Most Important Fight of 2004

[whdempsey]

At the end of the year, what do you think we'll look back on and say, "Hey. This changed a lotta ****. It was really important. Reference will be made to it for years to come."?

I'm pretty sure it's gonna be Antonio Tarver-Roy Jones II, which also gets my vote for upset of the year. It doesn't look that special now, not after the Johnson fight, but back then it was like someone had shot Jesus. It just wasn't right. It didn't match our view of the world. And think about what it's changed. Instead of moving back up to heavy and beating a few contenders there, he took on Johnson and got his ass handed to him for the first time in his career. (Tarver never handed Jones his ass. Remember, Jones won the first round of their second fight.) And there was no Hopkins-Jones rematch, or Tarver-Jones III, because the Johnson fight had destroyed all of Jones' remaining credibility. And on top of all that, this was the guy who had dominated three divisions and been on top of the pound for pound list for years. He was called Superman, for goodness' sake. So that's why I think Tarver-Jones II is the most important fight of the year.

[MetalVomit]

At the end of the year, what do you think we'll look back on and say, "Hey. This changed a lotta ****. It was really important. Reference will be made to it for years to come."?

I'm pretty sure it's gonna be Antonio Tarver-Roy Jones II, which also gets my vote for upset of the year. It doesn't look that special now, not after the Johnson fight, but back then it was like someone had shot Jesus. It just wasn't right. It didn't match our view of the world. And think about what it's changed. Instead of moving back up to heavy and beating a few contenders there, he took on Johnson and got his ass handed to him for the first time in his career. (Tarver never handed Jones his ass. Remember, Jones won the first round of their second fight.) And there was no Hopkins-Jones rematch, or Tarver-Jones III, because the Johnson fight had destroyed all of Jones' remaining credibility. And on top of all that, this was the guy who had dominated three divisions and been on top of the pound for pound list for years. He was called Superman, for goodness' sake. So that's why I think Tarver-Jones II is the most important fight of the year.

i agree completely

[stu]

I would also agree, although the cracks with Jones started to appear in the first Tarver fight.

I also think Tito coming back will end up being something that is looked back on as being something major.

[Supafly25]

- Jones vs Tarver I
- The Return of Trinidad and Tszyu
- De La Hoya vs Hopkins, just because of the massive amount of publicity it created.

[ispayder]

As for the "Upset of the Year", I will go with you. It should be Tarver- Jones II. As for the most important fight of the year, I respect your opinion but, we need some criteria or basis here.

[jack_the_rippuh]

Like someone said after their fight, "It marked the end of an era, and more importantly an aura."

[whdempsey]

As for the "Upset of the Year", I will go with you. It should be Tarver- Jones II. As for the most important fight of the year, I respect your opinion but, we need some criteria or basis here.

Um. The criteria is whatever you want it to be, I suppose. I don't really care, I just want to see your post. My criteria was how I think I will answer the question, "What fight changed the sport the most over the past year?"

Are you looking for something else? Cuz I can define it better if I need to. I would like to leave it be, though.