Ooh, now we’re talking! This is a tougher one but for me personally, it has to be Trinidad-Vargas. That’s one of my top 10 favourite fights ever (objectively speaking it’s probably not one of the top 10 greatest fights ever but just on my own personal list). But Marquez-Diaz 1 was a brilliant, brilliant fight that is everything I like about boxing. High quality and high octane action combined.
Both great bur Marquez vs Diaz 1 is the better fight. I have Marquez vs Diaz 1 at 18 all time and Tito vs Vargas at 35.
Trinidad vs Vargas had more momentum swings, and I think the knockdowns added to the drama a bit more. So I give the edge to Trinidad vs Vargas. The year 2000 had so many great fights.
I attended Marquez-Diaz I, and it’s probably the second best fight I attended. But my favorite fight of all-time is Tito-Vargas, which I also consider to be the better overall fight too. It was memorable.
I just watched the Marquez v Diaz fight. It is interesting to me that Marquez had no legs in the fight. You can see it early in the fight how Marquez pokes with his jab and right hand. You can see it in the way he goes back to the corner at the end of the 3rd round, or how he wobbles coming out of a clinch about 45 seconds into the 5th round. He had to make Diaz come to him, so he could hit him with good shots. When you go to a guy with punches you have to push off the right foot and that doesn't work with dead legs.
I wouldn't mind if you made a thread of your all-time favorite fights. I'm certain it would garner a lot of views and debate like lists usually do.
I think I'm in the minority with Marquez vs Diaz I. Personally, I absolutely love that fight. I could easily hear an argument for it being the second best fight of the 2000s after Morales-Barrera I. I've rewatched that one dozens of times, whereas I've only gone back and rewatched Tito vs Vargas once. It was a great fight, but I much prefer the higher pace and action of Marquez-Diaz I. Although, I do always prefer fights with clean punching in abundance over the ones where someone's on the floor every other minute. The best fights usually have both, though tbf.
I feel like his fight with Tito was so violent that Vargas was never the same. His chin was somewhat glass after that, which is understandable when you're knocked down five times in one fight.
I lean to Trinidad vs Vargas, both fighters were undefeated ( If I remember right, over 20yrs ago) Vargas was seen as a future Atg , and Trinidad was already considered great at welterweight. Heck of a fight between the two.
It was an undeniably brilliant fight, George. I chose Tito-Vargas for the same reason you chose Marquez-Diaz - I’ve rewatched it loads so it became a favourite for that reason.
For me that's what makes the fight better aswell, Diaz had already lost to Campbell in quite a disappointing loss, where people questioned Diaz's heart after not dealing with the cut well. Then getting a gift decision over Malignaggi and losing the return fight. Like you said Trinidad vs Vargas was a huge fight between two undefeated stars, it also as i said featured more drama and momentum swings. So while i love Marquez vs Diaz 1 for me it's quite clearly Trinidad vs Vargas.
