In the boxing world, some of the greatest fights in history were part of a trilogy.
While some of these matchups were hyped and long-awaited, other trilogies were unexpected and left boxing fans wanting for more.
This article will discuss the greatest boxing trilogies in boxing history.
Greatest Boxing Trilogies of All Time
The greatest boxing trilogies of all time are:
- Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
- Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales
- Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
- Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield
- Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward
- Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran
These intense head-to-head rivalries would forever link each of the two fighters’ names together in boxing history.
Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier
First on the list is the series between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.
The trilogy has become a cultural icon in sports; even people unaware of boxing associate these two famous names together.
At the time, Ali was making a comeback from his forced hiatus due to his stance on the Vietnam War.
Meanwhile, Frazier was dominating the heavyweight division and was considered Ali’s biggest rival.
Their first fight in Madison Square Garden was dubbed the “Fight of the Century”, with Joe Frazier taking the heavyweight crown from Ali by a unanimous decision win.
In the second fight of 1974, Ali reclaimed his victory by unanimous decision win and would tie the series.
In the third fight, advertised as the “Thrilla in Manila”, each fighter gave their best in an all-out war, with Ali winning the last trilogy fight.
Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales
Next on the list is the intense rivalry between Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.
Even though they’re both representing Mexico, they didn’t treat each other like brothers.
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.
Typical of the Mexican style, they stood in the middle of the ring and traded shots.
For the first fight in Las Vegas in 2000, Erik Morales earned a split decision win. In the second and third fights, in June 2002 and November 2004, Barrera would return the favor and win by split decision.
Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez
Next is the rivalry between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.
At the time, Marquez was already a feared legend, dominating the featherweight division.
For Pacquiao, this series was a stop on his path to winning titles in eight divisions, the most in history.
Their first fight was a forgettable draw in the featherweight division. At this time, the boxing world didn’t know how good this matchup would be.
In their second and third fights, Pacquiao gained a split decision and majority decision win, but these were heavily debated in by experts and fans alike.
What makes this matchup special is the fourth fight to finish off the saga. Marquez definitively ended the war with an explosive knockout in the sixth round.
Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield
Next is the trilogy of Riddick Bowe against Evander Holyfield, giving boxing fans some of the best heavyweight fights of all time.
At the time, Holyfield was on a hot streak, defeating Buster Douglas (who won the big upset against Mike Tyson) and George Foreman.
Looking for an opponent, he settled on undefeated Riddick Bowe.
In the first fight (1992), Bowe won by unanimous decision.
The second fight (1993), with Holyfield winning by majority decision, was famous for the Fan Man incident, where a fan parachuted into the arena, delaying the fight. In the third bout (1995), Bowe won via technical knockout in eighth round.
Arturo Gatti vs. Micky Ward
Next on the list is the trilogy between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward, both capable of vicious body shots.
The two fighters were almost opposites: Gatti was a slick superstar in the boxing world at the time, while Ward was known as a tough, blue-collar day-job brawler.
In the first bout, May 2002 in Atlantic City, Ward gained a win via majority decision. Six months later, in the second bout, Gatti won the rematch by unanimous decision.
In the last fight (2003), Gatti earned a decision win, who fought with a broken hand for most of the match.
After this trilogy, both fighters would go on to develop a great friendship. Micky Ward would go on to train Gatti later in their careers.
Sugar Ray Leonard vs. Roberto Duran
Last on the list is the trilogy between Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran, pitting Leonard’s smooth style against Duran’s brawling style.
At the time, both fighters were considered at the top of their game and the boxing world.
In the first fight of 1980, Duran won against Leonard by unanimous decision, who chose to stand in the middle of the ring and brawl instead of moving around.
Leonard learned from his mistakes for the second fight later that year, winning by an eighth-round technical knockout, making Duran quit.
Their final fight was almost a decade after in 1989 with Duran earning a unanimous decision win, but is not worth noting compared to the first two fights.
Conclusion
These matchups show that a boxer can lose a battle and still end up winning the war.
For casual boxing fans, a number of these three-fight series would be some of the greatest fights of all time and worth a rewatch.
In today’s boxing world, the notable trilogies to watch are between Canelo Alvarez and Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, and Tyson Fury against Deontay Wilder.
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