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One topic in the world of boxing that I always love talking about is rivalries. And I ALMOST have my top 10 figured out.
I still haven’t figured what my number 10 would be. I have a feeling my two biggest contenders might be Toney vs. McCallum and possibly Vasquez vs. Marquez. But I haven’t finished watching their fights yet.
So I’d like to ask anyone on this forum, what rivalry do you think would make a good number 10? I’d also be interested to see your own top 10’s.
1. Ali vs. Frazier - There’s a reason why these two have most iconic rivalry in all of sports. This rivalry had everything that made the other rivalries on this list so great. A fascinating clash of styles, high levels of competition and shifting momentum, some give and take slugging, in-ring drama, animosity between fighters outside the ring and in, and even some ****y political undertones. The first fight saw these two stepping into the ring as undefeated champs who both legitimate claim to the title, a very rare and special occasion. The second was a high stakes test to see who deserved a chance to get their belt back from Big George Foreman. The third fight saw the most exciting action of the trilogy with both fighters giving all they got to settle the score once and for all; to this day there are people who argue about what would’ve happened if this last fight were allowed to make it to the final round and that’s a sign that there is something truly special about this rivalry.
2. Pacquiao vs. Marquez - The reason why I rank this at number two is because I feel like the answer as to who truly won the rivalry is so up in the air. These two were often so frustratingly even that it was so difficult to judge their fights. Sure, most people agree that Pacquiao won the second fight despite being such a highly competitive match with seesaw momentum like the others. But their is still questions about the draw in the first fight. There are still people who argue about whether or not Pacquiao’s majority decision victory over Marquez in the third fight was justified. There are those who wonder if Marquez scoring the most definitive victory against Pacquiao during their fourth fight in the form of one of the most now iconic knockouts caught on camera evens things out or even makes him the true winner of the quadrilogy. I’m not sure I can answer any of these but what I do know is that they challenged each other like few others did and that’s what made their fights so great to watch.
3. Robinson vs. LaMotta - It’s always great when a rivalry leads to a trilogy and it’s even more of a special occasion when there’s even a fourth fight. But when you fight a guy not just five but SIX times, you know there’s really something special between you two. You have here a classic clash of styles between the stunning and graceful boxer from Harlem who’s a master of the sweet science that could hit you with lightning fast combinations (Sugar Ray Robinson) and the Raging Bull of the Bronx whose up close, brawler style lived up to boxing’s reputation as a blood sport (Jake LaMotta). My biggest gripe that keeps me from ranking this higher is that while their final fight was excellent conclusion to the rivalry with Robinson finally knocking out LaMotta, I find it really frustrating that that was their only fight that was filmed. Six fights between two big names and you’re only able to watch the last one!?! Also, I feel like the rivalry is a bit too lopsided to rank it any higher with LaMotta only winning their second fight.
4. Bowe vs. Holyfield - I would personally argue that this trilogy has the most consistently high quality of fights out of any on this list. These fights contained some of the biggest highlights of both fighters’ careers such as Bowe becoming both the second man to knockdown and the first to beat Holyfield and becoming the new heavyweight champion in their first fight. Or Holyfield becoming the first one to knockdown Big Daddy Bowe only for that to be eclipsed by Bowe being the first to get a stoppage TKO against Holyfield during their third fight. However, my favorite is their 2nd fight which saw Bowe utilizing his jab more, an entire 8 second fight after the bell, the infamous fan man incident, another exchange between the two after the bell for the final round which led to Holyfield’s coach tackling him to the ground, and Holyfield becoming the fourth man in history to regain the heavyweight title. This rivalry allowed Holyfield to prove that he can tangle with the biggest heavyweights of the day despite his size and allowed Bowe to show that he was championship material when he put his mind to it.
5. Morales vs. Barrera - Very few, if any, can match this rivalry in terms of sheer animosity. Their trilogy was defined by controversial decisions, Mexican boxing politics, some race/class antagonism, and a whole lotta bad blood and personal vendetta inside and outside the ring. And we can be thankful for this leading to some of the most awesome give and take slugfests we’ve ever seen.
6. Leonard vs. Hearns - These two’s fighting styles were both similar and different in ways that made it very, very interesting. Despite how they advertised it at the time as a competition between Leonard’s skill vs. Hearns’ power, that actually got turned on its head. Their two fights allowed Hearns the opportunity to show how good of a boxer he was and it gave Leonard the chance to remind the world of the power he had in his fists. Despite Leonard’s victory over him becoming what Hearns described as a monster that dogged him for the rest of his career, Hearns seemed to leave Sugar Ray with a parting gift in the form of the partially detached retina that forced Leonard into retirement for several years (I haven’t found any sources that definitively explain what exactly caused the damage, but I still suspect that the tons of left jabs by Hearns that Leonard received were one of the biggest contributors.) Lastly, I feel like their second fight, despite its controversial ending is an underrated classic that was every bit as much a back and forth war as the first.
7. Pep vs. Saddler - It’s a shame that the first & second fights weren’t recorded, especially when the latter was ring magazine’s fight of the year. This rivalry brought what was at the time unprecedented amounts of attention to the featherweight class. Besides the interesting contrast between Pep’s skill and beautiful boxing and Saddler’s power and brutality, there’s one major thing that makes this rivalry noteworthy: how dirty it got. The 3rd and 4th fights are often cited for being some of the most unsportsmanlike fights ever (whether you feel like that aspect of it is overhyped, I’ll let you decide).
8. Gatti vs. Ward - We all know how amazing the first fight was. While the second one was just okay, the third one made up for it with drama in the form of Gatti suffering from both a knockdown and a broken hand and still managing to fight his way to victory. This rivalry proved how much of a warrior Gatti is. It was also the highest point in Mickey Ward’s career and without it, he’d be mostly forgotten. The only thing this rivalry has going against it is that it’s far more friendly outside of the ring than any other on this list.
9. Louis vs. Schmeling - The geopolitical undertones of their fights give this rivalry certain ****e that others don’t have. I also like the irony of their dynamic. Schmeling being the reluctant posterboy for an ideology he was never committed to and Louis having to fight for values of freedom and democracy in a country where his people were second-class citizens. With Schmeling relaunching his career by knocking out Joe Louis in their first fight and Louis’ avenging his first ever loss to Schmeling in their rematch becoming the most significant event in boxing history, they were undoubtedly the highlight of each other’s careers.
10. ???
I still haven’t figured what my number 10 would be. I have a feeling my two biggest contenders might be Toney vs. McCallum and possibly Vasquez vs. Marquez. But I haven’t finished watching their fights yet.
So I’d like to ask anyone on this forum, what rivalry do you think would make a good number 10? I’d also be interested to see your own top 10’s.
1. Ali vs. Frazier - There’s a reason why these two have most iconic rivalry in all of sports. This rivalry had everything that made the other rivalries on this list so great. A fascinating clash of styles, high levels of competition and shifting momentum, some give and take slugging, in-ring drama, animosity between fighters outside the ring and in, and even some ****y political undertones. The first fight saw these two stepping into the ring as undefeated champs who both legitimate claim to the title, a very rare and special occasion. The second was a high stakes test to see who deserved a chance to get their belt back from Big George Foreman. The third fight saw the most exciting action of the trilogy with both fighters giving all they got to settle the score once and for all; to this day there are people who argue about what would’ve happened if this last fight were allowed to make it to the final round and that’s a sign that there is something truly special about this rivalry.
2. Pacquiao vs. Marquez - The reason why I rank this at number two is because I feel like the answer as to who truly won the rivalry is so up in the air. These two were often so frustratingly even that it was so difficult to judge their fights. Sure, most people agree that Pacquiao won the second fight despite being such a highly competitive match with seesaw momentum like the others. But their is still questions about the draw in the first fight. There are still people who argue about whether or not Pacquiao’s majority decision victory over Marquez in the third fight was justified. There are those who wonder if Marquez scoring the most definitive victory against Pacquiao during their fourth fight in the form of one of the most now iconic knockouts caught on camera evens things out or even makes him the true winner of the quadrilogy. I’m not sure I can answer any of these but what I do know is that they challenged each other like few others did and that’s what made their fights so great to watch.
3. Robinson vs. LaMotta - It’s always great when a rivalry leads to a trilogy and it’s even more of a special occasion when there’s even a fourth fight. But when you fight a guy not just five but SIX times, you know there’s really something special between you two. You have here a classic clash of styles between the stunning and graceful boxer from Harlem who’s a master of the sweet science that could hit you with lightning fast combinations (Sugar Ray Robinson) and the Raging Bull of the Bronx whose up close, brawler style lived up to boxing’s reputation as a blood sport (Jake LaMotta). My biggest gripe that keeps me from ranking this higher is that while their final fight was excellent conclusion to the rivalry with Robinson finally knocking out LaMotta, I find it really frustrating that that was their only fight that was filmed. Six fights between two big names and you’re only able to watch the last one!?! Also, I feel like the rivalry is a bit too lopsided to rank it any higher with LaMotta only winning their second fight.
4. Bowe vs. Holyfield - I would personally argue that this trilogy has the most consistently high quality of fights out of any on this list. These fights contained some of the biggest highlights of both fighters’ careers such as Bowe becoming both the second man to knockdown and the first to beat Holyfield and becoming the new heavyweight champion in their first fight. Or Holyfield becoming the first one to knockdown Big Daddy Bowe only for that to be eclipsed by Bowe being the first to get a stoppage TKO against Holyfield during their third fight. However, my favorite is their 2nd fight which saw Bowe utilizing his jab more, an entire 8 second fight after the bell, the infamous fan man incident, another exchange between the two after the bell for the final round which led to Holyfield’s coach tackling him to the ground, and Holyfield becoming the fourth man in history to regain the heavyweight title. This rivalry allowed Holyfield to prove that he can tangle with the biggest heavyweights of the day despite his size and allowed Bowe to show that he was championship material when he put his mind to it.
5. Morales vs. Barrera - Very few, if any, can match this rivalry in terms of sheer animosity. Their trilogy was defined by controversial decisions, Mexican boxing politics, some race/class antagonism, and a whole lotta bad blood and personal vendetta inside and outside the ring. And we can be thankful for this leading to some of the most awesome give and take slugfests we’ve ever seen.
6. Leonard vs. Hearns - These two’s fighting styles were both similar and different in ways that made it very, very interesting. Despite how they advertised it at the time as a competition between Leonard’s skill vs. Hearns’ power, that actually got turned on its head. Their two fights allowed Hearns the opportunity to show how good of a boxer he was and it gave Leonard the chance to remind the world of the power he had in his fists. Despite Leonard’s victory over him becoming what Hearns described as a monster that dogged him for the rest of his career, Hearns seemed to leave Sugar Ray with a parting gift in the form of the partially detached retina that forced Leonard into retirement for several years (I haven’t found any sources that definitively explain what exactly caused the damage, but I still suspect that the tons of left jabs by Hearns that Leonard received were one of the biggest contributors.) Lastly, I feel like their second fight, despite its controversial ending is an underrated classic that was every bit as much a back and forth war as the first.
7. Pep vs. Saddler - It’s a shame that the first & second fights weren’t recorded, especially when the latter was ring magazine’s fight of the year. This rivalry brought what was at the time unprecedented amounts of attention to the featherweight class. Besides the interesting contrast between Pep’s skill and beautiful boxing and Saddler’s power and brutality, there’s one major thing that makes this rivalry noteworthy: how dirty it got. The 3rd and 4th fights are often cited for being some of the most unsportsmanlike fights ever (whether you feel like that aspect of it is overhyped, I’ll let you decide).
8. Gatti vs. Ward - We all know how amazing the first fight was. While the second one was just okay, the third one made up for it with drama in the form of Gatti suffering from both a knockdown and a broken hand and still managing to fight his way to victory. This rivalry proved how much of a warrior Gatti is. It was also the highest point in Mickey Ward’s career and without it, he’d be mostly forgotten. The only thing this rivalry has going against it is that it’s far more friendly outside of the ring than any other on this list.
9. Louis vs. Schmeling - The geopolitical undertones of their fights give this rivalry certain ****e that others don’t have. I also like the irony of their dynamic. Schmeling being the reluctant posterboy for an ideology he was never committed to and Louis having to fight for values of freedom and democracy in a country where his people were second-class citizens. With Schmeling relaunching his career by knocking out Joe Louis in their first fight and Louis’ avenging his first ever loss to Schmeling in their rematch becoming the most significant event in boxing history, they were undoubtedly the highlight of each other’s careers.
10. ???
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