Massive step up in class

[Fray Bentos]

Michael Watson stopping Don Lee, that was a massive step up in class and paid off.

Jess Harding taking on Ossie Ocasio was also a massive step up in class and didn't pay off as Ocasio stopped inside six rounds... Ocasio massively clowned Lennox Lewis a year or two later so a brave attempt by Jess Harding to try and get that scalp.

[dr_devious]

Yarde taking on Kovalev and almost pulling off the win was a huge step up

[Steveh583]

Witter getting thrown in with zab judah. Jennings vs cotto.

[NoScoutingReports]

Matthew Hatton v Canelo

[Flump]

Three Brit heavyweights who it didn't work out for:

John L Gardner v Jimmy Young
Herbie Hide v Riddick Bowe
Pele Reid v Orlin Norris

[Bleak]

David Walker vs the Russian Guy

Always the right answer, that Russian was evil that night

[orbtastic]

Roman "Made in Hell" Karmazin. I could picture him but couldn't remember his surname but could remmeber his nickname. I remember him beating Ouma.

[The Gratest]

Adrian Stone v Sugar Shane Mosley

Stone had mixed in decent class over in the States before returning to the UK. It was a fairly competitive light middle scene in the UK at that time and he came out on top of the group before going in with Mosley.

Richard Williams v Sergio Martinez

Williams looked super slick, looked like he could have a genuine chance at going further than domestic/Euro level. Martinez was still a bit of an unknown at the time but took Williams apart before then going on to prove just how good he was.

[The Gratest]

Howard Clarke v Fernando Vargas

Not sure how Clarke managed to get a shot at Vargas (well it was on the undercard of Lewis v Holyfield I, so I do in a way). Glad that someone who'd been such a longterm journeyman got his moment of glory, although it went as expected.

[jameswilson]

Cleverly v Kovalev.

[The Gratest]

Andy Holligan v JC Chavez

Andreas Panayi v Sammy Fuentes

Panayi had went on a winning streak at brit level, was strong as an ox and got matched up against former world title challenger Fuentes (Chavez had ground him up), who was still operating at a fringe level but losing as much as winning. Fuentes was just too good.

[Steveh583]

Gary vs Pavlik

Good shout

[The Gratest]

Gary Jacobs v Sweet Pea

[margaret thatcher]

Vallily vs Briedis

Edwards vs Casimero

Usyk vs Glowacki

Murjodon vs Daniel Roman

That Lee dude who fought Devon Alexander

[jameswilson]

Julius Francis vs Mike Tyson .....

[Teddy's Toupee]

Kasi Kaihau v Harry Simon. In his next fight Simon beat Ronald Wright for the WBO world light-middleweight title.

[deadpan]

Trinidad-Lueshing
Lloyd & Wenton-Barrera
Bowe-Hide (albeit Hide was the champ)
Foster-Wright (plus Dodson and Bingham)

[coghaugen11]

Rod Douglas facing Bomber Graham after 13 fights.

[Rockytony67]

Gary Jacobs v Buddy McGirt in New York.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Cleverly v Kovalev.

For who?

[dookus]

Fury v Klitschko. Worked out though!

[Deserter]

Richard Evatt so nearly pulled off a massive upset against Junior Jones - two fights before Jones he'd lost to Smith Odoom (7-3-1) and then the fight before had beaten Peter Buckley... by contrast Jones had just beaten Tom Johnson!

Toks Owoh was mooted for big things but going from beating Tony Booth to stepping in with Glen Johnson was ambitious match-making to say the least and things swiftly unravelled.

May sound funny with hindsight, but Naz going in with former world title challenger and European champ Belcastro was viewed as a big step up by many given the diet of journeymen he'd faced until that point, but he handled him with ease.

Collins going in with McCallum fairly early in his career surely has to be up there as well - predictable result, but served him well as a learning fight.

[Greg Houston]

Burns v Martinez

I know Ricky was no 1 contender, but that had seem to come out of nowhere. In the end he fully deserved the win and showed what he was capable of.

[Counter-puncher]

Richard Evatt so nearly pulled off a massive upset against Junior Jones - two fights before Jones he'd lost to Smith Odoom (7-3-1) and then the fight before had beaten Peter Buckley... by contrast Jones had just beaten Tom Johnson!

Toks Owoh was mooted for big things but going from beating Tony Booth to stepping in with Glen Johnson was ambitious match-making to say the least and things swiftly unravelled.

May sound funny with hindsight, but Naz going in with former world title challenger and European champ Belcastro was viewed as a big step up by many given the diet of journeymen he'd faced until that point, but he handled him with ease.

Collins going in with McCallum fairly early in his career surely has to be up there as well - predictable result, but served him well as a learning fight.

[bennie]

Jimmy Price stepped up against a supposedly shot Ayub Kalule and got done in the first round.