For me:
1. Roberto Duran - Esteban De Jesus
3 timeless wars.
2. Rafael Marquez - Israel Vazquez
Great Mexican rivalry between 2007 -2010. 4 bloody wars.
3. Morales - Barrera
Another great Mexican trilogy.
4. Pryor -Arguello
Pryor won both fights, but I just love that staff.
5. Holyfield -Bowe
My favorite heavyweight trilogy.
Which are your favorite boxing rivalries?
My honorable mentions: Ali -Frazier, Ward -Gatti, Pacquiao - JMM
Top five:
David Haye vs. David Haye's Toe
The latter made an appearance on live television and embarrassed the former
Adrien Broner vs. Tha Law
The latter just won't leave the former alone
Bernard Hopkins vs. White Boys
Well, ya know
Jarrell Miller vs. Drug Tests
The latter won't let the former reach his full potential
Andrew Golota vs. Testicles
The latter was always in the right place at the right time
Honourable mentions:
Deontay Wilder vs. Deontay Wilder
The former is definitely the latter's worst enemy
Evander Holyfield's Ear vs. Mike Tyson
The latter bit off more than he could chew
For me:
1. Roberto Duran - Esteban De Jesus
3 timeless wars.
2. Rafael Marquez - Israel Vazquez
Great Mexican rivalry between 2007 -2010. 4 bloody wars.
3. Morales - Barrera
Another great Mexican trilogy.
4. Pryor -Arguello
Pryor won both fights, but I just love that staff.
5. Holyfield -Bowe
My favorite heavyweight trilogy.
Which are your favorite boxing rivalries?
My honorable mentions: Ali -Frazier, Ward -Gatti, Pacquiao - JMM
Duran and De Jesus, only the fist 2 were great, the third was nothing to write home about.
What about Ted "Kid" Lewis who fought Jack Britton 20 times....I read years ago about Harry Wills and Sam Langford, about another 20 fights in the Black Heavyweight Championship series, Cocoa Kid and Holman Williams about 10 fights (I recall reading about this in an old Police Gazette) And Jimmy McLarnin fought Barney Ross 3 very ferocious times with Ross winning 2 of them.
I know that Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler fought a few times don't know how many, maybe 4-5 times. Henry Armstrong fought the same guys several times, can't recall who.
Gaspar Ortega had multiple fights against several opponents, a many as 5-6 each. I would think that all fighters who had well over 100 fights would have the same records of multiple fights against the same opponent. He fought Stan Harrington of Hawaii, at least 4-5 times,
Some rivalries are memorable from the publicity and the actual intensity, which seem to be the ones you picked. ...other, with far more fights are not.
Morales/Barrera
Marquez/Vasquez
Pac/Morales/JMM/Bradley
Gatti/Ward
Zale/Graziano
Robinson/Basilio
Ike Williams/Bob Montgomery/Beau Jack
Emile Griffith/Luis Rodriquez
Carlos Ortiz/Ismael Laguna
Ricardo Mayorga and just about everyone he fights.
I’d say the most legendary and brutal rivalry where both fighters were equally legendary in skills would have to be Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. For their fights and for their personalities.
Ali was a legend of boxing and had a firey outspoken personality that made him just as much of a star outside the ring. I love the story how he talked a jumper down and went with him to a hospital. Just things like that make him such a larger-than-life character. He didn’t make a big fuss about the good things he did outside the ring. And although he was of a different faith than me, it seems to me he was devoted and not just someone who talks one way and doesn’t walk the walk. I admire that sort of devotion in a person.
Frazier was a really tough, bad*ss dude. Used to steal cars and just do what he had to do to survive. I read his book and loved it, found him to be a very relatable, down to earth, no nonsense guy.
Although they fought three times and Ali won twice, in my opinion, there was almost nothing to separate them. All three fights were very close.
Great personalities, great fighters, and great, elite level matches that didn’t dissapoint.
All great fights!
It’s pretty obscure but in the late 70s, early 80s, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Bazooka Limon, Rolando Navarrete, and Bobby Chacon took turns trying to kill each other for the WBC 130lb belt. None were Arguellos equal but every one of those fights were brutal.
Thanks for that information. I will try to find those fights.
For me:
1. Roberto Duran - Esteban De Jesus
3 timeless wars.
2. Rafael Marquez - Israel Vazquez
Great Mexican rivalry between 2007 -2010. 4 bloody wars.
3. Morales - Barrera
Another great Mexican trilogy.
4. Pryor -Arguello
Pryor won both fights, but I just love that staff.
5. Holyfield -Bowe
My favorite heavyweight trilogy.
Which are your favorite boxing rivalries?
My honorable mentions: Ali -Frazier, Ward -Gatti, Pacquiao - JMM
All great fights!
It’s pretty obscure but in the late 70s, early 80s, Cornelius Boza Edwards, Bazooka Limon, Rolando Navarrete, and Bobby Chacon took turns trying to kill each other for the WBC 130lb belt. None were Arguellos equal but every one of those fights were brutal.