Most thrilling or historically important fight of the 1980s?

The Brawl in Montreal started what we would later call The era of the 4 Kings

I don't think it's up to debate really, this IS the most important fight of the decade

Imo the most thrilling too, but i can see Hearns vs Leonard and Hearns vs Hagler taking the cake in dat one

 

Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard

 

There are lots but Berbick-Tyson introduced a beastly-like boxer to a lot of the world.

The WWE had Hulk Hogan, the NHL had Wayne Gretzky, Association football had Maradona, the NBA had Bird, Johnson and Jordan, the NFL had Montana, the MLB had Brett, Clemens, Smith and Strawberry, and we had Tyson.

 

The closest any one fight may have come to being both thrilling and historically important may have been Leonard -Duran 1.

In the history of boxing, no fighter below heavyweight had ever made $1 million for a fight ... until Ray Leonard came along.

Ray made $1 million for his challenge against Benitez. As champ, Wilfred wanted slightly more and got $1.2 million, I believe.

Two welters making a million each for a fight. It was unheard of. That was 10 times what most lighter weight "champs" made. Challengers routinely made five figures.

Two fights later, Leonard made $10 million for his defense against Duran. It totally blew the doors off what a fighter below heavyweight could make ... tenfold.

And it was a classic 15-rounder, as well.

 

Tyson vs Spinks was the biggest event that I can recall at the time. Tyson was just a massive celebrity at that point that boxing hadn't had since Ali.

Hagler vs Leonard was also huge.

 

The MW division owned the 80s. Lots of marquee fights involving the Four Kings, Five if you include Benitez.

To the ones already mentioned I would add Leonard - Duran II because the sheer drama and controversy before, during and after the fight.

The "No Mas" episode blemished Duran's amazing career and even today casts a shadow on his legacy.
And let's not forget that to this day there is a debate on what truly went on that night, with lots of "what if?" still unsolved.

 

Michael Spinks vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi was a really significant boxing event where you had two of the best fighters at LHW fighting for the undisputed title.

Alexis Arguello vs Aaron Pryor were also important and thrilling fights that took place.

Salvador Sanchez vs Azumah Nelson was really significant due to it being the last fight of Sanchez's career before his untimely death and also the start of Azumah Nelson's great boxing career despite losing in an admirable effort.

 

100% agree--Leonard-Duran I most important AND thrilling--(Greatest fight I've ever seen to this day!!)

 

Another vote for Montreal. Even better than Hagler-Hearns.

Duran was on fire that night and he never reached that level again. And Leonard proved that he was as tough as he was gifted in his first loss. Similarly to Muhammad Ali in his first fight with Joe Frazier.

 

GREAT point about the similarities between Leonard and Ali following their first professional losses. They each gained a measure of respect for toughness--something that honestly nobody would attribute to either fighter prior to Montreal and FOTC.

 

Holmes vs Cooney deserves a mention for the racial overtones of this fight .

 

Yeah, intuitively and when technically broken down, The Brawl In Montreal seems to be the right pick.

So many other memorable fights though.

For one, Leonard vs Hearns 1 was a brilliant fight.

 

Exactly.

Until FOTC and Montreal Ali and Ray respectively were perceived as the proverbial pretty boys.

While their brilliant skills were duly acknowledged there were still a number of pundits who suspected that they might fold like cheap suits under heavy duress in super tough fights.

Well, their hitherto unmarked faces certainly belied the grit, courage and determination that laid beneath and famously came to the fore during the fights in question.

I’m not sure if Duran interpreted Ray as voluntarily electing to fight Roberto’s fight in part or in full - but if he did, he might’ve been perhaps a bit disheartened that Ray still did as well as he did do.

Roberto gave it his all fighting his fight in what was an optimal performance for Duran but the future held that Ray had other, likely more effective strategies that he could option - which is exactly what we saw Ray do in the New Orleans rematch.