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The following represents a list of my
favorite fights in each division which I think an aspiring video
collector would enjoy viewing and having in their collections.
Of course there are many more than what I suggest, but I
have attempted to compile lists of entertaining fights you will
appreciate. The most
entertaining bouts are listed first.
Strawweight
1.
Ricardo Lopez v.
Rosendo Alvarez II - The greatest ever at this weight is Lopez,
and his rematch war with Alvarez is the classic fight the division
has offered. The
first one was good as well and saw Lopez hit the canvas, but was
anticlimactic because it was stopped on head butts and ruled a
technical decision draw.
2.
Ricardo Lopez v. Saman Sorjaturong - Although not very
competitive, Lopez’s performance against Sorjaturong, who
eventually became champion at 108 after defeating Humberto
Gonzalez, is also representative of Lopez’s ability and power.
Light Flyweight
1.
Michael Carbajal v. Humberto Gonzalez I - The best the
division has to offer going toe to toe in a power war.
2.
Humberto Gonzalez v. Saman Sorjaturong - Gonzalez proved he
can be a boxer the second time with Carbajal, but dropping Saman
in this one got him into puncher mode and he couldn’t resist
going to war with another puncher.
Brutal.
3.
Humberto Gonzalez v. Rolando Pascua - Pascua was a light
puncher and lightly regarded.
This was supposed to be merely a performance by Gonzalez
rather than a fight, but Pascua had other things in mind.
Flyweight
Not too many memorables from this weight
division but suggested fights are Pancho Villa v. Jimmy Wilde
which demonstrates how powerful Villa was in 1923, and Marc
Johnson’s quick ko’s of Arthur Johnson and Cecilio Espino.
Johnson is probably the best the division has ever seen.
Junior Bantamweight
1.
Johnny Tapia v. Danny Romero - The best of the division
using skill and will in an interesting and competitive matchup.
The fight isn’t the most exciting in terms of action but
if you appreciate division superfights, this is a good one.
2.
Johnny Tapia v. John Michael Johnson - Fans were provided
this treat between two future champions when they were just
beginning their careers.
3.
Robert Quiroga v. Kid Akeem Anifowoshe - A quality
championship fight with both fighters giving it their all, with
one giving perhaps too much.
Bantamweight
1.
Johnny Tapia v. Paulie Ayala - Neither has the greatest
punch, but both are quick, determined and willing to mix it up in
a war over 12 rounds. Score
this one for yourself.
2.
Carlos Zarate v. Alfonso Zamora - Both huge punchers and
undefeated champions. Need
I say more?
3.
Miguel Lora v. Gaby Canizales - Two former champs go to war
in the second round with shocking results.
Junior Featherweight
1.
Marco Antonio Barrera v. Kennedy McKinney - Both men left
more than a piece of themselves in this all out battle.
Give and take, ebb and flow, both men giving it their all. Ouch.
2.
Marco Antonio Barrera v. Erik Morales - Another Barrera war
with Morales landing more but Barrera landing the harder blows.
Take what you like and score it with the volume down.
Not quite as brutal as the McKinney bout.
3.
Kennedy McKinney v. Junior Jones - Jones comes out like
Tommy Hearns trying to blast McKinney out of there, but McKinney
is always tough to take out.
4.
Erik Morales v. Zaragoza - Morales is the young lion
proving he can win a tough one and Zaragoza is the old vet who has
the uncanny ability to battle time as courageously as he battled
Morales. If you like
Zaragoza, check out his fights with Paul Banke and Wayne McCullogh.
5.
Marco Antonio Barrera v. Junior Jones I + II - Both fights
competitive and well fought.
Score the second.
Featherweight
1.
Naseem Hamed v. Kevin Kelley - This fight had it all - pre
fight trash talk, novel ring entrance, face off, and that was all
before the bell rang. The
fight was as good as the hype and better with both men hitting the
canvas multiple times. Make sure you see it all.
2.
Danny Lopez v. Mike Ayala - If you didn’t think two men
could go to war for fifteen rounds straight, this fight will prove
you wrong.
3.
Kevin Kelley v. Derrick Gainer - Gainer’s power boxing
and rapier like punches turned Kelley blind with his eye a
balloon-like mass of flesh. But
Kelley wouldn’t quit and kept bombing away.
4.
Alejandro Gonzalez v. Luisito Espinosa I + II - Both fights
feature good power punches between two tough warriors.
5.
Kevin Kelley v. Troy Dorsey - Interesting and competitive
matchup. Score it.
If you like Dorsey, take a look at and score his two fights
with Jorge Paez.
6.
Salvador Sanchez v. Azumah Nelson - Nelson was completely
green, with almost no fights, and hadn’t fought anyone.
Yet the fighting heart he shows in this one has to make you
wonder how he would have done a few years later.
We’ll never know because this was Sanchez’s last fight
before being killed in an automobile crash.
If you like Sanchez, get his fight with Wilfredo Gomez as
well.
Junior Lightweight
1.
Arturo Gatti v. Wilson Rodriguez - I don’t know how Gatti
stayed in this fight, let alone win it. Vicious war.
2.
Bobby Chacon v. Rafael Bazooka Limon IV - More punishment
than two men should take. Pain.
3.
Cornelius Boza Edwards v. Bobby Chacon II - Two throwbacks
going at it. Score
it.
4.
Arturo Gatti v. Gabriel Ruelas - Once again, Gatti looks
out of it for a moment, but low and behold…
5.
Gabriel Ruelas v. James Leija - Two tough warriors making
each other earn it.
6.
Oscar de la Hoya v. Georgio Campanella - Oscar dropped by a
beautiful hook and takes it a bit personally.
7.
Oscar de la Hoya v. Narcisco Valenzuela - Oscar dropped by
a right but Narcisco doesn’t get out of the first.
Quick and fun.
8.
Robert Garcia v. Ramon Ledon - Both have good power,
neither with the greatest chin.
9.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Juan LaPorte - Perhaps Chavez’s
best weight, Julio got a real tough one from the iron chinned
LaPorte. If you want
to see Julio put to the test, check out his fight with Rocky
Lockridge as well. Fights
are not barnburners but quality competitive championship bouts.
Score both.
10.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Roger Mayweather - Chavez
demonstrates his iron chin in the first, taking some beautiful
rights which would have felled lesser men, and then makes Roger
pay.
11.
Azumah Nelson v. Jeff Fenech I - Mirrors the Dorsey v. Paez
fight with Fenech the nonstop puncher. Talk about ‘A’ for
effort on Fenech’s part. Score it.
To his credit, Nelson fought the second fight in Australia.
Lightweight
1.
Arturo Gatti v. Ivan Robinson I + II - Both fights are out
and out wars. God
only knows what kept them up.
2.
Livingstone Bramble v. Ray Mancini I - Another war.
3.
Ike Williams v. Beau Jack - If Williams were fighting today
he probably would be champion.
Both men give it their all.
Brutal.
4.
Alexis Arguello v. Andy Ganigan - Arguello dropped in this
battle. If you
appreciate Arguello, just about any of his fights are worth while.
5.
Rafael Ruelas v. Jorge Paez - Both men hurt in this serious
battle. If you like
Paez, check out his title winning effort against Calvin Grove.
6.
Rafael Ruelas v. Freddie Pendleton - Ruelas on the verge of
being out due to the three knockdown rule, collects himself and
guts it out. The best argument for why the three knockdown rule is amongst
the worst in boxing.
7.
Tommy Hearns v. Aaron Pryor (amateur) - We never got to see
it when they were professionals, so take a look at their amateur
war at, yes, lightweight.
8.
Pernell Whitaker v. Ramon Goire (amateur) - Whitaker was a
cute boxer, but he could sure fight too.
9.
Ivan Robinson v. Phillip Holiday - If you enjoy nonstop
punching, this one is for you.
Neither man with much power though.
10.
Roberto Duran v. Esteban DeJesus II - DeJesus is the only
man to beat Duran at lightweight, turning the trick in a non-title
bout. You know the arrogant Duran wanted revenge, but the tough and
smart DeJesus wanted the title.
11.
Freddie Pendleton v. Roger Mayweather - The fight that
keeps fighters with poor records going.
12.
Pernell Whitaker v. Roger Mayweather and Freddie Pendleton
- I admit here that I have a bias for Whitaker.
He ducked no one and fought a lot more than people realize.
These were two good pre-championship tests.
13.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Edwin Rosario - I also admit I love
Julio, and this really wasn’t a great battle.
However, it demonstrates Chavez at his best at lightweight,
and I am in awe of his defensive and offensive abilities in this
one.
14.
Shane Mosley v. Wilfrido Ruiz - Another fight that I admit
my bias in that I love Mosley.
It is not a great fight, but it shows Mosley at his best at
this weight, scoring a beautiful knockout.
You have to love Sugar Shane at lightweight.
Junior Welterweight
1.
Aaron Pryor v. Alexis Arguello I - Pryor is probably the
best ever at this weight, demonstrating speed, aggression, power,
and in this one, boxing skill and footwork.
Arguello’s worst weight, and yet he made a close battle
of it. Shows you how
great Alexis was. Ray
Leonard had to be nervous after watching this one.
2.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Meldrick Taylor I - Ironically, this
fight represented both fighters’ best and worst moments.
Taylor’s blazing speed and punch volume is just too much
for Chavez throughout the fight, but Chavez’s patented chin,
power and body work come through for him in the last few rounds.
One of the most controversial endings ever. Watch the post fight in its entirety.
3.
Juan Coggi v. Eder Gonzalez I + II - The first fight is one
of the most bizarre and obviously corrupt you’ll ever see, and
that’s saying a lot in boxing.
The second is another back and forth battle.
4.
Oba Carr v. Livingstone Bramble - Another war with both men
hurt. Score it.
5.
Aaron Pryor v. Dujuan Johnson - Pryor does it all in this
one as well, and the powerful Johson gives it everything he’s
got. Any Pryor fight
is fun.
6.
Kostya Tszyu v. Diobelys Hurtado - Speed and power against
the same. Both hit
the deck.
7.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Frankie Randall I - Chavez on the
down side and a determined and underrated Randall made this a
tough competitive fight with a surprising finish.
8.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Roger Mayweather II - Roger fights
smarter this time and makes a hell of a fight out of it, but
Chavez demonstrates his ability to wear out just about anyone.
9.
Frankie Randall v. Juan Coggi I - Both hit the canvas.
10.
Kostya Tszyu v. Vince Phillips - Two men giving it their
all.
Welterweight
1.
Mark Breland v. Aaron Davis - I thought Breland had no
heart after his second fight with Marlon Starling, but he proved
me wrong in this one. Both
fighters take brutal punishment.
2.
Ray Leonard v. Roberto Duran I - Toe to toe action for 15
rounds. Try scoring
this one. The rematch
is exciting in an entirely different way.
3.
Oscar de la Hoya v. Shane Mosley - The best the division
has to offer using skill, power, speed and will in a highly
competitive bout.
4.
Ray Leonard v. Tommy Hearns I - The superfight where both
boxers have to show adaptability and versatility. Watch Leonard v.
Duran and Hearns v. Cuevas first so you can see what each knew
they were up against.
5.
Simon Brown v. Tyrone Trice I - Two really tough and
powerful fighters going at it.
6.
Jose Luis Lopez v. James Page - Lopez is the strongest
puncher in the division. Page’s
chin is not the greatest but he shows power, boxing skill, and a
whole lot of heart in this one.
If you like Lopez, watch his bouts with Ike Quartey and
Yory Boy Campas.
7.
Oscar de la Hoya v. Ike Quartey - Oscar is calm and
cautious against the strongest fighter he fought to that point,
but demonstrates power and will in this nail biter.
Both hit the deck. Score
it.
8.
Shane Mosley v. Wilfredo Rivera - Mosley’s first fight at
welterweight, against a tough guy with a good chin.
Rather than get a feel for the weight, Shane decides to
bomb away.
9.
Felix Trinidad v. Yory Boy Campas - Solid punching Campas
refuses to go backwards against a vicious puncher and takes wicked
bombs before it’s over. Trinidad
gets dropped and is forced to demonstrate some good boxing skill
to counter Campas’s aggression.
If you like Campas, check out his fights with Raul Marquez
and Tony Ayala.
10.
Marlon Starling v. Mark Breland I - Both fighters give it
what they’ve got in this tough and competitive bout.
Perhaps one gave a bit too much.
11.
Julio Cesar Chavez v. Pernell Whitaker - I can’t believe
Chavez accepted this fight, but you have to say he ducked no one.
Fight is more intriguing than action packed. Score this controversial bout between two legends.
12.
Pernell Whitaker v. Diobelys Hurtado - Whitaker dropped and
outboxed by the speedy footwork and combinations by Hurtado, but
demonstrates championship will a la Joe Louis.
13.
Derrell Coley v. Kipp Diggs - Coley has pretty good boxing
skill, speed and power, but lacks the ability to take it.
Makes for interesting fights.
Junior Middleweight
1.
Fernando Vargas v. Ike Quartey - Two really tough warriors
putting on an exciting battle.
Definitely score this one for yourself with the volume
turned down. If you
like Vargas, check out his bout with Anthony Stephens.
2.
Terry Norris v. Troy Waters - Did Troy steal something from
Terry? Ferocious.
3.
Vincent Pettway v. Simon Brown - War with a brutal finish. If you like Brown, check out his first fight with Terry
Norris.
4.
Raul Marquez v. Keith Mullings - Bloody war that probably
ruined Marquez.
5.
Mike McCallum v. Julian Jackson - I love Mike McCallum. If you know just how hard Jackson hits you have to be
impressed with this fight. If
you like McCallum check out his awesome one punch knockout of
Donald Curry.
6.
Julian Jackson v. Terry Norris - Jackson’s ferocious
power is unleashed against a future longtime champion.
Just about any Jackson fight is fun to watch because of
that awesome power.
7.
Tony Ayala v. Mario Maldonado - We’ll never know just how
good the young Ayala could have become, but this fight shows both
the best and the worst of Ayala, who hits the deck.
8.
Fernando Vargas v. Ronald Wright - Close competitive bout. Score it. Wright’s
first bout with Bronco McKart would have let you know he would
test Vargas.
9.
David Reid v. Alfredo Duvergel (amateur) - Great comeback
knockout for the gold.
10.
Tommy Hearns v. Roberto Duran - Hearns’ vicious power
unleashed. Not a
great fight but if you like Hearns you’ve got to see this one.
Watch it before the Hagler fight for some context.
Middleweight
1.
Iran Barkley v. Robbie Sims - All out non-stop punching
war.
2.
Iran Barkley v. Roberto Duran - War that shows just how
great Duran was. Remember,
he was lightweight champion for over six years.
Score it.
3.
James Toney v. Michael Nunn - Surprisingly good war. Nunn
decides to duke it out, to his credit, and detriment.
Check out Toney’s controversial bout with Dave Tiberi.
4.
James Toney v. Mike McCallum I - Two champions giving it
their all with classy boxing skill.
5.
Marvin Hagler v. Tommy Hearns - All out war for one round
but the fight was essentially over by the end of the first.
Hagler is my favorite middleweight and he shouldn’t be
remembered simply for his war with Hearns and loss to Leonard.
He brought a whole lot more to the table. Check out his bouts with Juan Roldan and John Mugabi.
6.
Tommy Hearns v. Juan Roldan - Two punchers going at it. Both hurt.
7.
Jorge Castro v. John David Jackson - The sickest
lacerations you’ll ever see were above Castro’s eyes.
Jackson was completely outboxing Castro, and badly stinging
his eyes. The fight
probably should have been stopped, and yet, because it wasn’t,
we were treated to one of the greatest comebacks of all time.
If you like Castro, check out his battle with Roy Jones,
Jr.
8.
Ray Robinson v. Jake LaMotta VI - LaMotta the agressive
puncher against the speed and class of Robinson make this fight
one for the ages.
9.
Marvin Hagler v. Ray Leonard - The fight is an interesting
match but not super. Leonard
does what was considered impossible against a fading Hagler.
A close fight but Leonard deserved it.
Hagler should have insisted on fifteen rounds.
Score it for yourself.
10.
Julian Jackson v. Thomas Tate and Ron Collins - Jackson is
the hardest one punch knockout artist in the division but these
two fighters take it and make for competitive bouts.
Any Jackson fight is usually fun to watch, no matter how
brief.
11.
Tommy Hearns v. Iran Barkley - Hearns beats the hell out of
Barkley but gets hit by the bomb.
12.
Julian Jackson v. Gerald McClelland I - Two punchers but
one with the superior boxing skill.
After this one, you had to be salivating to see Gerald in
with Roy Jones, Jr.
13.
Julian Jackson v. Cardamone - Typical Jackson war made
interesting by Julian’s weakened chin.
14.
Bernard Hopkins v. Segundo Mercado I and Antwun Echols -
Tough fights. Hopkins
dominated the Mercado rematch. Echols is a monster who looks like
a light heavyweight and Hopkins showed his boxing versatility.
If you like Hopkins, check out his great knockout of Joe
Lipsey.
Super Middleweight
1.
Gerald McClelland v. Nigel Benn - No fight makes me more
angry than this one. The
fight is great, but is marred by terrible refereeing and awful
foul tactics on the part of Benn, both of which combined to cause
Gerald’s permanent brain damage. This tragedy should not have happened.
2.
Frankie Liles v. Tim Littles II - Vicious hard punching
action.
3.
Roy Jones Jr. v. James Toney - Not a great fight but Jones
is at the height of his powers in this one.
4.
Ray Leonard v. Tommy Hearns II - Close competitive bout. Score it.
Light Heavyweight
1.
Prince Charles Williams v. Merqui Sosa I + II -
Unbelievable wars with the second the better. Watch both back to back and you will feel their pain.
Definite brain damage fights.
2.
Riddick Bowe v. Paul Brennin (amateur) - Wild fight with
young Bowe demonstrating power, determination, and heart, in
addition to a suspect chin - all of which he demonstrated later
on.
3.
Matthew Saad Muhammad v. Yaqui Lopez I + II - Tough
competitive battles. Defense
not their specialties.
4.
Evander Holyfield v. Pablo Romero (amateur) - The Cuban and
American go at it big time.
5.
Archie Moore v. Yvonne Durelle I - Moore hits the deck hard
but sucks it up and comes back.
6.
Evander Holyfield v. Ricky Womack IV - VI (amateur) - These
two went at it, and Evander wasn’t the physically stronger one.
7.
Michael Spinks v. Dwight Braxton (aka Qawi) - Unification
match between hard punching Braxton and boxer/puncher Spinks. Take
a look at Qawi v. Rossman and Saad Muhammad I + II before watching
this one to see how hard Qawi punched.
8.
Roy Jones v. Lou Del Valle - Del Valle gave Jones a pretty
good fight.
9.
Tommy Hearns v. Dennis Andries - A great Hearns exhibition,
20 pounds up from welterweight.
10.
Tommy Hearns v. Virgil Hill - Not all that exciting except
for the fact that old man Hearns defeats a young 1988 silver
medalist and longtime champion.
Cruiserweight
1.
Evander Holyfield v. Dwight Qawi I - First watch Qawi
against Leon Spinks. Holyfield
was rushed into this fight much too early in his career, but
showed the fighting heart he always has.
His performance in the rematch showed just how far he had
come. If you had
followed Evander’s career up to his first title bout, you would
see how dominant and aggressive he had been.
The fact that Qawi was able to back him up showed just how
strong Qawi was.
2.
Carl Thompson v. Chris Eubank I - Tough battle.
3.
Nate Miller v. Bert Cooper - How many punches can one man
take? Well, more -
see Cooper v. Holyfield.
4.
Evander Holyfield v. Anthony Davis - Evander tagged well in
this one but his power and iron chin come through for him.
Holyfield is the best ever at this weight. Any of his fights in this division are enjoyable.
Heavyweight
This is the most difficult division to order
because there are so many awesome battles.
Just see them all:
1.
Evander Holyfield v. Bert Cooper - Vicious war between two
good punchers with even better chins.
Serious headache fight.
2.
Riddick Bowe v. Andrew Golota I + II - The second is
better, but watch them consecutively, and you will realize why
Bowe retired and stayed retired after these wars, and it is not
often that champions remain retired.
Both men suffer brutal beatings.
Score them if you can.
Be sure to get the entire post fight from the first.
Before watching the fights, check out Golota v. Samson
Pouha (both hurt), another war which showed the best and worst of
Golota. If you like
Golota, check out his fight with Corey Sanders and Michael Grant
as well. Take a look
at Bowe v. Lewis (amateur) - unfortunately the fight never
happened when they were pros, and the fast stoppage does not lend
clear insight into what would have been the result, given Bowe’s
resilience as a pro.
3.
George Foreman v. Ron Lyle - Pier six brawl with little to
no skill involved. If
you like Foreman, you need to have his destructions of both Joe
Frazier and Ken Norton, as well as his record making win over
Michael Moorer.
4.
Evander Holyfield v. Riddick Bowe I,II, + III - Competitive
wars between two well conditioned and determined athletes.
The first fight may have been Bowe’s peak.
The second is more of a boxing match and is the least
entertaining of the three. The
third fight is strange and shows both at their best and worst
simultaneously. If
you like Holyfield, you should get his lesser known war with
Michael Dokes.
5.
Mike Tyson v. Razor Ruddock I + II - Two vicious punchers
go for it with every punch. Before
watching the fights, check out Ruddock against James Smith (both
hit deck) and Michael Dokes (vicious ko), both good fights in
their own right which provide insight into Razor’s power.
6.
Ray Mercer v. Tommy Morrison - Big punchers but only one
with the chin. If you
like Mercer you should see his bouts with Bert Cooper (war),
Lennox Lewis (Lewis’s toughest test) and competitive battle with
Tim Witherspoon.
7.
Michael Moorer v. Bert Cooper - Vicious hard punching
battle. If you like Moorer, check out his battles with Alex Stewart
(both hurt, great knockout) and Frans Botha.
8.
Courage Tshababla v. Darroll Wilson - Controversial
slugfest. If you like Wilson, check out his war with Shannon Briggs.
9.
Alex Stewart v. Ezra Sellers - Ouch!
10.
Jack Dempsey v. Luis Angel Firpo - The original slugfest. If you like Dempsey, check out his beating of Jess Willard.
11.
Tommy Morrison v. Carl Williams, Razor Ruddock and Joe Hipp
- All great fights. Morrison
has a weak chin, but he shows power and heart in these.
12.
John Bray v. Melvin Foster (amateur) - Brutal and
controversial war.
13.
Floyd Patterson v. Ingemar Johansson I, II, + III - Both
have good power, neither have great chins.
You figure it out.
14.
Derrick Roddy v. Nelson Adams and Ricardo Kennedy - It
wouldn’t be a Roddy fight if he didn’t hit the deck, win or
lose.
15.
Larry Holmes v. Earnie Shavers II, Renaldo Snipes, Ken
Norton and Mike Weaver - I am a huge Holmes fan, and regardless of
whether you like him, he had some really entertaining fights.
16.
Ed Mahone v. Bryant Smith and Cody Koch - Like Tua, Mahone
is highly hitable but very determined.
17.
Muhammad Ali v. Joe Frazier I + III - Fights that were as
good as their hype.
18.
Rocky Marciano v. Jersey Joe Walcott I, Ezzard Charles I +
II - The skill and will of great fighters going at it.
19.
Derrick Jefferson v. Maurice Harris - Bombs away.
20.
Mike Tyson v. Frank Bruno I, Buster Douglas, James Tillis,
and Evander Holyfield I + II - If you like Tyson, these are some
his more competitive and/or interesting fights.
21.
Joe Louis v. Tammy Mauriello and Max Baer - No collection
is complete without Louis, and these fights are representative of
what happened when you tried to take it to him.
22.
David Tua v. David Izonritei and Ike Ibeabuchi - Punching
power and volume.
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