I’m a big boxing fan, and here are some of the most memorable matches I’ve watched, from 1980-2009. (P.S. I don’t watch nearly as many fights since my father-in-law Frank Tricarico, a big boxing fan and an all around great man, passed away several years ago. We almost never missed a big fight and it’s just not the same without him. This blog post is dedicated to him.)
Mike Weaver vs. John Tate (1980) – This was one of the most shocking upset endings ever. People forget, but Big John Tate was seen as a legitimate challenge to Larry Holmes’ heavyweight supremacy, and he dominated this fight until Weaver suddenly ended it with a left hook that instantly rendered Tate unconscious. That’s what makes boxing so great and unlike any other sport (other than MMA but I prefer boxing for reasons that perhaps I’ll get into another time); no matter what’s happening it can end at any time.
Roberto Duran vs. Sugar Ray Leonard I (1980) – This was definitely Duran’s finest moment, as he outsmarted and outslugged Sugar Ray, but this was a case where a guy gained something in defeat too. Although he didn’t fight a smart fight and lost as a result, Sugar Ray showed that while he may have been a good looking “pretty boy” he also possessed the heart of a true warrior. And of course he won the rematch though that was tainted by Duran infamously quitting before he could be properly beaten.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns (1981) – People forget how intimidating Tommy Hearns was in the lead up to this fight. Hearns was like a welterweight Mike Tyson, he was just murdering people, and most people thought he would KO the “pretty boy” Leonard as well. But a funny thing happened, the so-called “boxer” (Leonard) became the slugger, and the so-called “puncher” (Hearns) boxed beautifully. Behind on points and with his left eye closing, Leonard would prove his greatness by dramatically coming back to stop Hearns in the 14th round. I miss the “championship rounds”…
Alexis Arguello vs. Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini (1981) – A classic case of a very good young brawler (Mancini) being schooled and then viciously taken out by a great, more experienced boxer-puncher (Arguello).
Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Arguello (1982) – Two of the all-time greats in a thrilling matchup. Going up in weight, Arguello’s haymakers would’ve knocked out almost anyone else, and Pryor was simply an electrifying dynamo who threw punches seemingly non-stop from all angles. Of course this bout is not without some controversy due to the “special mix” drink Panama Lewis made for Pryor, but I believe that Pryor at that weight was simply too much for Arguello, who put in a game and courageous effort before being stopped in the 14th round after being rendered defenseless by a flurry of heavy blows. After all, Pryor repeated the feat even more convincingly not long after; it’s a shame that his career got derailed by drugs soon after that, because we missed out on what could’ve been some great fights.
Wilfredo Gomez vs. Lupe Pintor (1982) – I remember this fight being an absolute war finally won by KO artist Gomez (in this case by TKO in the 14th round).
Bobby Chacon vs. Rafael Limon IV (1982) – These guys apparently had 4 fights, but this last one is the only one I saw, and though it was a long time ago I remember it being an absolute thriller, with Chacon winning a close decision. Chacon was like Arturo Gatti in that his fights were always action packed crowd pleasers (defense being optional!).
Bobby Chacon vs. Cornelius Boza Edwards II (1983) – Another terrific action packed fight won by Chacon against a very worthy adversary.
Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns (1985) – They call it simply “The War.” Highlighted by the greatest first round in boxing history, this fight lasted for only a brutal 8 minutes, but it was thrilling while it lasted, as Marvelous Marvin Hagler stamped himself as an all-time great with a devastating third round knockout of the Hitman.
Marvin Hagler vs. John Mugabi (1986) – The war that followed “The War.” John “The Beast” Mugabi was never the same after this brutal fight, which is also notable because Hagler showed enough vulnerability in this hard fought fight to convince Sugar Ray Leonard that he could beat him.
Mike Tyson vs. Trevor Berbick (1986) – The most exciting fighter I’ve ever seen was a young Mike Tyson. He was just so intimidating, he’d win most of his fights before they even started, you could see the fear in his opponents eyes. An incredible mix of strength, speed, and technique, before he fired his trainer Kevin Rooney and fell into all sorts of bad habits (in and out of the ring), Tyson was at his best on this night, when it took him a mere two rounds to make Berbick flail all over the ring, unable to stand up. Thus the youngest heavyweight champion of all-time was crowned, and the future seemed limitless.
Evander Holyfield vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi (1985) – This one is in the running for greatest cruiserweight title fight ever (along with James Toney vs. Vassiliy Jirov in 2003), and it was also one of the last great 15 round fights. Qawi was a tough SOB, like a mini Joe Frazier, but Evander was an all time great and he pulled out a tough decision here (p.s. he had no such problems in the rematch, blowing out Qawi in 4 rounds).
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler (1987) – This fight is very controversial but I do believe that Leonard legitimately won this fight. First of all, this wasn’t a typical title fight, they were both great champions and this was for far more than just Marvin’s belt (essentially the “fighter of the ’80s” title was on the line), so I don’t buy that as the champ Hagler deserved the benefit of the doubt. Leonard outsmarted and out-quicked Hagler, who for all his complaining about the verdict should look in the mirror because he fought a dumb fight, giving away the early rounds (too often fighting orthodox rather than southpaw) and letting Leonard (who was coming off a long layoff) get way too comfortable. I’ll admit the fight was close, but all the people bitching that Hagler got “robbed” should admit as much as well. Let’s remember that Leonard went up in weight to fight Hagler, something Hagler never did, so it bugs me how little respect he gets from Marvin’s fans and Marvin himself. Everyone thought Hagler would just walk right through him, but Leonard made him look slow and for all his fancy footwork (some would say “running”) he obviously posed enough of a threat and hit Hagler with enough good shots that that Hagler couldn’t walk through him.
Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks (1988) – Every fighter has their peak, and this fight, which unified the heavyweight title and lasted all of 91 seconds, was surely it for “The Baddest Man On The Planet.”
Roberto Duran vs. Iran Barkley (1989) – Man you just could not count out Roberto Duran, and this was one of his most satisfying late career wins along with his 1983 destruction of Davey Moore. This was a very close action packed fight, with a late knockdown by Duran likely being the deciding factor.
Buster Douglas vs. Mike Tyson (1990) – Buster Douglas was a very talented career underachiever who entered this fight as a 40-1 underdog against the seemingly invincible “Iron Mike” Tyson. Highly motivated by the recent death of his mother, and aided by Tyson’s life slowly but surely coming off the rails, Douglas pulled off the seemingly impossible by not only beating Tyson, but by beating the living crap out of him. I cannot even put into words how shocking it was watching this fight unfold, and when Tyson decked Douglas with a hellacious uppercut near the end of the 8th round, everybody assumed he would take over and end the fight soon afterwards. Instead, it was Douglas who pummeled Tyson in the 9th before ending it with a picture perfect combination in the 10th round. The sight of Mike Tyson on the floor, completely out of it trying to put his mouthpiece in as he’s counted out, has always struck me as being very tragic. In essence, it was the beginning of the end of what turned out to be an extremely disappointing career (at least when you think about his incredible talent level and what he could have achieved). But make no mistake about it, this was no fluke; the Buster Douglas of that unforgettable night was quite a handful.
Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor (1990) – This fight was both great and tragic. I’ll give Chavez credit for the stirring last round comeback and for the punishment he dealt to Taylor, who was never the same fighter afterwards. But I will always feel that this fight should not have been stopped with a mere 2 seconds left, and that Taylor should’ve at least has his moment on this night. The Medrick Taylor before (most notably vs. Buddy McGirt) and including this fight was one of the best boxers I’ve ever seen.
Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield (1992) – Many people forget how good Riddick Bowe was since his prime was so brief, and since he never fought Lennox Lewis as a pro, a fight that should’ve happened, but let’s not forget that he holds a 2-1 advantage over Holyfield. The first fight in their trilogy was the best, in particular the spectacular 10th round, but of course the second fight (a close contest won by Holyfield) was perhaps even more memorable, in large part due to “Fan Man.”
Michael Moorer vs. Bert Cooper (1992) – This was like a modern day George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle slugfest, with both men down and in seeming dire trouble multiple times before Moorer finally ended it with a beautiful uppercut combination in the 5th round.
Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez (1993) – Whitaker (Meldrick Taylor’s stablemate) was almost like a southpaw version of Floyd Mayweather, just a lightning fast defensive master. Like Mayweather, his fights were often boringly one-sided, and I guess you could say this fight was as well, but it was certainly memorable in the way he took Chavez to school in a masterful boxing performance, though unfortunately he was robbed of an outright victory when either incompetent or corrupt judges declared the fight a draw. To his discredit, Chavez never acknowledged the gift he was given.
George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer (1994) – Moorer dominated 45 year old George Forman for 9 rounds before (to quote Jim Lampley) “it happened!” The punch didn’t even look like that much, but that’s how incredible Foreman’s power was. KO 10.
Frankie Randall vs. Julio Cesar Chavez (1994) – No questionable stoppages or bogus decisions this time, as Frankie Randall pulled off the improbable upset, even dropping Chavez in the 11th round.
Nigel Benn vs. Gerald McLellan (1995) – I had to debate whether to put this one on here, given its tragic aftermath. But while it lasted this was a tremendous fight, with Benn showing incredible heart in pulling off the upset win. Alas, exultation would soon turn to sorrow as McLellan suffered brain damage from this bout. Much as I am a fan, boxing is a brutal sport, there’s no way to sugarcoat it.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson I (1996) – It really did seem like Tyson was back for a bit there, at the start of his post-jail comeback, but Holyfield put an end to that and secured his own legend with this stirring TKO 10 victory.
Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson II (1997) – Of course, the rematch may be the most unforgettable fight on this list, as Tyson, realizing he was going to lose again and incensed by what he felt were repeated head butts by Holyfield, was disqualified by biting part of Holyfield’s ear off in the middle of the ring! Truly one of the most bizarre, surreal things I’ve ever witnessed on live TV, and his interview with Jim Gray afterwards was also memorable.
Prince Naseem Hamed vs. Kevin Kelley (1997) – I’ll let boxing announcer Larry Merchant describe this one: “What we just saw was the Hagler-Hearns of featherweight fighting.”
Felix Trinidad vs. Oscar De La Hoya (1999) – I saw a lot of De La Hoya’s bouts and they often left me disappointed. Sure, there was some good fights, like the first Shane Mosley fight (which he clearly lost, but honorably so), the Ike Quartey fight (which he debatably won), and the Fernando Vargas fight (possibly his finest moment), but too often they were competitive but lacked consistent excitement. I felt that he was too tactical a fighter who too often didn’t let his hands go like he should have. Ironically, the best I’ve ever seen him may have been against Felix Trinidad in this highly hyped fight, at least for the first 8 or so rounds. Oscar boxed masterfully, totally dominating the first two thirds of the fight. (Trinidad was a very good fighter but one who could only fight one way, going forward. When matched against good boxers who could move, he had trouble and he really had no plan B.) Then, inexplicably, he slowed down and started running, all but giving away the last few rounds. Now, I’m no mathematician but I don’t see how anyone could’ve legitimately thought Trinidad won this fight (I believe I had De La Hoya winning 7 out of the first 8 rounds), but De La Hoya’s foolish strategy left many feeling that he got what he deserved.
Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera I (2000) – These guys fought a memorable trilogy, with the first and third fights being especially memorable (the second fight was also pretty good but much more technical). I believe Barrera should’ve gotten the verdict in all three fights (with the possible exception being the second one), which somewhat mars the first one since the decision went to the wrong guy. But that shouldn’t diminish what was a thrilling fight, as these guys fought with incredible skill and ferocity throughout. Round 5 in particular is a great example of the back and forth nature of this bout.
Shane Mosley vs. Oscar De La Hoya I (2000) – This was an exciting, highly competitive fight by two talented boxers in their prime. Mosley won a deserved decision. (p.s. he also won the rematch but like most people I feel that De La Hoya deserved the nod in that one.)
Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas (2000) – Vargas was a little like Amir Khan in that he was a talented fighter who had some good wins, but he typically came up short (and got knocked out) when facing elite competition. This one looked like it would be over in round one, so Vargas is certainly due credit for coming back (which is why this fight makes this list!) before “Tito” finally took him out for good in the 12th and final round.
Bernard Hopkins vs. Felix Trinidad (2001) – Hopkins wasn’t the most exciting fighter, but he was an incredibly crafty (and at times dirty) boxer who had a knack for making you fight his fight. Aside from his last fight (when he was almost 50 years old!) I don’t recall ever seeing the guy hurt, he was a true defensive master. This was arguably his greatest victory, the fight where we realized Hopkins was an all-time great and that maybe Trinidad wasn’t quite as great as advertised (though in Felix’s defense he was going up in weight here).
Marco Antonio Barrera vs. “Prince” Naseem Hamed (2001) – Hamed had legit Tommy Hearns like power for his weight class, but Barrera exposed his technical limitations and made him look like an amateur while roughing him up throughout 12 masterful rounds. Having been memorably exposed and humbled, the previously cocky Hamed essentially disappeared after this fight.
Mickey Ward vs. Arturo Gatti I (2002) – All three of their fights, two won by Gatti, were really good, but it’s the first one, won by Ward, that’s the all-time classic. Round 9 in particular was one for the ages, and round 5 was an all timer as well. Even now you can’t think of one of these fighters without immediately thinking of the other one. (P.S. I could’ve included several other Gatti fights on this list, like Gatti vs. Wilson Rodriguez, Gatti vs. Gabriel Ruelas, or Gatti vs. Ivan Robinson I.)
James Toney vs. Vassiliy Jirov (2003) – Boxing is not necessarily the same as fighting, and a perfect example of a boxer is James Toney. He’s not the biggest, strongest, or fastest, but he was incredibly sound technically and possessed a masterful defense. I don’t remember too many specific details about this one except that it was very exciting, and that Toney came on late to pull it out, almost stopping Jirov in the process.
Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitchko (2003) – This was a brutal bout. Klitchko built a lead with many punishing blows but Lewis showed his class by hanging in there and busting up Klitchko’s face, thereby earning him the TKO win after round 6. This was one of those fights where the stock of both men increased, as Klitchko showed what a beast he could be, and Lewis showed the heart of a champion.
Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I (2005) – Everyone remembers the amazing 10th round, but this fight was an all-time contender even before that round, as rounds 1-9 were consistently brutal and action packed. But round 10 is what makes this a serious contender for the best fight of all time. Castillo (who I believe should’ve gotten the verdict against Floyd Mayweather in their first fight) knocked Corrales down twice, before Corrales improbably (impossibly is more like it!) comes back to stop him. The only blemish here, and it’s not insignificant, is how Corrales twice spit out his mouthpiece in order to buy himself some recovery time.
Miguel Cotto vs. Ricardo Torres (2005) – This was a back and forth war during which both men were in serious trouble, with Cotto ultimately winning via KO in round 7.
Manny Pacquaio vs. Erik Morales I (2005) – I don’t remember this one all that well beyond that it was a close fight with a lot of action and that Morales deservingly won a close decision. I do remember that in the last round rather than just survive Morales showed his fighting heart by slugging away, even though he was probably ahead. He was overwhelmed by an ever-improving Pac Man in the two subsequent rematches, but this was probably Morales’ finest night.
Israel Vasquez vs. Rafael Marquez III (2008) – These guys split four exciting action packed fights but I’ll give the nod to the third one, which is the only one that went the distance, won by Vasquez who came on late to clinch it. Like Gatti-Ward or Barrera-Morales these guys were made for one another.
Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz I (2009) – I’ve never been a big fan of Marquez because he’s always whining about getting robbed (whether or not you think he beat Pacquiao in any of the first three fights, you should be able to admit that they were damn close), but that doesn’t take away from how much I admire him as a boxer. He is a master at his craft, and he taught the promising young “Baby Bull” a thing or two about boxing in this exciting back and forth fight, which ended with Diaz on his back in round 9 courtesy of a perfect right uppercut.
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