Which 5 fights involving your favourite (or any) fighter would you recommend to someone who had never seen them box before?
They don't neccessarily have to be their 5 best performances, but the ones which best sum up their career, and show just what makes them so good (or bad).
I'll start with an easy one, Joe Calzaghe:
Calzaghe v Eubank - A War
Calzaghe v Lacy - A Demolition
Calzaghe v Kessler - A Lesson
Calzaghe v Reid - A Close One
Calzaghe v Mitchell - A Comeback
(I think I'll also break my own rules and give an honourable mention to Calzaghe v Ashira - One Handed!)
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Methadone rehab forums
Erik Morales:
Zaragoza: The Crowning
Jones: What Barrera couldnt do
McCullough: Can take a hell of a punch
Barrera I: WAR
Pacquiao I:Why you crying Manny?
James Toney - Michael Nunn - despite being inexperienced at top level, a huge underdog, and being outboxed comprehensively throughout the fight, 22 year old Toney bid his time and took Nunn out with a devastating barrage in the eleventh round. Never losing sight of victory, Toney told his corner throughout the fight that he was okay and that Nunn was gassing out. Remember, Michael Nunn himself was unbeaten at the time, a beautiful boxer drawing some comparisons to people like Ray Leonard, he'd just whipped Don Curry too so it was a huge upset, and a brilliant display of wherewithall and punching power by one of the upcoming stars of the time.
Toney - Reggie Johnson - NEVER happens these days, but after winning the title and going 11 rounds Toney was in the ring defending the belt ONE month later against slick southpaw Reggie Johnson. Ok, not his best performance, and a very close decision win, but the sheer fact Toney was willing to go out and prove his title win was no fluke against one of the sharpest movers in the division deserves major kudos. James also picked himself up off the floor to win.
Toney - Iran Barkley - undoubtedly one of the best dismantlings of a fighter in the past 20 years. Toney used speed, ringsmarts, power, defence, combination punching in what was a brilliant performance against the ever-dangerous battle horse Iran Barkley. This was the performance which truly showed his every dimension and garnered pound-for-pound credibility.
Toney - Tim Littles - Unbeaten Littles boxed like a dream, he moved beautifully and outboxed Toney for a couple rounds as the champ stalked him. Third round Toney gets a busted eye, a really horrific gash and the docs tell him he's got just one round left...what does Toney do? Go after Littles with venom and blast him to the canvas 3 times en route to a devastating KO. "I saw blood, that means he gotta die" Toney said in the post fight interview. Un****ingreal.
Toney - Jirov - Everyone, I mean everyone had counted James out when he fought unbeaten Jirov for the cruiserweight title in 2003. He'd been battling the bulge more or less for a decade and as a result had lost to Drake Thadzi, he'd also lost twice to gifted Montell Griffin (both decisions highly debatable, ALL of the HBO team had Toney winning the first) and he was 30lbs north of his original weight class. Toney came in and TOOK the champion apart, sending him to the floor in the penultimate round to cap his third world title in as many weight classes.
Seen a bit of later Toney, but you make him sound ace. I'm going to have to take a look at these.
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Ford transcontinental
James Toney - Michael Nunn - despite being inexperienced at top level, a huge underdog, and being outboxed comprehensively throughout the fight, 22 year old Toney bid his time and took Nunn out with a devastating barrage in the eleventh round. Never losing sight of victory, Toney told his corner throughout the fight that he was okay and that Nunn was gassing out. Remember, Michael Nunn himself was unbeaten at the time, a beautiful boxer drawing some comparisons to people like Ray Leonard, he'd just whipped Don Curry too so it was a huge upset, and a brilliant display of wherewithall and punching power by one of the upcoming stars of the time.
Toney - Reggie Johnson - NEVER happens these days, but after winning the title and going 11 rounds Toney was in the ring defending the belt ONE month later against slick southpaw Reggie Johnson. Ok, not his best performance, and a very close decision win, but the sheer fact Toney was willing to go out and prove his title win was no fluke against one of the sharpest movers in the division deserves major kudos. James also picked himself up off the floor to win.
Toney - Iran Barkley - undoubtedly one of the best dismantlings of a fighter in the past 20 years. Toney used speed, ringsmarts, power, defence, combination punching in what was a brilliant performance against the ever-dangerous battle horse Iran Barkley. This was the performance which truly showed his every dimension and garnered pound-for-pound credibility.
Toney - Tim Littles - Unbeaten Littles boxed like a dream, he moved beautifully and outboxed Toney for a couple rounds as the champ stalked him. Third round Toney gets a busted eye, a really horrific gash and the docs tell him he's got just one round left...what does Toney do? Go after Littles with venom and blast him to the canvas 3 times en route to a devastating KO. "I saw blood, that means he gotta die" Toney said in the post fight interview. Unfuckingreal.
Toney - Jirov - Everyone, I mean everyone had counted James out when he fought unbeaten Jirov for the cruiserweight title in 2003. He'd been battling the bulge more or less for a decade and as a result had lost to Drake Thadzi, he'd also lost twice to gifted Montell Griffin (both decisions highly debatable, ALL of the HBO team had Toney winning the first) and he was 30lbs north of his original weight class. Toney came in and TOOK the champion apart, sending him to the floor in the penultimate round to cap his third world title in as many weight classes.
i like this thread
Corrales-mayweather-Humiliation
Corrales-cassamoyer1/2-The start
Corrales-frietas-Crowning acheivment
Corrales-Castillo-The Classic
Corrales-clottey- Warriors end
RIP Chico you are missed
Since Hopkins is my favorite, but has already been mentioned, I'll go with another favorite fighter of mine not mentioned.
Oscar De La Hoya:
- Julio Cesar Chavez, The torch was TAKEN.
- Ike Quartey, His first real physically draning fight.
- Felix Trinidad, Jerry Roth, is an ass.
- Fernando Vargas, Probably his biggest victory. He should have had two others.
- Ricardo Mayorga, When you can put on that kind of performance at his age, it shows a highly skilled boxer.
The two fights he SHOULD have won, that I alluded two are his second fight with Shane Mosley, and his loss to Trinidad have bothered me. Those two fights, he should have won. Yet, people continue to judge him as if he doesn't perform well in big fights. He's had huge fights his entire career, and has only TRULY lost to Mosley in the first fight, Mayweather and Hopkins. Not saying he never got a gift. But you'd hope in fights that HUGE, the scoring would be better.
Hopkins-Mercado II - Philly has its first Middleweight Champ ever!
Hopkins-Lipsey - Devastating KO! Lipsey NEVER fought again
Hopkins-Frank - One Punch KO!
Hopkins-Trinidad - The Underdog Dominates!
Hopkins-Tarver - Beatin Up the Man who beat The man!
After Saturday night I'll take the Tarver fight down and put up the Calzaghe fight! The reason would be, Bernard does it again!
jones vs toney - whoopin on an undefeated p4p guy
jones vs pazienza - most incredible display of athleticism ever
jones vs tarver I - showed a lot of heart
jones vs ruiz - beatin a guy 45 pounds heavier
jones vs trinidad - great performance for 39
Floyd Mayweather Jr.:
Corrales: The Clinic
Castillo I: The Squeeze
Gatti: Oh The Horror
De La Hoya: The Spotlight
Hatton: There's Only 1 Floyd Mayweather
Nice. Very funny.
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Ferrari Monza
Cotto vs Pinto
Cotto vs Torres
Cotto vs Quintana
Cotto vs Judah
Cotto vs Mosley
Coming soon Cotto vs Margarito and if that bitch decides to step up Cotto vs Floyd
Trinidad vs Yori Boy
Trinidad vs Oba Carr
Trinidad vs Vargas
Trinidad vs Joppy
Trinidad vs Mayorga
Change that for Castillo.
Great body shot.
Yeah, I thought about it, but I decided Castillo was a bit too shot, and the fight a bit too short. I included Collazo because of how close he came to losing and we first really saw how tough 147 was for him.
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Big Dick Black
Floyd vs. Corrales - total domination
Floyd vs. Zab - how to make adjustments
Floyd vs. Baldomir - pure boxing clinic
Floyd vs. Oscar - outsmarting a game opponent
Floyd vs. Hatton - inside fighting and counterpunching
Floyd vs. Corrales - total domination
Floyd vs. Zab - how to make adjustments
Floyd vs. Baldomir - did he break sweat
Floyd vs. Oscar - outsmarting a game opponent
Floyd vs. Hatton - check hook
lol I don't mean to be a dick, but if you're gonna post the same shit I did at least give me credit for it
Floyd vs. Corrales - total domination
Floyd vs. Zab - how to make adjustments
Floyd vs. Baldomir - pure boxing clinic
Floyd vs. Oscar - outsmarting a game opponent
Floyd vs. Hatton - inside fighting and counterpunching
Floyd vs. Corrales - total domination
Floyd vs. Zab - how to make adjustments
Floyd vs. Baldomir - did he break sweat
Floyd vs. Oscar - outsmarting a game opponent
Floyd vs. Hatton - check hook
lol I don't mean to be a dick, but if you're gonna post the same shit I did at least give me credit for it
Eubank this time, and there are almost too many, but I have to go with the predictable ones I'm afraid
Eubank - Benn 1 - War
Eubank - Benn 2 - War
Eubank - Watson 1 - War
Eubank - Watson 2 - Tragedy of War
Eubank - Collins 2 - The beginning of the end
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VAPIR OXYGEN
Floyd vs. Corrales - total domination
Floyd vs. Zab - how to make adjustments
Floyd vs. Baldomir - did he break sweat
Floyd vs. Oscar - outsmarting a game opponent
Floyd vs. Hatton - check hook
Trinidad VS Ricardo Mayorga (Super entertaining)
Trinidad VS Fernando Vargas (I don't need to say anything for this one)
Trinidad VS Pernell Whitaker (Only time Sweet pea was dominated)
Trinidad VS Luis Ramon Campas (Classic Tito, Tito goes down then gets up and whips that ass, haha)
Trinidad VS Maurice Blocker (Tito gets his first title)
Here we go, predictable I know but its Ali:
Ali vs Liston 1 (7-1 underdog and 1st title win)
Ali vs Williams (Masterful display)
Ali vs Frazier 1 (Ali really showed his heart to complete the 15 rounds here)
Ali vs Foreman (3-1 underdog, only guy ever to stop Foreman)
Ali vs Frazier 3 ('The closest I ever came to death' Ali 1975)