March 15 2008 
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The Ten Greatest Fights Ever
Ringsidereport.com
10) Michael Katsidis Vs. Czar Amonsat (2007)
For me, this one breaks into the top ten for three reasons: Sustained back and forth action; the drama of wondering if the fight would be stopped due to Amonsot’s destruction of Katsidis’ facial tissue or Katsidis’s destruction of Amonsot’s head and body; and most importantly, it validated my dropping fifty bucks on an otherwise worthless Pay-Per-View (Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright). This was an exciting fight that transformed Katsidis into a name much more familiar to fight fans, and has him being talked about as an opponent for everyone from Juan Diaz to Manny Pacquiao. I fully expect many more fights like this from a man born in the same place as that “Swift Runner” Achilles.
9) Erik Morales Vs. Marco Antonio Barrera (2004)
Their last was my first. I remember watching this one in awe because I had only stopped on this because there was nothing else on. It was the first time I had seen such ebb and flow in a fight, and it definitely made me an instant fan of both the fight game, and its under appreciated lower weight classes that are so ignored here in the States. This is the type of fight that turns casual fans into fanatics, I know, I was one of them.
8) Evander Holyfield Vs. Mike Tyson I (1996)
Yes this one is a little further back than I previously said my boxing memory extends, but I remember this one well; I must have watched this fight a thousand times, something extremely out of the ordinary for me back then. I picked this one because Holyfield was the first, and only, fighter not significantly taller than Tyson to defeat him. Only Holyfield didn’t just defeat him, he beat the brakes off of Tyson. There wasn’t so much back and forth sustained action here; largely it consisted in Holyfield proving his greatness to a skeptical public. Tyson had already regained much of the mystique that he lost when he suffered the only defeat of his career at this point to Buster Douglas six years earlier. Most figured that Holyfield would be eating the canvas before the sixth round because Tyson was still the most feared man in boxing. However, it was Holyfield who outfought “Iron” Mike, standing in the pocket with “The Baddest Man on the Planet” and dominated every exchange. He made Tyson look every bit like the quintessential school yard bully who is tough only so long as no one challenges him. Holyfield had challenged him and won, and the boxing world realized it had another Great on its hands.
7) Kelly Pavlik Vs. Jermain Taylor (2007)
Yeah, I know that like the Katsidis-Amonsat bout this one took place earlier this year and that it might be a tad too early to induct it into a list such as this, but I don’t care. This fight was so good that it eclipsed what had also been a great fight on the under card between Andre Berto and David Estrada. For all intents and purposes, Pavlik was done for in the second round, yet somehow he pulled himself together, withstood Taylor’s frenzied, sloppy, onslaught, and knocked out the undefeated, undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World. This was quite an accomplishment considering the list of fighters who faced Taylor and weren’t able to get the win. Not to mention that all the other rounds of this fight had some pretty solid back and forth action throughout.
6) Erik Morales Vs. Manny Pacquiao I (2005)
Unlike the two rematches that would follow, this one was actually competitive. Morales was looking to rebound from a loss against Barrera, by beating Barrera conqueror Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao on the other hand was riding high on a 13 fight winning streak. This would be one of the many signature fights of Erik Morales brilliant career. It would also prove to be the last great fight that he had inside him. For twelve rounds he used the Juan Manuel Marquez blue-print: longer body, solid chin, and tenacity to go war with Pacquiao, who was more than happy to comply. Though the bout was highly competitive, and Pacquiao had his moments and rounds, when the bell rang at the end of the twelfth, there was little doubt as to who the winner was. Morales had pulled off the upset and set up the two rematches that would ultimately lead to the end of his career. Nevertheless, this remains one of the signature wins of Morales’ hall of fame career.
5) Ricky Hatton Vs. Kostya Tszyu (2005)
This fight would land the “Hitman” the distinctions of being ring Magazines fighter of the year for 2005. Tszyu had been off for sometime after undergoing shoulder surgery, but had looked sharp in his comeback victory over Sharmba Mitchell who wasn’t as used up then as he is now. At the time Hatton was considered to be a promising but untested prospect that would be too easy to hit to be able to effectively deal with the sharp punching Tszyu. As is often the case, the experts were wrong. Hatton’s mauling style pushed Tszyu to the breaking point. While he landed many solid counter punches, Kostya was well behind on all the cards going into the final round, he couldn’t muster enough internal fortitude to pick himself up off of his stool. With that refusal, one of the most dominant champions in the history of the junior welterweight division, quit on his stool. Hatton had mugged him and took away his desire to win.
4) Miguel Cotto Vs. Ricardo Torres (2005)
Cotto came into this fight wearing a question mark on his chin. He had been seriously hurt in his bout against light-hitting Demarcus Corley earlier that year, and was the recipient of a hometown stoppage in his favor. Torres on the other hand was an unknown fighter from Columbia with a ridiculously high KO ratio. Both men had similar body types and fighting styles, all action ****ers, and weren’t afraid to trade bombs. The result was a Hollywood style slug fest. In terms of clean, powerful punches exchanged, this could have been a fight straight out of any Rocky movie, only better choreographed and more skillful. Cotto was hurt and knocked down early. He got up, hurt and knocked down Torres. Torres came back to hurt Cotto. Cotto hurt Torres. Had he been in the ring with anyone other than the indomitable Cotto, Torres may have emerged victorious from this encounter. As it was, this fight was the first to display Miguel Cotto’s drive, focus, and will that are every bit as responsible for his current status as is his bone-crushing left hook. He knocked Torres out in the seventh in a classic that had all the elements boxing fans love in their fights.
3) James Toney Vs. Vassiliy Jirov (2003)
Toney is as skilled as fighters come, plus he is a certified tough guy and has a chin made out of diamond. He was moving up in weight to take on a fighter who is as gritty, determined, and powerful as he is technically flawed. If you love action-based fights that demonstrate superior technique (from Toney), then this is a fight for you. This one solidified James Toney's place in the higher weight classes and eventually led to his historic showdown with Evander Holyfield. For his part, Jirov earned recognition as one of the sports most exciting fighters to watch. This one was closer than the final scores indicated, and was so good that the talk of a possible rematch five years beyond its relevancy still has me excited.
2) Rafael Marquez Vs. Israel Vazquez I or II (2007)
Take your pick between these two fights, and probably the third (yet to happen) as well. Yes, this one too is recent but without a doubt deserves this spot on the list. Whenever these two meet the outcome is something like a bar room brawl, if said bar room was filled with world class fighters. So far these two have gone one and one, and if they fought six times they would likely go 3 and 3 with each bout taking the fight of the year award; and I would watch every second of them all. My advice, when the third act takes place, watch it. This is one of the few fights where you are guaranteed not to be disappointed.
1) Jose Luis Castillo Vs. Diego Corrales I (2005)
Was there ever any doubt in your mind, as you were reading this list, as to which fight would take top honors? Even if my boxing knowledge covered every fight from Jack Johnson-Jim Jefferies to Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley, I would probably still have this one first. Fights with this kind of drama and surprise endings happen only once in a lifetime, if that frequently. As any boxing fan will tell you, this fight was special and is destined to have the same sort of aura around it in years to come that Hagler-Hearns has around it now. If you are new to the sport and haven't yet seen this fight, find a copy and watch it.
source= http://ringsidereport.com/rsr/news.php?readmore=2106
10) Michael Katsidis Vs. Czar Amonsat (2007)
For me, this one breaks into the top ten for three reasons: Sustained back and forth action; the drama of wondering if the fight would be stopped due to Amonsot’s destruction of Katsidis’ facial tissue or Katsidis’s destruction of Amonsot’s head and body; and most importantly, it validated my dropping fifty bucks on an otherwise worthless Pay-Per-View (Bernard Hopkins-Winky Wright). This was an exciting fight that transformed Katsidis into a name much more familiar to fight fans, and has him being talked about as an opponent for everyone from Juan Diaz to Manny Pacquiao. I fully expect many more fights like this from a man born in the same place as that “Swift Runner” Achilles.
9) Erik Morales Vs. Marco Antonio Barrera (2004)
Their last was my first. I remember watching this one in awe because I had only stopped on this because there was nothing else on. It was the first time I had seen such ebb and flow in a fight, and it definitely made me an instant fan of both the fight game, and its under appreciated lower weight classes that are so ignored here in the States. This is the type of fight that turns casual fans into fanatics, I know, I was one of them.
8) Evander Holyfield Vs. Mike Tyson I (1996)
Yes this one is a little further back than I previously said my boxing memory extends, but I remember this one well; I must have watched this fight a thousand times, something extremely out of the ordinary for me back then. I picked this one because Holyfield was the first, and only, fighter not significantly taller than Tyson to defeat him. Only Holyfield didn’t just defeat him, he beat the brakes off of Tyson. There wasn’t so much back and forth sustained action here; largely it consisted in Holyfield proving his greatness to a skeptical public. Tyson had already regained much of the mystique that he lost when he suffered the only defeat of his career at this point to Buster Douglas six years earlier. Most figured that Holyfield would be eating the canvas before the sixth round because Tyson was still the most feared man in boxing. However, it was Holyfield who outfought “Iron” Mike, standing in the pocket with “The Baddest Man on the Planet” and dominated every exchange. He made Tyson look every bit like the quintessential school yard bully who is tough only so long as no one challenges him. Holyfield had challenged him and won, and the boxing world realized it had another Great on its hands.
7) Kelly Pavlik Vs. Jermain Taylor (2007)
Yeah, I know that like the Katsidis-Amonsat bout this one took place earlier this year and that it might be a tad too early to induct it into a list such as this, but I don’t care. This fight was so good that it eclipsed what had also been a great fight on the under card between Andre Berto and David Estrada. For all intents and purposes, Pavlik was done for in the second round, yet somehow he pulled himself together, withstood Taylor’s frenzied, sloppy, onslaught, and knocked out the undefeated, undisputed Middleweight Champion of the World. This was quite an accomplishment considering the list of fighters who faced Taylor and weren’t able to get the win. Not to mention that all the other rounds of this fight had some pretty solid back and forth action throughout.
6) Erik Morales Vs. Manny Pacquiao I (2005)
Unlike the two rematches that would follow, this one was actually competitive. Morales was looking to rebound from a loss against Barrera, by beating Barrera conqueror Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao on the other hand was riding high on a 13 fight winning streak. This would be one of the many signature fights of Erik Morales brilliant career. It would also prove to be the last great fight that he had inside him. For twelve rounds he used the Juan Manuel Marquez blue-print: longer body, solid chin, and tenacity to go war with Pacquiao, who was more than happy to comply. Though the bout was highly competitive, and Pacquiao had his moments and rounds, when the bell rang at the end of the twelfth, there was little doubt as to who the winner was. Morales had pulled off the upset and set up the two rematches that would ultimately lead to the end of his career. Nevertheless, this remains one of the signature wins of Morales’ hall of fame career.
5) Ricky Hatton Vs. Kostya Tszyu (2005)
This fight would land the “Hitman” the distinctions of being ring Magazines fighter of the year for 2005. Tszyu had been off for sometime after undergoing shoulder surgery, but had looked sharp in his comeback victory over Sharmba Mitchell who wasn’t as used up then as he is now. At the time Hatton was considered to be a promising but untested prospect that would be too easy to hit to be able to effectively deal with the sharp punching Tszyu. As is often the case, the experts were wrong. Hatton’s mauling style pushed Tszyu to the breaking point. While he landed many solid counter punches, Kostya was well behind on all the cards going into the final round, he couldn’t muster enough internal fortitude to pick himself up off of his stool. With that refusal, one of the most dominant champions in the history of the junior welterweight division, quit on his stool. Hatton had mugged him and took away his desire to win.
4) Miguel Cotto Vs. Ricardo Torres (2005)
Cotto came into this fight wearing a question mark on his chin. He had been seriously hurt in his bout against light-hitting Demarcus Corley earlier that year, and was the recipient of a hometown stoppage in his favor. Torres on the other hand was an unknown fighter from Columbia with a ridiculously high KO ratio. Both men had similar body types and fighting styles, all action ****ers, and weren’t afraid to trade bombs. The result was a Hollywood style slug fest. In terms of clean, powerful punches exchanged, this could have been a fight straight out of any Rocky movie, only better choreographed and more skillful. Cotto was hurt and knocked down early. He got up, hurt and knocked down Torres. Torres came back to hurt Cotto. Cotto hurt Torres. Had he been in the ring with anyone other than the indomitable Cotto, Torres may have emerged victorious from this encounter. As it was, this fight was the first to display Miguel Cotto’s drive, focus, and will that are every bit as responsible for his current status as is his bone-crushing left hook. He knocked Torres out in the seventh in a classic that had all the elements boxing fans love in their fights.
3) James Toney Vs. Vassiliy Jirov (2003)
Toney is as skilled as fighters come, plus he is a certified tough guy and has a chin made out of diamond. He was moving up in weight to take on a fighter who is as gritty, determined, and powerful as he is technically flawed. If you love action-based fights that demonstrate superior technique (from Toney), then this is a fight for you. This one solidified James Toney's place in the higher weight classes and eventually led to his historic showdown with Evander Holyfield. For his part, Jirov earned recognition as one of the sports most exciting fighters to watch. This one was closer than the final scores indicated, and was so good that the talk of a possible rematch five years beyond its relevancy still has me excited.
2) Rafael Marquez Vs. Israel Vazquez I or II (2007)
Take your pick between these two fights, and probably the third (yet to happen) as well. Yes, this one too is recent but without a doubt deserves this spot on the list. Whenever these two meet the outcome is something like a bar room brawl, if said bar room was filled with world class fighters. So far these two have gone one and one, and if they fought six times they would likely go 3 and 3 with each bout taking the fight of the year award; and I would watch every second of them all. My advice, when the third act takes place, watch it. This is one of the few fights where you are guaranteed not to be disappointed.
1) Jose Luis Castillo Vs. Diego Corrales I (2005)
Was there ever any doubt in your mind, as you were reading this list, as to which fight would take top honors? Even if my boxing knowledge covered every fight from Jack Johnson-Jim Jefferies to Miguel Cotto-Shane Mosley, I would probably still have this one first. Fights with this kind of drama and surprise endings happen only once in a lifetime, if that frequently. As any boxing fan will tell you, this fight was special and is destined to have the same sort of aura around it in years to come that Hagler-Hearns has around it now. If you are new to the sport and haven't yet seen this fight, find a copy and watch it.
source= http://ringsidereport.com/rsr/news.php?readmore=2106
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