The 147 pound division has all the time been a hotbed of elite expertise, with old-time legends like Ted “Child” Lewis and Jack Britton, golden age greats like Sugar Ray Robinson and Child Gavilan, and fashionable period kings Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Thomas Hearns all leaving their mark on the division. Tracing the story of the division between 1993 and 2023, from Whitaker vs Chavez to Manny vs Mayweather and past, listed here are a few of the largest welterweight superfights that paved the best way to 2023’s historic showdown between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence. Hit the hyperlinks for movies and in-depth articles.
Pernell Whitaker D12 Julio Cesar Chavez, tenth September 1993: Billed merely as “The Battle”, the mega-bout between Mexican icon “JC Celebrity” and WBC champ “Candy Pea” Whitaker was set to crown the consensus primary fighter within the sport. Contested at a catchweight of 145 kilos to accommodate Chavez who was transferring up from 140, the match-up nonetheless compares favourably with any in historical past when it comes to pure pugilistic pedigree. Each had been three-weight champions, with Chavez getting into on an unbelievable 87-bout undefeated streak and Whitaker, the 1984 Olympic gold medallist, carrying a single, undeserved factors loss in 33 fights. Sadly, after Whitaker utterly outboxed Chavez in a masterful show, the American’s pound-for-pound coronation was denied by scandalous scorecards that returned a majority draw verdict.
Oscar De La Hoya UD12 Pernell Whitaker, twelfth April 1997: Robbed of victory in opposition to Chavez, Whitaker however had the satisfaction of gaining large recognition as the game’s true pound-for-pound king. “Candy Pea” made an extra six defences over the following 4 years, even squeezing in a foray north to develop into a four-weight champion. However within the meantime, a brand new celebrity, “The Golden Boy”, emerged. Like Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic gold medallist and multi-weight champion, capturing titles from tremendous featherweight by to 147, en path to 23 straight victories. Over twelve tightly contested rounds, De La Hoya fought aggressively in opposition to Whitaker’s slippery however elegant defensive abilities and regardless of failing to place a critical dent within the defending champion, the judges had been impressed sufficient to award the glamorous younger star a unanimous choice.
Oscar De Le Hoya SD12 Ike Quartey, thirteenth February 1999: Following his crowning if considerably controversial win over Whitaker, De La Hoya was not solely the most important attraction exterior of heavyweight, he was additionally a number one contender – alongside Roy Jones – for the title of boxing’s finest pound-for-pound fighter. After 5 profitable defences, together with a repeat win over an getting old Chavez, “The Golden Boy” took on his most daunting problem but. Ike “Bazooka” Quartey, undefeated in 35 fights with seven defences of the WBA title, introduced a formidable skillset, together with boxing’s most potent jab and thudding energy behind it. The Ghanaian proved his value, exchanging knockdowns in spherical six and pushing the American celebrity all the best way, till a ultimate spherical blitz from De La Hoya sealed a hard-fought cut up choice victory.
Felix Trinidad MD12 Oscar De La Hoya, 18th September 1999: De La Hoya’s win over Quartey left just one significant combat within the division: a mega-showdown with rival, undefeated IBF champ Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Over a six-year title reign the fearsome Puerto Rican puncher had swept apart fifteen challengers, 13 by knockout. Billed as “The Battle of the Millennium”, De La Hoya vs Trinidad matched two superstars on the peak of their powers, in probably the most eagerly anticipated combat in a technology. Sadly, it didn’t ship the anticipated drama between the ropes, as De La Hoya boxed his technique to an early lead earlier than easing off and permitting Trinidad to grab a controversial, razor-thin majority choice.
Shane Mosley MD12 Oscar De La Hoya, seventeenth June 2000: The very fact De La Hoya seems for a fourth time on this record of welterweight superfights is a testomony each to “The Golden Boy’s” promoting energy and his willingness to check himself in opposition to one of the best of his period. Following the frustration of the Trinidad defeat, De La Hoya chased a rematch, however when a deal couldn’t be reached and Trinidad elected to maneuver up in weight, Oscar was awarded the WBC title once more by default. Looking for redemption in opposition to a significant opponent, he took on the extremely touted “Sugar” Shane Mosley as an alternative. The undefeated former light-weight champion was considered one of the gifted fighters in boxing, and he delivered a career-best efficiency to outshine his Los Angeles rival in a superb back-and-forth contest.
Undisputed Chaos: Along with his signature win over De La Hoya, Mosley was briefly acknowledged as boxing’s No. 1, pound-for-pound. However what regarded like the start of a dominant reign actually sparked a tumultuous interval within the division’s lineage, as Mosley was overthrown by rival Vernon Forrest, who in flip was promptly knocked out by WBA belt holder Ricardo Mayorga, who was then outpointed by IBF champion Cory Spinks, thus crowning the primary undisputed welterweight champion since Lloyd Honeyghan, in 1986. The titles wouldn’t stay unified for lengthy although, as Spinks was himself knocked out in his third defence by Zab Judah, and the belts fragmented once more.
Floyd Mayweather TKO10 Ricky Hatton, eighth December 2007: Shifting as much as welterweight in 2005, pound-for-pound star Floyd Mayweather first took care of enterprise with bitter rival Zab Judah, earlier than scoring a straightforward victory over Carlos Baldomir to gather the WBC strap. A blockbuster bout in opposition to De La Hoya at 154 kilos adopted, after which “Cash” returned to welterweight to tackle Britain’s Ricky Hatton, in one other large PPV occasion. “Hit Man Hatton,” an undefeated champ at 140 kilos and extremely rated on most pound-for-pound lists, fought valiantly, regardless of one of the best efforts of referee Joe Cortez to stifle the motion. Mayweather remained cool and composed amid the electrical ambiance, took the steam out of Hatton’s assault, and placed on a punching clinic to attain a tenth-round stoppage.
Antonio Margarito TKO11 Miguel Cotto, twenty sixth July 2008: When Mayweather introduced his retirement after the Hatton win, nobody believed he can be gone for lengthy, nevertheless it nonetheless left a emptiness atop the welterweight division. Miguel Cotto, the undefeated WBA champion and Puerto Rican star, and Antonio Margarito, a rock-hard Mexican long-touted as “probably the most averted man within the division”, stepped in to fill the void. Cotto acquired off to an amazing begin, taking the lead together with his smoother and craftier boxing. However Margarito chugged forwards relentlessly, ominously, and because the harm accrued on Cotto’s face, it was clear he merely couldn’t maintain off the marauding Mexican. Lastly, after twice taking a knee in a bruising eleventh spherical, Cotto was rescued from additional punishment and Margarito was the brand new welterweight ruler.
Shane Mosley TKO9 Antonio Margarito, twenty fourth January 2009: Within the wake of Margarito’s efficiency in opposition to Miguel Cotto, the Mexican was hailed as an irrepressible drive, a “terminator” that couldn’t be stopped. In distinction, Mosley’s type had been up and down within the years since his breakout win in opposition to De La Hoya, and to most, the end result appeared a foregone conclusion. However within the hoopla surrounding Margarito’s beatdown of Cotto, it appeared the world had forgotten that Mosley might really combat. Removed from wilting below the Mexican’s stress, the outdated Sugarman stood his floor and blasted away with brutal proper palms and rapid-fire mixtures spherical after one-sided spherical, in a punch-perfect efficiency that made a mockery of so many pre-fight predictions.
Manny Pacquiao TKO12 Miguel Cotto, 14th November 2009: With Floyd Mayweather “retired”, it left Manny Pacquiao briefly unopposed atop boxing’s pound-for-pound tree. The Filipino regarded phenomenal in a run of back-to-back wins that included blasting out Ricky Hatton in two rounds and laying a beatdown on the ghost of Oscar De La Hoya. However in taking over high welterweight Miguel Cotto at a catchweight of 145 kilos, it remained to be seen whether or not the previous flyweight was biting off greater than he might chew. The truth is, it proved to be one of many Pacman’s finest ever performances, because the Puerto Rican was floored twice and floor down and stopped in spherical twelve by the Filipino fireball. “We thought Manny Pacquiao was nice,” opined Larry Service provider, “[but] he’s higher than we thought.”
Floyd Mayweather UD12 Shane Mosley, 1st Might 2010: Mayweather’s self-imposed hiatus from the ring had been predictably temporary, and in late 2009 he returned with a lopsided win over light-weight ruler, Juan Manuel Marquez. A brilliant-showdown with Manny Pacquiao ought to have adopted, however when negotiations fell aside as a consequence of a disagreement over drug testing, Mayweather opted as an alternative to face Shane Mosley. The match had been mooted for over a decade, and although previous prime, “Sugar” Shane was however coming off his nice win over Margarito. Within the second spherical an enormous upset regarded on the playing cards, as Mosley twice rocked Mayweather to the soles of his boots with flush proper palms. Floyd clung on for pricey life, earlier than taking management in spherical three after which dominating the rest of the combat.
Juan Manuel Marquez KO6 Manny Pacquiao, eighth December 2012: Over three fights starting with their outstanding attract 2004 at featherweight, it was virtually not possible to separate the Mexican and Filipino rivals. A second and third assembly, at 130 in 2008 and 147 in 2011, noticed Pacquiao emerge victorious by shut, contentious choices. Each males promised to finish the rivalry in definitive vogue, and they didn’t disappoint. Pacquiao’s bitterly disputed loss to Tim Bradley in his earlier combat meant no title was on the road, nevertheless it didn’t matter as they produced arguably the combat of the last decade. Floored closely within the third, a surging Pacquiao roared again to knock Marquez down within the fifth and regarded on the verge of scoring a stoppage within the sixth, earlier than strolling on to a monster overhand proper that left him out chilly, face first on the canvas.
Floyd Mayweather UD12 Manny Pacquiao, 2nd Might 2015: It took 5 years of bickering and public posturing, however ultimately the 2 largest stars in boxing hammered out a deal. Pacquiao’s loss to Marquez three years prior and the rivals’ advancing ages had taken some shine off the match-up, nevertheless it nonetheless pitted the 2 finest pound-for-pound fighters of a technology in opposition to one another, and was by far the most important field workplace occasion in historical past. The combat itself was absorbing, although failed to provide the form of motion it promised at their athletic peaks. Except for a fourth-round flurry, Pacquiao was largely nullified by Mayweather’s superior boxing, and the American took a snug choice, together with bragging rights as one of the best boxer of his period.
Terence Crawford TKO9 Errol Spence Jr., twenty ninth of July 2023: Lastly, the latest high-profile showdown that attracted the curiosity of thousands and thousands of sports activities followers was the long-awaited conflict between rival title-holders “Bud” Crawford and Errol “The Reality” Spence in entrance of some twenty thousand followers on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas. What was seen by many as a “decide ’em” combat turned out to be a one-sided beatdown as Crawford gave one of many nice ring performances of current years, scoring knockdowns in rounds two and 7 earlier than the referee stopped the combat in spherical 9.
As I wrote on this web site instantly after the match had transpired: “When the chips are down, nice fighters step up and do nice issues. Within the largest combat of his life, in entrance of an electrified crowd on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford stepped up in a serious manner and produced a masterclass efficiency that can outline his legacy. On paper, Spence vs Crawford appeared an evenly matched conflict between two world champions, however in precise truth “Bud” proved to be a full degree above, utterly dominating his rival and successful by ninth-round stoppage to develop into the undisputed king of the welterweights.”
Sadly, for the time being the welterweight division seems quite depleted and no compelling, massive cash match-up seems to be to be on the horizon. Hopefully that can change within the close to future, however within the meantime, we have now all the good welterweight battles of the 1990’s and 2000’s to recollect and re-live on-line. –Matt O’Brien
