Underrated Fights

[SaadOffTheDeck]

1. George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle - They took turns knocking each other down.

2. Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns - this fight should rightly be regarded as the greatest middleweight fight in boxing history.

3. Roberto Duran vs. Iran Barkley - the last great fight for 'hands of stone'.

4. Marlon Starling vs. Lloyd Honeygham.

BTW - Duran did meet Benitez and lost.

The topic is under-rated fights.

Starling mutilated Honeygahn anyway.

[Ambling Alp]

You must be kiddin about Leonard-Benitez, Elmer.

A completely under-done Benitez shows up, is hampered by a severe cut for a good two-thirds of the fight, & then is on the wrong end of a BS stoppage? Not taking anything from Leonard directly here, he did his best all night, but how was this a great fight?

It was a great chess match, if you like that kind of fight. The cut was never a factor in the fight whatsoever, nor was anything made of it by Benitez, the press, or any fight fan that I knew. It did not affect his vision.
The referee should have let Benitez continue after he was knocked down in the 15th round. However, Leonard would have won the decision anyway.

[Ambling Alp]

If you like two evenly matched guys going to to toe, there were a few entertaining fights between journeyman/fringe contenders that were fun to watch:

Freddie Roach and Tommy Cordova
Mike "The Bounty" Hunter-Alexander Zolkin. The 2nd fight fight was a wild fight. I did not see their first fight but heard it was the same way.

I know Kenny Keane had a great cruiserweight fight in I believe 1994, but I don't recall who it was against.

[Goodnight, Irene]

You must be kiddin about Leonard-Benitez, Elmer.

A completely under-done Benitez shows up, is hampered by a severe cut for a good two-thirds of the fight, & then is on the wrong end of a BS stoppage? Not taking anything from Leonard directly here, he did his best all night, but how was this a great fight?

It was a great chess match, if you like that kind of fight. The cut was never a factor in the fight whatsoever, nor was anything made of it by Benitez, the press, or any fight fan that I knew. It did not affect his vision.
The referee should have let Benitez continue after he was knocked down in the 15th round. However, Leonard would have won the decision anyway.

You are getting sidetracked in defending Leonard. Understandable, but the issue is whether it was a great fight or not. As a Whitaker fanatic, I'm far from averse to chess matches, but Leonard dominated that battle. It was a long way from being some classic contest.

[Ambling Alp]

No, I would not call it a "great fight". I do think it was a good fight though. Watching Leonard going after a defensive great like Benitez was interesting.
I would say that it is a bit underrated, though not as underrated some of the other fights mentioned here.

[Bricks]

If like me you admire a good technical contest, Mike Mccallum-Sumbu Kalambay was a tremendous match. Kalambay was on fire back in 86-87. Beating technical skillfull guys like herol Graham and mike mccallum at their own game, and being able to tame a force of nature like Iran Barkley were excellent achievements. Kalambay wasn't may peoples cup of tea but I respected him tremendously. He also outboxed Steve Collins and Robbie Sims and Doug Dewitt.

On the same technical level I really enjoyed Marlon Starling-Michael Nunn. Two boxers with great respect for each other. Some would say the match was little more than a skillfull sparring session but I enjoyed it.

[Counter-puncher]

If like me you admire a good technical contest, Mike Mccallum-Sumbu Kalambay was a tremendous match. Kalambay was on fire back in 86-87. Beating technical skillfull guys like herol Graham and mike mccallum at their own game, .

Kalumbay was very skilled and is under-rated nowadays IMO

Re McCallum, a strong case can be made for Kalumbay actually turning him into the laidback boxer he was in his latter years. Kalumbay won the first match quite easily. as far as I am aware this is around the time Mike had started working with Eddie Futch, but not as his fulltime charge.

remember that as a 154lber McCallum, mostly, relied on his size and strenght, stood in front of people and banged the shit out of the body till they couldn't stand up anymore, with pretty much no thought for the counters they would throw back.

i have heard that McCallum actually credits- believe it or not- Panama Lewis with giving him the advice needed to beat Kalumbay in the return (this is right around when he took Futch on fulltime I believe). Lewis' advice to Mike was the he needed to use the jab, double it, and to use feints, much more, and counter off Kalumbay's counters once Mike established the jab to the body.

anyways you can watch both fights on youtube i believe, and its instructive to see how much more relaxed and boxerly a pose is adopted by Mike in the 2nd as distinct from the first fight, and to see how hard he tries to establish the jab to the body and feints, and how everything else flows off those things for him.

[Jpreisser]

Though this may never be repeated on another thread ever,I have always really liked the Jesse James Leija V.S. Francisco Bojado bout. I watch that fight more than alot of other ones. Leija was most definitley and underdog but boy did he show up. Leija used craft and experience to give this kid a boxing lesson he still hasn`t seemed to forget. I remember in round 8 or 9 he starts rocking Bojado against the ropes......awwww,it was beautiful! A very underrated match to me is the match that got me into boxing,one I will always enjoy,Damian Fuller V.S. Lamar Murphy. Teddy Atlas made boxing sound like a sweet science that night and Fuller made it look the part.

[Counter-puncher]

Though this may never be repeated on another thread ever,I have always really liked the Jesse James Leija V.S. Francisco Bojado bout. I watch that fight more than alot of other ones. Leija was most definitley and underdog but boy did he show up. Leija used craft and experience to give this kid a boxing lesson he still hasn`t seemed to forget. I remember in round 8 or 9 he starts rocking Bojado against the ropes......awwww,it was beautiful!

nice shout

[rollernads]

I like Antonio Diaz and Mickey Ward, Diaz boxes so effortsley keeping ward off balance etc but ward is always in there with his punch power which can turn a fight round instantly!!

Also Jamie Moore vs Matthew Macklin is very underrated its none stop action from 1st bell to classic fininsh!

I think Holyfield vs Toney is a class fight evander starts strong but seems to get picked apart!!

[Jpreisser]

Though this may never be repeated on another thread ever,I have always really liked the Jesse James Leija V.S. Francisco Bojado bout. I watch that fight more than alot of other ones. Leija was most definitley and underdog but boy did he show up. Leija used craft and experience to give this kid a boxing lesson he still hasn`t seemed to forget. I remember in round 8 or 9 he starts rocking Bojado against the ropes......awwww,it was beautiful!

nice shout

Hey Thanks! Now go watch it!

[fatcity69]

Just a few that come to my mind...
Holmes vs WItherspoon
Holmes vs Weaver
Kelvin Seabrooks vs Therry Jacob
Leeroy Murphy vs Chissander Mutti
Iran Barkely vs Robbie Sims
Iran Barkely vs James Kinchen
Earnie Shavers vs James Tillis

[allworld80]

Not underrated per say, but Ward/Burton (Augustus) is the best fight I've ever seen on ESPN.

[BoxBuzz]

Not underrated per say, but Ward/Burton (Augustus) is the best fight I've ever seen on ESPN.

That was in my backyard, I was in the crowd and that fight was a barn burner if ever there was one! That was the last boxing match in NH for many years until last year I think.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Not underrated per say, but Ward/Burton (Augustus) is the best fight I've ever seen on ESPN.

Reckon even with his limited vocabulary, Kostya would've got that one

[allworld80]

As I was typing, I sensed the impending failure

[kikibalt]

Try this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6_lPKTqslQ

Frankie Baltazar vs Juan Escobar

Here's another one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgDI91Q81p0

Frankie Baltazar vs Chango Cruz

You rest of the fights are posted on the youtube side bar

[alexpaterson]

Briscoe-Antuofermo is a cracker!

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Kevin Kelley vs Troy Dorsey was an awesome fight from the USA TNF series. I was just going through my DVD's tom through something in and dug that up. Tremendous two way action.

[oliverfennell]

Eubank - Thompson I and II

I think the Eubank-Thompson fights are fairly well known but his fight with Sellars is not as much . . great slugfest http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8MuHI_m ... re=channel

Thompson-Sellers was fantastic. Just a shame it was hidden on a weeknight and played out in front of about 400 people.

In fact, just about every fight Thompson was in was fantastic. Possibly the most underrated (in entertainment terms) boxer of recent years, even in his home country.

[palooka]

Mark Prince v Michael Gale was a very very good fight and not remembered well. Ross Hale v Mickey Driscoll was one of the best I've seen.

[hhaehre]

Kevin Kelley vs Troy Dorsey was an awesome fight from the USA TNF series. I was just going through my DVD's tom through something in and dug that up. Tremendous two way action.

Dorsey was a brawler with a great chin and no power, it made for many exciting fights.

[iamasadlittleboy]

Louis v Mauriello is one of my faves. Short and sweet with plenty of action.

[Tinnie]

I dont know if its underrated but Rose - Olivares is a great fight i never see talked about. Olivares walked through some great shots from Rose like they were nothing in the 1st, then proceeded to pummel Rose over the next few rounds with some of the most devastating body shots i've seen. Rose was slick and very tough, after getting stunned in the 5th he absorbes a good thirty unanswered punches before Olivares finally drops him.

[Goodnight, Irene]

I dont know if its underrated but Rose - Olivares is a great fight i never see talked about. Olivares walked through some great shots from Rose like they were nothing in the 1st, then proceeded to pummel Rose over the next few rounds with some of the most devastating body shots i've seen. Rose was slick and very tough, after getting stunned in the 5th he absorbes a good thirty unanswered punches before Olivares finally drops him.

IMO, it was Australia's greatest ever fighter against Mexico's greatest ever fighter