Oddest Genuine fights.

[JamesPhilips]

Paul Gallen Vs Sonny Bill Williams?

It's probably the only "freakshow" fight that might not actually be a complete freakshow fight. Both former rugby league players that took the boxing game somewhat seriously in their career and in retirement. Although they both had the money grab fights against opponents like Mark Hunt or other sports stars, they both also beat veterans such as Lucas Browne, Frans Botha, Chauncey Welliver. Gallen also fought legit pros in Terzievski and Huni in their prime, despite losing both.

Paul Briggs - Danny Green was very weird fight too. Get some weird shenanigans in Oz. Lucas Browne - Paul Gallen is very suspicious.

[JamesPhilips]

Joe Louis against Johnny Davis. Davis' record was 3-3 going into the fight.

Also ended with a terrible record.

Was a 4 rounder for the world title…. I never knew about this - great pick, very odd

https://boxrec.com/en/event/391310/1080993

[keithmoonhangover]

Joe Louis against Johnny Davis. Davis' record was 3-3 going into the fight.

Also ended with a terrible record.

Was a 4 rounder for the world title…. I never knew about this - great pick, very odd

https://boxrec.com/en/event/391310/1080993

It was supposed to be an exhibition, but would have been classed as a draw if it went the distance, so Joe took him out.

[JamesPhilips]

Joe Louis against Johnny Davis. Davis' record was 3-3 going into the fight.

Also ended with a terrible record.

Was a 4 rounder for the world title…. I never knew about this - great pick, very odd

https://boxrec.com/en/event/391310/1080993

It was supposed to be an exhibition, but would have been classed as a draw if it went the distance, so Joe took him out.

So like Apollo Creed vs Drago?

Weird bit of history I missed. Very good trivia
Boxrec lists it as for Heavyweight championship
https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/9027

[mickey1975]

Joe Louis against Johnny Davis. Davis' record was 3-3 going into the fight.

Also ended with a terrible record.

Was a 4 rounder for the world title…. I never knew about this - great pick, very odd

https://boxrec.com/en/event/391310/1080993

Joe would have been hammered on here for that. Plus a good few others he had.

[Controversial]

Joe Louis against Johnny Davis. Davis' record was 3-3 going into the fight.

Also ended with a terrible record.

Was a 4 rounder for the world title…. I never knew about this - great pick, very odd

https://boxrec.com/en/event/391310/1080993

Joe would have been hammered on here for that. Plus a good few others he had.

I still don’t know why this was counted as a real fight as it was an exhibition bout, Louis fought several guys over a few days and none of the others were counted. It was while he was in the army. Just a weird ruling by the local commission that wouldn’t recognise exhibition fights.

[dawudboxer]

It was supposed to be an exhibition but they wouldn't allow it so he had to box to a decision, and as champion if he lost, the title would have been on the line. It was said that a title fight can be no less than 15 rds, so while the state said it was a title defense, the bout was never actually counted as a title fight because it was only scheduled for 4 rds, but it was an official bout because they wouldn't allow him to box an exhibition in their state.

[keithmoonhangover]

Riddick Bowe vs Gene Pukall, 12 years after Golota, in Germany on a Klitschko undercard.

George Foreman and Gerry Cooney

Larry Holmes vs Butterbean

Hearns vs Andries to a certain extent.

Holyfield and Bobby Czyz was a matchup I never saw coming.

[forcefraser]

Larry Holmes v Butterbean

[SeanBrennan]

Larry Holmes v Butterbean

I’d forgotten they actually fought that’s a good shout

[Boxerbeetle]

Larry Holmes v Butterbean

Oh yeah, I remember Saad saying he’d ordered the PPV for that one and heavily regretted it afterwards

[Riddick Bowie]

George Foreman Vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi

Iran Barkley Vs Trevor Berbick

James Broad at the end when morbidly obese, brain damaged and Hep-ridden stopped a guy who was a decorated MMA fighter

[Eolaithe]

Based purely on context (i.e. mainstream perception of these bouts between world-rated fighters immediately prior to these bouts taking place), rather than hindsight:

1) Roy Jones Jr. vs John Ruiz
2) Manny Pacquiao vs Oscar De La Hoya
3) Evander Holyfield vs George Foreman

Honourable Mentions:

• Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard
• Bernard Hopkins vs Kelly Pavlik
• Roberto Durán vs Iran Barkley
• Sugar Ray Leonard vs Donny Lalonde
• Henry Maske vs Virgil Hill II
• James Toney vs Evander Holyfield

[MPW]

Roberto Duran v Dave Radford.

I don't recall any oddities on that one. What was off about it?

Plasterer and part-time journeyman from West Yorkshire pit village, boxes in leisure centres and town halls in Wakefield and Barnsley, fights boxing superstar. In South Africa.

Must be one of the most random fights I can remember.

Oddly enough, it ended up being Duran's 100th victory.