Top 12 All-Time Most Significant Fights

There are of course many high-profile clashes in boxing history which have brought out big crowds and made a serious splash, but then there are the truly monumental showdowns which transcend pugilism, the larger-than-life battles which inspire keen interest from the general public before going on to have a lasting cultural impact. Here are the twelve match-ups which spilled over from the sports pages and galvanized the wider public and, years or decades later, still fascinate us as much for their political and cultural context as for how they defined, or re-defined, their combatants. Check ’em out:

12. June 20, 1980: Roberto Duran W15 Sugar Ray Leonard. The match which ushered in a new era in boxing, “The Four Kings,” and proved that global interest and big money was not restricted to the heavyweights. A true “superfight,” Leonard vs Duran became a huge attraction, not just for boxing, but for sports fans worldwide. Over forty thousand attended the event in Montreal and the closed-circuit telecast sold-out major arenas such as Madison Square Garden. Amazingly, the bout lived up to the hype, the performances of both fighters exceeding all expectations. The biggest closed-circuit broadcast in boxing history to that point, it afforded Leonard a record payday, as the public response confirmed the now crucial importance of Latin America for boxing with Panama’s Duran, who spoke no English, becoming its first mainstream star.

“The Brawl In Montreal” shook up the sports world.

11. Sept. 7, 1892: James J. Corbett KO21 John L. Sullivan. The conclusive end of the bare-knuckle era and the beginning of modern boxing. Sullivan vs Corbett was a major event drawing widespread interest as it was the legendary Sullivan’s first fight in over four years. During that time no one had posed enough of a threat to draw him back to the ring as few could conceive of anyone defeating the mythical “Boston Strong Boy,” the champion being a true living legend. Corbett’s upset knockout win marked a turning point for the sport as a more disciplined ring technique soon became preeminent.

James J. Corbett

10. Sept. 3, 1906: Joe Gans DQ42 Battling Nelson. One of the last “fight to the finish” contests and the longest gloved title match under Marquis of Queensbury rules. An historic bout which advanced boxing technique as early ring sophisticate Gans, aka “The Old Master,” the first black American to hold a world title, dominated Nelson before the Dane was disqualified for landing a powerful blow below the belt. George “Tex” Rickard brought the big fight to Goldfield, Nevada to help the money interests there promote their new boom town and it was the first of many blockbusters staged by the famous promoter. The match also highlights the shameful treatment at that time of Black fighters as Gans, the defending champion, was forced to make weight literally minutes before the opening bell and while wearing his boxing equipment.

Nelson and Gans fight to the finish.

9. Feb. 25, 1964: Cassius Clay RTD6 Sonny Liston. The contest which signaled a sea change, not just for boxing, but for all professional sports and for American society. A huge underdog, not to mention a brash and cocky black man the likes of which white America had rarely seen on the public stage before, Clay proved too quick and too powerful for big Sonny, the champion quitting after round six. Soon after Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali and nothing would ever be the same.

Cassius Clay shocks the world.

8. Sept. 22, 1927: Gene Tunney W10 Jack Dempsey. The second Dempsey vs Tunney fight, and the famous “Battle of the Long Count,” marked the end of the Dempsey era as well as a climax to “The Roaring Twenties.” A learned man and a socialite, the enigmatic Tunney, in contrast to the rugged “Manassa Mauler,” reflected much that was changing in an increasingly industrialized America. The fight attracted a massive crowd of over a hundred thousand spectators to Soldier Field in Chicago and all saw the popular challenger pound Gene to the canvas in round seven, only for Jack to hesitate before retreating to a neutral corner. Thus Tunney was on the floor for some fourteen seconds before he rose. When he did, he resumed coolly out-boxing the ex-champion and he won a wide decision, but the “long count” made this one of boxing’s most controversial fights, destined to be argued about for decades.

Dempsey hesitates before going to a neutral corner.

7. June 11, 1982: Larry Holmes TKO13 Gerry Cooney. The richest fight ever up to that point, this contest was made massive by its overtly racial (or should that be “racist”?) elements. White America cheered for a new “Great White Hope” while hoping for that very rare thing: a white world heavyweight champion. The untested Cooney had the chance to become bigger than boxing as it was his face, not the champion’s, on the cover of Time and Sports Illustrated and it was Cooney’s dressing room that had a direct phone line to the White House. But Holmes took his challenger to boxing school, putting to rest all dreams of a great white champion in an increasingly diverse and multi-cultural America.

Holmes vs Cooney set new gate and box-office records.

6. Dec. 26, 1908: Jack Johnson TKO14 Tommy Burns.  A match whose outcome shocked and dismayed — and delighted — millions, as the irrepressible Jack Johnson — ever smiling, laughing and taunting white America — dominated Burns with ease to become the first Black heavyweight champion of the world.

Burns was no match for Johnson.

5. Oct. 30, 1974: Muhammad Ali KO8 George Foreman. The astonishing return of Muhammad Ali as heavyweight king, a great upset vindicating the man who had been reviled and banned from boxing, but who was now a hero to millions and a global superstar. The event also reflected wider political and cultural changes as two Black men fought for boxing’s biggest prize in a newly independent African nation and as part of an event staged by boxing’s first Black promoter. The fight, and the victory, was bigger than boxing as it was the perfect conclusion to the story of Ali’s defiance of the American government. It is no exaggeration to say it made “The Greatest” a living legend.

Ali shocks the world again.

4.  July 2, 1921: Jack Dempsey KO4 Georges Carpentier. Boxing’s first million dollar gate and a massive event in every way. Worldwide interest attended this match, the results of which were next morning’s front page news. A classic good vs evil narrative — with brutish, slacker Dempsey the bad guy, and World War I hero Carpentier the white knight — captured the imaginations of millions. A special stadium to accommodate a mob of ninety thousand promptly sold out and during the match thousands gathered in New York and Paris just to hear announcements of telegraphed updates.

dempsey_carpentier
Dempey, Carpentier and a throng of ninety thousand.

3.  June 22, 1938: Joe Louis KO1 Max Schmeling. It was Germany’s Max Schmeling who had inflicted Louis’ first defeat two years earlier and as the young heavyweight titlist himself put it, “I ain’t no champion ’till I beat Schmeling.” But in the interim, “The Black Uhlan of the Rhine” had been adopted by his home country’s Nazi regime as a national hero. Thus the backdrop for this match was nothing less than the fascist regime of Adolf Hitler and his resolute drive towards a new world war. “The Brown Bomber’s” vicious two minute annihilation of the now reviled German elevated him to the status of national hero and made him a living symbol of America’s growing confidence.

Louis blows away Schmeling — and Hitler — in the first round.

2. March 8, 1971: Joe Frazier W15 Muhammad Ali. Never before had two undefeated champions clashed for the undisputed world heavyweight title. Both boxers were in their primes and thus, strictly from a competitive standpoint, it was a dream fight and a huge attraction. But the political and cultural story-lines could not be ignored. The build-up exposed and enflamed serious divisions in the American public over the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement, and what was already  an irresistible contest between two elite fighters became an event of colossal magnitude. Millions rooted for Ali to regain the title that had been unjustly taken from him, while at least as many yearned for his defeat. The most watched sporting event in history up to that point, the fifteen round battle which followed, amazingly, lived up to the hype.

The world stood still when Ali and Frazier clashed in 1971.

1. July 4, 1910: Jack Johnson TKO15 James J. Jeffries. Arguably no boxing match has ever held greater significance than the first so-called “Fight of the Century,” an ugly affair which drew the attention of millions not for sporting reasons, but because this contest was, first and foremost, about the supposed superiority of the white race. Jeffries initially had no interest in coming out of retirement to face Johnson but many viewed it as his social duty to put “The Galveston Giant” in his proper place. Eventually the former champion bowed to public pressure and the much anticipated clash was staged in a specially built stadium where Jeffries, the expected victor, was completely dominated. To the deep dismay of the crowd, Johnson toyed with his opponent before the one-sided battering was finally stopped. The result led to race riots in virtually every major American city and the social repercussions are still felt today.

Johnson vs Jeffries was nothing less than a monumental event.
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20 thoughts on “Top 12 All-Time Most Significant Fights

  • December 27, 2017 at 9:08 pm
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    Ray Mancini vs Duk Koo Kim has to be on this list. That fight literally changed boxing forever.

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    • October 1, 2018 at 4:38 pm
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      Mancini vs Kim would not be considered by any “True” Boxing enthusiast in this list of “Great” Champions. No, the Mancini vs Kim did not change boxing forever. Emile Griffith vs Benny “ The Kid” Paret ended in death. And then boxing wasn’t shown on TV for many years to come. Sugar Ray Robinson and Max Bear also had Opponents that died. Since the days of Bare Knuckle Boxing to modern Prizefighting of today, over 800 have died because of the beating they took. No real Boxing enthusiast glorifies or wants to see that.

      Reply
      • May 31, 2020 at 8:09 am
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        The Mancini Kim fight is the reason why championship fights went from 15 to 12 rounds. That’s the reason why it changed boxing. I don’t think the previous commentator was trying to glorify death in the ring

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        • June 3, 2020 at 5:34 pm
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          Yes, it did change boxing. You got a point there.

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  • October 2, 2018 at 5:22 pm
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    Marciano vs louis

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  • October 7, 2018 at 11:32 am
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    Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns
    Salvador Sánchez vs Wilfredo Gómez
    Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns
    Felix Trinidad vs Fernando Vargas

    Reply
  • October 7, 2018 at 6:27 pm
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    You left out the Hagler/Leonard fight.
    We all know that Hagler won the fight and he was robbed.

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  • October 10, 2018 at 3:25 pm
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    Pacquiao baby 8 time world champ in 8 divisions .

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  • October 13, 2018 at 9:21 pm
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    George Foreman vs Michael Moorer. Oldest man to be heavyweight champ. There are many but good list.

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    • July 18, 2021 at 6:43 pm
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      Virtue signaling is the sport of idiots. You just got the gold medal. Johnson Jefferies was just another Holmes-ALI or Marciano and Joe Louis. An old favorite coming back to teach the current champ a lesson. As for Jack Johnson whom I respect because he didn’t give a shit about black or white. Jack Johnson didn’t think in the spectrum of color. Johnson did what ever he thought he should do whether it hurt black or white, He tanked the fight to Jess Willard a white guy for money and more than likely less punishment to get nack into the states. Johnson also helped Max Schmeling by finding a flaw in Joe Louises style to help Max win just because he wanted to. You could learn alot from Johnson. You also have the Clay-Liston fix(per the FBI) on your list.Might I suggest the 2nd fix which was more the things will never be the same fight. 7 out of your 12 are a joke and don’t belong on any list of most significant fights.

      Reply
      • November 2, 2021 at 1:46 am
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        You my friend are the joke. The heavy weight division was weak between the retirement of Marciano and the coronation of Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali. Liston had no plan b period. Ali’s first reign where he went nine and o was a great fighter against limited competition. He was not a better fighter when he returned, nevertheless his greatness enabled him to more than hold his own against arguably the best competition in the history of the heavyweight division. Over and out

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      • November 10, 2021 at 6:06 pm
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        No evidence that Johnson threw title – would hardly have waited till round 26 in blazing heat! I still want to know what happened in Ali-Liston fights.

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  • November 7, 2018 at 12:33 am
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    What about Arguello v Pryor?

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  • November 21, 2018 at 9:31 pm
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    Dempsey vs Willard. Read Roger Kahn’s book-“A Flame of Pure Fire”.

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  • November 29, 2018 at 1:57 pm
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    What about Arturo Gatti vs. Mickey Ward? Eric Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera? Too many to name.

    Reply
  • November 18, 2019 at 6:30 am
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    Ali vs Frazier III.

    Reply
  • April 13, 2020 at 1:24 pm
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    Very good post!

    Reply

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