Fights which summed up a boxer and showed his greatness

[talip bin osman]

the dealing with adversity and/or handicap variety type of fights that certain fighter has had... more than having a smashing victory over a fellow ATG you have a definite advantage against (styles, size, speed, power, youth etc...)

JCC vs taylor...

foreman vs moorer...

langford vs flowers...

duran vs castro...

yeah, those types of fights...

[T.McGrady]

I just watched Virgil Hill's dominating performece against Valery Brudov and was very impressed. I have his career set on DVD so I had seen alot of his fights including the ones against Fabrice Tiozzo, Frank Tate, Drake Thadzi, Jean Marc Mormeck and Henry Maske but I thought his performence against Brudov basically summed him up as a fighter. Excellent timing, speed, defence and a beautiful jab. Brudov wasnt the greatest fighter in the world but he was 30-0 with 23 knockouts and to dominate a fighter in the prime of his career at 42 years old like that, I thought it was a great performence and one that summed up his career.

I want to know about other fights like this so that I can watch them. I'm talking about fights when in 10-20 years time when the fighter is retired you would be able to watch them and see the greatness of the fighter just from that one performence. Please tell me some of the fights you know like this, Especially those of your favorite fighter or from fighters who maybe arent your favorite but the fight stands out for you.

I can think of a few others....

Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Shane Mosley
Ricardo Lopez vs Rosendo Alvarez II
Roy Jones Jr vs James Toney
Bernard Hopkins vs Kelly Pavlik

Feel free to tell me some more...

hmmm...I'm not sure about that.

[$Bullsfam$]

-Bernard Hopkins vs Antonio Tarver(Thought it meant alot winning the Light Heavyweight title in his supposedly last fight)

-Pernell Whitaker vs Julio Ceasar Chavez

-Juan Manuel Marquez vs Pacman(both fights)

-Joe Frazier vs Ali 1 for Frazier

-Ali vs Frazier II for Ali. Or the Foreman fight works too.

-Foreman destroying Frazier the 1st time

[erikmorales]

Toney vs barkley
Hopkins vs trinidad
hagler vs hearns
winky vs trinidad

[BigStereotype]

Chavez vs. Taylor: It showed that you can out-talent Chavez, maybe even outclass him, but you can never, ever count him out of a fight, because he's not giving up.
Roy Jones vs. Richard Hall: Jones clowned him and showed off every aspect of his amazing ability in one of the most complete performances of all time.
Duran vs. Leonard I: Leonard was the bigger, younger stronger man, but Duran's ferocity got through to him, a pattern that would continue for the rest of Duran's career (especially in the Iran Barkley fight)
Duran vs. Buchanan: When Duran was still the bigger guy, he was an animal. Watch here as he beats up a fantastic fighter and even finishes him off with a fairly obvious low-blow.
Barrera vs. McKinney and Hamed: If you were to watch both fights back to back, you would never believe it was the same fighter executing completely contrasting gameplans to perfection. The difference between the brawling Barrera who stopped McKinney and the boxing Barrera who finished Hamed is eye-popping, and I think it's that versatility that sums up his career.
Margarito vs. Cotto: Margarito showed that his toughness and heart were second to none as he took a tremendous beating and still came back to beat up the undefeated Cotto. Too bad people taint the win with the plaster-wraps incident.

[CineScape]

Holmes vs. Norton

This fight was rediculous. Holmes and Norton were dead even in this fight and Holmes took it in the 15th. Classic.

Holmes always did some off the wall shit. I know some of you guys remember his car running days...hahaha.

[NChristo]

Jack Johnson - Jim Jeffries
Alexis Arguello - Ray Mancini
Aaron Pryor - Alexis Arguello I
Carlos Monzon - Bennie Briscoe II

[JK1700]

hmmm...I'm not sure about that.

I believe that fight was a fight people will look back on when Floyd is retired. Alot of people doubted his desire and hunger in boxing. Many said he had never faced real adversity before. They also said he had never faced a truly great welterweight before. He proved them all wrong and showed what he is all about. He showed he had heart, he showed he can dig in and come back when faced with adversity. He showed what champions are made of and dismantled one of the greatest fighters of his era along the way.

I want to say thanks to everyone for their input. I will make it a priority to watch alot of the fights mentioned in this thread.

[BG_Knocc_Out]

Duran vs Barkley

You might be saying, "what?!?!", but what I think it demonstrated is Duran's ability to come from such a lower weight class and fight a man, going toe to toe the entire night, while also being completely out of his prime. Sure, not a dominate performance, but one that was pretty much an example of a lot of his career.

Also I think the same can be said for Toney vs Holyfield, but then again, Holyfield was more past it than James...

[BennyST]

Chavez vs. Taylor: It showed that you can out-talent Chavez, maybe even outclass him, but you can never, ever count him out of a fight, because he's not giving up.
Roy Jones vs. Richard Hall: Jones clowned him and showed off every aspect of his amazing ability in one of the most complete performances of all time.
Duran vs. Leonard I: Leonard was the bigger, younger stronger man, but Duran's ferocity got through to him, a pattern that would continue for the rest of Duran's career (especially in the Iran Barkley fight)
Duran vs. Buchanan: When Duran was still the bigger guy, he was an animal. Watch here as he beats up a fantastic fighter and even finishes him off with a fairly obvious low-blow.
Barrera vs. McKinney and Hamed: If you were to watch both fights back to back, you would never believe it was the same fighter executing completely contrasting gameplans to perfection. The difference between the brawling Barrera who stopped McKinney and the boxing Barrera who finished Hamed is eye-popping, and I think it's that versatility that sums up his career.
Margarito vs. Cotto: Margarito showed that his toughness and heart were second to none as he took a tremendous beating and still came back to beat up the undefeated Cotto. Too bad people taint the win with the plaster-wraps incident.

Bigger guy? Duran is actually tiny compared to Buchanan. The size difference was quite amazing and very much if favour of Kenny. Watch it again. He has half a head in height, is more solid and a lot more reach.

Ferocity got him through his early career, LW and WW career, but it was all but gone for the rest of it. He got through the rest on ring savvy, skill and heart.