Real fights that turned out different than most would have guessed if they were fantasy fights

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, Aug 3, 2019.


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  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Strange title, but allow me if you will:

    I’m talking about fights that actually happened, but if they hadn’t happened most of us would have had going differently if they hadn’t happened but we looked at them in retrospect as fantasy fights.

    Like Alexis Arguello-Ray Mancini was WAY more competitive than I think most of us ‘experts’ would have guessed if their entire resumes were the same other than changing it so they didn’t actually fight.

    Same for Arguello-Jose Luis Ramirez, a split decision in AA’s favor where he got knocked down.

    Had Salvador Sanchez and Wilfredo Gomez never met, there’s a decent chance some would pick Bazooka and probably no one would have figured Sal to jump all over him from the start, bully him and rough him up (although people forget Wilfredo survived the early storm and did some good work after that before Sanchez regained control and finished it).

    BTW, I’m not talking about fights where a younger, more prime guy beat an older, way-past-prime fighter like Louis-Marciano or Holmes-Ali.

    But who would have had Jimmy Young knocking down and beating George Foreman? Or old George taking out Michael Moorer?

    Who among you has the great Willie Pep being completely dominated in three of four fights in his series with Sandy Saddler?

    So what say you — which results can you point to and say ‘No way we would have expected it to go that way if we didn’t know that it actually did?’
     
    Saintpat, Aug 3, 2019
    Saintpat, Aug 3, 2019
    #1
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  2. roughdiamond

    roughdiamond Ridin' the rails... Full Member

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    Probably Duran vs Leonard.

    Moore vs Charles would also be hotly debated.
     
    roughdiamond, Aug 3, 2019
    roughdiamond, Aug 3, 2019
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  3. JWSoats

    JWSoats Active Member Full Member

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    Ali vs Norton

    I don't believe many people would have figured Norton to have much chance, let alone defeat Ali and give him all he could handle in a closely fought trilogy.
     
    JWSoats, Aug 4, 2019
    JWSoats, Aug 4, 2019
    #3
  4. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Tyson v Holyfield .
    If they had never crossed paths ,say for example Holyfield had retire with his "Heart Defect " and never boxed again .
    Then Tyson came out of jail , beat Bruno and Seldon , and then probably a lot earlier , faced Lewis .
    Now how would people have seen a Tyson v Holyfield match ?
    Even if Lewis had still ripped his head off ,I don't see many coming to the conclusion that Holyfield stops Tyson in a , basically one sided beating !
     
    Fergy, Aug 4, 2019
    Fergy, Aug 4, 2019
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  5. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Love it - great thread idea. And very true.
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
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  6. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    As much as I love Duran, he can barely lose a round in most fantasy matchups at lightweight.

    I still think Arguello gives him all he can handle at 135, not to mention plenty of other terrific lightweights who weren't as great as Duran in terms of achievement or consistency at the weight.
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    #6
  7. The Undefeated Lachbuster

    The Undefeated Lachbuster On the Italian agenda Full Member

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    Graziano vs Robinson

    Many on here underrate Graziano and Graziano, to boot, was past his best. Nobody would bet on Rocky knocking Robinson down and making it a competitive brawl
     
    The Undefeated Lachbuster, Aug 4, 2019
    The Undefeated Lachbuster, Aug 4, 2019
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  8. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    SRR at welterweight. I can't envisage him losing to any other fighter at 147 but surely there must be one fighter who could have beaten him!
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
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  9. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    **** - just realised you were talking about fights that actually happened @Saintpat!
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
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  10. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    SRR KO5 Gene Fullmer - everyone would pick Robinson to win but a one punch kayo going backwards against a guy who was never knocked down before or since - probably no-one would have picked that ending.
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
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  11. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Michael Nunn KO1 Sambu Kalambay

    A close points decision either way was the likely outcome.
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    #11
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  12. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Randolph Turpin W15 SRR

    In fantasy fights it's the best version of each fighter that turns up. In reality, sometimes fighters come in underprepared or lacking focus. Even the greatest are beatable in a one-off scenario.
     
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
    Jel, Aug 4, 2019
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  13. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Lost track of this thread.

    Thought I’d give it a bump and see if anyone else wants to play.

    I’ll add Foreman-Lyle to the discussion: some might expect a few fireworks but even those would probably have Big George walking through Lyle without it going life and death.

    And likewise it’s fair to predict Barrera decisioning Hamed, who would have ever come up with a fantasy matchup outcome that would have him putting on a boxing clinic had we not seen it for ourselves?
     
    Saintpat, Aug 7, 2019
    Saintpat, Aug 7, 2019
    #13
  14. Jackstraw

    Jackstraw Mercy for me, justice for thee! Full Member

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    Calzaghe vs Lacy comes to mind; a hulking, black American Olympian, with a sick nickname and gawdy KO percentage vs a protected, never-even-fought-outside-of-Europe, skinny white “WBO” “champ”?
    Also, Jones vs Tarver 2. The first fight was close and competitive but I thought Jones was the clear winner by a couple of rounds at least. Jones had to cut a lot of muscle for that fight and Tarver was supposed to be a hungry lion looking to finally get his due by dethroning Jones. If Tarver couldn’t beat Roy in their first fight when he had all of the advantages, then he definitely couldn’t beat Roy in the rematch with Jones having had more time to acclimate back to 175. IMHO, Roy getting ethered by one punch in the rematch was just about as shocking as Tyson being systematically beaten down and KTFO by Douglas.
     
    Jackstraw, Aug 7, 2019
    Jackstraw, Aug 7, 2019
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  15. Rope-a-Dope

    Rope-a-Dope Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I don't think anybody would have predicted anything even vaguely similar to the results of either Ali vs. Liston fight.
     
    Rope-a-Dope, Aug 7, 2019
    Rope-a-Dope, Aug 7, 2019
    #15
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