Fights Too Good To Be True That We Actually Got

Zarate--Zamora was a big thing at the time & highly anticipated.

 

I think we might have missed Wilder and AJ! Bowe and Lewis was a super fight that we missed for similar reasons. Foreman v Holmes. Leonard vs Hagler when they were in their 20`s. Hagler or Hearns vs McCallum. Marciano vs Paterson. Camacho vs Arguello. Pryor vs Leonard at welter.

 

Historically, Hagler-Hearns meant more and probably played out the way it did because it was 1985 rather than 1982, when it was first supposed to happen. Hearns had filled out and was riding the post-Duran high in 1985, and Hagler had three more years to get pizzed off and worn down between '82 and '85. This meant more of a brawling mentality for him going in I think. Two worlds colliding perfectly.

 

Great title and thread, Russell!

One that happened: Ali-Frazier 1
Yeah, it's an obvious pick, but given the obstacles to it happening, can you think of a better one?

One that didn't: you mentioned it already, Duran-Arguello.
I remember when I first started learning about boxing and its history and only knowing Duran from his third fight with Leonard in 89. I started to find out that Duran had been an incredible lightweight in the 70s and then found out about Arguello later. When I realised that they didn't eventually meet, despite all the hype and promise around the match, I was mortified. Still am to be honest.

 

I guess one of the ones that happened but wasn't quite what it could have been was Robinson v Armstrong. On paper you can argue two top five (top 3?) P4P ATGs but Armstrong was near finished and it turned out to be an exhibition of sorts.

 

Oscar vs Tito was a pretty great matchup for it's day. Two great, undefeated welters in their prime, a true 50-50 fight. The fight didn't really pan out, but the matchup was awesome

 

Mayweather-De La Hoya
Mayweather-Alvarez
Holyfield-Tyson (even if later than originally expected)
Mosley-De La Hoya
Jones Jr-Toney
For the first time in forever the heavyweight division has multiple huge scraps that are equally huge fights. Wilder-AJ, Wilder-Fury, AJ-Fury
Pacquiao-Cotto

 

Ali v Foreman
Ali v Frazier
Marciano v Moore
Holyfield v Bowe
Joe Louis v Buddy Baer

Fights that never happened
Foreman v Holmes number one to me
Marciano v Patterson
Lennox v Wlad or rematch w Vitali
Also mayweather v pac man deserves a nod because that wasn’t the two fighters in their prime we were robbed of what would have been a much better fight

 

On domestic UK scene, Benn-Eubank I was a classic case of stars aligning.

The UK has produced better fighters than either, both before and since. However, the two most compelling characters in British boxing happened to be in the same weight division, undefeated, and hitting their peaks at the same time.

They were a perfect clash of styles both in and out of the ring. Benn, the free swinging knockout artist; the ex-squaddie who loved a tear up and was as wild outside the ring as in it. Eubank, the steel-chinned counterpuncher; the enigmatic iconoclast who claimed to despise boxing and cultivated an image of cerebral sophistication. Their pre-fight confrontations were almost as entertaining as the fight itself, which was an instant classic where Eubank withstood an early onslaught to stop Benn in the 9th.

It was a watershed moment in many ways. The tragedies involving Michael Watson and Gerald McClellan contributed to boxing being shunted off terrestrial television and onto satellite and cable, and Benn and Eubank were two of the last great "TV fighters" in Britain. It was also one of the first great British sporting rivalries between two black men where race was largely irrelevant; the everyman vs snob dynamic worked regardless of skin colour.

 

Jackson vs McClellan

 

Kaylor/Christie although more at a area level was more fun as a build up.

But yes great call. A great domestic rivalry that was as important as anything since Conteh/Finnegan (cannot think of, off my head, anything in between).

Going back to Finnegan, although a level below, Chris put his finest performance into a losing effort with a Bob Foster just nearing the end of his peak.

And staying with the Finnegans, brother Kevin had two fun bouts with peak Hagler.

As for the question on a worldwide scale, a disappointment first: Whitaker/Nelson; Nelson was just not in it, yes he moved up 5lbs, but he was not far off his pomp.

Brown and Norris maybe...

Chavez and Taylor obviously

Nunn and Toney arguably

And then to finish on another disappointment Toney/Jones...

 

Maybe you could add Nunn/Starling too...

 

Lomo vs Rigo wasnt a great fight, and shouldn't be listed as close to the quality of the other great fights you listed. A natural bantam and past prime Rigo vs a natural super feather who was able to move to light weight without much of a problem Lomo. One of the many fallacies about how good Lomo really is. But a lot of you believe Lomo invented slipping and countering so continue believing he would've beaten Duran, J.Brown , E.Pederoza, and Sal Sanchez in the same week.