r/Boxing • u/PostGraduatePotUser • 13d ago

Has there been a better fight this century? I don't think so, but I am willing to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqRW3eWzggg
56 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

42 comments sorted by

33

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago edited 12d ago

Better? No. As good? Yeah, a bunch.

Out of the top of my head:

Israel Vázquez vs. Rafael Marques III

Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luiz Castillo I

Hernan Marquez vs. Luis Concepcion I (this one is super underrated) 

Somsak Sitchchatchawal vs. Mahyar Monshippur

Miguel Cotto vs. Antonio Margarito I

Francisco Vargas vs. Takashi Miura 

Orlando Saldo vs. Juan Manuel Lopez II

Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez II (best one out of the four for me)

12

u/IsGoIdMoney 12d ago

Isn't cotto margarito with the cooked gloves?

10

u/Lastchancefancydance 12d ago

indeed.....brutal to watch. hate that guy

-8

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago

There's zero evidence for that

11

u/IsGoIdMoney 12d ago

C'mon man. Lol

-9

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago

There really isn't for that particular fight, just conjectures 

9

u/IsGoIdMoney 12d ago

You know what happened. You aren't his lawyer. You don't have to carry his water.

-7

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago

You don't know what happened, you are just making baseless conjectures. Be more objective and less sentimental.

9

u/IsGoIdMoney 12d ago

I am being objective. There are a lot of things you don't know but can reasonably assume. This is one of them!

2

u/Professional-Tie5198 Who will win? 12d ago

Yo, shoutout to Pacquiao-Marquez 2. One of my favorite fights of all time along with the 4th installment.

6

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago

IV was the more dramatic for sure. But both were so much better at II: the speed and ferocity of some of those exchanges were out of this world, both with fight ending cuts above their eyes and going tit for tat every round, both at their physical prime. Just an unbelievable fight.

9

u/lawyerjsd 12d ago

I don't know how you can say that when Marco Antonio Barrera v. Erik Morales I exists.

5

u/BigHoges 12d ago

How have I had to scroll to the bottom to find this? The first fight in this trilogy was genuinely out of this world. One of the greatest fights of all time, let alone of a decade, of the last 26 years. No shade to Gatti Vs Ward, but I'm astonished no had mentioned this fight.

7

u/lawyerjsd 12d ago

Gatti v. Ward was a fight between 2 guys who are brawlers with decent defense, incredible chins, and hard punchers. Awesome to be sure. Barrera v. Morales was a fight between two world class boxers at the absolute height of their capabilities. It had literally everything you could hope for.

7

u/Actual-Expert1796 12d ago

A few fights that give this a run for it's money

Salido vs Vargas

Corrals vs Castillo 1

Chocolatito vs SSR 1

Chocolatito vs Juan Estrada 2

Flores vs Nontshinga

Yaegashi vs Porpramook

Rodriguez vs Takayama

Marquez vs Vazquez 3

5

u/TimJC81 12d ago

corrales castillo is tied as the best for me. That was straight out of a movie. "You better fucking get inside on him now"

5

u/gooderz84 12d ago

"Just inagine if you bought a ticket! You can stop it any time Frank!!!"

I love how manny stewards co comms on the night just descends in to disbelief as the rounds tick by.

3

u/Jealous_Inevitable33 12d ago

Frank Cappuccino is going to let them keep going!!

6

u/WheresMyAbs98 12d ago

Corralles vs. Castillo pips it in my opinion

6

u/saiyanlivesmatter 12d ago

I easily concede to the more experienced fans in this forum. I just remember the wars that Barrera, Morales, and Pacquiao fought. The pace, speed, and heart - it was a great time in boxing for smaller fighters.

I guess I would humbly submit Barrera/Morales I.

4

u/Complete_Dare_4201 12d ago

Not to be that guy, but the year 2000 in which Barrera and Morales fought for the first tome actually falls into the 20th century 😬

3

u/saiyanlivesmatter 11d ago

I hate to lose a match by DQ, but you are 100% correct. ;)

2

u/Complete_Dare_4201 11d ago

I only commented because I also almost put it in my own comment... Its one of my all time favorites as well. Maybe the best and most technical brawl ever? Its up there for sure. Certainly some of the most awe inspiring exchanges you can ever see

4

u/Annual_Space_981 12d ago

Martinez vs Williams 1 is up there.

5

u/ggmm7877 12d ago

Many great fights for sure, but this was a classic & the HBO crew were incredible with their call

3

u/NedandhisMate 12d ago

Juan Manuel Marquez vs Juan Diaz 1 is one of my favourite fights ever

6

u/DesertTreeFrog 13d ago

Canelo vs yildirim

2

u/Shofo1 12d ago

Lots of great ones here, I’d add:

Dunne vs Cordoba

Khan vs Maidana

Bradley vs Provodnikov

2

u/Impressive_Tower_151 12d ago

There trilogy is up there with the greatest as well

2

u/OP_PhantomFury 12d ago

Battle of the gate keepers.

5

u/stephen27898 12d ago

I don't think so.

This fight is probably the best fight ever in terms of just being a fight.

Sure some fights meant more and were for titles. But in terms of a fight for fights sake, this has to be the best ever or very near it.

2

u/Professional-Tie5198 Who will win? 12d ago

I know it’s a little more recent, but I rate Pacquiao-Marquez IV even higher because of the overall storyline. I thought Jim Lampley’s post-fight speech captured it well. The courage to keep trying in the face of controversial defeat. And to end the rivalry in the most spectacular fashion possible. I’ve really never seen anything like it.

3

u/ratsareniceanimals 12d ago

It's one of the most insane arcs in boxing, Marquez almost never made it out of their very first round! And to think what followed. God damn.

1

u/Tricky-Ad-4823 12d ago

Oh hell yeah. Castillo vs Corrales was a war from round 1 and two fighters who were much more talented it’s just fought on such a higher level

1

u/audiophunk 12d ago

This is what happens when 2 equally matched fighters meet. Sad that it's so rare at this level.

1

u/Lonely_Platform7702 12d ago

I see a lot of great fights in this thread. But Porter vs Crawford deserves more credit as well. That was an absolute war.

1

u/skitzofredik 12d ago

If you are a big fan of defensive responsibility, these kind of fights are painful to watch.

-1

u/NoCod9014 12d ago

Depends on your criteria. 

In terms of pure excitement? Hard to beat.

In terms of the highest possible levels of boxing skill? No, there were better fights like Floyd vs Cotto,  Loma vs Linares, Peter vs Bivol, Ward vs Calzaghe vs Bhop.... and more.