1. Chuck Wepner vs. Sonny Liston
Known as the ‘Bayonne Bleeder’, Wepner was cut to pieces by Liston in Liston’s final professional fight in 1970. By the sixth round Wepner was sliced above and below both eyes and, by the time it was stopped before round 10, the cut over his left eye was almost three inches in length.
2. Badou Jack vs. Marcus Browne
Jack clashed heads with Browne in the seventh round of their light-heavyweight fight in January 2019 and came away with a large, deep gash down the middle of his forehead. Somehow, he made it to the end of the fight, though was soundly beaten on the cards.
3. Vitali Klitschko vs. Lennox Lewis
A classic 2003 heavyweight battle between Lewis and Klitschko, arranged at short notice, was both enhanced and ruined by horrendous wounds over Vitali’s left eyebrow, picked up in round three by a punch. The fight stopped after six rounds, much to Klitschko’s annoyance.
4. Arturo Gatti vs. Joe Hutchinson
As bloody as any fighter in the sport’s history, Gatti received some good ones in a foul-filled 2000 clash with Joe Hutchinson. They started in the second round, when his left eyebrow was damaged, and more were to follow thanks to headbutts and wild exchanges. Gatti won a decision but the eyebrow cut wouldn’t stop spreading.
5. Jorge Barrios vs. Rocky Juarez
Barrios gave as good as he got during a 2008 war with Juarez but was spent by the penultimate round and knocked down with a minute remaining. It was then the referee noticed his lip had almost been ripped off by Juarez’s earlier combination.
6. Jesse James Leija vs. Micky Ward
Leija was beating Ward to the punch during their 2002 fight but had to contend with a wide and precarious cut over his left eye, which he received in the first round. By the fifth, Leija’s corner knew it would only worsen so decided to pull him out. He won a technical decision.
7. Diego Corrales vs. Joel Casamayor
Though Corrales was cut over his left eye from a headbutt in the first round, it paled into insignificance by the time a gash on his upper lip later appeared in this 2003 bloodbath. Caused by an ill-fitting mouthpiece, it led to his mouth being filled with blood and Corrales having to beg a ringside physician to let him go out for round seven.
8. Ivan Calderon vs. Hugo Cazares
In this 2008 rematch of a close first encounter, Calderon and Cazares butted heads and Calderon was left with a severe vertical laceration on his forehead. The bleeding wouldn’t stop, and a decision was made to end the fight in the seventh round, with Calderon winning a technical decision.
9. Jorge Arce vs. Hussein Hussein
An accidental headbutt in the fifth round of this 2005 fight left Arce with a nasty gash across his nose that triggered blood to pour into his mouth. Undeterred, he powered on and managed to stop Hussein in the 10th.
10. Alan Minter vs. Marvin Hagler
In the third round of their 1980 middleweight title fight, Hagler nailed Minter with a series of southpaw hooks and the champion from Britain bled profusely from a cut over his left eye. He was examined by a doctor, the fight was stopped, and Minter’s fans went berserk.
