BoxRec

What was the most anticipated fight in all of boxing ?

Very close call but I'd edge Ali-Frazier.

Fight of the century, Sinatra taking photos for Life.

This fight had everything and a personal fave of mine. Frazier at his finest.

No fight in history was more anticipated and celebrated than "The Fight of the Century". Ali vs Frazier I forever will be the fight that all other fights should be measured.

It had everything:
1. Two undefeated great champions in their prime and peak of their powers

2. It had the anticipation and the fight exceeded the expectations

3. It had drama and a classic ending.

What else can we ask for?

Sorry, I worded this wrong. I meant what was the most anticipated fight in the time period between those two bouts. i,e after June 22 1938 and before March 8 1971

Seamus wrote:Sorry, I worded this wrong. I meant what was the most anticipated fight in the time period between those two bouts. i,e after June 22 1938 and before March 8 1971

Well, maybe it could be Louis vs Conn II, but, the fight was garbage.

I think that fight was the most anticipated fight between 1938 and 1971.

Maybe Charles/Louis, but I wasn't around. Marciano/Walcott and Clay/Liston II would be in the running.

marciano vs. louis?

man wrote:marciano vs. louis?

I thought about that, hard to imagine it being bigger than Louis/Charles.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote:marciano vs. louis?

I thought about that, hard to imagine it being bigger than Louis/Charles.

i actually have no idea. have no credible
source and cannot recall being around
back then ...

man wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote:marciano vs. louis?

I thought about that, hard to imagine it being bigger than Louis/Charles.

i actually have no idea. have no credible
source and cannot recall being around
back then ...

Me either, but I have to assume a long reigning champion that never lost coming back for the title had to be pretty huge.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:
I thought about that, hard to imagine it being bigger than Louis/Charles.

i actually have no idea. have no credible
source and cannot recall being around
back then ...

Me either, but I have to assume a long reigning champion that never lost coming back for the title had to be pretty huge.

?

I think Tyson coming back from jail, against Mcneeley, was highly anticipated by people all over the world it was pretty epic! a shite fight but the build up to it was immense!

man wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote: i actually have no idea. have no credible
source and cannot recall being around
back then ...

Me either, but I have to assume a long reigning champion that never lost coming back for the title had to be pretty huge.

?

Louis vacated his title, made a comeback and fought Charles for his belt.

Rexob wrote:I think Tyson coming back from jail, against Mcneeley, was highly anticipated by people all over the world it was pretty epic! a shite fight but the build up to it was immense!

I think that was later than 1971.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

Rexob wrote:I think Tyson coming back from jail, against Mcneeley, was highly anticipated by people all over the world it was pretty epic! a shite fight but the build up to it was immense!

I think that was later than 1971.

"What was the most anticipated fight in all of boxing ?"

Just answering the first question? there's been loads of big fights that one came to mind.

Oh yeah just seen the revised question

elmersalsa wrote:No fight in history was more anticipated and celebrated than "The Fight of the Century". Ali vs Frazier I forever will be the fight that all other fights should be measured.

It had everything:
1. Two undefeated great champions in their prime and peak of their powers

2. It had the anticipation and the fight exceeded the expectations

3. It had drama and a classic ending.

What else can we ask for?

Boxing was a major sport in the 1940s-1960s. There were a ton of big fights that people looked forward to. Hard to say if there was one that standouts out as the most anticipated.

Besides those already mentioned, some others to consider:
Louis-Conn II
Louis-Walcott II
Patterson-Johannson II
Patterson-Liston I
Patterson-Ali I
Zale-Graziano
There was a ton of Robinson fights with LaMotta,Turpin,Olsen, Fullmer, Basilio etc.

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:
Me either, but I have to assume a long reigning champion that never lost coming back for the title had to be pretty huge.

?

Louis vacated his title, made a comeback and fought Charles for his belt.

max schmeling saw that "never lost"
differently, but i guess you meant once
he had won the title.

man wrote:

SaadOffTheDeck wrote:

man wrote: ?

Louis vacated his title, made a comeback and fought Charles for his belt.

max schmeling saw that "never lost"
differently, but i guess you meant once
he had won the title.

I think you mean Louis-Schmeling II . . not the first fight, right? That was much more anticipated than their first fight, which most thought would be a cakewalk for Louis, and the implications of a Hitler-led Germany were not as widely known in 1936 as in 1938.

Yep I really screwed this one up.

Seamus wrote:Yep I really screwed this one up.

Yes but actually its a fabulous question! Between Louis/Schmeling 2 in 38 and ali frazier 1 in 71 - what was the biggest fight? It really isn't clear cut. Biggest fight early doors in the 20th c was johnson/jeffries - then theres the dempsey huge fights, then post ali frazier 1 - theres all the duran/leonard, hagler/hearns, hagler/leonard etc but in between its tricky. What about zale/graziano 2 - that must have been huge after the first fight and just after the war too?

How about Clay vs Liston I? That fight might be top 3 in anticipation with all of Cassius Clay's antics before the fight.