Fights with the biggest skill differences

The experts underestimated the Canadian. Muhammad Ali’s camp knew that Chuvalo was going to be a handful. But they had no idea Ali was about to square off with the hardest man he would ever fight. Period.

 

The 14th round. Chuvalo came at Ali with an attack the legendary fight caller Don Dunphy described as “wild as a night in the Yukon.” Ali responded with punishing blows to Chuvalo’s body. With three minutes to go, they were exhausted, but both fighters were still standing.

 

Somewhere toward the middle of the final round, it seemed to suddenly dawn on Chuvalo: he had maybe one minute left to win or lose the whole shot. It had been an absolutely gruelling battle, but Chuvalo gathered himself, then simply erupted. Bang. Bang. Bang. Bang.

Four punishing lefts in a row, all to Ali’s jaw. Then a right, a hard one, square to Ali’s head. Dunphy shouts over the radio: "Chuvalo may have hurt Clay! Chuvalo may have hurt Clay!"

The crowd was electrified. On its feet. An upset suddenly in the air. But Chuvalo was cooked. Not an ounce left. Ali survived the final seconds. The world champ retained his title.

 

Even though well past his best Herol Graham looked to be in a different league to Vinny Pazienza

 

Wepner, a journeyman known as "The Bayonne Bleeder", stunned Ali with a knockdown in the ninth round; Ali would later say he tripped on Wepner's foot. It was a bout that would inspire Sylvester Stallone to create the acclaimed film, Rocky.

 

Graham had a 77 inch reach and was 5'11.5 While Paz only had a 70.5 inch reach and was only 5'7.5 in height.

 

Strange comment, no one mentioned size difference this post is about different skill levels

 

There wasn`t much skill in the 1 round fight, it was just a brawl and McNeeley was wide open.

 

The reach difference was far too much for Paz.

 

Ignore Mark. He is a possum troll.

 

Paz was no Canelo, that is a huge reach difference, Graham`s reach was one inch shorter than Ali`s, could you imagine Paz v the 78 inch reach of Hearns?

 

Whose alt are you really?

 

And, your own opinion actually is?

Chuvalo was as tough as teak but the gap in skill was still huge, under the 5 point system Ali won by 8, 11 and 12 points. Assoc. Press had Ali by 11 points.

Wepner didn’t score a legit KD. He threw an innocuous punch to the body and stood on Ali’s foot as the same time - which resulted in Ali falling.

Ali toyed with Wepner for 8 or so rounds, then got serious after the bogus KD - by the time of the stoppage Ali lead by 5, 7 and 9 points under 10 point system - even accounting for Wepner being incorrectly awarded 10-8 for the “knockdown” in round 9.

It might’ve inspired (the spark) Stallone to make Rocky - but as is often the case, the final product can often be somewhat different to that which inspired it.

In Rocky, Apollo Creed won a controversial split decision over Balboa. Wepner was gutsy but his actual performance and result v Ali was well removed from that upheld by the Italian Stallion.

 

The ridiculous Canelo vs Yldirim fight. Imagine a big, multi weight class champion PPV sensation fighting a nameless, thin resume nobody coming off a loss. And to top it off, the guy quit in his corner we didn't even get to see a spectacular KO. Somehow Canelo was above criticism for this farce of a fight that was completely 1 sided.

 

Kenny Rainford vs Brian Sutherland