Boxing's Greatest Performances: On Those Nights, These Guys Could Never Be Defeated

[elmersalsa]

While I was watching the Duran vs Leonard I fight, I was wondering if there was a boxer that could have beaten Duran that night. ON my thinking, there were also other great performances that in that night, gave the performances of the ages! It is hard to repeat that same performance. But, these performances, in my view, each one in his weight class, WILL NEVER BE DUPLICATED!

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali: On that unforgettable night of March 8, 1971 at MSG in NYC, Smokin' Joe, gave in my view, THE PERFORMANCE OF THE AGES! Which heavyweight would have beaten him that night? Nobody. Say all you want about the great Ali's three-year layoff, that he was not prime, and he was not the same fighter of the 60s. You could put ANY VERSION OF ALI, AND I BELIEVE, ON THAT NIGHT, Frazier beats him. He was relentless. He was not to be denied. He was in BEAST MODE. I have never seen a performance like that in the heavyweight division. He had an unbelieavable desire. He was not in playing mood. Ali fought gallantly, but Frazier whupped him. It was the fight that made him a LEGEND.

Evander Holyfield WTKO7 Dwight Muhammad Qawi (II): A year before, Holyfield, with only 12 fights took the crown from champion Qawi, a seasoned veteran, in a brutal battle. It was the greatest cruiserweight title fight of all time. Evander became The Real Deal on the rematch. He had more experience and was sensational. What cruiserweight fighter in history beats him that night? I cannot think of any.

Ezzard Charles WTKO8 Archie Moore (III): Charles beat Moore twice before this fight. He proved to be, clearly, THE SUPERIOR FIGHTER, by stopping the legendary Ol' Mongoose. If you beat a great fighter like Archie Moore in his prime, then, what? And three times? The last one by KO, is enough said. Are there videos of this fight available? I would like to see it. But just watchin the clips of The Cincinnati Cobra it tells me that he was an out this world and complete fighter. So in that night, I believe that he was at his very best! So it was Moore. They had to be in their A Game. The problem is that the Cobra was always better. What great light heavyweight fighter beats Ezzard on that night? Bob Foster? Gene Tunney? Tommy Loughran? Roy Jones, Jr? Michael Spinks? Just thinking about it, it's a waste of time.

Carlos Monzon WTKO6 Jose "Mantequilla" Napoles: I know, I know. Mantequilla had to go up in weight. He was too small for King Carlos. He was not in his prime for the middleweight title challenge. Monzon was too much for him. Too big. But it is not just that he was big. Monzon was a monster. A master thinking man's fighter. He was a cool assassin. Well, Mantequiilla's speed was not a factor. Well, no other middleweight would have beaten King Carlos that evening in France. Maybe the great Marvelous Marvin Hagler that stopped the great Tommy Hearns could say something about that. But in my view, NO MIDDLEWEIGHT IN HISTORY WOULD HAVE BEATEN KING CARLOS THAT NIGHT. He was at his total best. He did trained hard for the fight, like never before, and make the fight looked easy on his favor. What a performance!

Thomas Hearns WTKO2 Roberto Duran: Yes, it is true that Manos de Piedra was not in his prime. It is true that the WEIGHT WAS TOO BIG FOR HIM. It is also true that The Hitman was ALL WRONG FOR DURAN. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE GREAT MIKE McCALLUM, HEARNS IS ALL WRONG FOR ANYBODY!!! Especially at 154lbs. Hearns at 154lbs, WAS A TOTAL BEAST! WAS A TOTAL MONSTER! Put the great Sugar Ray Leonard, especially, the one that fought Kevin Howard, and The Hitman blast him away! He would have his revenge at the best of ways. This time, Hearns had more experience, studier legs, hit harder and would be ALL WRONG FOR SUGAR RAY, TOO!
The decapitation of the great Roberto Duran was his greatest wing. He did the unthinkable. He knocked out cold one of the greatest chins in boxing. Something that nobody did in Roberto's 80 plus fights at the time. It was a great performance by the Hitman. Let's give the man credit for that. At Super welterweight, no one survives of the Motor City Cobra. Well, maybe McCallum would. But I am not too sure about that.

Roberto Duran W15 Sugar Ray Leonard (I): It was Duran's finest hour. I saw the fight and I was thinking if a welterweight in boxing history had a performance better than the one of that Friday night in Montreal. I cannot think of any. Duran was at his total best. And he whupped Leonard. That is all to it. The better fighter won. Forget about the "No Mas" Fight. Duran gave the performance of the ages! (After the great Joe Frazier win over the great Muhammad Ali, of course). Some say that Leonard did not fight his fight. Well, if you look at the fight, CLOSELY, Leonard fought THE RIGHT FIGHT. HE JUST SIMPLY GOT WHUPPED! He only won 3 rounds! Maximum! Duran nullified Leonard's speed and punching power by giving him angles, and fighting inside, using his upper body strenght against a bigger opponent.
I cannot see any version of Leonard, beating Duran that night. Even if he runs like in New Orleans, it is not a guarantee win. Ten out of ten times, Leonard loses to that Duran in Montreal. No matter what version. As a matter of fact, I don't see no welter in history beating him. Not the great Henry Armstrong. Too ONE DIMENSIONAL for a COMPLETE FIGHTER LIKE Manos de Piedra. Sugar Ray Robinson? the original great Sugar Man, was not a great inside fighter. I do not see him beating Leonard, how he is going to beat that Duran? Thomas Hearns? Once Manos de Piedra gets inside, it's all Roberto Duran! Hearns was too frail for welterweight. At 154lbs, I gave it to Tommy. But at 147? He does not beat "Cholo". Not the one in Montreal. I'm sorry. Duran is the best! I have not seen nothing like it.

Roberto Duran WTKO12 Esteban De Jesus (III): In the third fight between the nemesis, Duran SURPRISED ME. Instead of being agressive like he always did to his opponents, this time, Duran switch with counterpunching and moving side to side, right there in the trenches, using angles. It was the greatest performance at lightweight ever. What a versatile fighter Manos de Piedra was. De Jesus was confused the whole fight. Duran was a class above. What lightweight would beat him that Saturday afternoon in Vegas? NOBODY.


Salvador Sanchez WTKO8 Wilfredo Gomez: It is hard to pick a featherweight in history beating the great Salvador Sanchez on that Friday night of August 21, 1981 in Las Vegas. It was a performance of the ages, behind the Duran's and Frazier's biggest wins. I always pick the great Eusebio Pedroza to beat him. But on that night, I probably would not make that bet. Sanchez was a complete fighter. He was superb. He was spectacular. One of the best performances that I have ever seen. How he tear Wilfredo apart was the surprising part. I expected a war, but the beating was one sided. I just cannot think of Bazooka winning if he got a rematch. I just don't see beating Sanchez. It was Sanchez' greatest win in The Battle of the Little Giants.

Carlos Zarate WTKO4 Alfonso Zamora: In the Battle of the Z Boys, Zarate confirmed his greatness by stopping knockout artist and fellow Mexican counterpart, Zamora. Look at those text-book combinations by Zarate! It was a thing of beauty: Uppercuts, right crosses, left hooks to the body and head, the complete shabang! No matter what bantamweight comes in the future, it would not duplicate Zarate's masterpiece. No bantam in history would have beaten him. Maybe the great Eder Jofre got something to say about that, but, no. Zarate is king of the bantams.

[Seamus]

Look's like another Roberto Duran tribute thread, because he figures in 3 of the 9 fights, while no one else made it into 2

[Rexob]

Tyson vs Spinks
Fury Vs Klit

[palooka]

Holyfield v Qawi
Curry v McCrory is certainly tenuous but Curry was almost punch perfect that night.
Hamed v Belcastro - before he became an out and out puncher Named was untouchable.

[elmersalsa]

Look's like another Roberto Duran tribute thread, because he figures in 3 of the 9 fights, while no one else made it into 2

That is right. From lightweight to welter, nobody beats Duran in Montreal. He was just TERRIFIC

[tommo100]

jones vs curry-the cobra was at his absolute peak at the time,any welter in history would have struggled against him that night

[Seamus]

better performances than the 9 you listed are

Robinson KO 5 Fullmer
Saddler KO 4 Pep
Armstrong W15 Ross
Greb W15 Tunney

[Bodyshot3]

Honeyghan v Curry.....Lloyd would not be denied, almost scared Duff half-to-death with his intensity in the build-up, and on the night he set about Curry in a way that was the definition of controlled, overhwhelming aggression.

Curry was not supreme himself that night and had problems...but you can see the disbelief on his face as Honeyghan just keeps coming and coming at him and is always getting stronger and more confident.

If you watch Honeyghan celebrate that victory - even now - you realise that here was a guy completely and utterly in the zone and that Curry was facing something else.

[elmersalsa]

better performances than the 9 you listed are

Robinson KO 5 Fullmer
Saddler KO 4 Pep
Armstrong W15 Ross
Greb W15 Tunney

Great performances, no doubt, but...I can't see Robinson beatin King Carlos of that night in France. I wonder if Robinson beats the Marvelous of the Hearns fight?

Saddler vs Salvador? No way in my view. The Mexican was in all cylinders.

Greb win over Tunney? Fantastic. But on his best night, he does not beat the great Ezzard Charles of the third Archie Moore fight.

Armstrong vs Ross. Great win no doubt. But, how could a one-dimensional fighter beats Leonard or that Duran in Montreal? I can't see it.

That is just my view. Great wins, Seamus

[witherspoon]

I can't see anybody beating the Chavez that didn't lose to Pernell Whitaker.

[elmersalsa]

I can't see anybody beating the Chavez that didn't lose to Pernell Whitaker.

Very funny. A good one

[klompton]

I dont think Holy was unbeatable in either Qawi fight. You can make the argument he lost the first fight and the second one Qawi was finished as a top fighter.

I also dont know why anybody would think Charles was unbeatable off the third Moore fight. Moore was never unbeatable at any stage of his career and just six months after Charles beat him the unheralded Leonard Morrow knocked him out in one round. The Greb who beat Tunney and Gibbons and barely gave up one of those thirty rounds (and was already blind in one eye at that point) in 1922 would be a fine matchup for Charles of 1948.

[Counter-puncher]

I dont think Holy was unbeatable in either Qawi fight. You can make the argument he lost the first fight .

sure you can- if you want to to make yourself look a bit dumb.

[palooka]

I dont think Holy was unbeatable in either Qawi fight. You can make the argument he lost the first fight .

sure you can- if you want to to make yourself look a bit dumb.

I've been trying to think of a cruiser that would have beaten Holyfield but I'm not there yet.

[Mimmy]

You have to give credit to Bruno for lasting 12 and beating McCall. In terms of Bruno that was an out standing win.

[keithmoonhangover]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

[Rexob]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Here we go again

[keithmoonhangover]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Here we go again

It's true though mate. I'm not trying to argue with anyone. Anyone who thinks Frazier beats Foreman, just doesn't know boxing.

[Dancin' Dan]

Leonard only won 3 rounds against Duran? What fight are you watching? Great performance by both fighters. Duran won an extremely close fight. Great fight. Two legends. That is enough in itself. No need to make up a story. Doesn't make Duran or Leonard any less great.

[elmersalsa]

Leonard only won 3 rounds against Duran? What fight are you watching? Great performance by both fighters. Duran won an extremely close fight. Great fight. Two legends. That is enough in itself. No need to make up a story. Doesn't make Duran or Leonard any less great.

Watch the fight...again. Leonard ONLY WON THREE ROUNDS in my scorecard. A great dominating performance by Manos de Piedra that was IN FULL CONTROL OF THE FIGHT.

[elmersalsa]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Here we go again

It's true though mate. I'm not trying to argue with anyone. Anyone who thinks Frazier beats Foreman, just doesn't know boxing.

I guess, you nor I know boxing, then

[elmersalsa]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Not on March 8, 1971

[keithmoonhangover]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Not on March 8, 1971

Explain to me what Frazier could do in the ring to beat Foreman. What would he do differently style-wise to win?

[palooka]

Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali:

George Foreman would beat any version of Frazier.

Not on March 8, 1971

Explain to me what Frazier could do in the ring to beat Foreman. What would he do differently style-wise to win?

A ladder match?

[keithmoonhangover]

A ladder match?