BoxRec

With so many arguments and excuses about fighter a beating fighter b when fighter b was injured, past their best, had toothache etc

I wondered what are the best fights between two fighters in their prime?

Don't know enough about boxing to give a suggestion so any ideas are welcome. Apologies if this has been covered before....

Leonard v Hearns 1
Leonard v Duran 1

Loads more, but these two are good candidates.

Holyfield v Bowe 1 and 2.

Hagler-Hearns is also up there.

Chavez v Taylor 1
Sanchez v Gomez
Zarate v Zamora
Morales v Barrera 1
Ali v Frazier 1
Pryor v Arguello 1

Ali and Arguello were probably past their primes at that point, but still near enough to produce two classic fights.

Alexis Arguello v Lupe Pintor is a fantastic fight.

Ali wasn't past it as such, but he wasn't quite ready for Frazier after being back for just a short while following his suspension, don't think he was quite there yet.

jamesmcdonnell wrote:Alexis Arguello v Lupe Pintor is a fantastic fight.

Do you mean Gomez v Pintor? That was a classic too.

Sorry Gomez v Pintor, what a classic!

Matthew Saad Muhammad v Marvin Johnson and Yacqui Lopez are great too.

Best one I saw has to be Leonard-Hearns I, and I couldn't stand Leonard then. It had it all. Boxing, slugging, change of tactics, desperation, determination.

in a british ring Benn v Eubank 1

Leonard/Hearns I is my all-time favourite.

Again, in a British ring: Benn/McClellan, despite the outcome. You could make a case for Benn not being quite at his peak even then, though.

That's the fight which really showed Leonard to be a great fighter. He was getting outboxed by Tommy, so he slugged, then he got outslugged, so he boxed, so he gutted it out and drilled Tommy and knocked him out. Anyone who thought Leonard was nothing but a fancy dan found out different during that fight.

When you consider how Tommy devastated Duran, it shows what a great chin Leonard had too...

If anyone is interested there is a DVD out called "The Fantastic Four" which has all the Hagler, Hearns, Duran and Leonard scraps on it.

Great value for money at only £5.99 from HMV.

Personal favourites of top of my head are :

Bowe-Holyfield 1
Gatti-Robinson
Hagler-Hearns
Foreman-Frazier (just to see Foreman at his best)

jamesmcdonnell wrote:That's the fight which really showed Leonard to be a great fighter. He was getting outboxed by Tommy, so he slugged, then he got outslugged, so he boxed, so he gutted it out and drilled Tommy and knocked him out. Anyone who thought Leonard was nothing but a fancy dan found out different during that fight.

When you consider how Tommy devastated Duran, it shows what a great chin Leonard had too...

Yes Leonard was a great, great fighter. Always thought he'd have beaten Roy at their peaks.
Only time I can remember seeing Leonard hurt in his prime was the 2nd round of the 1st Duran fight. He recovered it seconds though. Gerlado gave him hell early in his career, but the guy was a middleweight.

Zale v Graziano 1 & 2 would qualify. I don't think anyone has ever found footage of those fights, even to this day.
The reels are probably lying in someone's attic, waiting to be found.

Trinidad vs Vargas
Barrera vs McKinney
Jones vs McKinney

Re-watched them fairly recently and all three are great fights.

NO BARRERRA MORALES?

MightyWarrior wrote:

jamesmcdonnell wrote:That's the fight which really showed Leonard to be a great fighter. He was getting outboxed by Tommy, so he slugged, then he got outslugged, so he boxed, so he gutted it out and drilled Tommy and knocked him out. Anyone who thought Leonard was nothing but a fancy dan found out different during that fight.

When you consider how Tommy devastated Duran, it shows what a great chin Leonard had too...

Yes Leonard was a great, great fighter. Always thought he'd have beaten Roy at their peaks.
Only time I can remember seeing Leonard hurt in his prime was the 2nd round of the 1st Duran fight. He recovered it seconds though. Gerlado gave him hell early in his career, but the guy was a middleweight.

Hmm, dunno about that, at what weight? I think at middleweight Roy was a real tough one for Leonard, handspeed and power combination would have made it hard work indeed. At super middleweight, Roy would have done him, Leonard never beat anyone approaching Roy's class above middleweight.

Overall Leonard was a better fighter though, beat better competition, Duran, Hearns, Benitez and Hagler are better than any of Roy's victories.

jamesmcdonnell wrote: Hmm, dunno about that, at what weight? I think at middleweight Roy was a real tough one for Leonard, handspeed and power combination would have made it hard work indeed. At super middleweight, Roy would have done him, Leonard never beat anyone approaching Roy's class above middleweight.

Overall Leonard was a better fighter though, beat better competition, Duran, Hearns, Benitez and Hagler are better than any of Roy's victories.

Imagine those two at the negotiating table, they'd probably never get round to actualy fighting:arguing over what catch weight it should be, and who enters the ring first etc..

I was sort of thinking they could've met at light middle - I think Roy was near the weight for the first few years of his career.
Leonard would've had too much for Jones. Talent wise it's hard to split them, but Leonard had more of a fighters heart than Roy. He was vicious in the ring, and Jones has only rarely shown that.

Light middle yes I think you're right, though that wasn't Roy's prime. Roy's prime probably would have been super middle had he stayed there, but he was too busy collecting belts.

2 great fighters,i think roy has the edge on talent,he was quicker,and his punch picking was near perfect in his prime.both hit very hard at there natural weights.though leonard showed more aggretion.roy to win on points.

hopkins vs trinidad
barrera vs morales 1
bowe vs holyfield 1+2
all were great fights

my 2 best fights that i watched live are:

Leonard - Hagler

Ali - Foreman (Rumble in the Jungle)

sorry for not naming a german or german based fighter

Best contest of recent years of fighters in their primes for me would be Tua-Ibeabuchi. Could be argued that this was the fight which also ended their primes, certainly for Tua.

Benn-Eubank 1 as best in a British ring recently.


Sorry for the bump, been away.

my favourite is morales -barrera 1 but im surprised no-one mentioned ali-frazier 1 & 3 - they was amazin.

MightyWarrior wrote:Chavez v Taylor 1
Sanchez v Gomez
Zarate v Zamora
Morales v Barrera 1
Ali v Frazier 1
Pryor v Arguello 1

Ali and Arguello were probably past their primes at that point, but still near enough to produce two classic fights.

Sanchez - Gomez for me every time.

Still get a shiver down my spine thinking about it

Sanchez was the epitome of AWESOME.

knockout artist wrote: Sanchez was the epitome of AWESOME.