Some Great Fights That Should Have Happened But Never Did

[Rover]

Penalosa/Romero
Penalosa/Tapia

[Rover]

Jr. Jones v. Kevin Kelley

[Rover]

Scott Harrison v. Joan Guzman

[Rover]

Adamek/Cunningham II at CW.
I know it's happening now, but it's years and a division too late.
Loved the first fight; they should've rematched right away or after one fight.

[Rover]

Hopkins/Castro

[Syntax Error]

Roberto Duran -v- Aaron Pryor (140)

Tyson -v- Witherspoon

Frazier -v- Norton

Tommy Hearns -v- Mike McCallum (154)

Frazier -v- Liston (1967)

Toney -v- Benn

Toney -v- Eubank

[Rover]

Mayweather/Chacon
Mayweather/Camacho was talked about, but Lockridge ended that party.

[Rover]

Serrano/Boza

[Rover]

Serrano/Chacon
Pedroza/Laporte II

[Rover]

Serrano/Navarrete
Serrano/Limon

[Rover]

Bailey/Holt

[Rover]

Johnson/Sasakul

[Rover]

Medina v. Jr. Jones (instead of v. Ingle)
Ingle later defended against Jones, and Medina later beat Harrison for a different belt, so Medina and Jones were in the same class at the same time.

[Rover]

Ward/Olivera

[Ezzard]

This is my very first post on this forum, so I thought I’d make it a good one (I hope)…

I’ve put together a little (cough!) list to detail some “dream” fights that theoretically could have happened but never did.

Some of these super-fights actually got to the stage of the negotiation table but the boxers either couldn’t agree terms or the contest was eventually cancelled for one reason or another.

You may also notice that some of the fights in my list actually took place, but unfortunately at the wrong time, which is why I’ve still included them (by expressing a more appropriate year).

I have estimated the years that the fight could have happened… or where I think negotiations actually took place but the contest never materialised.

Anyway, my list mostly details fights from the modern era:
• Barry McGuigan vs. Azumah Nelson (1986)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Corrie Sanders (1990)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Evander 'The Real Deal' Holyfield (1992)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Riddick 'Big Daddy' Bowe (1992)
• Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis (1996 instead of 1999)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Antonio Margarito (2007)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Kostya Tszyu (2004)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao (2009)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Paul Williams (2005)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley (2005)
• George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes (1977, 1992 & 2002)
• George Foreman vs. Lennox Lewis (1998.)
• George Foreman vs. Mike Tyson (1990)
• George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali II (1976)
• George Foreman vs. Sonny Liston (1969)
• Herbie Hide vs. Jeremy Williams (1996)
• Herbie Hide vs. Tommy Morrison (1993)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Chris Eubank (1990)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Marvin Hagler (1987)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Nigel Benn (1990)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Steve Collins (1989)
• Herol 'Bomber' Graham vs. Kirkland Laing (1980)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Evander Holyfield (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Lennox Lewis (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Mike Tyson (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Oliver McCall (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Vitali Klitschko (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Wladimir Klitschko (1999)
• James Toney vs. Bernard Hopkins (1993)
• James Toney vs. Chris Eubank (1993)
• James Toney vs. Mike Tyson (2003)
• James Toney vs. Nigel Benn (1993)
• James Toney vs. Steve Collins (1992)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Carl Froch (2008.)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Steve Collins (1997)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Sven Ottke (2002)
• Joe Frazier vs. Kenny Norton (1973)
• Jose Luis Castillo vs. Diego Corrales III (2005)
• Juan Manuel Márquez vs. Eric Morales (2003)
• Julian Jackson vs. Michael Nunn (1989)
• Julian Jackson vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (1989)
• Julian Jackson vs. Tommy Hearns (1989)
• Kostya Tszyu vs. Oscar De La Hoya (1997)
• Kostya Tszyu vs. Vernon Forrest (1995)
• Marion Wilson vs. Marion Wilson (1991)
• Marvin Hagler vs. Mike McCallum (1987)
• Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns II (1985)
• Michael Moorer vs. Virgil Hill (1990)
• Mike Tyson vs. David Tua (2000)
• Mike Tyson vs. Riddick Bowe (1996)
• Mike Tyson vs. Vitali Klitschko (2000)
• Mike Tyson vs. Wladimir Klitschko (2000)
• Naseem Hamed vs. Juan Manuel Márquez (1997)
• Naseem Hamed vs. Manny Pacquiao (2000)
• Nigel Benn vs. Chris Eubank III (1994)
• Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad II (2000)
• Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker vs. Meldrick Taylor (1991)
• Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker vs. 'Terrible' Terry Norris (1995)
• Ray Mercer vs. Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield II (1995)
• Ray Mercer vs. Lennox Lewis II (1995)
• Ricky Hatton vs. Miguel Cotto (2005)
• Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis (1996)
• Roberto Duran vs. Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Julian Jackson (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Nigel Benn (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Thomas Hearns (1980 instead of 1984)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Floyd Patterson (1956)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Ingemar Johansson (1956)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Sonny Liston (1956)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins (2002)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Dariusz Michalczewski (2002)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield (2003)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Gerald McClellan (1995)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. James Toney II (2003)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Joe Calzaghe (1997)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike McCallum (1994 instead of 1996)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike Tyson (2003)
• Sergio Gabriel Martinez vs. Antonio Margarito II (2004 or 2009)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler II (1988.)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Michael Nunn (1988.)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns II (1987 instead of 1989)
• 'Terrible' Terry Norris vs. Felix 'Tito' Trinidad (1997)
• Tommy Morrison vs. 'Smokin' Bert Cooper (1993)

An honourable mention for a dream sibling fight between Wladimir Klitschko and his older brother Vitali (2001 or 2008.).

Can you guys think of any other big fights that you really would have liked to have seen and were also theoretically possible at one stage or another?

By the way, see if you can spot a few “wild cards”.

I came at this from a different angle... all good fights except the ones in bold...where I fear one of them because of age and size is too much at a disadvantage...so these are ones I wouldn't want to see.

But great work.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Basilio/Fullmer vs Griffith/Rodriguez in any incarnation.

[Rover]

Basilio/Fullmer vs Griffith/Rodriguez in any incarnation.

[Rover]

This is my very first post on this forum, so I thought I’d make it a good one (I hope)…

I’ve put together a little (cough!) list to detail some “dream” fights that theoretically could have happened but never did.

Some of these super-fights actually got to the stage of the negotiation table but the boxers either couldn’t agree terms or the contest was eventually cancelled for one reason or another.

You may also notice that some of the fights in my list actually took place, but unfortunately at the wrong time, which is why I’ve still included them (by expressing a more appropriate year).

I have estimated the years that the fight could have happened… or where I think negotiations actually took place but the contest never materialised.

Anyway, my list mostly details fights from the modern era:
• Barry McGuigan vs. Azumah Nelson (1986)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Corrie Sanders (1990)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Evander 'The Real Deal' Holyfield (1992)
• Donovan 'Razor' Ruddock vs. Riddick 'Big Daddy' Bowe (1992)
• Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis (1996 instead of 1999)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Antonio Margarito (2007)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Kostya Tszyu (2004)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao (2009)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Paul Williams (2005)
• Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley (2005)
• George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes (1977, 1992 & 2002)
• George Foreman vs. Lennox Lewis (1998.)
• George Foreman vs. Mike Tyson (1990)
• George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali II (1976)
• George Foreman vs. Sonny Liston (1969)
• Herbie Hide vs. Jeremy Williams (1996)
• Herbie Hide vs. Tommy Morrison (1993)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Chris Eubank (1990)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Marvin Hagler (1987)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Nigel Benn (1990)
• Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham vs. Steve Collins (1989)
• Herol 'Bomber' Graham vs. Kirkland Laing (1980)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Evander Holyfield (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Lennox Lewis (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Mike Tyson (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Oliver McCall (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Vitali Klitschko (1999)
• Ike Ibeabuchi vs. Wladimir Klitschko (1999)
• James Toney vs. Bernard Hopkins (1993)
• James Toney vs. Chris Eubank (1993)
• James Toney vs. Mike Tyson (2003)
• James Toney vs. Nigel Benn (1993)
• James Toney vs. Steve Collins (1992)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Carl Froch (2008.)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Steve Collins (1997)
• Joe Calzaghe vs. Sven Ottke (2002)
• Joe Frazier vs. Kenny Norton (1973)
• Jose Luis Castillo vs. Diego Corrales III (2005)
• Juan Manuel Márquez vs. Eric Morales (2003)
• Julian Jackson vs. Michael Nunn (1989)
• Julian Jackson vs. Sugar Ray Leonard (1989)
• Julian Jackson vs. Tommy Hearns (1989)
• Kostya Tszyu vs. Oscar De La Hoya (1997)
• Kostya Tszyu vs. Vernon Forrest (1995)
• Marion Wilson vs. Marion Wilson (1991)
• Marvin Hagler vs. Mike McCallum (1987)
• Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns II (1985)
• Michael Moorer vs. Virgil Hill (1990)
• Mike Tyson vs. David Tua (2000)
• Mike Tyson vs. Riddick Bowe (1996)
• Mike Tyson vs. Vitali Klitschko (2000)
• Mike Tyson vs. Wladimir Klitschko (2000)
• Naseem Hamed vs. Juan Manuel Márquez (1997)
• Naseem Hamed vs. Manny Pacquiao (2000)
• Nigel Benn vs. Chris Eubank III (1994)
• Oscar De La Hoya vs. Felix Trinidad II (2000)
• Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker vs. Meldrick Taylor (1991)
• Pernell 'Sweet Pea' Whitaker vs. 'Terrible' Terry Norris (1995)
• Ray Mercer vs. Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield II (1995)
• Ray Mercer vs. Lennox Lewis II (1995)
• Ricky Hatton vs. Miguel Cotto (2005)
• Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis (1996)
• Roberto Duran vs. Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Julian Jackson (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Nigel Benn (1989)
• Roberto Duran vs. Thomas Hearns (1980 instead of 1984)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Floyd Patterson (1956)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Ingemar Johansson (1956)
• Rocky Marciano vs. Sonny Liston (1956)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Bernard Hopkins (2002)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Dariusz Michalczewski (2002)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield (2003)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Gerald McClellan (1995)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. James Toney II (2003)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Joe Calzaghe (1997)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike McCallum (1994 instead of 1996)
• Roy Jones Jr. vs. Mike Tyson (2003)
• Sergio Gabriel Martinez vs. Antonio Margarito II (2004 or 2009)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Marvin Hagler II (1988.)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Michael Nunn (1988.)
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Tommy Hearns II (1987 instead of 1989)
• 'Terrible' Terry Norris vs. Felix 'Tito' Trinidad (1997)
• Tommy Morrison vs. 'Smokin' Bert Cooper (1993)

An honourable mention for a dream sibling fight between Wladimir Klitschko and his older brother Vitali (2001 or 2008.).

Can you guys think of any other big fights that you really would have liked to have seen and were also theoretically possible at one stage or another?

By the way, see if you can spot a few “wild cards”.

I came at this from a different angle... all good fights except the ones in bold...where I fear one of them because of age and size is too much at a disadvantage...so these are ones I wouldn't want to see.

But great work.

Thanks.

I noticed you highlighted the 1980 light middleweight UK fight between Herol 'Bomber' Graham (15-0) vs. Kirkland Laing (18-0-1)?


In his fight against George Danahar in 1980, Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham weighed in at 155½ lbs.

One week later, Kirkland Laing weighed in at 156lbs when he fought Colin Ward.

This contest may have been possible as they were both unbeaten light middleweights who, at the time, also had a very similar records.

I'm interested to know why you think this one wouldn't have been a good fight? Is it because they were both very elusive and defensive? :??

Those weights are middleweight weights.

[Rover]

Tucker/Witherspoon
Tucker/Thomas

[Rover]

Box boxers regularly weighed less than 154lbs, but we can split hairs and make this a middleweight bout instead.

It doesn't really matter, do you think this be a good fight? :??

Yes, though it would be more of a technical one than an action one.

[Ezzard]

fergusg

I think Laing was too small in reality to beat someone with as much skill and speed. Laing might have beaten a bigger bruiser, someone he could out box.

I also think that by the time Graham was ready for this fight laing was already on the wane. That's too much against him.

It would also have probably been a bit of stinker too.

[yiddle]

a fight i would liked to of seen was lloyd honeyghan vs colin jones that would of been really good to watch

or a rematch between mark kaylor and errol christie would of been interesting

[Rover]

a fight i would liked to of seen was lloyd honeyghan vs colin jones that would of been really good to watch

or a rematch between mark kaylor and errol christie would of been interesting

I'd have favored prime Honeygan over Jones.

[yiddle]

a fight i would liked to of seen was lloyd honeyghan vs colin jones that would of been really good to watch

or a rematch between mark kaylor and errol christie would of been interesting

I'd have favored prime Honeygan over Jones.

yeah me too but it would of been a good fight that jones could of pulled out of the fire with one shot. for me honeyghan is a fighter that is very much underrated these days

[Rover]

a fight i would liked to of seen was lloyd honeyghan vs colin jones that would of been really good to watch

or a rematch between mark kaylor and errol christie would of been interesting

I'd have favored prime Honeygan over Jones.

yeah me too but it would of been a good fight that jones could of pulled out of the fire with one shot. for me honeyghan is a fighter that is very much underrated these days