The Greatest Boxing Fights Ever

There have been many great fights in boxing history. But some stand above the rest.

There are monumental showdowns that became legendary, transcended the sport and left a lasting cultural impact by captivating audiences across generations.

These are the match-ups that galvanised fans worldwide, gathered the wider public’s attention and are still spoken about decades later.

The clashes that are written into boxing folklore and will never be forgotten. Here are the greatest boxing fights ever.

Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier III (October 1, 1975)

‘The Thrilla in Manila’ was one of the most significant fights ever in boxing, pitting arguably the two greatest rivals in the sport’s history together for one final brutal battle.

Joe Frazier had shaken up the world by inflicting Muhammad Ali’s first-ever defeat in their first ‘Fight of the Century’ four years prior, before suffering a rematch defeat in 1974.

The following year, the pair met again for what ultimately proved to be a gruelling 14-round war, which neither man ever truly recovered from, after pushing themselves to exhausting lengths in the Philippines.

Ali started strong but looked to be finished late on, though ‘Smokin’ Joe’ proved he was human after all and visibly punched himself out as well, while battling through grotesquely swollen eyes.

Frazier refused to quit. Ali contemplated quitting on his stool. Something had to give. Eddie Futch made the call to save his fighter after 14 rounds of mutual punishment, famously telling Frazier, "No one will forget what you did here today".

Both men had confirmed their greatness, with Ali later admitting the trilogy fight "was like death. The closest thing to dying that I know of.”

Arturo Gatti vs Micky Ward I (May 18, 2002)

The punishing first meeting between Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward set the standard for any future all-action fights that took place.

It became the measuring stick for all other dramatic encounters in the ring. There may have been great fights since then, but was it ‘Gatti-Ward great? It’s a question still posed today.

Both men gave every inch of themselves on that night in Connecticut, producing a toe-to-toe brawl which is remembered for its back-and-forth flow rather than the outcome.

It was Ward who ultimately had his hand raised by majority decision, after a savage slugfest that was rightfully voted Ring Magazine Fight of the Year in 2002.

Round nine alone has become symbolic within the boxing sphere, with Gatti finding the inner strength to somehow climb off the canvas from a trademark Ward body shot and battle back.

The ringside commentary from Emanuel Steward, Jim Lampley, and Larry Merchant has also become embedded in boxing history, with their iconic calls perfectly capturing the heart and drama unfolding before everyone's disbelieving eyes.

Gatti and Ward punished each other so much over 30 rounds that they ended up sharing a hospital room at the conclusion of their trilogy.

Despite that, their legendary battles forged a close friendship which lasted right until Gatti’s tragic early passing in 2009, with Ward delivering a gentle left hook to his fallen friend’s coffin as a symbolic final farewell at the funeral.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler vs Thomas Hearns (15 April 1985)

The blistering three rounds between Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns remain the standard by which all high-profile showdowns are judged.

When two of ‘The Four Kings’ collided, the end result was exactly as it was billed as in the build-up - 'The War'.

Hagler came out swinging with bad intentions, quite literally from the opening bell, but ‘The Hitman’ immediately returned early fire to stun and cut his iron-chinned rival.

The stream of blood only fired Hagler up more, as he charged for Hearns and refused to let him set for a second through fear of a doctor’s intervention for his cut.

A destructive flurry finished the job, as Hagler rallied to a defining career victory and defended his middleweight crown in devastating fashion.

Diego Corrales vs Jose Luis Castillo I (May 7, 2005)

There are certain fights that remind fans just how great boxing can be when two warriors simply refuse to surrender and meet for a war of attrition.

The pulsating first showdown between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo was one of those fights, etching both men in the history books for their sheer courage and unbreakable will.

After standing in the centre of the ring and trading blows for 10 rounds, Corrales was floored and looked on the edge of defeat in the closing stages.

But, after recovering from two knockdowns and cunningly buying himself crucial extra seconds to recover by spitting his gumshield out, ‘Chico’ remarkably rallied back to stagger ‘El Terrible’.

Smelling blood, Corrales launched a massive flurry to send Castillo flailing back on the ropes and forced the referee to intervene, capping off one of the most dramatic moments in boxing history.

George Foreman vs Ron Lyle (24 January 1976)

The term ‘heavyweight slugfest’ perfectly encapsulates the 1976 match-up between George Foreman and Ron Lyle.

A colossal clash of concussive punchers defined heavyweight boxing in its golden era.

Both men were out to prove themselves. ‘Big George’ was returning from that historic ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ defeat to Muhammad Ali, while Lyle was desperate to assert himself in the title picture as a genuine threat.

Driven on by those personal demons, the two big men traded ferocious shots for five rounds and knocked each other to the floor twice.

Foreman sent Lyle crashing down again for a third and final time, though, to redeem himself and emerge the victor from one of the greatest heavyweight fights of all time.

Israel Vazquez vs Rafael Marquez III (March 1, 2008)

A high-octane, bloody battle between Mexican rivals Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez secured their places in history as true, relentless warriors.

The two men had already produced two incredible fights before the third meeting, the second of which earned Fight of the Year honours for 2007.

It didn’t discourage either from maintaining the same relentless pace for a third time, as they both absorbed insane punishment over 12 intense rounds for the second successive Fight of the Year in 2008.

Marquez stopped Vazquez in seven rounds in their first fight. Vazquez then gained revenge by knocking Marquez out in six rounds during the return clash.

This third meeting went the championship distance, with Vazquez prevailing again by split decision. Marquez would later win the fourth, less competitive meeting. A fifth deciding fight was discussed but never materialised.

The gruelling four-fight rivalry came at a high physical cost for both men. Marquez needed three surgeries after sustaining a fractured orbital bone, which forced a year-long hiatus from the ring.

Vazquez suffered career-ending eye injuries, which required multiple surgeries as well, and in the aftermath, he eventually developed multiple sclerosis.

In 2024, the three-time World Champion sadly passed away at the age of just 46 after being diagnosed with cancer.

What lives on forever are the memories he gave boxing fans through the thrilling battles with Marquez in his epic career.

Other notable greatest boxing fights ever:

Erik Morales vs Marco Antonio Barrera III (November 27, 2004)
Aaron Pryor vs Alexis Arguello I (November 12, 1982)
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier I (March 8, 1971)
Roberto Duran vs Sugar Ray Leonard (June 20, 1980)
Julio Cesar Chavez vs Meldrick Taylor I (March 17, 1990)
Rocky Marciano vs Joe Walcott I (September 23, 1952
Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (October 30, 1974)
Jack Dempsey vs Luis Angel Firpo (September 14, 1923)
Rocky Graziano vs Tony Zale III (June 10, 1948)
Ray Robinson vs Jake LaMotta VI (February 14, 1951)
Jose Zepeda vs Ivan Baranchyk (October 3, 2020)
Roman Gonzalez vs Srisaket Sor Rungvisai I (March 18, 2017)
Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko (April 29, 2017)
Sugar Ray Leonard vs Thomas Hearns I (September 16, 1981)

Header image: Tilt