Greatest Boxing Rivalries

[alexpaterson]

There is a programme in Britian on ESPN Classics Ringside:Rivalries it looks at the best rivalries in boxing hsitory.

What is your faviorite Boxing Rivalry?

[Goodnight, Irene]

See also, Grudge Fights, presented by Barry Tompkins, & featuring Larry Merchant as guest analyst. Appearances in studio by Muhammad Ali & Joe Frazier.

Rivalries examined in the hour-long HBO feature...

Tunney-Dempsey
Louis-Schmeling
Zale-Graziano
Saddler-Pep
Charles-Walcott
Marciano-Walcott
Fullmer-Robinson
Robinson-Basilio
Patterson-Johansson
Ali-Frazier


Maybe one or two I missed off the top of my head...

[boxing_fanatic_87]

Some of the modern day rivalries are as good as any throughout history like Barrera/Morales, Marquez/Vazquez and Corrales/Castillo

[Goodnight, Irene]

Barrera-Morales is, I think, the premier rivalry of the current decade. Anyone agree or dispute that?

[Marlin]

Barrera-Morales is, I think, the premier rivalry of the current decade. Anyone agree or dispute that?

Yes.

[alexpaterson]

See also, Grudge Fights, presented by Barry Tompkins, & featuring Larry Merchant as guest analyst. Appearances in studio by Muhammad Ali & Joe Frazier.

Rivalries examined in the hour-long HBO feature...

Tunney-Dempsey
Louis-Schmeling
Zale-Graziano
Saddler-Pep
Charles-Walcott
Marciano-Walcott
Fullmer-Robinson
Robinson-Basilio
Patterson-Johansson
Ali-Frazier


Maybe one or two I missed off the top of my head...

A few of them were menioned but a lot of the fights included Carmen Basilio vs Saxton, De Marco, Fullmer and Robinson and Griffith against Perel was mentioned that was a brilliant trilogy they hated each other it was a very sad ending however

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Holyfield/Bowe was the best of the last couple decades imo. If Leonard was man enough, he and Hearns could have been the best ever.

Gatti/Ward is the most overrated. One spectacular fight and two good ones that lacked drama.

[BoxBuzz]

Eubanks-Benn was a bit tense.

[raylawpc]

From the old-timers: One of the great rivalries was Tommy Ryan-Mysterious Billy Smith. These guys fought 7 times. Their 1895 bout at Coney island was a classic. Ryan was down in the 10th round and, in the 11th round, the police chief halted the proceeds when Ryan was being pummeled by Smith. Ryan talked the chief out of stopping the fight. Ryan then slowly took command until the 18th round when the police intervened again, this time with Smith out on his feet. The tally:

8-29-1893 D 6 - Coney Island, NY
1-9-1894 D 6 - Boston, MA
7-26-1894 Ryan W 20, Minneapolis - world welterweight title (142 pounds)
5-27-1895 NC 18 - Coney Island, NY - world welterweight title (142 pounds)
5-6-1896 ND 5 (friendly bout) - Syracuse, NY
11-25-1896 Ryan WDQ 9 - Queens, NY
3-14-1902 Ryan KO 4 - Kansas City, MO

Except for the Syracuse bout (which was more of an exhibition), and the Kansas City fight, the fights were extremely competitive and viciously fought.

When it comes to boxing, I was born a century too late.

[Ezzard]

Boxing thrives on rivalries. The rematch has become less and less a mainstay of boxing and I think it's a real shame.

More rematches generally mean more rivalries and therefore more interest.

[Robinson]

What really sucks is not that long ago we had the potential for some
great rivalries and series...

Jones jr, Hopkins, Toney would have made for a nice running trio..
but alas all we got were misses...

[Ezzard]

What really sucks is not that long ago we had the potential for some
great rivalries and series...

Jones jr, Hopkins, Toney would have made for a nice running trio..
but alas all we got were misses...

Totally agree.

The HWs Lewis, Holyfield, Tyson and Bowe almost had a great set of rivalries. It was still very good but just a few too many missed opportunities.

To be fair MAB, Morales, Marquez and Pac have managed a greats eries between them.

[allworld80]

Barrera-Morales is, I think, the premier rivalry of the current decade. Anyone agree or dispute that?

Two great fighters with a seemingly genuine hatred of each other, who had 3 classic encounters. Hard to dispute it.

[Rossman]

Robinson/LaMotta?

[Goodnight, Irene]

Robinson/LaMotta?

Fair enough, but the best rivalries are the hotly-contested ones (in terms of evenness between the fighters). Robinson dominated LaMotta, but I take your point.

[Expug]

Ted "Kid" Lewis and Jack Britton.
They fought at least twenty times.

[raylawpc]

Sam Langford carried on great rivialries with Harry Wills, Sam McVey, Joe Jeannette, Jim Barry, Jeff Clark.
Harry Greb and Fay Keiser,
Benny Leonard and Johnny Dundee
Charley White and Johnny Dundee
Kid Kaplan and Babe Herman
Tommy Ryan and Mysterious Billy Smith
Jack Dillon and George Chip
Freddie Miller v. Petey Sarron
Kid Gavilian v. Billy Graham
Archie Moore verus Harold Johnson and Jimmy Bivins. (Bivins and Moore really despised one another, too.)
Henry Armstrong v. Baby Arizmendi
Jake LaMotta and Fritizie Zivic - four fifghts - three split decisions.
Gene Fullmer and SRR
Lauro Salas and Jimmy Carter
Emile Griffith versus Luis Rodriguez, Nino Benvenuti and Denny Moyer

[raylawpc]

Robinson/LaMotta?

Fair enough, but the best rivalries are the hotly-contested ones (in terms of evenness between the fighters). Robinson dominated LaMotta, but I take your point.

Robinson certainly did not dominate LaMotta on Feb. 5 1943, when Jake won a unanimous decision to hand Robby his first loss, or on September 26, 1945 when Robby eked out a split decision. My understanding is that first five bouts were all close. Although Robby stopped LaMotta in 1951, it was a classic - a tough, brutal contest with both fellows taking punishment.

[Goodnight, Irene]

To clarify, Robinson dominated the series, is what I am saying. 5-1 is very one-sided, even if the fights were more competitive than the final ledger. It just doesn't make for ideal reading in my book, but that's just me.

[raylawpc]

To clarify, Robinson dominated the series, is what I am saying. 5-1 is very one-sided, even if the fights were more competitive than the final ledger. It just doesn't make for ideal reading in my book, but that's just me.

Then we will have to agree to disagree. I'd go back in time to see all or any of the LaMotta-Robinson fights live and ringside - even knowing the outcome. In fact, I doubt even Robinson would suggest that the "dominated" Jake LaMotta in any way.

[jaclem2]

.....i go along with raylaw here and infact he beat me to it......they were wars which is why there were so many rematches and, again like ray, i wish i could see the damn things. even the final won had ray stepping at a fast pace all the way with jake right after him, and he even gave away height and yet often was matching the jabbing master with left jabs of his own.

[Goodnight, Irene]

You guys aren't grasping my point. I never said the fights were one-sided --- I said the final ledger was. 5-1, no?

Sure, they were great battles, but I'm just stating in my view, the best rivalries are split a little more evenly than that.

[Robinson]

Ron Richards and Fred Henneberry. 10 fights in 8 years. Lots of nasty fouls.

Frank Slavin vs Nick Burley.

[jaclem2]

..irene...we're not missing your point. it's your premise that is flawed.

the thread is about great rivalries, and this was one of ther greatest, regardless of the won/lost aspect.

[raylawpc]

..irene...we're not missing your point. it's your premise that is flawed.

the thread is about great rivalries, and this was one of ther greatest, regardless of the won/lost aspect.