Most thrilling or historically important fight of the 1980s?

If you add to that Salvador Sanchez vs Wilfredo Gomez, Wilfredo Gomez vs Lupe Pintor, Julio Cesar Chavez vs Edwin Rosario, Chavez vs Jose Luis Ramirez...Donald Curry vs, Milton McCrory..all those fights marked the era.

 

I thought the single best matchup was arguello--pryor.

 

Definitely. Ray and Tommy's second fight was damn good too.

 

Ray Mancini vs Kim Duk Kuh ..,.unfortunately it was a very historically significant fight

 

The SuperFight. Hagler-Leonard.

 

A grim reminder that it was because of that fight that 15 rounders no longer exist.

 

Leonard v Duran in Montreal.

 

This is the one. No other fight in this period, as far as I know, changed how championship fights were fought.

 

It sure was a great fight Stevie. Despite an unjust draw (imo) it was still absolute redemption for Tommy also.

It’s a great thread question because in the process of trying to pick just the one fight from
the 1980s, the collective address is revealing and reminding us all about how great an era the 1980s were - at least imo.

Maybe we didn’t realise or couldn’t properly appreciate it at the time but we were spoilt, especially compared to nowadays.

 

For both thrilling and historically important i gotta go with Leonard/Hearns 1. It had everything you want in a exciting bout. Two prime great fighters, shifts in momentum, suprise change of tactics, come from behind, wisdom from the old trainer "your blowin it now son!)

In a legendary era of Welterweights it certified Leonard as the best Welterweight of the bunch.