Heavyweight Boxing
Boxing, one of the most watched sports in the world, is often referred to as "sweet science," due to the fact that boxers utilize strategic thinking and technical skills rather than just raw power. However, brilliant strategies alone do not define the best fights in boxing. All the elements that make boxing so thrilling are needed to make a remarkable fight.
Boxing indeed has a rich history of thrilling bouts, incredible knockouts, and legendary moments. We've had the good fortune of seeing several of boxing's all-time greats, such as Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, and even hybrid boxers like Floyd Mayweather. They have all delivered several remarkable boxing contests, but some of these great fights stand out more than others.
The good news, we've come up with a list of these thrilling encounters. Is it passion, talent, skill, grit, heat, or chills you want? Everything you're looking for is right here! Alongside Evelyn Balyton, a top tipster at mightytips.ph and an expert in the sports betting world, we've come up with this list of the top 10 fights ever in the boxing world. Spoiler Alert! Heavyweight bouts dominate this list.
From the evergreen-status of Muhammad Ali with his quick footwork who weakened opponents in matches by dodging their punches to Mike Tyson’s body shots and fierce hooks, to the brutal, long and entertaining performances displayed by contemporary boxing big names such as Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, here are the 10 greatest boxing fights of all-time.
In front of a sold-out and celebrity-studded audience of over 16,000 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on a Saturday night, Mayweather delivered a classic performance, using his customary methodical defend-and-counter plan, defeating Manny in a spectacular exhibition to win by unanimous decision in one of the most monumental bouts in boxing history. Mayweather made it difficult for Pacquiao to hit his combinations often. He scored 81 power punches while Pac-Man only managed 63.
This match was one of the most anticipated in boxing's history. Many viewers claimed they didn’t get their money’s worth because it was not as intense as they had expected. The fight grossed around 600 million dollars making it one the richest boxing matches of all time. Pac-man made $125 million and Mayweather a staggering $240 million from the match. Pacquiao remarked afterward: “It was a good fight. I thought I won the fight.” Um…well, he obviously didn’t.
On this fateful night, Juan Manuel Marquez knocked Manny out cold for a full two minutes. It was indeed the best knockdown of 2012. Despite having three great bouts against one other, Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao were unable to emerge outstandingly victorious. While Manny had a 2-0-1 record in their all-time series (including victories by a split verdict and majority decision), each of their prior three fights ended controversially, with Marquez vehemently disputing the rulings in fights.
Pacquiao and Marquez produced the finest fight of their historic trilogy. The match ended with a decisive knockout punch from Marquez as the clock ticked down to the last second of the sixth round. HBO broadcaster Jim Lampley exclaimed: “A sensational right-hand knockout by a bloodied Juan Manuel Marquez! And that is the keystone moment of his career!” Their rivalry was indeed intense and worthy of the hype because whenever they faced off, one hardly dominated.
This bout dubbed "once and for all" took place at the Atlantic City Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. It was the most lucrative fights in boxing history at the time, earning a total of almost $70 million. Tyson took home a record-breaking $20 million, while Spinks got $13.5 million. Before it began, Butch Lewis, Spinks' manager, tried to delay the bout by saying Tyson's hands needed to be re-wrapped, but this mental exercise failed. The fight lasted a mere 91 seconds.
Disoriented and frightened, Spinks attempted to earn Tyson's respect early on rather than his typical tactic—using his jab to break his opponent's rhythm. It was a gross mistake. Spinks was swiftly knocked down by a barrage of concussive shots from Tyson. He recovered but Tyson wasted no time with a quick right hand that sent Spinks tumbling backwards for the count.
In one of the most exciting boxing rematches ever, Gene Tunney emerged victorious. The officiating stunned thousands of spectators, even though Dempsey seemed the clear winner of the bout after dropping Tunney. The fight is often referred to as "Long Count" because Dempsey did not immediately enter a neutral corner after a knockdown in the seventh round, which caused the referee to delay the count.
It is still debatable if this "long count" had any impact on the result. Jack Dempsey held the title from 1922 until 1926 recording 54 victories, 6 defeats, and 8 ties in 68 matches. With 68 bouts, 65 victories, a loss and a tie, Gene Tunney held the title from 1926 until 1928. Both were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990.
Half a century ago, heavyweight champion George Foreman faced off against Muhammad Ali in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the match ended with Ali clinching the heavyweight championship. The first round had the two heavyweights battling with a rather light touch. As the fight proceeded, Foreman unleashed a barrage of body shots on his opponent. In the first minute of round eight, Ali landed six stinging shots on Foreman. All of a sudden in the eighth round, Ali started punching harder and faster and landed a fierce, brutal and final right hand to Foreman’s chin knocking him out.
In a recent interview Foreman reminisced: “I have nothing but fond memories, but at the time, I was devastated at the defeat. I was 25 years old. I went into that fight undefeated in 40 fights, and I believed no one was capable of beating me. I felt invincible. I thought I was going to knock Muhammad Ali out in two rounds.” Oh, how wrong was he! Muhammad Ali was indeed worthy of his moniker: “The Greatest.” His other nicknames include:
This monumental showdown in Quezon City was the third and last fight in their incredible trilogy. In the first several rounds, Ali was the dominant fighter landing a number of strong right-hand punches. However, Ali seemed to be in deep danger as Frazier took control in the tenth. Ali changed tactics in the eleventh round, throwing strong combinations while avoiding the ropes. By the thirteenth and fourteenth rounds, the battle had taken a sharp turn as Frazier started taking more punishment.
Eddie Futch, Frazier's trainer, then stopped the fight. This was a tough choice after the devastating fourteenth round: “Sit down, son. It's over. The impact of your efforts will be remembered forever.” Frazier reluctantly threw in the towel. He could hardly see Ali's shots coming since his eyes were virtually swollen shut. Through technical knockout (TKO), Muhammad Ali was able to maintain his heavyweight championship. According to Ali in a post-fight interview statement: “It was like death, the closest thing to dying that I know of."
Professional boxing emerged from the criminal underworld and became a legitimate form of popular entertainment with the Sullivan-Corbett bout in 1892. John L. Sullivan achieved legendary status during his lifetime. After winning the Heavyweight Championship in 1882, he held it for a decade. However the new era of boxing was embodied by Jim Corbett. He had trained with an instructor rather than picking up his skills on the street.
Sullivan’s fighting style was depicted by sports journalists as that of a hostile drunk. Corbett was described as one who boxed like a gentleman. The bout between Sullivan and Corbett was quite memorable. Corbett, who weighed a svelte 178 pounds had no problem evading Sullivan's relentless attacks. In Round 21, Sullivan was knocked out by a straight right hand from Corbett.
Jack Johnson, sometimes known as the "Galveston Giant," is widely considered to be the greatest heavyweight of his time. He became the first black heavyweight champion of the world from 1908 to 1916. The face off between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries was politically and racially motivated.
After much pressure, James J. Jeffries, a retired heavyweight champion, declared, “I am going into this fight for the sole purpose of proving that a white man is better than a Negro.” His return to the ring did not end well. In the fifteenth round of the match, Jeffries was knocked down twice for the first time in his career. In an effort to stop Johnson from knocking him out the third time, his team decided to stop fighting. In 1954, Johnson was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame.
In their first bout in 1936, Schmeling handed Louis the first defeat of his career after he suffered a crushing knockout loss. In Schmeling's words, “Louis' one weakness matched perfectly my greatest strength, the one with which I had made my career…Louis and I were, so to say, made for each other.”
An audience of 70,000 witnessed the rematch between Louis and Schmeling at Yankee Stadium. The second battle was over in no time. In the first round, Louis knocked out Schmeling with a vicious attack. The head of the New York Boxing Commission (NYBC) paid a medical visit to the German to find out whether he faked his injuries. That wasn't the case. Americans rejoiced in Louis' triumph. As a black man, the win characterized a sense of personal and racial salvation for Louis.
Frazier, who is notoriously slow to get going, stunned Ali in the first round with a series of huge shots that set the stage for the rest of the fight. Despite Ali's apparent retreat to the ropes, a resolute Frazier persisted in relentlessly pushed forward. Frazier dominated most of the 15 rounds. Ali was seriously stunned in the 11th by Frazier's relentless attack. Ali was dropped in the 15th, but he quickly got back up and survived the round.
Frazier would have easily knocked out the majority of fighters that night, but Ali managed to endure several devastating blows from Smokin' Joe, the clear winner of the fight. The fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier wasn't just the fight of the year, it has since been dubbed the fight of the century. Many consider it as the most iconic boxing match in history.
To select the ten greatest fights of all time is quite different from choosing the most memorable bouts, however, we have managed to narrow down ten of the most unforgettable and biggest boxing matches we've ever seen. These boxers were iconic and representatives of their time—and of boxing as a sport. The anticipation, cultural impact, and legendary resonance of these iconic boxing matches are unparalleled by any other boxing event in the sport's history.
Top Heavyweight Boxing covers the past, present and future of boxing's premier division. Copyright© 2024
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