What was your favourite ever "will over skill" fight?

Benn vs Gerald..

 

Totally disagree with that, duran was super skilled in that fight, controlled aggression, lovely defence, hand speed and combos, he won the fight through skill IMO

 

Duran-Leonard 1 doesn't count. Duran was incredibly skilled.

Not sure if Hagler-Hearns counts either. Hagler was a very versatile, skilled guy, and it showed against Tommy.

 

oscar - tito, hatton-tszyu and hagler - hearns arent good examples of "will over skill" .

hatton and tszyu are both limited fighters who have a strong willpower.

hearns fought a dumb fight against a hard rock who could go to the well in a slugfest better than he could and he (hagler) knew it.

and oscar - tito was more about a more technically gifted fighter gassing in the later rounds which helped gift tito a decision.

thats my take on it anyway.

 

Glenn Johnson - Roy Jones Jr

 

Marciano-Walcott 1

 

i didnt see a lot of skill exhibited in this one... it was a slugfest from the first bell to the saddest of all endings... incredible display of will by both men

 

nice one

 

I wouldn't call Tszyu a limited fighter. He was a pretty skilled boxer.

 

i dont agree.

for me he was a range finder and a head hunter.

guys with a lot of power (like tszyu had) usually don't adapt very well and can become one-dimensional.


tszyu was crafty and used angles subtely, but i don't think he was a skilled boxer

 

Man, there are so many, but what comes to mind is Toney-Nunn. Toney was being totally outboxed/outclassed, but he lulled Nunn to sleep and then Boom! Duran over Leonard in their first fight. Basilio over Robinson. The list goes on and on.

 

I can't ride with this one. I'm more into thinking of prime fighters...

 

Dont you think thats a slight contradiction??

Tszyu had skills, to lump him in the same boat as Hatton is a travesty. Ricky is a good fighter but very little skill goes into what he does, he is just talented and very strong for a 140 pounder.

Kostya fell in love with his power a bit but at heart he was a well schooled boxer. Olympians and former amatuer world champs usually are.

 

tyons douglas is a good one
and so is glenn johnson rjj...hell any fight with glenncoffe is a will over skill he is the will over skill king

 

Tszyu fought once a year from 02 to 05 and was 36 when he showed up. No substance for me but I like Hatton.

Arguello/Pryor I and Hagler/Hearns.