Classic chess matches.

[VG_Addict]

What are some good older, highly technical fights?

[BattlingNelson]

Leonard-Benitez
Hagler-Duran

[NChristo]

James Toney - Mike McCallum I
Vicente Saldivar - Howard Winstone II

[joseph5620]

Whitaker-Mcgirt 1

Thomas Hearns-Virgil Hill

[Scott9945]

Benvenuti-Griffith

Buchanan-Laguna

[Sugar Adam Ali]

A lot of good suggestions in this thread..


Recently, me personally, marquez-barrera was top notch, especially the first few rounds. Both guys tactically tried to take the lead and wouldn't want the other to take control.. Just outstanding stuff by two great ring technicians, especially the first 3 rounds.. Every punch thrown had a counter, and every counter had a counter.. Top of the line

[The Old LefHook]

Robinson/Gavilan produced chess matches both times.

Gavilan is an unheralded, unsung, under-appreciated, underrated welterweight. Whenever welterweight greats are discussed, the kid is always in the shadows, garnering a few mentions, but never a principal player. This could be a mistake. I know of no one else who forced a dead-center prime Robinson to say, "Okay, then, I'll just box ya, ya sonofab*tch." I am assuming Robinson did not do that because he liked the kid or felt sorry for him.

Come to think of it, Robinson's ring intelligence is on high display in merely the obvious fact that he understood so quickly, forget the fight itself. Ray was one of the ring's great killers. He was always a great boxer/puncher, but only one guy got the respect of turning him into a pure boxer, at least much closer to pure. He would have taken Gavilan's scalp anytime he could get it, and might have tried a few times. Basically, though, it was fighting Bernard Hopkins or Andre Ward at their own game and beating them, ya sonofab*tch.

Unless Ray had sparred with Gavilan previously, I am in awe of his adjustment, and how quickly it came.

I haven't watched those fights in a few years, because there are more exciting things than chess matches. But that is how I recall remembering them.

[NChristo]

By a few years do you mean 70 years and you was there live ?, Gavilan - Robinson was never televised and there's very very little chance any footage exists, maybe you're getting Gavilan confused with someone else ?.

[Anthony342]

Bobby Fischer vs. Boris Spassky.

[rightsideup]

Leonard hagler

So many excellent answer's