Boxing Rivalries Help Fuel Lifeblood of Sport

October 9, 2024
4 months

Rivalry is one of the things that fuels sports. Boxing is a business, but many fighters take things personally. It’s hard not to. Imagine being in an environment where you train for months to punch someone in the face for 15 rounds. Over the years, online boxing news indicated that some of the most high-profile figures had a foil that kept both of them in the headlines.

While there were some rivalries that flickered briefly due to controversy, like Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, there were many others that helped shape the future of the sport. Here’s a look at the top rivalries in boxing history.

Ali and Frazier Shaped the Seventies

Muhammad Ali became one of boxing’s most enduring figures thanks to a combination of his excellence in the ring and his activism out of it. But his rivalry with Joe Frazier propelled Ali, who was formerly known as Cassius Clay, to the top of the heavyweight division.

When the two men first met in March of 1971, Frazier accomplished what many believed impossible. Frazier was able to lean on his impeccable skill and outpoint Ali. It would be nearly three years before the men would meet again.

Looking for heavyweight boxing news will show that Frazier and Ali’s second meeting in July 1974 was deemed the fight of the century. Both men put on a strong showing, with the fight going the distance.Ali would grab the win this time around. Fans wanting to see another fight wouldn’t have to wait long. They fought in the “Thrilla in Manila” in 1974. Ali was dead tired by the end of the fight but could score the TKO win when Frazier couldn’t answer the bell for the 15th round.

Ali had plenty of memorable rivals. Ken Norton, George Foreman, and Sonny Liston all had their moments with Ali. But no one stuck with the culture of American boxing quite like Frazier did.

Plenty Mas

Roberto Duran reportedly said “no mas” during his second fight with “Sugar” Ray Leonard. Whether or not this was true and Duran disputes saying it, it provided a memorable moment for a rivalry. The world boxing latest news shows that Duran’s first win over Leonard shook up the boxing world.

In June 1980, Duran upset Leonard in a unanimous decision win, piecing up the previously untouchable Leonard to claim the WBC welterweight title. Leonard wasn’t going to let Duran enjoy his win too much. Leonard pushed for a rematch as soon as possible.

Duran, who spent a lot of time celebrating and got out of shape, wasn’t ready for the rematch. Leonard scored a knockout during the eighth round in November 1980, while Duran looked heavier and slower than during their first meeting.

The pair had a third meeting in the late 1980s, but both men were past their prime. Leonard won the third fight by decision. It’s a shame the third fight was delayed by so many years. A third fight closer to the second one, where Duran was in better shape, would have been a nice way to close the book on the rivalry.

But boxing is a business, and we are sometimes denied the best ending to a trilogy because of money or political reasons.

How Many Times Can We Fight?

Jake Lamotta is better known for Robert De Niro’s portrayal of him in Raging Bull. But Lamotta’s time in the ring shouldn’t be lost to history. Most notable is Lamotta’s bizarre rivalry with Sugar Ray Robinson.

It is rare to see boxers reach a trilogy fight with something trivial. But Robinson and Lamotta ended up squaring up with each other six times. While Lamotta was competitive during these fights, the overall statistics wouldn’t indicate that. The two first met in October 1942, and it set up how their future would play out together.

Lamotta knocked Robinson down in the first round, but Robinson rallied to win a decision. Lamotta’s only win in the series came when he picked up a unanimous decision in February 1943.

Pacquiao and Marquez Had Intense Battles

Manny Pacquiao had a long career that featured many different challengers. None quite had the juice that Juan Manuel Márquez brought to the rivalry. Imagine how Pacquiao felt after he knocked Márquez down three times in the first round, but Márquez rallied to earn a draw.

Many people thought Márquez should have won the decisions for all that happened. When the two men fought for a second and third time, Pacquiao won razor-thin decisions where fans and media were divided on how the fights should be scored.

But the fourth fight really stood out. Márquez landed a devastating cross that put Pacquiao out for several minutes, facedown on the canvas. Boxing fans should track down all four fights somewhere on the internet.

Márquez was more than willing and competent to challenge Pacquiao. It’s a shame that people focused so much on Pacquiao fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr. instead of giving Márquez the shine that he deserved.

Rivals Become Friends

When you are tied together in history, it is hard not to gain a lot of respect for an opponent you shared so much time with. Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward started as bitter rivals.

But by the time they were done in the ring together, they became close friends. During all three fights, both men put in rough efforts and landed hard shots that would end up turning them into bloody affairs. During the first meeting, even the judges needed to be clearer who should get their hand raised.

Ward collected the first fight by majority decision. During the second and third contests, Gatti was able to pick up decision wins. There weren’t as many questions during the other fights; the scorecards were settled by unanimous decisions.

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By Dean McHugh.

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