Those fights where you felt overjoyed or you felt absolutely crushed There's been a few in my years watching boxing but some that spring to mind are two fights involving Barry McGuigan. His win over Pedroza was brilliant, brought Ireland together. His loss to Cruz was the complete opposite. It left me feeling shattered, seeing him losing in the horrendous heat.
Some people like to argue about the controversy at the end of Chavez-Taylor 1. But, watching it live, I found it to be one of the most incredible endings possible. It was like a Rocky movie, but for real. It encapsulated the drama and skill that can occur at the highest level, and, permanently solidified my love for boxing. On a less important, but, still somewhat emotional note: Watching Marcos Maidana humiliate Adrian Broner was ****ing priceless. After all the unwarranted hype Broner was getting, justice was finally served. It was like the massive weight of unjustified media backing of overrated house fighters like Broner had finally lifted off of Boxing's shoulders. History has shown that eradication of bogus hype to have been short lived. But, on that night, my friends and I were literally jumping on the table with joy at seeing Broner humbled like that.
The fight between then WBC Lightweight Champion Alexis Arguello and challenger Ray Boom Boom Mancini on Oct 3 1981. Mancini wanted so very much to win the title for his father, a world war II veteran who never got the chance to win the title. But because Arguello was a superior champion and Mancini's gallant effort it sadly was not meant to be in a really good fight.
Hagler-Hearns for sure, when I was 17. It felt like I had personally won the Super Bowl. I was euphoric. Also Douglas-Tyson. To see a man already relegated to "opponent" status spit in the eye of convention that way and win so dramatically and conclusively made me understand even then that this moment would be talked about for decades.
Jose Torres-Eddie Cotton, Wayne Thornton-Eddie Cotton 1, 2 & 3; Eddie Cotton-Johnny Persol 1 & 2, Eddie Cotton-Roger Rouse 3.
I slid on my knees, fist pumped the air & shouted aloud in celebration, all in front of the TV in my front room, when Froch stopped Taylor whilst behind on the cards in the final few seconds of the 12th round. There have been many other fights where the outcome mattered to me more, but the finish was so dramatic. The drama and the sheer guts/determination of the likes of Holmes vs Norton R15, Corrales vs Castillo 1 R10 and Ward vs Gatti 1 R9, can move me emotionally even watching back all these years later. I remember feeling a lump in my throat during the Michael Katsidis post fight interview (vs JMM?) when he broke down crying after being asked about his brother, who had sadly recently committed suicide.
Ali beating Foreman is my most pleasurable sporting moment ever!! Muhammad's fight with Larry Holmes obviously the saddest memory. Other memories include Honeyghan-Curry,Hagler-Hearns,Both Leonard-Hearns bouts. And I share your McGuigan memories,Fergy. I was leaping around the room after Barry's victory at Loftus Road.
Three Little Red Lopez fights. First, his fight with Tury Pineda. I was so afraid that Lopez was going to lose- I think I was 7- that I couldn't sleep. When I saw on the 10 o'clock news that he had won, I was incredibly relieved and insanely happy. Second, his fight with Bobby Chacon. That one drove me to the gym just before my 10th birthday and has caused me to be distracted for almost 50 years. Third, the 2 Sanchez fights. The first fight was bad enough; Lopez had lost before after all. The second was the end of the only idol of my lifetime and I still resent Sanchez for that.
Benn vs McClelland caught me emotionally, especially considering the near thundering KO of Benn in the first round, who found himself outside the ring in the first minute of the fight.
Watching Buster Douglas cry in the middle of the ring in Tokyo still does something to me ….and I’m a Tyson fan
Phillips vs Tszyu, not because I wanted Kostya to lose but I was rooting for Cool Vince. He was just robbed previously on HBO against Romalis Ellis and at 33 it looked like his chances were coming to an end. Toney vs Jirov, Toney was meandering around the boxing landscape after the second loss to Griffin for years, to see him put this performance with how he closed the last round was a great experience
Foreman vs Frazier 1 was a beating that will never be equaled, it was the fight in which nobody could then deny the power of the great George foreman. Most impressive single punch of all time in lifting Frazier off his feet, as well... Foreman vs Moorer, Foreman was able to put the demons of the "rumble in the jungle" to rest, beating a 26 year old undefeated champion at his own game with a single and incredibly in close right hand to become the heavyweight champion again.
Lawrence Okolie vs. Dylan Prasovic, I was rooting for Dylan Prasovic, who also had all the wins until then. This is where I got annoyed, because I thought Dylan was down because of an uppercut that missed him. When the count reached 7 I started yelling at Dylan to get up. And at the end, I made a derogatory comment on his 100% performance until then (he had beaten all his opponents, until then).
