How Often have the 2 best fighters in the world fought each other in boxing?

[1SILVA]

These are the official Ring ratings the month Ali and frazier fought for the first time. Jofre was no longer the fighter he was and Monzon had only been champ 5 monts. hence, Ali and frazier were the 2 beast fighters in the world. It is hard, outside of Monzon, to find a fighter that was good as either Ali or frazier on March 8, 1971. By the way, notice how Ali beat the number 3 and 4 contender right before he fought frazier and he didn't have to. For all the posters who claim Ali is overrated, he beat everyone from the Champ to number 8 in the heavyweight rankings.

As selected by The Ring magazine in the March 1971 issue.
Heavyweights

Light Heavyweights

Middleweights

Joe Frazier, Champion

1. Muhammad Ali
2. George Foreman
3. Oscar Bonavena
4. Jerry Quarry
5. Mac Foster
6. Henry Cooper
7. George Chuvalo
8. Sonny Liston
9. Jose Ibar Urtain
10. Jose Luis Garcia



Bob Foster, Champion

1. Jimmy Dupree
2. Vicente Rondon
3. Gomeo Brennan
4. Hal Carroll
5. **** Tiger
6. Mark Tessman
7. Andy Kendall
8. Larry Buck
9. Piero Del Papa
10. Ron Marsh



Carlos Monzon, Champion

1. Nino Benvenuti
2. Emile Griffith
3. Luis Manuel Rodriguez
4. Carmelo Bossi
5. Fraser Scott
6. Juan Carlos Duran
7. Doyle Baird
8. Denny Moyer
9. Tom Bogs
10. Rafael Gutierrez

Welterweights

Junior Welterweights

Lightweights

Billy Backus, Champion

1. Jose Napoles
2. Percy Pugh
3. Donato Paduano
4. Hedgemon Lewis
5. Ernie Lopez
6. Dario Hidalgo
7. Robert Gallois
8. Ralph Charles
9. Roger Menetrey
10. Jean Josselin



Nicolino Locche, Champion

1. Bruno Arcari
2. Adolph Pruitt
3. Eddie Perkins
4. Bunny Grant
5. Ely Yares
6. Joao Henrique
7. Enrique Jana
8. Jimmy Robertson
9. Lion Furuyama
10. Anthony Morodi



Ken Buchanan, Champion

1. Ismael Laguna
2. Pedro Carrasco
3. Carlos Hernandez
4. Mando Ramos
5. Al Ford
6. Sugar Ramos
7. Miguel Velasquez
8. Raul (Lobito) Montoya
9. Shinichi Kadota
10. Chango Carmona

Junior Lightweights

Featherweights

Hiroshi Kobayashi, Champion

1. Ruben Navarro
2. Yoshiaki Numata
3. Antonio Amaya
4. Rene Barrientos
5. Sammy Goss
6. Frankie Otero
7. Frankie Crawford
8. Armando Mendoza
9. Jose Acosta
10. Hiroshi Shoji



Kuniaki Shibata, Champion

1. Vicente Saldivar
2. Shozo Saijo
3. Antonio Gomez
4. Raul Cruz
5. Eder Jofre
6. Jose Legra
7. Jose Luis Pimentel
8. Jimmy Revie
9. Alfredo Marcano
10. Ricardo Arredondo

Bantamweights

Flyweights

Chucho Castillo, Champion

1. Ruben Olivares
2. Rodolfo Martinez
3. Jesus Pimentel
4. Alan Rudkin
5. Franco Zurlo
6. Ramon Bravo
7. Takao Sakurai
8. Orlando Amores
9. Rafael Herrera
10. Ushiwakamaru Harada



Erbito Salavarria, Champion

1. Chartchai Chionoi
2. Masao Ohba
3. Alacran Efren Torres
4. Bernabe Villacampo
5. Lorenzo Gutierrez
6. Berkrerk Chartvanchai
7. Octavio Gomez
8. Fermin Gomez
9. Susumu Hanagata
10. Fernando Atzori

[1SILVA]

January 1980 KO Magazine Pound for Pound Ratings
From Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia


1 - Roberto Duran

2 - Sugar Ray Leonard

3 - Wilfredo Gomez

4 - Danny Lopez

5 - Pipino Cuevas

6 - Alexis Arguello

7 - Larry Holmes

8 - Wilfred Benitez

10 - Vito Antuofermo

10 - Matt Saad Muhammad

This confirms that Leonard and Duran were the top 2 fighters when they fought in june, 1980

[Princemanspopa]

frazier and foster ?

Yes,Bob Foster,the light heavyweight champion who never won a notable heavyweight fight in his life,another hand picked opponent by Frazier's camp.There was another big punching Foster that was around at that year,a heavyweight contender also, who Frazier and his camp wanted nothing to do with because unfortunately for him,he happened to punch just a little too hard for a champion with a suspect chin.

[JAB5239]

Yes,Bob Foster,the light heavyweight champion who never won a notable heavyweight fight in his life,another hand picked opponent by Frazier's camp.There was another big punching Foster that was around at that year,a heavyweight contender also, who Frazier and his camp wanted nothing to do with because unfortunately for him,he happened to punch just a little too hard for a champion with a suspect chin.

You mean the one that was ko'd by Jerry Quarry, right?

[Emon723]

Whitaker-Chavez, 1993
Trinidad-Dela Hoya, 1999
Mayweather-Hatton, 2007

these are just huge fights with both at the top of the pound for pound ratings and with so much anticipation.

[mickey malone]

Yes,Bob Foster,the light heavyweight champion who never won a notable heavyweight fight in his life,another hand picked opponent by Frazier's camp.There was another big punching Foster that was around at that year,a heavyweight contender also, who Frazier and his camp wanted nothing to do with because unfortunately for him,he happened to punch just a little too hard for a champion with a suspect chin.

And coincidently, was also ducked by a certain Charles 'Sonny' Liston

[Princemanspopa]

Absolutely preposterous Malone.You're just talkin crazy.At that point in his career Sonny Liston would have jumped at the chance to take any fight of relevance.

[mickey malone]

Absolutely preposterous Malone.You're just talkin crazy.At that point in his career Sonny Liston would have jumped at the chance to take any fight of relevance.

But he didn't.. That's the whole point..

[StarshipTrooper]

But he didn't.. That's the whole point..

Sonny Liston ducked Mac Foster and Ron Lyle

Poet