CLEVELAND, Ohio – We’re only a few days away from what many hope is an epic fight between welterweights Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquaio on Saturday at the MGM in Las Vegas.
Hope is high because Mayweather and Pacqauio are pound-for-pound the two best fighters in the game, and the expectations are also high because of the record price for the fight ($1,500 to $7,500 at the arena and $100 for pay per view).
Former heavyweight champion George Foreman predicts the fight will finish as one of the top three of all time behind the 1971 bout between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier and the rematch between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling in 1938.
I don’t expect Mayweather-Pacqauio to finish as an all-time great fight, but if it does, Saturday’s bout will have a tough time squeezing into my top ten.
10. George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle – January 24, 1976
The best defense in this bout was no defense at all. It was a five-round slugfest where each fighter got multiple tastes of the canvas before Foreman knocked Lyle out.
9. Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Dokes – March 11, 1989
Holyfield won something called the Continental Americas heavyweight title when he stopped Michael Dokes in the 10th round of furious bout with both fighters landing haymakers from the start.
8. Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo I ? May 7, 2005
This was a brawl for the WBC Lightweight Title. Corrales and Castillo stood toe-to-toe and battled for 10 rounds. Corrales recovered from getting knocked down twice in the 10th to win by KO.
7. Larry Holmes vs. Ken Norton – June 9, 1978
Norton and Holmes battled for 14 rounds and they closed the show in the 15th round with a flurry. Holmes rocked Norton in the final seconds and it was enough for him to get the split decision.
6. Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Meldrick Taylor I – March 17, 1990
More known for its controversial ending when referee Richard Steele prematurely ended the fight, Chavez and Taylor put on a memorable display of power and speed with Chavez winning by TKO.
5. Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Arguello I – November 12, 1982
This fight was Pryor’s introduction to the world. Arguello hit Pryor with shots that would have knocked out a heavyweight but Pryor kept coming and finally got to Arguello in the 14th.
4. Tommy Hearns vs. Sugar Ray Leonard – September 16, 1981
A classic battle between the boxer and the puncher but the two fighters switched roles late and Leonard rallied with a 14th round TKO.
3. Micky Ward vs. Arturo Gatti I – May 18, 2002
This was a 10-round war between two men who were the prime example of give and take. Round 9 will go down as one of the greatest rounds in boxing history and led to Ward winning a majority decision.
2. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier III – October 1, 1975
A classic ending to a classic three-part series between two great fighters. The fight was so hard fought and such a test of wills that Ali, who won by TKO, said the fight was the closest thing to death.
1. Marvin Hagler vs. Tommy Hearns – April 15, 1985
The fight would last for only three rounds but it had more action in three rounds than many fights that go the distance. The fight was titled “The War” and it lived up to it. Hagler and Hearns went at it from the opening bell and until Hagler knocked Hearns out in round 3.
More Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao
Will Mayweather-Pacquiao become a huge fiasco (NY Post)?
Five years in the making and the fight is less than a week away (MLive.com).
Mayweather once cheered for Pacquaio (Yahoo.com).
Manny Pacquaio could beat Mayweather with one arm tied behind his back (DailyMail).
Celebrities choose sides between Pacquaio and Mayweather (SI.com).
Everything you need to know about the fight (NY Post).
Crazy traffic jams are expected the night of the fight in Las Vegas (ReviewJournal.com).
Inside Mayweather-Pacquaio 2 (YouTube.com).
A chef’s job is not easy when it comes to Mayweather (New York Magazine).
