Fighters That Impressed You - When Losing?

Chucho Castillo (against Rafael Herrera 2)
Ismael Laguna (against Vicente Saldivar)
Betulio Gonzalez (against Masao Obha)
Juan Francisco Estrada (against Chocolatito 1)

 

He landed that bomb and opened up a cut, real quick, so he was trying to capitalize on it, make it worse, get a quick stoppage. If Hagler hadn't got to him, he'd probably have ended up getting the stoppage.

edit: and the cut is why Hagler went all out. He knew he likely had very limited time to end the fight given how bad that cut was. Basically, my take is that the cut is what made the fight turn into a war immediately. If that cut hadn't happened, the fight may have gone a lot differently.

 

Frank Bruno vs Lennox Lewis
Ray Mancini in his rematch with Livingstone Bramble

 

Carl Williams, Danilo Cabrera, Doug DeWitt, Leo Cruz, Lupe Pintor

I didnt watch Wilfredo Gomez-Leo Cruz live; I was 6, but watching it on you tube...

 

Ones not mentioned yet

Ezzard Charles in both Marciano fights

Frazier in the thrilla

Ribalta being a punching bag for Tyson over 10 rounds

And if you look at it as "when losing" not being the same as actually lost, Marciano's 13th round KO of Walcott which he needed to win, would have lost if it was only 12

 

Billy Conn against Louis as already mentioned.
Jersey Joe Walcott against Joe Louis.
Jack Sharkey against Jack Dempsey.
Floyd Patterson against Jimmy Ellis. I don't know if this one counts really since Patterson won that.

 

Billy Hardy v Orlando Canizales, Pat Cowdell v Salvador Sanchez and, heartbreakingly, Johnny Owen vs Lupe Pintor.

 

Alex Stewart v Foreman was also impressive. Alex was as good as cooked after two rounds but pulled himself together and got back into it for a loss by close decision. He never beefed about some of George's low blows. Got on with it and was gracious in defeat. 10/10 for guts and class. Which he mirrored in his life apparently. All round good egg that died too soon,

Two of our boys, Herol Graham and Michael Watson, put up terrific efforts against Mike McCallum.

 

Old Larry Holmes in his defeats at the hands of Oliver McCall and Evander Holyfield. Larry was overmatched physically at this stage of his career as a Team AARP roster member, but his ring IQ and guile were off the charts.

 

Norton vs. Holmes
Gatti vs. Ward I
Frazier vs. Ali 3
Mercer vs. Lewis
Witherspoon vs. Holmes
Cooper vs. Holyfield
Qawi vs. Holyfield I
Foreman vs. Holyfield
Tarver vs. Jones Jr. 1
Joe Hipp vs. Tommy Morrison

and TKO6 as well. That was probably the first boxing match where I remember thinking the TKO loser was really in control of the fight. The image of axe wounded VK ambling around the ring screaming "Noooooo" always stuck with me. I remember feeling for him as he was in a pitch battle with a HW great.

 

Smokin Joe Frazier other than the Jumbo Cummins fight was a warrior through and fhrough

 

Carlos Takam made a career out of looking good while losing.

 

Howard Davis Jr vs Rosario
Rosario vs Camacho
Pintor vs Gomez
Lockridge vs Pedroza
Weaver vs Holmes
Hearns vs SRL

 

Cotto against Fraud, Pac and Margacheetoh
Kalule vs Leonard
Benitez vs Hearns
Duran vs Camacho
De la Hoya vs Mayweather

dis but with Mitch Green survivin' 12 against prime Tyson lmaoo

 

Barely knew he was beforehand, but seeing local clubfighter Pascual Aranda give ATG Antonio Esparragoza the fight he did in Houston and how he fought over his head in a desperate attempt to win the belt in his hometown against a clearly superior fighter is a show of incredible will and heart I never forgot. Really, an amazing performance.

Kelvin Seabrooks' show against Canizales in both fights, but especially the first. Another example of getting off the boat at Omaha Beach and fearlessly running into machine gun fire.