Classic fights I've watched recently

[DrDuke]

Thomas Hearns vs Iran Barkley I

Hearns was methodically outboxing and battering Barkley, landing punishing blows upstairs and downstairs, but he did just a single mistake and Barley reached Hearns' glass jaw with his right hand. Hearns ate another punch while going down. Tommy was absolutely gone, his eyes were empty, he barely got up wobbling around and continued to look gone. How on earth Steele allowed the fight to continue? Barkley jumped on still dazed Hearns and sent him down through the ropes to make the fight finally stopped. It's hard to realize, that it was the same ref, who would later stop Chavez-Taylor fight. Steele was telling, that there had been no answer from Taylor, but where the hell had Hearns' answer been? Tommy looked just awfully stunned.

[Woldemar]

Vuyani Bungu vs Thomas Mashaba (IBO Featherweight title).

Very good fight.

[Counter-puncher]

^^^^ I’m really enjoying this fight, thanks Woldemar

[Counter-puncher]

How about that South African crowd?! Great atmosphere

[Woldemar]

Also a very good fight .

Katsuya Onizuka vs Armando Castro (WBA World super flyweight title)

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Danny Thomas

Since the starting bell Toney was pressing the fight and outboxing Thomas with good head and body work. Thomas' movement at first was decent and in the 4th round Thomas even attempted a flurry, but Toney's defence was good enough to avoid the biggest shots. Since then Toney continued to outbox Thomas confidently. In the 7th Thomas landed his biggest punch, an right hand, which even rocked Toney a bit, but Toney avenged that episode without any difficulties and finished this 8-round bout strong. It was a one-sided affair, a confident win for Toney.

[handsofstone]

Wladimir Klitschko vs Ray Mercer



Klitschko stops Mercer in the 6th to retain his World Heavyweight title, Mercer long passed his best but I've gotta say Klitschko was superb, never wasted a punch, was in the mood and got to work quickly, he had Mercer down in the 1st from a peach of a left hook, Mercer was flat on his back and looked out, shades of Wilder's 12th round knockdown in the first Fury fight, Mercer got up though and proceeded to take a long sustained beatdown, he did land the occasionally hard looking jab but took a lot more of Wlad's jabs in return, Wlad also drilled him with hard straight rights through the middle

By the 4th Mercer was looking weary and was getting hurt in every round, it was target practice and the end came in thr 6th when Wlad was teeing off Mercer with jabs and rights through the guard when the ref stepped in to stop the slaughter

[Bodyshot3]

Wladimir Klitschko vs Ray Mercer

The K brothers loved a B-Side fighter defence and a fat pay cheque....possibly why folk are cynical about them.

The real Ray Mercer against Wlad would have been a properly tricky defence for Wlad...even a Steward remodelled Wlad would have not liked that assignment.

I suppose the only upside of this tonking is that Ray also got a reasonable payday.

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Ricardo Bryant

Toney methodically broke Bryant down. Toney was scoring some really good combos up- and downstairs. In the 3rd round Toney landed a great left hand to the body, which caused a bit delayed knockdown of Bryant. In the next round Toney finished Bryant off.

[Counter-puncher]

Also a very good fight .

Katsuya Onizuka vs Armando Castro (WBA World super flyweight title)

Goddamit those bastards closed down Ironbar

[Woldemar]

Also a very good fight .

Katsuya Onizuka vs Armando Castro (WBA World super flyweight title)

Goddamit those bastards closed down Ironbar

Yeah,one of the best boxing channels in Youtube.

[handsofstone]

Wladimir Klitschko vs Jameel McCline



Klitschko stops McCline after 10 rounds to retain his World Heavyweight title, McCline pulled out by his corner after going down in the 10th, dominant win for Wlad against a rare opponent who was same size as him, McCline was poor though and never tried to take control and win thr fight, Wlad controlled him with the left hand all night, jabs and hooks were all he needed, it was a snoozer but in the 10th Wlad rocked McCline with a left hook and a follow up forced him down in the corner, the bell went as he got up but his corner had seen enough, poor effort from McCline

[Syntax Error]

Marvin Hagler V Tony Sibson

Another flawless performance from Hagler to destroy the plucky Briton.

Hagler took Sibson apart with crisp southpaw jabs, Left crosses and sublime movement, allied with his famed stance switching.

Sibson was probably stronger than Hagler and looked a division above too, but he was nowhere near Hagler in class.

It's sometimes easy to forget what a brilliant technician Hagler was, because I always tend to gravitate towards his later fights like Hearns and Mugabi when Marvin had lost his speed and had basically become a bar-room brawler who was almost unrecognisable from the sublime technician he was at the start of his reign.

[Woldemar]

Holyfield vs Qawi 1.Great fight

[Bodyshot3]

Marvin Hagler V Tony Sibson

Sibbo was a seriously well-put together lad - looked like a chunky, strong LH even as a young middle - but if you get hit clean and can't hit back nearly often enough yourself then all that brute strength is largely voided.

Think MH has said in post-retirement Q&As that Tony was someone he was wary off - one of the handful of blokes who might have been able to shove him back and bully him if he got chance - so Hagler boxed him and did it darn well

[handsofstone]

Corrie Sanders vs Wladimir Klitschko



Sanders stops Klitschko in 2 rounds to become World Heavyweight champion, Wlad down 4 times all from southpaw lefts of Sanders, a big overhand left had Wlad down near the end of the 1st, he managed to drag himself up before a left cross had him down again when the bell went

Sanders had Klitschko down early in the 2nd from another straight left down thr pipe and dumped Wlad on his arse, he looked gone but again dragged himself up before a last big left had him down a 4th time where it was stopped

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Iran Barkley

A one of the best one-sided fights ever. Barkley was enough gutsy to keep going forward, making it a fight. Toney was outboxing Barkley in a spectacular fashion. Toney demonstrated masterful offence and defence. There were a lot of beautiful rolls and counters from Toney. Barkley was just made for James. Iran was always in front of Toney, he was opened, he was slower. Toney was in his absolute prime and at the right weight for that period of his career. A great fight.

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Tony Thornton

After the Barkley bout Toney took a series of keep busy fights at the LHW and he had weight cut problems before the Thornton bout, which was for Toney's SMW championship. The fight itself was quite eventless. Thornton had decent skills, but, of course, he wasn't a threat to Toney, while Toney was comfortably outboxing Thornton, but by a minimal margin, without landing much big shots, thus the fight wasn't spectacular. I'd say, Toney was already declined. His corner was urging him to press the action, but Toney failed to become sharper. I think, Toney either should have stepped up in weight after Barkley or should have kept fit after that bout and tried to make the Jones fight as soon as possible. Everything could be different from what had actually been. The weight issues had become a bigger trouble for Toney at that point.

[oogiebe]

James Toney vs Tony Thornton

After the Barkley bout Toney took a series of keep busy fights at the LHW and he had weight cut problems before the Thornton bout, which was for Toney's SMW championship. The fight itself was quite eventless. Thornton had decent skills, but, of course, he wasn't a threat to Toney, while Toney was comfortably outboxing Thornton, but by a minimal margin, without landing much big shots, thus the fight wasn't spectacular. I'd say, Toney was already declined. His corner was urging him to press the action, but Toney failed to become sharper. I think, Toney either should have stepped up in weight after Barkley or should have kept fit after that bout and tried to make the Jones fight as soon as possible. Everything could be different from what had actually been. The weight issues had become a bigger trouble for Toney at that point.

I never saw that fight and thank you for saving me the time.

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Tim Littles

A short, but very exciting fight. Littles was a then #1 unbeaten contender, he was young, fast and good technically. Littles was more precise in the first two rounds, he landed some really good shots. However, Toney woke up in the 3rd round and put Littles down. In the attempts to finish Litles off Toney sustained a big cut on the left eyebrow in the clash of heads. The doctor gave Toney only a one round after the 3rd and Toney was able to stop Littles right in the 4th. Toney knocked Littles down for three times in that round and the ref waved it off after the third one.

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Charles Williams

The fight of the two light heavyweights for the super middleweight championship. Williams had a solid career at the LHW, including winning a championship there. Toney was taking keep busy bouts at the LHW between his SMW title defences. Also, Toney once again had problems cutting to the SMW limit. I believe, it affected the fight and was already overall affecting Toney. The fight was ugly. Williams imposed a grueling inside hustle and the majority of the bout took place in the corners and on the ropes. Toney took such fight and he didn't have much troubles, except swollen left eye, which had probably swollen mostly because of the frequent head contact. Williams was trying to overpower the smaller opponent, but Toney was landing the most telling blows all the night. It was Toney's fight, despite of the fact of it being in the style of Williams. Actually, the opinions about it differ. The crowd was booing from time to time, the commentators weren't happy, but the BoxRec description states: "The fight was seen as one of the most exciting fights of the year and was a very even fight". I don't agree with this statement at all. Furthermore, the judges had Toney ahead, me too. However, in the 12th round Toney scored a truly spectacular KO. The fight went outside, Toney threw a one-two, Williams went down spectacularly and wasn't able to get up due to being both exhausted and hurt. The KO saved the fight for me. Toney stated afterwards, that he had suffered from flu shortly before the bout. Maybe it along with the weight cut problems affected him taking the opponent's fight, but still Toney proved to be a great fighter, because he was able to outfight the bigger opponent in his game.

[Bodyshot3]

Corrie Sanders vs Wladimir Klitschko

The fight still gets discussed heaps....probably always will

WK's shortcomings, underlying flaws as a fighter very clearly, brutally exposed or was it more of a case of Sanders being a deadly finisher who could and should've done a whole lot more at the elite level with a better set-up and career plan?

Personally, I don't think you can take much away from Sanders.
He was overseas, not much fancied and backed his big card which was an ability to start fast and hit damn hard.

Corrie went for it that night and it was exactly the right option and also probably his only credible option.
And WK did get beaten-up, the stoppage was right and conclusive.

Could Corrie have had a better career...almost certainly yes, he liked his golf too much and was not always in the shape to beat guys who could hang around for a while or saw the fast-heavy hitting start coming right at them.

[handsofstone]

Wladimir Klitschko vs Lamon Brewster 1+2



Brewster gets off the canvas to stop Klitschko in the 5th to win the vacant World Heavyweight title l, strange one Wlad was in control for most part, busy with the jab and hitting Brewster clean with the straight right, Wlad did get wobbled early in the 3rd by a Brewster left hook but recovered well and in the 4th he put Brewster down with a 1/2 Brewster's legs buckled before he collapsed, Klitschko did look tired though mouth gaping and had been doing a fair bit of holding and leaning


The end came in the 5th after Brewster landed two massive left hooks which had Klitschko against the ropes taking hard lefts and rights when the ref jumped in and for some reason gave Wlad a standing count, Robert Byrd making an arse of it, Brewster waded into Wlad who was gone and the bell rang to end round and Brewster shoved Klitschko to the canvas, not a knockdown but when Klitschko finally got up he was completely spent and it was rightly waved off



Klitschko stops Brewster after 6 rounds of the rematch to retain his World Heavyweight title, one sided schooling from Wlad who was a lot more composed this time, his engine was fine and he never grabbed hold, he kept Brewster on the end of the long left jab all night, just driving it into his face, as the rounds wore on he started to bring the right hand over, Brewster wasnt down or hurt but he was taking a slow beating, after 6 one sided rounds his corner pulled him out on his stool

[handsofstone]

Corrie Sanders vs Wladimir Klitschko

The fight still gets discussed heaps....probably always will

WK's shortcomings, underlying flaws as a fighter very clearly, brutally exposed or was it more of a case of Sanders being a deadly finisher who could and should've done a whole lot more at the elite level with a better set-up and career plan?

Personally, I don't think you can take much away from Sanders.
He was overseas, not much fancied and backed his big card which was an ability to start fast and hit damn hard.

Corrie went for it that night and it was exactly the right option and also probably his only credible option.
And WK did get beaten-up, the stoppage was right and conclusive.

Could Corrie have had a better career...almost certainly yes, he liked his golf too much and was not always in the shape to beat guys who could hang around for a while or saw the fast-heavy hitting start coming right at them.

[DrDuke]

James Toney vs Jason Robinson

An eliminator for Jirov's belt. The fight was close early, the taller southpaw Robinson was using his height and range advantage well, but Toney was timing some good shots too. At the end of the 4th round, where Robinson looked good, Toney rocked him with a big right hand. In the 5th Toney sent Robinson down with a great counter right. In the 6th Toney at first tried to finish Robinson off, but Robinson recovered well, so Toney stopped forcing it. In the 7th in the exchange of left hooks Toney was faster, he knocked Robinson out in a spectacular fashion. A good performance from Toney, his career was on the second wind then.