Tweet
After last night's destruction of Nathan Cleverly, I thought it would be nice to look back at other lopsided, easy, destructive wins throughout boxing's history. So here we go:
What are you top 10 beatings witnessed in a boxing ring?
1. Foreman v Frazier
"Down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier!" Possibly one of the most famous utterances by a commentator in all sport. This defines a night in which it was Frazier who was the big favourite, with bookies having him a 3:1 favourite. Foreman had other ideas and used Frazier as a yoyo for 2 of the most brutally one sided rounds in boxing history. 2. Tyson v Spinks
Another HW championship bout and one in which Tyson came of age, on that night, in that form, Tyson would have been a handful for anybody, which is why he was a 4-1 favourite but Spinks was supposed to give him his hardest test thus far. Tyson would destroy the "lineal" champ in 90 seconds and Spinks would never return to a boxing ring ever again.3. Hearns v Duran
Hearns was "The Hitman" and Duran "The Hands of Stone", both men could hit hard and everyone knew it. Tommy Hearns was the slight favourite going into the fight but everyone knew a single big shot from either guy could end it. Hearns landed a few hard punches in the 1st round, putting Duran on his arse but that right hand in the 2nd was explosive and sickening. The sound it made on impact was shocking. As brutal a KO as you'll ever see.4. Dempsey v Willard
As brutal a mauling as you are ever likely to see, Dempsey battered Willard for 3 unforgiving rounds, there was blood, broken bones, swelling and the small matter of the heavyweight championship pf the world. There has been a lot of talk of Dempsey's gloves being loaded but no solid evidence, this was an annihilation very rarely seen in sport.5. Louis v Schmeling
Max Schmeling, the German who had battered the young American hopeful Louis in a previous bout would get beat up, knocked down and knocked out inside a round. This was Louis at his most cold, he went in there to hurt Schmeling and he did just that. Some of those punches hit so hard and so clean it may just make you cringe.6. Pacquiao v Barrera 1
This really is a forgotten gem, Pacquiao came into the fight a 3-1 underdog, he was there for the taking, or so Barrera thought. The Baby Faced Assassin had been on a great streak, clearing much of the FW division and finally beating old rival Morales. But this would be a battering at the hands of a young, quick and powerful fighter from the Phillipines, who battered Barrera for almost every round...except for that "KD" in the first round. Barrera was a mess by the time the fight was stopped, never before had he been so thoroughly thrashed.7. Robinson v LaMotta 6
The last 5-6 rounds were are one-sided as any there have ever been inside the ring. Jake LaMotta did well in the first half of the right, bobbing and weaving his way through but by the 9th it was clear Robinson was going to have it his way. Not as lopsided as other fights on the list but the shear brutality of the last 3 rounds is enough to have it on this list.8. Griffith v Paret 4
Again, not as one sided as some of the other fights on this list and Paret definitely had his fair share of success early on but the fact that Griffith beat Paret to death is enough to have it on this list. Griffith pounded on an unconscious Paret on the ropes as the referee lingered in the background. This was brutal almost to the point of being sickening. 9. Lewis v Tyson
Tyson was a shadow of his former self, a lost boy in what was now a man's world, he had already been outbullied by Holyfield twice and out hearted by Douglas but it was Lewis who would put the final nail in Tyson's coffin. Most people had Lewis as the favourite but no one expected a fight like this. By the end of the second it was obvious that Tyson was being outclassed, by the end of the 4th it was obvious that he was being out muscled too. By the time the KO came no one was surprised, the shocking had already happened, Tyson had been beaten up more thoroughly than anyone had expected.10. Holmes v Cobb
Wana talk about one sided? Well then, look no further than this. Holmes beat up the limited, slow plodding brawler known as Tex Cobb and it was the fight which led to Howard Cosell quitting the sport. Holmes went in there a huge favourite and proved why, by the end of the fight Cobb was a mess and probably thankful that he had not only survived but was still alive. What are you top 10 beatings witnessed in a boxing ring?
Comment