WITH NO live boxing to enjoy this week, Boxing News decided to look back instead of forward. We asked our team, contributors, and a few familiar names from within the sport which fights they turn to when there’s nothing on. The answers spanned eras, styles, and weight classes, from historic fights to all-action brawls, from Vegas super-fights to cult classics.
Some choices were inevitable – Marvin Hagler’s three-round war with Thomas Hearns was the clear favourite, while the ferocious rivalry between Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn remains a timeless touchstone. Others were more personal, like forgotten gems revisited for nostalgia or one which needs our scorecards.
So, while we wait for the boxing to come back next week here are some fights that will help pass your time this weekend. The ultimate rewatch list for when boxing takes a rare weekend off.
MANAGING EDITOR Oliver Fennell
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman – “Too obvious? Well, there’s a reason for that. It has everything you want in a fight that stands up to multiple re-watches – high drama, a spectacular setting, compelling characters, and a sense of history slowly unfolding with each passing round.”
Prizefighter – “This might be cheating because this is after all one competition. I’d pluck a Prizefighter tournament at random, as they always had good action and talking points, and I may have forgotten some of the results, so there’d be a bit of unpredictability too. Perfect for a Saturday night.”
Audley Harrison vs Michael Sprott 2 – “You just can’t beat a last-round finish by a boxer who’s behind on points, and this drama was amplified by Harrison being injured through much of the fight, and the spectacular nature of the one-punch finish.”
COLUMNIST/FEATURE WRITER Graham Houston
Matthew Saad Muhammad vs Marvin Johnson – “Such a good fight, Saad Muhammad wouldn’t be denied.”
Bob Foster vs Jorge Ahumada – “I never sat down and scored that one. On a zero-boxing evening, a good time to score the bout round-by-round to ascertain if this was as controversial a decision as they say it was.”
Jerry Quarry vs Mac Foster – “Simply because I’ve never seen the fight. It’s a fight I remember so well, so much hype around Foster, but Quarry showed there are levels to this.”
HEAD OF DESIGN Nick Bond
Oscar De La Hoya vs Fernando Vargas
Alexis Arguello vs Aaron Pryor I
Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo I
DESIGNER Harry Pain
Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko
Carl Froch vs George Groves I
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder III
ONLINE EDITOR Steve Wellings
Jermain Taylor vs Kelly Pavlik I
Matthew Saad Muhammad vs Richie Kates
Marcos Maidana vs Adrien Broner
SENIOR REPORTER Shaun Brown
Chris Eubank vs Nigel Benn I – “Everything great about British boxing is in this fight.”
Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns – “A super-fight like no other.”
Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo I – “An unforgettable and jaw-dropping spectacle.”
REPORTER Oscar Pick
Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko
James DeGale vs Badou Jack
Naseem Hamed vs Kevin Kelley
STAFF WRITER Tom Eaton
Roberto Duran vs Sugar Ray Leonard
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman
Marvin Hagler vs John Mugabi
REPORTER Daniel Gilfillan
George Foreman vs Ron Lyle
Jamie Moore vs Matthew Macklin
Carl Frampton vs Leo Santa Cruz I
HEAD OF SOCIAL Ryan Elliott
Tyson Fury vs Deontay Wilder III
Tim Bradley vs Ruslan Provodnikov
Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward III
VIDEO EDITOR Daniel Greig
Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward I
Marco Antonio Barreravs Erik Morales I
Anthony Joshua vs Andy RuizI
BN CONTRIBUTOR Matt Bozeat
George Foreman vs Ron Lyle
Carl Thompson vs Ezra Sellers
Dave McAuley vs Fidel Bassa I
BN CONTRIBUTOR Luke G. Williams
Chris Eubank vs Nigel Benn I
Naseem Hamed vs Kevin Kelley
Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns
BN CONTRIBUTOR John A. MacDonald
Akira Yaegashi v Pornsawan Porpramook – “The great action hero vs ‘The Tank.’ The 2011 Fight of the Year. Brutal, intense and full of skill.”
Naseem Hamed v Kevin Kelley – “I remember seeing this on VHS as a kid and having my mind blown. As an adult, it still holds up.”
Bobby Chacon v Rafael Limon IV – “The final, and best, instalment of the most underrated rivalry in the sport. Epic action.”
TRAINER Gary Lockett
Marvin Hagler vs Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns I
Mike McCallum vs James Toney
TRAINER Eddie Lam
Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns
Steve Robinson vs Naseem Hamed
Donald Curry vs Lloyd Honeyghan
TRAINER Arnie Farnell
Marco Antonio Barrera vs Erik Morales I
Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward I
George Foreman vs Ron Lyle
TRAINER/PUNDIT Gary Logan
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns I
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roberto Duran I
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier I
“Classic fights that crossed over into the general public’s consciousness and they all delivered.”
COMMENTATOR Andy Clarke
Chris Eubank vs Nigel Benn I – “I was obsessed with that fight so there’s a ton of nostalgia attached to it for me.”
Lucien Bute vs Carl Froch – “I was there that night and the atmosphere was incredible. I’ve watched it so many times.”
Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns – “A traditional classic.”
