20 Favorite Fights of My Time!

NiGe201120y ago

I was sitting down the other day thinking about some of the fights that I have seen since I started watching boxing. And I wondered to myself what were my very favorites? Well, I thought it through and I came up with the top twenty. These are fights that I saw as they happened, thus being of my time. And not all were really "great fights" per say, but they all at least had some nostolgia of some sort that put them over the top in comparison to others I had seen. (#20) Daniel Edouard KO4 Willie Gibbs, 08-27-04 I turned on ESPN's Friday Night Fights not really expecting anything special but was treated to a knockdown filled back and forth bout between a couple of middleweights who made the most of their limited chances to be on TV. I went from thinking Gibbs was going to close the show early to wondering when Edouard would be fighting again. Nothing better in boxing when you are suprised by a couple of unheralded fighters who put on a great show. (#19) Hasim Rahman KO5 Lennox Lewis, 04-22-01 When I was on April break in highschool in North Carolina I saw that Lewis was defending his title and convinced my old man to find a sports bar that would let a 17 year old in so he could see the fight. I was glad he did because I got to see Hasim Rahman absolutely suprise me and leave me wondering who this 'Rock' guy was, and how exactly he became champion of the world. This was one that I did not see coming from a mile away, at that point all my young heavyweight interest was still waiting for Lewis to take on Tyson. But on this night in South Africa it was Rahman that put on the real show. (#18) Diego Corrales KO7 Roberto Garcia, 10-23-99 By this time Corrales had already earned me as a huge fan with his action packed fights on ESPN. On the undercard of Mike Tyson and Orlin Norris it was Chico that I was tuning in to see as he was challenging for the IBF title. I kept telling my father, who was watching the Showtime card with me, that Diego's power was going to catch Garcia sooner or later. And in the seventh round he proved me to be correct. I was very proud to call this guy my favorite fighter. (#17) Jorge Arce KO10 Hussein Hussein, 03-19-05 This was the first time I had ever been to a fight card in person and I was not too sure what to expect from the undercard. But Arce and Hussein practically stole the show away in front of thousands of screaming fans in the MGM Grand. Back and forth action, a brutal cut, and finally an abrupt KO, you can not ask for too much more from a couple of fighters. (#16) Zab Judah KO9 Cory Spinks, 02-05-05 I was starting to get real sick of having to defend Judah to all of my friends. I had been hearing it ever since the Kostya Tzsyu fight and I had been frustrated after I thought that Zab might have even won Spinks/Judah I. But Zab proved that he was more then just wasted talent, he proved he also had the determination needed to be a champion. Zab went into Spinks' hometown, on short money, and in front of an arena of hostile fans he took the titles from Spinks and cemented his position atop the division. I was not suprised so much as very relieved. But it felt great to see Judah finally get to the top of the division. (#15) Felix Trinidad KO8 Ricardo Mayorga, 10-02,04 Maybe it was the fact that Tito had been out of action for so long. Maybe it was Mayorga's pink hair or crazy in-ring antics, or maybe it was just the screaming fans of MSG. But something made this fight seem alot more exciting then the somewhat one-sided pounding may actually should have been. One of the first PPV's that I got my college buddies to watch and after the first round they said "That was the craziest thing that I have ever seen", while I may not have agreed with them to that extent, Tito's comeback trail certainly started off with one heck of a fun night. (#14) Marco Antonio Barrera UD12 Erik Morales, 06-22-02 After the first fight these two put on, my expectations were really high. After the fight I was convinced that Morales had one, my friend was convinced Barrera had won. But we both agreed while not the equal of the original, both guys had managed to put on another classic. This fight was close, had some moments of boxing strategy and some of pure punching action that was similar to their first encounter. And in retrospect if the decision had gone Erik's way we might not have gotten to see them fight a third time. (#13) Joel Casamayor KO6 Diego Corrales, 10-04-02 This fight had to have something really good going for it if I was going to enjoy it because Diego lost and still it cracks the top fifteen. Fact is that it was Chico's first big fight since he had gotten out of the pen, both guys hit the canvas, there was a nasty cut, and it left me really excited for them to do it again. I had always respected Casamayor and thought he had beaten Freitas, but I did not realize he would have the power to drop Diego like he did. This was a great little scrap. (#12) Lennox Lewis KO8 Mike Tyson, 06-08-2002 I was one of those stupid Tyson fans who had been practically begging for this fight for a couple years. But the fight was going off on the day that I was graduating high-school so I was going to be out all night and would miss the fight. As a graduation present my parents taped the PPV for me and I would not let anybody discuss the fight that night. The next afternoon when I rolled out of bed I turned on the tape and my hopes were quickly stunted by Lewis. But the pure crackle, anticipiation, and excitment for that fight were some of the most electrified moments I have experienced as a fight fan. (#11) Naseem Hamed KO4 Kevin Kelley, 12-19-97 Saw this fight on HBO during Christmas break and it almost single handidly got me hooked on boxing. I did not have too much in the way of expectations going into it, but after it was over I demanded to know more about the sport and this fighter that they called 'The Prince'. It would be called the Hearns/Hagler of featherweights, but for me at that time it was just that really cool boxing match between the two little guys on HBO. It will always have a special place reserved in my memory. IT HAS TURNED OUT THAT THIS POST IS TOO LONG SO THE REST IS IN THIS NEXT POST BELOW!

Comments (5)

sisforshaq

Tito and Mayorga must have been completely off the hook! I remember watching on TV and just thinking-- wow that crowd is really intense. And getting to see it in one of the original meccas of boxing, MSG? Forgeddaboutit! Yeah it was nuts, after the fight all of the Puerto Ricans started figthing the Nicarauguans in the stands and yelling Tito for like 30 minutes after the fight ended. Plus Fat Joe performed in the ring

20y ago

Konstantin

Great list. I have to say Corrales Castillo is the greatest war I have ever seen live and god damn was the 10th round exciting. To top it off the fighter i was rooting for won.

20y ago

NiGe2011

all good fights I really liked the Tito Mayorga since I went Tito and Mayorga must have been completely off the hook! I remember watching on TV and just thinking-- wow that crowd is really intense. And getting to see it in one of the original meccas of boxing, MSG? Forgeddaboutit!

20y ago

sisforshaq

all good fights I really liked the Tito Mayorga since I went

20y ago

NiGe2011

HERE IS THE REST, THE EVER IMPORTANT TOP TEN! (#10) Marco Antonio Barrera MD12 Erik Morales, 11-27-04 Like many I wondered going into this how much these two fighters would still have in the tank. I also thought like many that it would be Morales who had just a little more. But the suprise was that Barrera had what it took on this night and that both guys had enough to put on a great show for all boxing fans. With expectations so high it is amazing that this fight could live up to them, but I should have known better then to doubt the passion of Barrera and Morales. Anytime these two get in the ring with one another you are going to see an all-time great show. (#9) Scott Pemberton SD12 Omar Sheika, 07-25-03 While it may have been 'the Sandman' Scott Pemberton who pulled out the razor thin decision in this suprise classic, it was the Palestinian fighter from Patterson, NJ who earned me as a fan that night. Another one of those fights where I went in with practically zero in the way of expectations but came out with tons upon tons more then I had bargained for. Sheika would come up short again in the rematch but he was involved in two wars, and he should be proud because this first fight has earned a place in my exclusive top ten. (#8) Diego Corrales KO10 Acelino Freitas, 08-07-05 I had talked alot of trash headed into this battle of these two lightweight sluggers and Diego did what he needed in order to back my talk up! When Diego kept falling further and further behind on the cards I was becoming more and more frustrated. It only made the breath taking come from behind KO all the more exciting for me. While my friends and father scratched their head in response to my hollering and fist pumping, I could not stop thinking about what a great show my favorite of favorite fighters had just put on. (#7) Mickey Ward MD10 Arturo Gatti, 05-18-02 I had always liked the often seen on ESPN Mickey Ward and his blistering left hook to the body. And in Gatti he was facing the ultimate of boxing villians in my eyes. I was expecting Gatti to just roll over the aging Irishman, but it would seem Ward had other plans. Mickey bit down on his mouth guard and proved to be one half of the most brutal battles in my lifetime. And to make matters even better it was a under appreciated journeyman defeating the odds and a fighter who I constantly rooted against. Despite my problems with Gatti and questions about both fighters overall skill, neither man has anything to be ashamed of in this effort. For at least one night both were the kings of the boxing universe. (#6) Felix Trinidad MD12 Oscar De La Hoya, 09-18-99 I was still pretty young as a boxing fan and this was my first mega-boxing PPV that I had seen. The fight may not have been the all out punch-fest that I had hoped for, but these two undefeated superstars did put on a close and spirited fight that I did not regret buying. After this effort and contreversial decision I officially came to turn with spending almost fifty dollars to see a fight with my friends. If this had turned out to be a quick KO or some sort of complete snooze-fest I shudder to think on some of the PPV action that would have missed out on. The excitement that this fight generated in me has only been equaled a few times since in the days leading up to the fight. (#5) Shane Mosley SD12 Oscar De La Hoya, 06-17-00 This is really what boxing is all about. Two superstars meeting each other in the ring and putting on a great fight in front of many excited fans. When the Golden Boy and Sugar Shane battled in LA they turned in a fight to be remembered. This is something that has become increasingly rare amongst the elite fighters in the sport, but these guys not only fought each other, but turned in a fight of the year performance to boot. (#4) Felix Trinidad KO12 Fernando Vargas, 12-02-00 I had rooted against Trinidad against the likes of David Reid, and despite not having rooted for Vargas against Quartey a couple months before, I was pulling for the other guy again. Maybe it was just my desire to see the underdog win, but I was just hoping for an upset. Well, when Vargas was dropped twice in the first round I thought that I had wasted my money and that this one was over-- really it was just starting. It would be a gritty fight between two braver fighters, where there were low blows, multiple knockdowns, and a decisive and fitting ending. Vargas may have lost this one, but both fighters came out shining like gold. (#3) Erik Morales SD12 Marco Antonio Barrera, 02-19-00 It is pure luck that I caught this fight on Boxing After Dark, but I am sure glad that I did. I had already been bitten by the boxing bug, but if is the only match that I ever saw in my time as a fan-- then I would have left thinking that time as not being a waste. I was shocked by the sheer damage that these two featherweights were inflicting upon one another and my jaw would be left hanging through all twelve action packed rounds. The trilogy these guys have put together would prove to be one of the best in boxing history, but this fight was enough to permanently put them in boxing history's lore. It was a battle that turned two largely unheralded featherweights into superstars, and in a sport where the heavyweights rule supreme in the eyes of the casual fan, the effort this took cannot be overstated. (#2) Erik Morales UD12 Manny Pacquiao, 03-19-05 This is a night that I will always remember. It is the thing that a boxing fan's dreams are made of. I was seeing my first ever fight card in person, and I was lucky enough to have it be a mega-fight in Las Vegas between two of the top pound for pound fighters. I had always been a fan of Morales but had bet money in the MGM Grand on Pacquiao, but the huge and spirited pro-Morales career and the show that Erik put on had me rooting for him anyway by the time the closing rounds rolled around. I cannot even explain the memories that the huge crowd in that Las Vegas casino, the furious action, and the two great fighter's created. Maybe some of the most fun that I have ever had in my entire young life to this point. I had gone as a celebration of my 21'st birthday, and this is the best present that I ever could have recieved. Night the fight that some of the others in the top ten were, but as an experience it is pretty much the tops. (#1) Diego Corrales KO10 Jose Luis Castillo, 05-07-05 Is there really any suprise that a Corrales fan would have this at the top of his list? I don't think there would be much of a suprise if any fight fan had this at top, and that is a testemant to what these fighters were able to do. Ten rounds of unceasing and brutal violence that would have left the faint of heart sheilding their eyes. I brought every casual boxing fan I knew into the living room on that Saturday night and explained to them who each fighter was. My friends were skeptical at first, but by the end of the night they understood what I had been talking about. Add to that the utter jublilation of my favorite fighters winning an all-time great war and you have reached the place this fight will hold in my memory. I actually hurt my hand when I punched the fridge when Diego went down for the first time, but a few minutes later the swollen and bruised knuckle would only be an aferthought. I did not realize the impact that this fight had on my buddies until hours later when we were at the bar and one of them bought a round of shots for the group and raised his glass in the air and said "this ones for Chico", most of them have been hooked ever since. And I find it hard to imagine that there will ever be another fight that gets me as excited and leaves me feeling as satisfied as this one did. But then again I have said that before, and the fact that I keep being proved wrong is why we all love this sport to begin with. --Well there you have it, that is my list of the twenty fights which have had the greatest impact on me. I am sure that many of you have very different although just as special lists all of your own. Feel free to share them and comment on mine as you will.

20y ago