Jim Braddock finished his career with a close but nice win over Tommy Farr Jeff Fenech was retroactively awarded a 4th World Title 31 years after the fact of the fight - well after Jeff's career had finished. Does that count?
Yes. A past prime Lennox beating the future Hall of Famer Vitali is notable. Quite often an underrated victory for Lennox.
No not so much a one sided fight as such , just an impressive, especially to say its their last time, showing. Calzaghe and ward are both good instance s, as are Louis and the Rock. Obviously if it's a one sided fight then even better.
Gene Tunney ended his career with 2 wins over Jack Dempsey and then Tom Heeney not bad going. Ike Williams ended his career with a win over Beau Jack. Packey McFarland wins over Jack Britton and Mike Gibbons has to rate up there with one of the best honestly. Ernesto Marcel ended his career out boxing the great Alexis Arguello. Dullio Loi over Eddie Perkins was a great final win. And finally Carlos Monzon ended his career with 14 title defences and a win over Rodrigo Valdes.
How could I forget Monzon vs Valdes II? Rocky, a great fighter himself, really threw down, even dropping Monzon but the aging Champ held his cool and, in typical fashion, methodically boxed it out for the win. Great win but one that certainly told him it was time to hang up the gloves (unless Monzon had already indicated that he was retiring after that fight - I'm not sure). For the intents and purposes of thread. all the same still.
Natural LW Packey McFarland coming off a 2-year retirement, without any comeback warm ups, straight into taking a newspaper decision over ATG MW Mike Gibbons was going to be my suggestion too. Jimmy McLarnin beating Lou Ambers in his final fight arguably qualifies too.
Marciano vs. Moore...Yankee Stadium...Sept. 21, 1955...61,574 fans...Fighting the Lt Heavyweight Champion and the #1 contender for the Heavyweight title...Marciano gets decked by Moore in the 2nd round. Rocky drops Archie in the 6th round...then forced Moore to the ropes...then...as writer Budd Schulberg said: "Marciano demonstrated continuous punching that has to be seen to be believed!" Joe Nichols of the New York Times said the 6th round will be referred to "As comparable to any single round in heavyweight history!" After the fight, Arthur Daley said:" Rocky Marciano is a great champion folks! It's about time he began to receive the recognition he so richly deserves!" A great way to go out!!!
