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Fight Night Round 3: Instant Classics
Boxing's best rivalries from ESPN Classics mode.
by Jonathan Miller
January 27, 2006 - There's a lot of hate in boxing, a kind of hatred that's almost impossible to capture in words or in a videogame. But EA Sports has done an admirable job in Fight Night Round 3 with its new ESPN Classics mode that attempts to revive the greatest rivarlies by reliving some of the greatest fights in boxing history. We've done our best to filter through the hate and the history to bring you the top ten rivalries of Fight Night Round 3. Before you read on, put in your mouthpiece.
10. Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins
Technically, this isn't much of a rivalry but this fight was a benchmark for both fighters on their way to greatness. The IBF middleweight belt was up for grabs, and the flashy Olympian Jones would take on defensive journeyman Hopkins. At the time, the 1993 fight ranked as the biggest of Hopkins' career and his first against a top fighter. Jones and Hopkins went the distance and Jones won on a unanimous decision.
The clash of styles is what really makes this an interesting matchup. Jones is a pure athlete with a penchant for showmanship, while Hopkins is a methodical, defensive fighter. Supposedly, the two are slated for a fight this summer after which both are likely to retire.
In another interesting note, both fighters have appeared on the cover of Fight Night games. Jones lost his last three fights and Hopkins twice lost to Jermaine Taylor. It's early, but there are talks of a new "Madden Curse."
9. Roy Jones Jr. vs. James Toney
Again, this is not considered much of a rivalry, and the 1994 fight between Jones and Toney was touted as a contest of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. As was the case for most of Jones's fights in the '90s, however, this wasn't much of a contest at all.
Jones packed on points, winning round after round, knocked Toney down in the third, and won a unanimous decision to take the IBF Super Middleweight belt. It was Toney's first loss of his career.
8. Jermaine Taylor vs. Bernard Hopkins
While Hopkins will surely go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time, it was Jermaine Taylor that ended the reign of the Executioner. In July of 2005, the speedy Taylor started racking up points on Hopkins, but didn't land any seriously damaging blows. In the final rounds, Hopkins began an assault on Taylor and narrowed the gap, but it was too little, too late. Taylor won by way of a controversial split decision.
The pair fought a rematch the following December, and Taylor won in a unanimous decision, putting a likely end to the brilliant career of Hopkins. Taylor is currently the WBC, WBO and WBA middleweight champ.
A near death experience, this rivalry was.
7. Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Duran
The tough-as-nails Marvelous Marvin Hagler held one of the most impressive strangleholds on the middleweight ranks in boxing history, as he was the undisputed champion from 1980 to 1987. In 1983, Roberto Duran took a title shot against Hagler and was the first fighter to go the distance against Marvelous. Still, Duran fell at Caesar's Palace in a unanimous, but close, decision. This ranks as one of the many superfights between middleweight powers Sugar Ray Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Tommy "Hitman" Hearns, sadly an omission from the Fight Night Round 3 lineup.
6. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler
The 1980s were, without a doubt, the decade of great middleweight fighters. Somehow, it took seven years for Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard, both in their primes, to meet. At first, it didn't look like it would ever happen as Leonard retired and actually said the fight would "never" take place. Hagler was disappointed, but then Leonard came out of retirement to TKO Kevin Howard, only to go back into retirement. Finally, in 1987, Leonard agreed to fight Hagler, who had not lost a fight in 11 years. Sugar Ray outboxed Hagler to win a split decision, take the middleweight title, and retire. Hagler also retired, ending an amazing career. Sugar Ray did retire and unretire several more times as he had five more fights after the Hagler matchup.
Boxing's best rivalries from ESPN Classics mode.
by Jonathan Miller
January 27, 2006 - There's a lot of hate in boxing, a kind of hatred that's almost impossible to capture in words or in a videogame. But EA Sports has done an admirable job in Fight Night Round 3 with its new ESPN Classics mode that attempts to revive the greatest rivarlies by reliving some of the greatest fights in boxing history. We've done our best to filter through the hate and the history to bring you the top ten rivalries of Fight Night Round 3. Before you read on, put in your mouthpiece.
10. Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins
Technically, this isn't much of a rivalry but this fight was a benchmark for both fighters on their way to greatness. The IBF middleweight belt was up for grabs, and the flashy Olympian Jones would take on defensive journeyman Hopkins. At the time, the 1993 fight ranked as the biggest of Hopkins' career and his first against a top fighter. Jones and Hopkins went the distance and Jones won on a unanimous decision.
The clash of styles is what really makes this an interesting matchup. Jones is a pure athlete with a penchant for showmanship, while Hopkins is a methodical, defensive fighter. Supposedly, the two are slated for a fight this summer after which both are likely to retire.
In another interesting note, both fighters have appeared on the cover of Fight Night games. Jones lost his last three fights and Hopkins twice lost to Jermaine Taylor. It's early, but there are talks of a new "Madden Curse."
9. Roy Jones Jr. vs. James Toney
Again, this is not considered much of a rivalry, and the 1994 fight between Jones and Toney was touted as a contest of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. As was the case for most of Jones's fights in the '90s, however, this wasn't much of a contest at all.
Jones packed on points, winning round after round, knocked Toney down in the third, and won a unanimous decision to take the IBF Super Middleweight belt. It was Toney's first loss of his career.
8. Jermaine Taylor vs. Bernard Hopkins
While Hopkins will surely go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time, it was Jermaine Taylor that ended the reign of the Executioner. In July of 2005, the speedy Taylor started racking up points on Hopkins, but didn't land any seriously damaging blows. In the final rounds, Hopkins began an assault on Taylor and narrowed the gap, but it was too little, too late. Taylor won by way of a controversial split decision.
The pair fought a rematch the following December, and Taylor won in a unanimous decision, putting a likely end to the brilliant career of Hopkins. Taylor is currently the WBC, WBO and WBA middleweight champ.
A near death experience, this rivalry was.
7. Marvin Hagler vs. Roberto Duran
The tough-as-nails Marvelous Marvin Hagler held one of the most impressive strangleholds on the middleweight ranks in boxing history, as he was the undisputed champion from 1980 to 1987. In 1983, Roberto Duran took a title shot against Hagler and was the first fighter to go the distance against Marvelous. Still, Duran fell at Caesar's Palace in a unanimous, but close, decision. This ranks as one of the many superfights between middleweight powers Sugar Ray Leonard, Duran, Hagler and Tommy "Hitman" Hearns, sadly an omission from the Fight Night Round 3 lineup.
6. Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler
The 1980s were, without a doubt, the decade of great middleweight fighters. Somehow, it took seven years for Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard, both in their primes, to meet. At first, it didn't look like it would ever happen as Leonard retired and actually said the fight would "never" take place. Hagler was disappointed, but then Leonard came out of retirement to TKO Kevin Howard, only to go back into retirement. Finally, in 1987, Leonard agreed to fight Hagler, who had not lost a fight in 11 years. Sugar Ray outboxed Hagler to win a split decision, take the middleweight title, and retire. Hagler also retired, ending an amazing career. Sugar Ray did retire and unretire several more times as he had five more fights after the Hagler matchup.
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