While this fight has acquired near universal claim as the best of this century, the larger debate is where it actually fits in among the best in history. As did fights from the greatest of the greats, from Rocky Marciano and Their fourth bout was perhaps the most unforgettable, at least for Marquez, with the Mexican spectacularly striking Pacquiao with a straight right hand that laid the Philippine sensation out cold in the 6th-round in December 2012 but it was their first bout that got the ball rolling. In 2012, Floyd Mayweather Jr., the number 1 best pound-for-pound fighter in the world went up against battle tested and great Puerto Rican fighter Miguel Cotto. Both Morales and Barrera took so much punishment, that it was almost impossible to split the pair at the final bell despite Barrera claiming a 12th round knockdown on Morales. Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales, February 19, 2000, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. Copy this code to embed the article on your site: Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales, February 19, 2000, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, The first fight, on February 19, 2000, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas saw El Terrible Morales edge The, Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao I, May 8, 2004, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Their fourth bout was perhaps the most unforgettable, at least for Marquez, with the Mexican spectacularly striking Pacquiao with a straight right hand that, Marquez hit the canvas three times in the first three, At 25 years old, Pacquiao was still raw, but like a hurricane in his style, owning a brutal left hand. Leonard took control of the fight early on, and he finished strong, earning himself a split decision victory. Marquez took the WBA flyweight title from Concepcion in an exciting fight and they went at it again 6 months later where Marquez, was able to make easy work of his opponent this time and stopped him in the 1st round. It was a furious non-stop action fight between the brawler Concepcion and boxer Marquez. The first fight between the two was a wild brawl with both fighters showcasing their huge hearts. Gamboa took the upper hand in the opening rounds, getting the better of Crawford with his lightning hand speed, but Crawford refused to be beaten and adjusted his style. Marquez hit the canvas three times in the first three minutes but showed an abundant of heart to fight back and bewilder Pacquiao with astute counter-punching. After over seven hours of action, the referee eventually had mercy on both fighters, declaring the fight a draw. Micky Ward vs Arturo Gatti 1 (May 18, 2002): Putting Gatti and Ward in the ring together was a recipe for an epic action battle. Both men kept up the pace for the rest of the night, throwing hard shots until the final bell rang. -- Campbell, 8. width: 100%; High Altitude Elevation Training Mask Review Does it Work? had the whole lot: anxious moments, intrigue, strategic rounds, drama, knock-downs and plenty of edge of the seat moments. British boxing found itself in the spotlight when arch-rivals David Haye and Dereck Chisora faced off in front of a home crowd of 30,000 at Londons Boleyn Ground. The first round of this historic matchup was one of the most action-packed rounds in boxing history, with both fighters landing their fair share of punches. 1:25 pm ET, Paul faces crossroads choice on where he goes next, Jack earns world title in third division with TKO, Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury fight preview, prediction, Paul faces tough choice on where he goes next, Davis, Garcia set for April showdown on Showtime PPV, Lara earns featherweight title with TKO of Wood, Joshua set for return in April; Jones to face Pettis, Taylor vs. Serrano 2 set for May in Dublin, Seven burning questions for the NFL combine. Acosta opted to box and move and done very well in the beginning rounds, even hurting the iron chinned Rios on several occasions. .node-type-video #views-exposed-form-haymon-search-video-page i.fa-search::before { -- Brookhouse, 1. Despite headlining fewer of our top 20 than McGregor, his 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao But the real winners were the fans who saw the fight of the, Kostya Tszyu vs. Ricky Hatton, June 4, 2005, MEN Arena, Manchester, England, On June 4, 2005, Ricky Hitman Hatton propelled himself towards global stardom becoming the WBA light-welterweight champion of the world defeating the, Frederic Gosset vs. Xia Yu Quing, October 7, 2, This is a fight that likely only real hardcore boxing fans have seen, and it was a battle not for the. The finish still holds the record for the fastest knockout ever in a world title boxing match. Firpo struck first early in the contest, sending Dempsey to the canvas during the opening seconds of the first round. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: boxing | pageType: stories | 2012 was an incredible year for British sports, having played host to a magnificent Olympic games. Following this unexpected result, Khan made changes to his camp and re-emerged as a better fighter under the tutelage of legendary trainer Freddie Roach. This gruelling 12-round slugfest was brutal, with both men landing multiple damaging shots and an absolutely huge 2,123 punches being thrown in total. It takes you on a journey that improves you physically, mentally, and spiritually. img.article-list-image { It was one of the most hyped fights in boxing history, and it still managed to exceed all expectations. The womens division has grown exponentially in the past few decades and, Managing healthy work-life boundaries is a challenge for all of us. This classic matchup featured two fighters who bit down on their mouthpieces and went to war. One of the greatest boxing fights of 2008, if not the best fight, naturally there was a lot of tension and emotion going into this fight. That trend persisted in the second bout when a nasty headbutt opened one of the worst cuts a fighter can obtain over the left eye. In a bout that shocked a lot of boxing fans, Vicious Victor Ortiz certainly lived up to his nickname against Andre Berto, upsetting the defending WBC Welterweight Champion, who was beforehand undefeated via 12-round decision. The third fight between these two was highly anticipated, given how close and entertaining the first two fights were. Many thought he had no chance because of Mayweathers exceptional skills and defence. The fight. The cautious first few rounds, the fiery back and forth fifth and sixth rounds, the recovering rounds from seven to ten and then Joshuas tense, yet destructive onslaught in the final stages. In a fight that catapulted Anthony Joshua into boxing super-stardom, Wembley Stadium, 29 April 2017 is a date that will forever be remembered among fight fans. With the WBO Welterweight Championship on the line Timothy Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov engaged in a gruelling 12-round battle of wills. His comeback match after 10 years shocked the entire boxing fraternity. -- Brookhouse, 3. Many boxing experts view this showdown as the most entertaining middleweight fight in boxing history. Learn more - Top Rated Plus - opens in a new window or tab. Pinnacle, Pinnacle Sports, Pinbet, Pinny and all other derivative marks are registered trademarks of Pinnacle. It was a good year for gaming, as there were many incredible and now iconic titles released in 2013. The entertaining showdown earned both men the Rings Round of the Year award. In a fight that had blood, guts, and more blood, Marquez seemed to have done enough early on to secure victory, but Vazquez became stronger as the fight developed. But there's no doubt this millennium has provided fans with a great number of amazing battles and some of the best rivalries in the long history of the sport. The 10 Biggest Boxing Matches of All Time - The Grueling Truth The 10 Biggest Boxing Matches of All Time TGT Tips! It was December 1997 and the precocious British talent that was Prince Naseem Hamed was in town to mark his American debut on U.S soil in a memorable slugfest with Kevin Kelley. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, Connecticut and like so many great fights, contained pulsating viewing. Then Basilio broke his left hand during the second round. padding-bottom: 56.25%; WebBig upcoming fights (next 30 days) Figueroa Magsayo 23-1-1 Records 24-1-0 Saturday, Mar 04 2023 Est. Walcott came to fight when the opening bell rang. In an epic battle of nutrition, guts, and bravery, Mancunian Hatton made Tszyu quit on his stool after 11 brutal rounds of overwhelming action overcoming the odds in dramatic fashion as 22,000 screaming, fanatical and ecstatic British fans celebrated their heros triumph. position: absolute !important; After Marquez broke Vazquez's nose to force a stoppage in their first fight, Vazquez redeemed himself with a sixth-round TKO in their rematch. Maidana won the fight, but Morales won the event and the hearts of all. Vazquez would just not stop punching and came within seconds of stopping Marquez, sending him to the canvas with a bombardment of punches. The action was exhilarating, with Taylor getting the better of the exchanges for most of the contest, shocking the crowd. 1. Wilder kept things interesting with a knockdown in the ninth round, and it looked like he had secured the victory in the 12th round when he sent Fury to the canvas with a hard shot. } It is Mayweather who has the final word. Ali miraculously got back to his feet, but that wasnt enough to avoid his first loss as a professional fighter. The cut and level of blood were undeniably frightening, and almost unsettling to watch and the fight should never have been allowed to go on in retrospect. At 25 years old, Pacquiao was still raw, but like a hurricane in his style, owning a brutal left hand. Ali was at his very best during the build-up to the fight, with his constant verbal onslaught on Foreman. Brandon Rios then became the new WBA Lightweight Champion of the World. Up a split second after the count of 10, Kelley all but fell into referee Benjy Estevess arms and the fight was waved off after 2 minutes and 27 seconds of the fourth-round in an instant classic. Former unified heavyweight champion Tyson Fury completed his miraculous return to the top of the sport by facing off against Deontay Wilder for the WBC heavyweight belt at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This was one of the most anticipated fights in the 20th century, and it was even billed as The Fight of the Century. Both men were undefeated when they squared off against each other for the WBA, WBC, and Ring heavyweight titles. Khan was only 22 years old, but there were still concerns about his suspect chin. top: 0; Many fans thought the fight lived up to the hype, while others felt disappointed. Andy Physical: 100 is a survival show that premiered in January 2023 and reached its conclusion recently. Vasquez went on to win the fight via split decision. But the "War Grounds" in Carson, California, has built a reputation for savagery for a reason, and this fight played a key role in that development. Both men came out aggressively, and it didnt take long for them to hurt each other. The pair went on to have two more fights after this with Barrera gaining his revenge and edging the trilogy being victorious in both encounters. Both fighters then put on a show from round to round with nonstop action back and forth to the end of the fight before embracing each other at the bell in a truly heroic encounter. Boxers leave pieces of their lives in the ring in every fight. The two men, bloodied and swollen, managed to make it to the final bell, with Ward taking a majority decision after 10 rounds of incredible action. Rarely are boxing match-ups so closely competitive and all those who made the journey to Denmark were treated to one of the most exciting bouts in recent memory. Here's a look at the top 12 bouts Insider is looking forward to in boxing and mixed martial arts. Marquez landed counters, but Pacquiao soon, Both fighters then put on a show from round to round with nonstop action back and forth to the, Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Arturo Gatti vs. Mickey Ward, May 18, 2002, Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, USA, A fight that made spectators witness almost supernatural struggle and triumph, Gatti vs. Ward produced some of the most scintillating action ever witnessed inside a boxing ring. There would in future be two more fights between the pair that again produced almost merciless displays of courage and courageousness resulting in a bond that became forged between the two men for the remainder of their careers. top: -10px; The first fight makes our list of the "25 Greatest Heavyweight Contests of the Last 100 years. The fifth round of the epic encounter stands as one of the great rounds in championship boxing history and serves as a micro view of the fight as a whole. The heavyweights have always been among boxing's biggest stars and Rocky Marciano was huge in the 1950s. 10. Named as the #1 ranked martial arts organization in Asia by CNN, Yahoo! margin-bottom: 0; A veritable "Rocky" movie come to life, this welterweight war was only made possible by the chip on Bradley's shoulder after scoring a controversial split-decision win over Manny Pacquiao in their title bout. This article will explore some of the best boxing matches that have ever taken place. Gosset (11-46-2, 3 KO) and Quing (9-5-2, 1 KO) were contending a second fight after their 2006 contest had concluded in a technical draw due to headbutts. The 11th and 12th rounds produced some of the most scintillating action you can witness, with both rounds swinging in favour of the, Vazquez would just not stop punching and came within seconds of stopping Marquez, sending him to the canvas with a bombardment of punches. Posted below are the 50 best boxing fights of all time, according to fans. It is widely viewed as the best martial art for one-on-one combat against untrained opponents with, Enter your email below and get inspired to unleash your greatness. The third fight went the distance and produced a disputed split decision that was aided by Marquez getting floored in Round 12 and also being docked a point for low blows two rounds earlier. However, as the fight wore on, like all Mexican warriors, Rios withstood the punishment and kept on backing Acosta up onto the ropes. It took almost a decade for both men to finally come to terms despite the high fan demand for the fight. /*-->