Spirited efforts while losing their title

Bowe v Holy 2 is another good example. Bowe fought his heart out, through the anguish of watching his pregnant wife being carried from the arena and gave arguably the best ever heavyweight version of Evander Holyfield hell.

Speaking of Bowe, he may have won but Golota beat him up in both fights. They were losses in all but name but you couldn't fault the heart he showed in the second fight.

 

Wilder was the challenger.

 

That last punch that put Braddock down and out for Louis, unbelievable.
Took his shots like an hero.
Seem to remember they had to throw a bucket of water over him to revive him.

 

Marvin Johnson against Saad Muhammad?

 

Ioka losing his title to Martinez was glorious if tragic. Kazuto was going out fighting.

 

Picture Boza, Chacon, Navarrete and Limon. There's bound to be some incredibly spirited title losing efforts in that lot vs each other.

 

Dennis Andries vs Thomas Hearns. Dennis kept getting up and was stopped by ref when he wobbled on the way to the corner.

 

All four had balls.

 

Felix Trinidad vs Bernard Hopkins. Some fans resented Tito a bit at this time so he didn't get credit for the heart he showed against Hopkins.
Tito was getting picked apart by Hopkins for the fist 9 rounds. It was precise, pinpoint boxing by Hopkins. Despite Tito's dad telling him he was winning, a fighter knows when he is getting beat.
Before the 10th round Felix Trinidad let the leather fly for 3 full minutes. It was a barn burner of a round. Hopkins was still as cool as the other side of the pillow, countering crispy, Trinidad did land some heavy shots.
Bernard essentially ends the fight with an uppercut at the bell. Tito wobbled through the 11th gets stopped in 12. I respect that effort from Trinidad because he could have played it safe and went the distance if he hadn't gone balls to the wall to knockout Hopkins.
To me that is how a champion should go out.

 

Tyson-Douglas

 

Sanders lost his WBU belt here

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Dennis Andries vs Jeff Harding

 

Barry McGuigan v Stevie Cruz

I don't know where the exhausted McGuigan found that last reserve in the tank to win the 13th and 14th rounds in his title-losing bout with Cruz. But he went out like a champ.

 

Robert Quiroga against Julio Cesar Borboa. Very admirable performance from Quiroga in a fight where he lost his title against a very game and talented fighter in Borboa.