Must See Fights?

September 29, 2011 10:00 PM

In the spirit of Hagler v Hearns, the Ward v Gatti trilogy and Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III - what were the most exciting "must see" fights of the last forty years?
posted by joannemullen to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (14 answers total)

This is not an answer to your question, but the Rumble in the Jungle documentary When We Were Kings is just fantastic. I figure the person who asks this question wants to see that show.
posted by colin_l at 10:04 PM on September 29, 2011 [2 favorites]

Leonard vs Hagler '87
posted by stuartmm at 11:00 PM on September 29, 2011 [1 favorite]

Pacquiao vs Morales I, Pacquiao vs. Marquez I, Arce vs. Vasquez, Tyson vs. Douglas, Marquez vs. Vasquez I & II
posted by ambient2 at 11:27 PM on September 29, 2011

Bowe-Holyfield I&II
Hopkins-Trinidad
Morales -Barrera
Juan Manuel Marquez -Manny Pacquiao
to name a few
posted by OHenryPacey at 11:30 PM on September 29, 2011

Duran - Barkley
Tyson - Spinks
Paez - Grove
Paez - Whitaker
Nunn - Curry
Hill - Czyz
posted by rhizome at 11:39 PM on September 29, 2011

Ray Leonard was, for me, the most exciting fighter in my lifetime. Any of his better fights would deserve to be on your list.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 12:17 AM on September 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Great answers so far, thanks guys.
posted by joannemullen at 12:18 AM on September 30, 2011

The Benn-Eubank-Watson Rivalry in the late eighties and early nineties spawned a couple of classic fights. Be warned that one fight ended in a serious injury.
posted by Jakey at 1:54 AM on September 30, 2011

Response by poster: As did Benn v McLennan of course.
posted by joannemullen at 1:57 AM on September 30, 2011

This fight was something i remember my boxing fanatic father greatly anticipating... i can't speak to the "Must see-ness" of the actual fight... but i remember the buzz being quite extraordinary.
posted by h0p3y at 5:20 AM on September 30, 2011

Nthing Hagler/Leonard (Grantland link)

Wow, the '80s had a ton of spectacular fights. As the article above said, it was one of the few times that when there were four top shelf fighters, (Leonard, Hearns, Hagler & Duran) they all fought each other. This usually doesn't happen. Especially in a sport so corrupt as boxing.

(I still haven't thanked you for posting that link to the TARDIS eruditorium. Thank you so much.)
posted by Sphinx at 8:50 AM on September 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I don't assume that most exciting must see means 'best boxing matches' so I'm going to say the fight where Tyson bites off Holyfield's ear along with all of Tyson's early fights.
posted by spicynuts at 10:07 AM on September 30, 2011

Amir Khan's fight against Marcos Maidano late last year or early this year is the best fight I've seen in the last 12 months.
Juan Diaz's first fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2009 was outstanding.
posted by IanMorr at 12:43 PM on September 30, 2011

Corrales - Casitllo I is considered by many to be the fight of the 2000s decade (2000-2009)
And I'd consider Marquez vs. Vasquez III to be the best of the trilogy (the first 2 were recommended earlier by ambient2).
A hard one to find, but worth it: Somsak Sithchatchawal vs. Mahyar Monshipour in 2006. This fight took place in France, and I believe you can find footage on YouTube.
posted by hiteleven at 6:57 PM on September 30, 2011