In the boxing world, sometimes two fighters are destined for a great rivalry, giving fans action-packed fights.
While some of these rivalries were hyped and anticipated, others were unexpected and gave fans new heroes to cheer on or new villains to heckle.
Keep reading to learn about the best boxing rivalries in history!
Best Boxing Rivalries
The greatest boxing rivalries of all time are:
- Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
- Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
- Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera
- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran
- Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield
These rivalries are considered some of the greatest boxing trilogies in history as well and would forever link each of the two fighters’ names together in history.
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
First on the list is the legendary rivalry between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The Ali-Frazier rivalry has become a cultural icon even outside of boxing today.
Frazier took the heavyweight title from Ali by way of unanimous decision during their first meeting in Madison Square Garden, dubbed “The Fight of the Century”.
This was the first time in history that two undefeated boxers who had held the title at separate times faced each other to claim it once and for all.
In the second meeting of 1974, Ali won the rematch by unanimous decision and would tie the series.
In the third meeting, dubbed “The Thrilla in Manila” by promoter Don King, Ali won in 15-rounds in an all-out war against Frazier.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Next on the list is the rivalry between Manny Pacquiao against Juan Manuel Marquez.
This duo gave the sport some of the most memorable fights in boxing history.
While their first meeting in the featherweight division was a forgettable draw, many viewers and critics saw potential for a rematch.
In the second and third meetings, Pacquiao won both by a split decision and majority decision, but these were heavily contested.
In the explosive fourth fight, Marquez ended the rivalry for good with a overhand-right knockout in the sixth round.
Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera
Next on the list is the rivalry between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, each fighting for the right to be called Mexico’s finest boxer.
The press immediately pitted the two boxers against each other: Barrera as an upper-class Mexico City boxer against Morales who was representing the Tijuana ghettos.
In the first fight in 2000, Erik Morales won by split decision, but many fans and commentators believed that Barrera should have won the fight.
For the second fight, the opposite happened. Barrera won by unanimous decision to win to become the featherweight champion, but many believed Morales should have won the fight.
In the final fight of the trilogy, Barrera won by majority decision to reclaim the featherweight title.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran
Next on the list is the rivalry between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran.
What made this rivalry special is that these two fighters had opposite styles. Leonard favored a slick, constant-movement style while Duran used a brawling, pressure style.
In the first bout, Duran handed Leonard the first loss. For this fight, Leonard chose to stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the ring with Duran and trade shots.
For the second meeting, dubbed as the “No Más” fight, Leonard paid back the favor and dominated Duran, who gave up in the eighth round.
The final fight for the middleweight title took place almost 10 years after in 1989 and ended with Duran earning a unanimous decision win.
Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield
Last on the list is the rivalry between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield, giving the boxing world some of the most exciting heavyweight fights in history.
In the first meeting, Bowe would win by unanimous decision.
Holyfield would return the favor in the second fight, winning by majority decision.
In the final bout, Bowe would end the series by technical knockout in the eighth round.
Conclusion
These fights show that an intense rivalry always makes for a good fight.
For the boxing community, these rivalries would also turn out to be some of the greatest fights in history and are worth studying.
Recently, the notable rivalries are between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, and Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder.
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