Classic fights I've watched recently

[handsofstone]

Michael Watson vs Nigel Benn


Watson stops Benn in the 6th to become British and Commonwealth Middleweight champ, excellent battle, Watson the smooth boxer against the always aggressive and dangerous unbeaten Benn who came out guns blazing as always battering Watson to head and body, Watson didn't run though he stood his ground and put his earmuffs on and soaked up whatever Benn threw at him, some big shots did get through but as the rounds wore on Watson was able to pick him off with the jab and right hand

Watson stunned Benn a couple of times in the fight but Benn would always come back firing, at the end of the 5th Watson hurt Benn with a big right and Benn staggered into the ropes as the bell went, in the 6th,Watson hit Benn with a right that made Benn turn his back then both guys were trading on the ropes when Watson put Benn down with a strong jab counter, Benn fell to the seat of his pants where it was stopped, cracking fight

[NoScoutingReports]

Just re-watched Johnny Tapia vs Paulie Ayala I on my dinner break, what a WAR. Sensational stuff.

[handsofstone]

Just re-watched Johnny Tapia vs Paulie Ayala I on my dinner break, what a WAR. Sensational stuff.

Cracking fight, the rematch was good as well but this ones better

[NoScoutingReports]

Just re-watched Johnny Tapia vs Paulie Ayala I on my dinner break, what a WAR. Sensational stuff.

Cracking fight, the rematch was good as well but this ones better

Yeah, both good but the first was unreal. Constant back & forth entertainment.

[Duran1970]

Had Tapia winning both those fights..

[handsofstone]

Nigel Benn vs Robbie Sims



Benn KOs Sims in the 7th round of a non title Middleweight contest, for the most part it was fairly competitive, Benn was in control, he was busier and he was the one landing the eye catching shots but Sims had some success himself, he was up on his toes fighting on the backfoot and jabbing Benn and occasionally bursting into a combination, Benn was a lot more conservative than usual, the plan was obviously to keep calm and not get caught doing anything silly


The ending came out of nowhere really, Benn wobbled Sims with a massive left hook whilst backed on the ropes and another sent Sims down, he just made the count but he was done and really the ref should've stopped it there and then but he allowed Sims to continue but it was no surprise Benn finished him off immediately, 2 right hands decking Sims heavily for the stoppage

[handsofstone]

Nigel Benn vs Thulani Malinga 1+2


Benn beats Sugarboy Malinga by close decision over 10 rounds in a Super Middleweight fight, close fight could've easily went to Malinga, I thought he looked more controlled throughout and landed the better shots, his long left jab was superb at times, he worked well when backed on the ropes and countered Benn regularly in the fight, Benn brought the more steady pressure and was busier but he missed a lot and struggled with his timing all night, Malinga was able use to his experience to avoid Benn's attacks and keep calm under pressure, Benn showed a good jab of his own now and again and it was probably hid best weapon on the night but although he got the nod from the ref it wasn't vintage Benn



Malinga beats Benn by SD in the rematch to become World Super Middleweight champion, again it wasnt a classic but both men were down in the fight, Benn dropped Malinga in the 5th with a cracking right hand counter and Malinga returned the favour in the 12th with a right of his own, other than that there wasnt much to write home about, Malinga deserved his win though he controlled Benn with that long raking jab and his movement, Benn pressed but just couldn't find the target and gain any momentum, the knockdown he scored in the 5th galvanised him for a short spell but Malinga soon regained control and boxed Benn for a deserved decision

[Bodyshot3]

Nigel Benn vs Robbie Sims

Benn KOs Sims in the 7th round of a non title Middleweight contest, for the most part it was fairly competitive, Benn was in control, he was busier and he was the one landing the eye catching shots but Sims had some success himself, he was up on his toes fighting on the backfoot and jabbing Benn and occasionally bursting into a combination, Benn was a lot more conservative than usual, the plan was obviously to keep calm and not get caught doing anything silly


The ending came out of nowhere really, Benn wobbled Sims with a massive left hook whilst backed on the ropes and another sent Sims down, he just made the count but he was done and really the ref should've stopped it there and then but he allowed Sims to continue but it was no surprise Benn finished him off immediately, 2 right hands decking Sims heavily for the stoppage

Sims was a very good test for Benn after the losing his title to Eubank...….

…..and some of the very necessary adjustments to Nigel's style and tactics which would see him go on a very decent winning streak got underway with this fight. And he would not lose again until 1996.

I never missed a Benn fight - something was going to happen - but as much as I liked to see him throwing bombs and absolutely going for an opponent; he was a superior fighter when he added a dash of patience and paced himself.

[DrDuke]

Ray Mancini vs Duk-Koo Kim

A notorious bout, which started as a back-and-forth grueling affair with both fighters hurting each other on multiple occasions. In the 10th round the bout turned to a one-sided beating, Mancini took over. Kim arguably was down two times more, as the ref didn't count a couple of moments as KDs. In the last round Mancini was just jumping on Kim from the opening seconds and battering him. Kim was tough to take all that punishment. At the early stages of the 14th Mancini jumped on Kim again and finally put him down for good. Despite he was dropped hard, Kim still tried to stand up, but the ref stopped it.

[handsofstone]

Nigel Benn vs Nicky Piper



Benn stops the brave but outgunned Piper in the 11th round to retain his World Super Middleweight title, Piper took his lumps and earned his money but it was a tough night for him, first 4 rounds he looked good and competed on even terms with Benn, he used his height and reach to great effect, good strong jab was able to get through Benn's defence but around the 5th Benn started to to get on top of Piper and suffocate him with pressure, Piper's work lost its steam

Benn worked the body all night and broke Piper down, he was always in his face, never giving him a minutes rest, only Piper's bravery and toughness kept him in the fight but it got too much in the end, in the 11th Benn finally put Piper down, rocked him with a right and follow up barrage ending with a left hook sent Piper to the canvas, he dragged himself up but Benn was never gonna left him off the hook, the ref stepped in after Benn snapped Piper's head back with lefts and rights on the ropes

[handsofstone]

Nigel Benn vs Henry Wharton



Benn outpoints Wharton by UD to retain his World Super Middleweight title, well deserved win for Benn who for the most part controlled Wharton comfortably enough although Wharton did put Benn down at the end of the 5th, Benn called it a slip but Wharton did land a cuffing left/right so it was probably the right call, Benn fought the first 4/5 rounds behind a quality rock solid jab, doubling it up to great effect, working his way into the body of Wharton who looked a bit frozen on the big stage and spent long spells just covering up


After Wharton put Benn down in the 5th it seemed to wake him up and Benn stopped boxing and his work got a lot more ragged and it evened the fight out, as Benn just ploughed forward, Wharton finished the stronger in the closing rounds as Benn tired but he wasn't always landing enough to make the rounds clear and in the end it was Benn who got the win

[NoScoutingReports]

Just watched Julio Cesar Chavez vs Meldrick Taylor I for the umpteenth time, aside from the controversial finish we all know about it is always a compelling watch - Taylor was sensational for 10 rounds but the more hurtful & powerful work of Chavez finally began to catch up with him late on before Steele stepped in with seconds to spare. Great fight!

[Bodyshot3]

Michael Watson vs Nigel Benn


Watson stops Benn in the 6th to become British and Commonwealth Middleweight champ, excellent battle, Watson the smooth boxer against the always aggressive and dangerous unbeaten Benn who came out guns blazing as always battering Watson to head and body, Watson didn't run though he stood his ground and put his earmuffs on and soaked up whatever Benn threw at him, some big shots did get through but as the rounds wore on Watson was able to pick him off with the jab and right hand

Watson stunned Benn a couple of times in the fight but Benn would always come back firing, at the end of the 5th Watson hurt Benn with a big right and Benn staggered into the ropes as the bell went, in the 6th,Watson hit Benn with a right that made Benn turn his back then both guys were trading on the ropes when Watson put Benn down with a strong jab counter, Benn fell to the seat of his pants where it was stopped, cracking fight

That's Mike Watson's signature win.
Right tactics, perfect execution of the game-plan and Benn actually (if I recall correctly) dropped with a jab.

Easy to forget with the passing of time that Mike was pretty much the equal of Eubank and Benn and was just one good round away from getting a world championship belt.

He 'tamed' Benn better than anyone else to his credit....and that was no mean feat

[handsofstone]

Michael Watson vs Nigel Benn


Watson stops Benn in the 6th to become British and Commonwealth Middleweight champ, excellent battle, Watson the smooth boxer against the always aggressive and dangerous unbeaten Benn who came out guns blazing as always battering Watson to head and body, Watson didn't run though he stood his ground and put his earmuffs on and soaked up whatever Benn threw at him, some big shots did get through but as the rounds wore on Watson was able to pick him off with the jab and right hand

Watson stunned Benn a couple of times in the fight but Benn would always come back firing, at the end of the 5th Watson hurt Benn with a big right and Benn staggered into the ropes as the bell went, in the 6th,Watson hit Benn with a right that made Benn turn his back then both guys were trading on the ropes when Watson put Benn down with a strong jab counter, Benn fell to the seat of his pants where it was stopped, cracking fight

That's Mike Watson's signature win.
Right tactics, perfect execution of the game-plan and Benn actually (if I recall correctly) dropped with a jab.

Easy to forget with the passing of time that Mike was pretty much the equal of Eubank and Benn and was just one good round away from getting a world championship belt.

He 'tamed' Benn better than anyone else to his credit....and that was no mean feat

Absolutely mate

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Pinklon Thomas



Bowe stops former Heavyweight champion Thomas after 8 rounds of a non title fight, one way traffic all the way Bowe was just too strong and fresh for the ageing Thomas who showed an incredible chin, took a pounding for majority of the fight and somehow never went down despite taking clean hard punches regularly

Bowe started off sharp, doubling and tripling up the jab, coming over with big right hands and doubled up the hooks as well, great variety and accuracy, Thomas couldn't offer anything in return and couldn't avoid Bowe's punches, Bowe did seem to take his foot off the gas in the middle rounds but Thomas couldn't capitalise, when Bowe got to work again he showed his class, the fight really should've been stopped in the 7th as Thomas was out on his feet but incredibly he made it to the end of the round without going down, even more incredibly his corner let him out for the 8th where to took unnecessary punishment, only his iron chin allowed him to make it out the round but thankfully his corner had finally seen enough

Shocking corner and one of the worst ref displays I've seen, not just the hurt he allowed Thomas to take but he he kept breaking thr action for no apparent reason, clowns all around

[Bodyshot3]

Nigel Benn vs Henry Wharton



Benn outpoints Wharton by UD to retain his World Super Middleweight title, well deserved win for Benn who for the most part controlled Wharton comfortably enough although Wharton did put Benn down at the end of the 5th, Benn called it a slip but Wharton did land a cuffing left/right so it was probably the right call, Benn fought the first 4/5 rounds behind a quality rock solid jab, doubling it up to great effect, working his way into the body of Wharton who looked a bit frozen on the big stage and spent long spells just covering up


After Wharton put Benn down in the 5th it seemed to wake him up and Benn stopped boxing and his work got a lot more ragged and it evened the fight out, as Benn just ploughed forward, Wharton finished the stronger in the closing rounds as Benn tired but he wasn't always landing enough to make the rounds clear and in the end it was Benn who got the win

That is a very fair assessment I think.

Wharton was a fighter that Benn and Eubank kept at arms length - probably very wisely - because Henry had decent and hurtful power, a top chin and was physically one of the very few guys able to match them for brute strength.

He also loved a ruck and a fighter in front of him.

Both Benn and Eubank paid Henry a real compliment by defusing their fights with him.....they got involved with Henry but on their own terms which meant flurries of aggression and then stepping back and having a walk and a breather.

Wharton did not quite have that 'bingo' punch in his locker or the speed across the ring to corner them and force them to fight harder and more often with him.

Henry was just a fraction off being a world champion for my money.

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Bert Cooper



Bowe KOs Cooper in 2 rounds of a non title Heavyweight fight, Cooper actually took the 1st round, he bullied the much bigger Bowe on the inside, roughing him up, outhustling him,, Bowe played into his hands but not using his jab or legs to keep Cooper on the outside and he took a bit of punishment in the opener, he mustve got a talking to in the corner as he came out much better for round 2, he jabbed Cooper and teed off on him with both hands, right uppercuts through the middle were getting through


In the 2nd Bowe wobbled Cooper with a big right hand and another right from Bowe sent Cooper down hard, he got up but Bowe tore in about him with lefts and rights and dropped Cooper again with a combination and the ref stopped it without finishing the count

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Tyrell Biggs



Bowe stops Biggs in the 8th round of a non title Heavyweight fight, Bowe pretty much had everything his own way but the first 4 rounds were competitive, Bowe did stun Biggs with a right hand seconds into the fight but Biggs got up on his toes and flicked out the jab and had some success and in the 3rd he stunned Bowe with a left hook that had Bowe backing up to the ropes, that was as good as it got for Biggs though and as the rounds wore on Bowe walked him down, pumping the jab into the face of Biggs and landing the right cross, Biggs was looking fatigued and was in survival mode by the 5th, the shots he was throwing had nothing on them


Bowe upped the pace each round and by the 8th Biggs was there for the taking , Bowe stalked him constantly and after Bowe landed a clubbing right hand Biggs went down, he made the count but was clearly fvcked, Bowe set in about him with lefts and rights and another 2 clubbing rights sent Biggs down again where it was stopped

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Tony Tubbs



Bowe wins a 10 round UD over former World Heavyweight champion Tubbs in a non title fight, not a classic TBH and not much to write home about, Bowe pretty much won the fight off the jab, walking forward stalking Tubbs occasionally coming over with the long right hand now and again, Tubbs moved plenty and it did trouble Bowe as far as making any inroads in the fight but really he was on the back foot sometimes trying to counter but without much success


Tubbs did sometimes show a decent jab of his own but he never stood his ground apart from the odd burst of punches, Bowe was never troubled and came out a comfortable winner

[Onetimeonly]

Riddick Bowe vs Tony Tubbs



Bowe wins a 10 round UD over former World Heavyweight champion Tubbs in a non title fight, not a classic TBH and not much to write home about, Bowe pretty much won the fight off the jab, walking forward stalking Tubbs occasionally coming over with the long right hand now and again, Tubbs moved plenty and it did trouble Bowe as far as making any inroads in the fight but really he was on the back foot sometimes trying to counter but without much success


Tubbs did sometimes show a decent jab of his own but he never stood his ground apart from the odd burst of punches, Bowe was never troubled and came out a comfortable winner

never understand how this decision became controversial years later.

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Tony Tubbs



Bowe wins a 10 round UD over former World Heavyweight champion Tubbs in a non title fight, not a classic TBH and not much to write home about, Bowe pretty much won the fight off the jab, walking forward stalking Tubbs occasionally coming over with the long right hand now and again, Tubbs moved plenty and it did trouble Bowe as far as making any inroads in the fight but really he was on the back foot sometimes trying to counter but without much success


Tubbs did sometimes show a decent jab of his own but he never stood his ground apart from the odd burst of punches, Bowe was never troubled and came out a comfortable winner

never understand how this decision became controversial years later.

Yeh I never scored it but thought the scores were a bit close

[chrisjs1985]

Riddick Bowe vs Tony Tubbs



Bowe wins a 10 round UD over former World Heavyweight champion Tubbs in a non title fight, not a classic TBH and not much to write home about, Bowe pretty much won the fight off the jab, walking forward stalking Tubbs occasionally coming over with the long right hand now and again, Tubbs moved plenty and it did trouble Bowe as far as making any inroads in the fight but really he was on the back foot sometimes trying to counter but without much success


Tubbs did sometimes show a decent jab of his own but he never stood his ground apart from the odd burst of punches, Bowe was never troubled and came out a comfortable winner

never understand how this decision became controversial years later.

I remember it was a myth created by some Tyson fanboys to make their guys win over Tubbs look like a legendary win. Mayweather fans sort of do the same nowadays with their blowing of Canelo, acting like he's a bonafide boxing god.

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Bruce Seldon



Bowe stops Seldon in the 1st round of a non title fight, shades of Tyson/Seldon IMO, Seldon took another dive in my book, he came out swinging but once he felt the power of Bowe he wanted out sharpish, Bowe put him down with a double jab/right cross, looked like Seldon was done but he sprung into life just in time and came out firing before Bowe dropped him a second time, this time wit a left hook, looked a good shot and I'm not doubting it hurt Seldon but the way his legs were acting as he "tried" to get up looked fake and reminded me of Liston in the Ali rematch

[Onetimeonly]

never understand how this decision became controversial years later.

I remember it was a myth created by some Tyson fanboys to make their guys win over Tubbs look like a legendary win. Mayweather fans sort of do the same nowadays with their blowing of Canelo, acting like he's a bonafide boxing god.

Completely tooling canelo was impressive, not that it surprised me. Floyd lost like 1 round combined against Alvarez, pac and jmm.

[handsofstone]

Riddick Bowe vs Pierre Coetzer



Bowe stops Coetzer in the 7th round of a non title Heavyweight fight, absolute cracker of a fight, both guys just stood and traded frim the 1st round, some excellent inside fighting from both men but especially Bowe who had the volume and quality, Coetzer landed his fair share of bombs but Bowe's punches had that bit more pop in them and he was busting Coetzer up by the 4th although Coetzer was always willing to slug it out, Bowe was dangerous with the low blows and lost a point for hitting Coetzer with a shot while he was doubled up from a low shot

Some controversy with the ending in the 7th, Bowe was well on top by then and Coetzer looked almost done but Bowe hit him with a right uppercut to the balls and as he turned away Bowe socked him and Coetzer sagged on to the ropes and when Bowe teed off on him the ref stepped in, you've got to feel a bit for Coetzer, Bowe landed some damaging illegal blows