Still after 20+ years the super fight with Leonard keeps getting closer and closer, and the more and more, it does appear Hagler was short handed in a fight that was totally tailor made to Leonard's benefit (bigger gloves, 12 rounds, Las Vegas judges). Leonard ran the majority of the time and his last second flurries supposedly were enough to beat the #4 RING ranked middleweight champion in history. Whatever your view on this fight, there is no question, it could have went either way.
#2- Battling Siki vs "Irish" Mike McTigue
Maybe Siki should have waited it out and fought someone else, but he hadn't fought in over six months and he needed the money. On the way to Ireland he reportedly lost so much weight he was practically a middleweight. To make matters worse, when he fought McTigue, it was on Saint Patrick's Day in the Emerald Isle's most famous city (Dublin) and the title challanger was a native of the country. Though sports writers declared that Siki won at least 18 of the 20 rounds, McTigue's hand was the one that was raised.
#3- Evander Holyfield vs Lennox Lewis (1)
Holyfield was the reigning IBF and WBA champion, while Lennox was the WBC champion. It was a given that these two would have to someday meet to determine the true undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. This was the biggest event in the division, and it was between two of the greatest HW's to ever live. But after the last bell rung and it appeared that the 6'5" 245 pound Englishman had won it...it was declared a draw and everybody booed. While not as bad a decision as the previous two, it was deemed a black eye for the sport and a rematch was in order. The next time, Lennox won, and rightfully so.
#4- George Foreman vs Shannon Briggs
Foreman was 48 years old and though no longer the IBF champion, he still was recognised as the lineal champion. He had ducked mandatories such as Tony Tucker, and refused to give the previously unknown Axel Schulz a rematch when that fight was controversial, and had beaten the unheralded Crawford Grimsley and Lou Savarese. Then he was picked to 'defend' against another unknown by the name of Shannon "The Cannon" Briggs. The fight was nothing to scream over, but it did seem that Foreman had the upper hand the entire time...then came the call that Briggs won. Foreman retired and Briggs would later get knocked out by Lennox Lewis in 6 rounds.
#5- Tommy Burns vs "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien (2)
These two had met before years ago, and Burns won comfortably over the legendary Irishman. Now Burns was the HW champion and O'Brien was the LHW champion. Both men actually weighed under the HW criteria, though it was for Burns HW crown, so the LHW title was also on the line. Not until Ray Leonard would fight Donnie Lalond would there be two different titles from two different divisions on the line. The referee was former undefeated champion Jim Jefferies, who was still recognised by the public as being the 'true' champion. Burns thrashed O'Brien for 20 rounds, but when Jefferies was asked who won, he declared the fight a draw. A highly unsatisfactory affair, which Burns would later avenge in a rubber match with O'Brien.
#6- Muhammad Ali vs Jimmy Young
Ali was passed his prime and had just defeated the likes of Chuck Wepner, Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier, Joe Bugner,Richard Dunne and Jean Pierre Coopman. Young was pagged to be another 'easy' defense for Ali, but come fight night, the target was much more elusive than thought. The fight was rather boring, with Young ducking in between the ropes to avoid Ali's punches---but Young landed the more punches and looked more crisper than the champion. When Ali was announced the winner, the crowd booed.
#7- George Foreman vs Jimmy Young
Young and Foreman hit the list a second time! Yes, it is not controversial at all that Young won, but the scoring is quite controversial. The referee only gave Foreman 2 rounds, with Young getting the other 13. A highly controversial score indeed as Foreman was very much in the fight for the early and middle rounds---Young's surprise knockdown in the 15th certainly over rided anything else in the fight. Foreman retires for ten years only to come back in 1987, while Young would later face Ken Norton...
#8- Ken Norton vs Muhammad Ali (3)
And speaking of Kenny Norton! Both these men had a win against eachother. The first time Norton broke Ali's jaw and won a decision, the second time was close but Ali won the decision. This was Ali on the downside, and Norton was just a few years away from becoming albiet by default the WBC champion of the world...but on the night of September 28th, 1976 Norton appeared to be in control of the fight. SO much, in fact, that his corner told him to take it easy in the last round. Ali manages to rally back in that last round---and the decision is read, that by scores of: 8-6, 8-7, and 8-7 that Muhammad Ali was still the HW champion of the world. It was a decision that would haunt Norton for many years.
#9- Larry Holmes vs Tim Witherspoon
Witherspoon was only 15-0, while Holmes was 42-0 and had already accomplished 16 successful title defenses. Witherspoon was pegged to be just another notch on Holmes belt, that he wouldn't stand a chance. But what's this? Witherspoon not only goes the distance but gives Holmes so much hell that even afterwards Holmes said that Witherspoon was one of his toughest opponents ever. The scores? 115-113, 118-111, and 115-114 for Larry Holmes. A very controversial affair.
#10- Joe Louis vs Jersey Joe Walcott
Joe Louis had racked up another two defenses to make it an official 23 (that is if you dont count the Johnny Davis farce) after coming back from the war. He was visbly not as fast and not as great in his prime, but he was still Joe Louis and he had knocked out Billy Conn and Tami Maurellio all in 9 rounds combined. His next defense wasn't to pose any trouble for him. But that's exactly what the part time garbage man Jersey Joe Walcott did. For 15 rounds Louis got the boxing lesson of a life time, not since Schmeling had he been this humiliated. he was dropped twice in the 1st and 4th rounds, and he knew he lost. You could see it in his eyes, and then..."The winner and still Heavyweight champion of the world, Joe Louis!" Being the man of class that he was, he gave Walcott an automatic return, and again was losing the fight and was even dropped for a no-count in the 3rd round...but he landed his legendary combos in the 11th and Walcott was out. Louis would retire, only to comeback, and Walcott would eventually win the title at the age of 37.
Come on pplz! Name some more
I made the same F'ing mistake like I did last time...
(Although I did think it was closer than the judges did. They must've been high.)