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We are close to NEW YEARS and instead of talking about the pac-may mess lets remember some of our favorite fights. I don't include fights that are before my lifetime, so nothing before the mid 1970's. So of these fights are from the last 30 years. They are not the greatest fights of the last 30 years, just my favorites.
20-Benitez vs Hope -Almost a perfect KO- Benitez hotdogs knowing its over instantly. Benitez was champ by age of 17-a record that never will be broken but he was one lazy cat, often only trainning for a few weeks before a fight.
19-Tyson vs Ruddock 2- Tyson gets wobbled a few times and low blows alot, some great back and forth action. Ruddock one of the few who took Tyson 12 Rds and actually fought hard unlike Bonecrusher Smith who just tried to survive.
18-Mayweather vs Chavez- It showed how PBF would go toe to toe and the incredible heart both fighters showed was inspiring. Some great action at the ropes and inside fighting
17-Hagler vs Duran- Great 15 Rd fight with both boxing and brawling skills displayed.
16-Holyfied vs Bowe 1 -Great display of heart by Holyfied almost being KOd than fighting back. Both were undefeated at the time.
15-Pacquiao vs Sasakal - Great Flyweight fight, Pac wins title in Thailand by going for the KO intead of trying to get a decision away from home. He wins title at age of 19 being one of the youngest champs ever.
14-Hearns vs Shields- This is like the Rocky movie. Shields fought with great honor and even wobbled Hearns a few times, even had a KD against Hearns that wasent counted, Shields once beat SRL as an amateur.
13-Leonard vs. Benitez- very technical fight, SRL wins by TKO in last seconds of RD15, SRL like a true champion dosent take a chance with the judges but goes for the kill even if winning to take the title from the champ.
12-Arguello vs Mancinni - Great toe to toe action, fight almost over RD11 but Mancinni fights on to RD 14, great display of class after the fight.
11-Pacquiao vs Morales 2 - I thought it was a bit more intense than the first fight. Morales wins 4 of the first 5 Rds, but pac was working on morales in the body early on like a surgeon. As a result, Morales had no legs and gassed out in the end.
10-Hagler vs Hearns- For a fight that lasted only 3 rds, you had more action than most fights have in 12 RDS. Hearns tried to take out hagler in one rd and even stunned him but hagler's steel chin took the shots and hearns broke his right hand trying to finish him. In RD 3 Hagler is bleeding and the ring doctor allows him to fight on, hagler knows he can lose due to the Cut and than goes for the kill and stops Hearns, possibly a roman gladiator type fight.
9-Klitschko vs Lewis- Gatti vs Ward on the HW stage, lasted only 6 RDS but it had incredible action. Possibly the two best HW of their era meet in a classic display of will and determination, too bad no rematch happened.
8-Pacquiao vs Marquez 1- Marquez almost KO'd in RD1 and than outboxes pac for the most of the rest of the fight. Controversial decision as some thought pac won and others thought marquez, but we can all agree it was a great fight.
7-Leonard vs Duran 1 - Leonard fights Duran flat footed possibly because he thought he was too strong for duran or simply because he was so pissed at the stuff Duran said about him being gay or the stuff Duran said about his wife Juanita. Duran stuns Leonard early on and Leonard hangs on for dear life, both fighters showed great heart and some great showboating is done. Duran sticks out his chin and makes SRL miss a 5 punch combination in the final RD displaying great agility and inside slipping techniques.
6-Duran vs Barkley - Ring Magazine Fight of the year 1989. Barkley almost takes duran head off early on and Duran still keeps fighting. He KD barkley in RD11 and wins a SD. The hands of stone gets his 4th weight class belt in a classic battle.
5-Morales vs Barrera 1- Havent seen it in years but was left speechless when i saw it. Some great back and forth action, Barrera almost finished and comes back to counter with a 2nd wind, it would be chapter one of the great trilogy.
4-Leonard vs Hearns 1- The boxer becomes the puncher and the puncher becomes the boxer. Hearns takes the early rounds but SRL stuns hearns in RD6, Hearns now must go to boxing to survive by using his reach and jab, he starts to get points and messes the retina on Leonards eye, SRL is told you are blowing it kid and hurts in Hearns in RD13, he finishes Hearns in RD 14, while some say Hearns should have held on- many think Hearns was so weak he didnt even have the strength to hold on.
3-Hagler vs Mugabi- Hagler gets his 12th defense win against a great challenger. Mugabi had like 26 fights and all 26 were by KO. Mugabi hits hagler with incredible flush shots and Hagler goes to boxing skills to take Mugabi apart, RD6 was one of the sickest slugfest you ever will see. Both fighters will admit to urinated blood due to the wicked body shots.
2-Arguello vs Pryor 1- Arguello tries to win a title in his 4th weight class and falls short but not without a great effort. Both fighters show great courage, skill, and chin. People were left wondering how can each guy take those viscious shots and than another one connects, than pryor takes the mystery bottle potion and forces the ref to stop the fight after stopping Arguello.
1-Castillo vs Corrales 1- It was a Saturday night and i saw that fight on showtime, almost from the beginning i knew something special was brewing, each guy going to the body and none backing down, mano to mano, toe to toe, inside fighting. Both guys would look like they belong on a mash unit after the fight, castillo drops Corrales twice in the same round and than comes to TKO Castillo in the same rd. Corrales finally gets rid of the mayweather demons that always haunted him with this old school brawl
20-Benitez vs Hope -Almost a perfect KO- Benitez hotdogs knowing its over instantly. Benitez was champ by age of 17-a record that never will be broken but he was one lazy cat, often only trainning for a few weeks before a fight.
19-Tyson vs Ruddock 2- Tyson gets wobbled a few times and low blows alot, some great back and forth action. Ruddock one of the few who took Tyson 12 Rds and actually fought hard unlike Bonecrusher Smith who just tried to survive.
18-Mayweather vs Chavez- It showed how PBF would go toe to toe and the incredible heart both fighters showed was inspiring. Some great action at the ropes and inside fighting
17-Hagler vs Duran- Great 15 Rd fight with both boxing and brawling skills displayed.
16-Holyfied vs Bowe 1 -Great display of heart by Holyfied almost being KOd than fighting back. Both were undefeated at the time.
15-Pacquiao vs Sasakal - Great Flyweight fight, Pac wins title in Thailand by going for the KO intead of trying to get a decision away from home. He wins title at age of 19 being one of the youngest champs ever.
14-Hearns vs Shields- This is like the Rocky movie. Shields fought with great honor and even wobbled Hearns a few times, even had a KD against Hearns that wasent counted, Shields once beat SRL as an amateur.
13-Leonard vs. Benitez- very technical fight, SRL wins by TKO in last seconds of RD15, SRL like a true champion dosent take a chance with the judges but goes for the kill even if winning to take the title from the champ.
12-Arguello vs Mancinni - Great toe to toe action, fight almost over RD11 but Mancinni fights on to RD 14, great display of class after the fight.
11-Pacquiao vs Morales 2 - I thought it was a bit more intense than the first fight. Morales wins 4 of the first 5 Rds, but pac was working on morales in the body early on like a surgeon. As a result, Morales had no legs and gassed out in the end.
10-Hagler vs Hearns- For a fight that lasted only 3 rds, you had more action than most fights have in 12 RDS. Hearns tried to take out hagler in one rd and even stunned him but hagler's steel chin took the shots and hearns broke his right hand trying to finish him. In RD 3 Hagler is bleeding and the ring doctor allows him to fight on, hagler knows he can lose due to the Cut and than goes for the kill and stops Hearns, possibly a roman gladiator type fight.
9-Klitschko vs Lewis- Gatti vs Ward on the HW stage, lasted only 6 RDS but it had incredible action. Possibly the two best HW of their era meet in a classic display of will and determination, too bad no rematch happened.
8-Pacquiao vs Marquez 1- Marquez almost KO'd in RD1 and than outboxes pac for the most of the rest of the fight. Controversial decision as some thought pac won and others thought marquez, but we can all agree it was a great fight.
7-Leonard vs Duran 1 - Leonard fights Duran flat footed possibly because he thought he was too strong for duran or simply because he was so pissed at the stuff Duran said about him being gay or the stuff Duran said about his wife Juanita. Duran stuns Leonard early on and Leonard hangs on for dear life, both fighters showed great heart and some great showboating is done. Duran sticks out his chin and makes SRL miss a 5 punch combination in the final RD displaying great agility and inside slipping techniques.
6-Duran vs Barkley - Ring Magazine Fight of the year 1989. Barkley almost takes duran head off early on and Duran still keeps fighting. He KD barkley in RD11 and wins a SD. The hands of stone gets his 4th weight class belt in a classic battle.
5-Morales vs Barrera 1- Havent seen it in years but was left speechless when i saw it. Some great back and forth action, Barrera almost finished and comes back to counter with a 2nd wind, it would be chapter one of the great trilogy.
4-Leonard vs Hearns 1- The boxer becomes the puncher and the puncher becomes the boxer. Hearns takes the early rounds but SRL stuns hearns in RD6, Hearns now must go to boxing to survive by using his reach and jab, he starts to get points and messes the retina on Leonards eye, SRL is told you are blowing it kid and hurts in Hearns in RD13, he finishes Hearns in RD 14, while some say Hearns should have held on- many think Hearns was so weak he didnt even have the strength to hold on.
3-Hagler vs Mugabi- Hagler gets his 12th defense win against a great challenger. Mugabi had like 26 fights and all 26 were by KO. Mugabi hits hagler with incredible flush shots and Hagler goes to boxing skills to take Mugabi apart, RD6 was one of the sickest slugfest you ever will see. Both fighters will admit to urinated blood due to the wicked body shots.
2-Arguello vs Pryor 1- Arguello tries to win a title in his 4th weight class and falls short but not without a great effort. Both fighters show great courage, skill, and chin. People were left wondering how can each guy take those viscious shots and than another one connects, than pryor takes the mystery bottle potion and forces the ref to stop the fight after stopping Arguello.
1-Castillo vs Corrales 1- It was a Saturday night and i saw that fight on showtime, almost from the beginning i knew something special was brewing, each guy going to the body and none backing down, mano to mano, toe to toe, inside fighting. Both guys would look like they belong on a mash unit after the fight, castillo drops Corrales twice in the same round and than comes to TKO Castillo in the same rd. Corrales finally gets rid of the mayweather demons that always haunted him with this old school brawl
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