The very best boxing rivalries are about greater than a sequence of action-packed fights. Nice rivalries are tales, narratives that seize the eye of legions of followers and go away their mark on the historical past of the struggle sport. Earlier this month we marked the anniversary of the legendary remaining battle within the Jake LaMotta vs Sugar Ray Robinson rivalry and now right here we rank a very powerful and enthralling rivalries of all-time primarily based on the next standards: at the least three bouts; critical impression and significance; nice motion and dramatic fights, and involving actually nice pugilists. As our prolonged Honorable Mentions listing attests, there’s no scarcity of candidates, however these are our picks for essentially the most consequential, historic and thrilling rivalries of all-time. Examine ’em out and let the talk start.
12. Ted “Child” Lewis vs Jack Britton: It might sound odd, however what retains Britton vs Lewis from rating larger right here is an excessive amount of of a very good factor. There’s no query Britton and Lewis are among the many finest boxers of their time and 6 of their nineteen conferences (that’s proper, nineteen) have been for the world title. However a Britton vs Lewis scrap will need to have was a relatively questionable affair after they have been matched 4 occasions in a span of simply 36 days in 1917. Hypothesis that at the least among the conferences have been choreographed was prevalent sufficient to compel Britton’s supervisor, “Dumb” Dan Morgan, to publicly state there was no method two Irishmen (himself and Britton) may ever belief an Englishman.
There’s additionally the truth that greater than half of the contests have been “no choice” bouts, some scheduled for less than six or eight rounds, whereas others distributed with an official weigh-in. Clearly, nineteen fights between two all-time greats qualifies Lewis vs Britton as an traditionally important rivalry, however one of the best duos supply greater than mere plenitude.
11. Henry Armstrong vs Child Arizmendi: Alberto “Child” Arizmendi is each an underrated pugilist and one of many best of Mexican boxers. There’s additionally little doubt that the high-water mark of a rare profession, which incorporates clashes with Tony Canzoneri, Chalky Wright, Lou Ambers and Freddie Miller, is his sequence with legendary triple-crown champ Henry Armstrong, one of many best boxers who has ever lived, pound-for-pound.
Each have been courageous and aggressive brawlers, common for his or her all-action kinds, they usually locked-up 5 occasions, all distance fights, the primary two in Mexico Metropolis at featherweight, and the latter three in Los Angeles. Arizmendi adopted Armstrong as he moved up in weight and challenged Henry for the welterweight crown of their remaining struggle. Their first duel is the nice triumph of Child’s profession as he soundly defeated “Hammerin’ Hank,” regardless of injuring his proper wrist within the second spherical. He repeated the feat a yr later however the subsequent three battles, whereas filled with intense toe-to-toe exchanges, noticed the nice Armstrong impose his will and prevail with room to spare.
10. Cocoa Child vs Holman Williams: Two rivalries on this listing deliver consideration to the regrettable incontrovertible fact that among the best fighters in boxing have been, due to their race, denied the alternatives they’d in any other case earned. Such injustice severely affected the members of the legendary “Murderers’ Row” group within the Nineteen Forties and 50s and compelled such elite skills as Lloyd Marshall, Charley Burley, Herbert Hardwick (aka “Cocoa Child”), Holman Williams and Eddie Booker to face one another repeatedly.
Arguably essentially the most important rivalry amongst them was that between Hardwick and Williams, two distinctive skills prepared to tackle anybody within the welterweight and middleweight divisions and who threw down no fewer than 13 occasions. Each have been rated as among the many perfect, however neither ever acquired an opportunity for a world title. As an alternative they gave followers a tremendous sequence, with Cocoa Child taking eight of the contests in opposition to three wins for Holman Williams and two attracts.
9. Sugar Ray Robinson vs Gene Fullmer: The good Sugar Ray and the person they known as “The Cyclone” have been middleweight champions and a research in contrasts and, maybe not surprisingly, they didn’t like one another very a lot. Robinson’s contempt for Fullmer was by no means rigorously hid, whereas Gene had nothing however scorn for Sugar Ray’s self-regard and calls for for particular remedy.
The end result was 4 terrific clashes, none missing for motion. Fullmer knocked Sugar Ray out of the ring earlier than taking a call of their first assembly, whereas Robinson’s one-punch KO of Fullmer of their second struggle, the one time Gene ever took the ten rely, is taken into account one of many best knockouts in boxing historical past. The growing older Robinson’s displaying of their third battle in 1960, a 15 spherical draw, is extensively thought to be the final actually nice efficiency of the Sugarman’s superb profession.
8. Stanley Ketchel vs Billy Papke: If one of the best rivalries are sometimes those knowledgeable by real hatred and depth, then Ketchel vs Papke stands out for being significantly vicious. These two greats of the middleweight division clashed 4 occasions within the span of simply over one yr and each assembly was a savage, no-holds-barred slugfest. The primary of 4 conferences noticed Ketchel win a ten spherical choice in June of 1908 however the struggle was thrilling and shut sufficient to benefit a return.
Because the story goes, and it ought to be famous that almost all historians regard it as fiction, Ketchel tried to shake fingers with Papke earlier than the bell to start out their rematch and received a proper hand to the face for his hassle. What isn’t fiction is that Papke then dealt out a savage beating on Ketchel, securing a stoppage spherical twelve and with it the world title. However the next December “The Michigan Murderer” paid “The Illinois Thunderbolt” again for that defeat, and with curiosity, pounding Papke right into a bloody pulp and stopping him within the eleventh. The next yr they battled as soon as extra and over the course of twenty action-packed rounds Ketchel, clearly one of many best of all middleweights, secured a call win.
7. Tony Zale vs Rocky Graziano: By way of sheer motion, few rivalries can match Zale vs Graziano, although sadly the video proof of this reality shouldn’t be available. Whereas their third assembly in 1948 was filmed, for causes unknown the primary two matches weren’t. Thus we’ve solely a relatively uneven and incomplete newbie video of the second conflict to testify to the first-hand accounts which universally proclaimed their wars in ’46 and ’47 to be among the many most thrilling, dramatic and action-packed bouts in the whole historical past of the game.
Neither “The Man Of Metal” nor “The Rock” have been precisely defensive geniuses, however they have been each courageous, robust, highly effective and very happy to brawl at shut quarters. The end result was fast-paced, continuous motion, slugfests that left even hardened struggle scribes limp as the 2 warriors took turns blasting one another with their finest pictures. Zale seized victory within the first and third battles, whereas Graziano made an unbelievable comeback within the second struggle to win the title earlier than famously proclaiming that any person up there favored him. Many who have been ringside for his or her first brutal slugfest in Yankee Stadium, together with long-time announcer Don Dunphy, known as it the best struggle they’d ever seen.
6. Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez: 4 conferences between two of the perfect boxers of their period, all of them aggressive and dramatic, and the sequence capped by one of many best one-punch knockouts in all of boxing historical past. Want one say extra?
As a result of their sequence concluded just some brief years in the past, it’s simple to underestimate its historic significance, however given the standing of each boxers and the standard of the 4 fights, Pacquiao vs Marquez is, with out query, a rivalry for the ages.
5. Sandy Saddler vs Willie Pep: Whereas two of the 4 bouts on this legendary rivalry are tarnished by egregious fouling and fewer than passable conclusions, the very fact stays Saddler and Pep are each universally ranked among the many high 5, all-time, within the featherweight division. And barely have matches from the lighter weight lessons attracted extra consideration from sports activities followers, all 4 of their fights garnering mainstream protection and a spotlight and large crowds. This, as a lot as anything, cements Pep vs Saddler as an all-time nice rivalry.
Their first conflict was a shocker because the underdog challenger scored a clear knockout over the artful “Will o’ the Wisp.” Few thought the growing older Pep may rebound in opposition to his greater, youthful and extra highly effective foe, however within the rematch the artful defensive wizard gave maybe essentially the most extraordinary efficiency of his unbelievable profession, out-boxing Saddler to take a one-sided choice and additional cementing his ring greatness. Fights three and 4, whereas fiercely contested, have been marred by soiled ways resulting in accidents on the a part of Pep that pressured him to give up in his nook in each bouts. The ultimate Saddler vs Pep assembly is without doubt one of the dirtiest title matches in boxing historical past.
4. Barney Ross vs Jimmy McLarnin: Throughout the span of a single yr, two all-time nice champions gave struggle followers three fifteen spherical classics, every desperately shut and drawing large crowds in New York Metropolis. In Could of 1934, regardless of struggling the one knockdown of his lengthy profession, Ross received the primary bout, the Battle Of The Yr, by cut up choice, however all acknowledged the decision may have gone both method.
Lower than 4 months later, a second extremely aggressive distance battle was awarded to McLarnin, earlier than the rubber match, essentially the most punishing and thrilling of the three, was received by Ross, although quite a lot of thought “The Belfast Spider” deserved a greater destiny that night time. Not often have rivals supplied three contests of such ability and competitiveness that the battles solely enhanced the stature of each males. These have been two ring legends, each greats of the welterweight division, each of their primes, attracting large crowds and giving followers thrilling, razor-close donnybrooks.
3. Sam Langford vs Harry Wills: No educated struggle fan questions the standing of Langford and Wills, two harmful and prolific pugilists, who, as a result of they occurred to be black, by no means competed for the heavyweight title. There was discuss of each dealing with Jack Dempsey and years later “The Manassa Mauler” admitted he was lower than anxious to tackle both, particularly Langford, extensively thought to be the best fighter in boxing historical past to by no means win a world championship. So as a substitute of competing for the legit heavyweight title, Langford, aka “The Boston Bonecrusher” and Wills, aka “The Black Panther,” battled for the championship of one another, clashing, at minimal, an unbelievable seventeen occasions; some sources declare they fought twenty-two occasions.
And these have been no tame exhibitions or glorified sparring classes, the contests that includes their share of blood, knockdowns and stoppages. Harry received the higher of the sequence, although a number of matches have been formally “no choice” bouts, however “The Boston Terror” scored at the least two knockout wins of his personal. For instance, in November of 1914, Langford suffered 4 knockdowns within the first two rounds of a scheduled twenty rounder earlier than roaring again to place Harry down for the rely in spherical fourteen. It have to be famous that Wills loved important bodily benefits over the smaller Langford, however regardless of this, and regardless of his dealing with a protracted listing of terrific pugilists together with Joe Jeannette, Jack Sharkey, Sam McVea and Child Norfolk, Harry later rated Langford as each one of the best boxer he ever fought and the toughest puncher.
2. Sugar Ray Robinson vs Jake LaMotta: Two all-time greats and a six struggle sequence that solely intensified, like an epic novel, because it unfolded over the course of 9 years, earlier than climaxing with a famously violent showdown for the middleweight championship of the world. Jake and Sugar Ray have been contemporaries, roughly the identical age, their professional careers beginning inside six months of one another, and each have been marked as particular skills, champions within the making. Robinson outboxed “The Bronx Bull” with relative ease of their first tilt held in Madison Sq. Backyard in 1942, however 4 months later LaMotta knocked Ray out of the ring and received his revenge.
Battle three noticed Ray on the canvas once more, although the choice went his method, and quantity 4 was clean crusing for the gifted Sugarman, however the fifth match in 1945 was a grueling twelve spherical affair and a cut up choice for Robinson that was booed by the Chicago followers. 4 years later LaMotta received the middleweight title and in 1951 Ray got here in search of him. Everybody knew this might be the ultimate battle and curiosity was excessive sufficient to place the match on the brand new medium of reside nationwide tv. The bull stormed out of his nook within the early going however couldn’t get the knockout and as a substitute it was Ray battering Jake all around the ring in rounds twelve and 13 earlier than the well-known bloodbath was lastly stopped.
1. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier: It’s past all doubt that within the lengthy historical past of pugilism no rivalry has had an even bigger impression than that between Frazier and Ali. Their first struggle will endlessly be probably the most anticipated sporting contests ever held, a conflict between two undefeated claimants for the heavyweight championship that impressed world fascination. The bout itself someway managed to reside as much as the hype, and if their second match was, by comparability, a degree under by way of ferocity and motion, it was nonetheless a rattling good heavyweight struggle and a large attraction. Their third and remaining battle, the well-known “Thrilla in Manila,” is universally acknowledged as probably the most brutal and hard-fought ever witnessed, arguably the best heavyweight slugfest of all-time.
Behind the scenes, Joe and Muhammad carried on a private relationship that was as advanced because it was acrimonious and which solely served to make their battles within the ring that rather more intense. However ultimately, what units Ali vs Frazier aside from all different rivalries is its wider significance, the way it transcended not simply boxing, however the whole sports activities world and influenced the broader tradition. Merely put, no different rivalry in boxing historical past introduced all the pieces to a stand-still the way in which “Smokin’ Joe” vs “The Louisville Lip” did. Ali vs Frazier is, and all the time will likely be, the stuff of legend, a very historic rivalry between real heavyweight titans which spilled out past boxing, transfixed tens of millions, and shook the realms of faith, artwork, showbiz and politics.
Honourable Mentions: Joe Jeannette vs Sam McVea; Battling Levinsky vs Jack Dillon; Pete Herman vs Joe Lynch; Eddie Booker vs Archie Moore; Joe Gans vs Battling Nelson; Humberto Gonzalez vs Michael Carbajal; Lou Ambers vs Tony Canzoneri; Bobby Chacon vs Rafael Limon; Gene Tunney vs Harry Greb; Emile Griffith vs Luis Rodriguez; Beau Jack vs Ike Williams; Jimmy Carter vs Lauro Salas; Roberto Duran vs Esteban De Jesus; Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera; Fritzie Zivic vs Charley Burley; Ezzard Charles vs Jimmy Bivins; Tiger Flowers vs Harry Greb; Muhammad Ali vs Ken Norton; Sam Langford vs Joe Jeannette; Archie Moore vs Harold Johnson; Israel Vázquez vs Rafael Márquez; Ruben Olivares vs Chucho Castillo; Micky Ward vs Arturo Gatti; Holman Williams vs Lloyd Marshall; Harry Greb vs Tommy Loughran; Tony Canzoneri vs Jackie (Child) Berg; Emile Griffith vs Benny Paret; Joey Giardello vs Dick Tiger; Betulio Gonzalez vs Shoji Oguma; Rocky Graziano vs Tony Janiro; Willie Davies vs Black Invoice; Henry Armstrong vs Fritzie Zivic; Floyd Patterson vs Ingemar Johannson; Jersey Joe Walcott vs Ezzard Charles; James Toney vs Mike McCallum; Charley Burley vs Holman Williams; Teddy Yarosz vs Billy Conn; Carmen Basilio vs Johnny Saxton; Sugar Ray Leonard vs Roberto Duran; Henry Armstrong vs Willie Joyce; Dick Tiger vs Gene Fullmer; Erik Morales vs Manny Pacquiao; Israel Vazquez vs Rafael Marquez; Harry Greb vs Tommy Gibbons; Beau Jack vs Bob Montgomery; Daniel Zaragoza vs Paul Banke; Riddick Bowe vs Evander Holyfield; Advert Wolgast vs Battling Nelson; Dennis Andries vs Jeff Harding; Greg Haugen vs Vinny Pazienza; Marco Huck vs Ola Afolabi.
