top 10 heavyweight boxing matches from 1990-2015

[Larry the boss]

[-PBP-]

Bowe and Holyfield put on some great fights back in the day. I remember Tyson/Holyfield 1 too. That was reallly the first true mega fight where I got caught up in the hype and I couldn't wait to grow up and witness a fight at the MGM.

[Real King Kong]

Byrd vs golota? Each their own i suppose...but i don't know about one of the 10 best. My personal fav is tua vs ibeabuchi.

[soul_survivor]

Bowe and Holyfield put on some great fights back in the day. I remember Tyson/Holyfield 1 too. That was reallly the first true mega fight where I got caught up in the hype and I couldn't wait to grow up and witness a fight at the MGM.

Agreed about Tyson v Holyfield.

As derogatory as it might sound to other heavyweights, this really was the last truly global, mainstream heavyweight rivalry and up until Manny/May, the last of its kind in all boxing.

I remember as a kid watching it and I don't think any other fight grabbed that much media attention. The rematch even more so but the first fight was a true spectacle, not just as a promotion but as a boxing match. What Holyfield did that night, not just win but out bully and out strength THE MAN in boxing has not been replicated since.

Would it be too far to say it was the last truly pop culture relevant hevayweight bout/rivalry? The ear biting incident became part of comedy sketches and TV adverts in the UK lol

Sadly, fight one was also the last time we so a close to prime Tyson and the last time we saw a great Holyfield.

[The plunger man]

1 bowe vs holyfieild 1
2 lewis vs vitali klithcko
3 tua vs ibeabuchi
4 tyson vs holyfield 1
5 morrison vs ruddock
6 bowe vs golota 1
7 moorer vs bert cooper
8 lewis vs tyson
9 tyson vs ruddock
10 lewis vs shannon briggs

[jup11223]

Agreed about Tyson v Holyfield.

As derogatory as it might sound to other heavyweights, this really was the last truly global, mainstream heavyweight rivalry and up until Manny/May, the last of its kind in all boxing.

I remember as a kid watching it and I don't think any other fight grabbed that much media attention. The rematch even more so but the first fight was a true spectacle, not just as a promotion but as a boxing match. What Holyfield did that night, not just win but out bully and out strength THE MAN in boxing has not been replicated since.

Would it be too far to say it was the last truly pop culture relevant hevayweight bout/rivalry? The ear biting incident became part of comedy sketches and TV adverts in the UK lol

Sadly, fight one was also the last time we so a close to prime Tyson and the last time we saw a great Holyfield.

great post

[The plunger man]

Agreed about Tyson v Holyfield.

As derogatory as it might sound to other heavyweights, this really was the last truly global, mainstream heavyweight rivalry and up until Manny/May, the last of its kind in all boxing.

I remember as a kid watching it and I don't think any other fight grabbed that much media attention. The rematch even more so but the first fight was a true spectacle, not just as a promotion but as a boxing match. What Holyfield did that night, not just win but out bully and out strength THE MAN in boxing has not been replicated since.

Would it be too far to say it was the last truly pop culture relevant hevayweight bout/rivalry? The ear biting incident became part of comedy sketches and TV adverts in the UK lol

Sadly, fight one was also the last time we so a close to prime Tyson and the last time we saw a great Holyfield.

Tyson was expected to blow over holyfield and was not given any chance in this fight...in fact holyfield was 25-1 in odds when the fight was anounced ....he went down to 12-1 fight time but holyfield took every shot tyson landed and came back with more....he broke tysons soul that night....i disagree with you saying its the biggest fight to happen in the divsion....lewis vs tyson was a bigger event

[-PBP-]

Agreed about Tyson v Holyfield.

As derogatory as it might sound to other heavyweights, this really was the last truly global, mainstream heavyweight rivalry and up until Manny/May, the last of its kind in all boxing.

I remember as a kid watching it and I don't think any other fight grabbed that much media attention. The rematch even more so but the first fight was a true spectacle, not just as a promotion but as a boxing match. What Holyfield did that night, not just win but out bully and out strength THE MAN in boxing has not been replicated since.

Would it be too far to say it was the last truly pop culture relevant hevayweight bout/rivalry? The ear biting incident became part of comedy sketches and TV adverts in the UK lol

Sadly, fight one was also the last time we so a close to prime Tyson and the last time we saw a great Holyfield.

There were big fights before this (i.e. Tyson/McNeeley when he got out of jail) but this matchup just reached an audience I had never seen before. The buildup was like the super bowl. The ear biting incident did some serious damage to the sport though. The lead up to the fight was amazing and to have that kind of ending to that huge of an audience made boxing the butt of all jokes.

[iamboxing]

Bowe vs Holyfield (Ironically, in his loss Holyfield gained more respect than previous)
Lennox Lewis vs Bruno (Young lion meets a veteran who both hated each others guts)
Moorer vs Foreman ("It happened")

and all of the ones mentioned in above posts. Love threads like these. Waiting to see if someone posts a rare fight we haven't seen.

[Real King Kong]

Jefferson vs harris was a great fight...not quite on the top level, but entertaining.