15 Most Exciting Warriors of the Ring

[New England]

SBleeder....

Do you think Ray Leonard won a fight he shouldn't have over a superior fighter in Tommy Hearns? Hearns was outboxing him when Ray landed a single left hook in the 6th that swung the fight in his favor for a couple of rounds...and then did the same in the 13th with a single right hand.

Did Trinidad beat a better fighter in David reid? Tito was losing that fight until the seventh round when a single left hook swung it all in his favor.

I'm sure you don' think that way, but you think Jackson is inferior to Graham because he was able to end the fight, not just swing it his way, with a single punch.

they fought at their peaks and leonard won. you can't get a more definitive line of reasoning behind who the better fighter is.

he "was winning the fight until.." means nothing. obviously you know that.

the fights dont end via stoppage much anymore, but that's what separates our sport from all of the others.

you cant box if you're losing consciousness or being exhausted to death

[Panamaniac]

The least exciting type of fighters to me are either slick, tall southpaws or volume punchers.

First, one of the exceptions - despite his stance, Hagler was able to mix it up with most of his opponents quite well. Arguably the greatest fight I ever saw (Hagler/Hearns) featured opposite stances. That said, as a general rule, most matches featuring one leftie are dull because it's difficult for either fighter to land a clean shot, given the awkward sparring angle. What you get is glancing blows, toe-stepping, foot-tangling and accidental tripping. Neither fighter is able to reach the other with left or right crosses.

[New England]

this is quite a broad topic


exciting and great fights can be a different animal. alexis arugello was in some very exciting and great fights, but i wouldn't consider him among the fifteen most exciting fighters of all time. he was a counterpuncher and a textbook boxer. he didn't take loads of risk if he didn't have to. what he could do was end a fight with either hand at the lower weights with a single punch, which is very rare and very exciting.

vulnerabilities are what generally create the excitement. great fighters limit those.


if you asked me about "warriors" i'd probably think first of the guys who were hurt regularly, or who hard to make their way through a barrage regularly, because they had no other choice. they take the risks.

along those lines you ahve a varying array of fighters, from good to great, but all with defensive limitations. what's really most "exciting" in a boxing match, anyway? two way contact. if you're talking about all time exciting fighters you've generally got to consider the ones who took punishment.


names like arturo gatti and micky ward really do fit the bill in that regard. gatti with his recuperative powers and ward with his chin and power and huge flaws made for great, what i call "action" fights consistently.

if you were looking for a list of "action" fighters mine would probably look different from your own. it would certainly have fewer ATG on it

[jabsRstiff]

New England....

SBleeder claimed he wishes fights would not end in KOs, and wishes that all go to the judges. He also said he can't stand it when a superior guy is winning a fight but then gets taken out with a single shot. I was challenging his beliefs (though he's entitled). If you think Herol Graham shouldn't have lost to Jackson, then Hearns shouldn't have lost to Leonard. After all, he was outboxing him before Ray got lucky enough to land a turnaround shot on Hearns.

Panama...

Hagler is my all-time favorite fighter. He was a great technician who was a lefty, but he hurt and finished guys. His right jab was a jackhammer, not some distance-creating flick.

[Panamaniac]

Panama...

Hagler is my all-time favorite fighter. He was a great technician who was a lefty, but he hurt and finished guys. His right jab was a jackhammer, not some distance-creating flick.

I must be losing my psychic powers... for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I thought your all time favorite fighter was(is) Julian Jackson.

Bet you can't tell who my favorite is...

[jabsRstiff]

I must be losing my psychic powers... for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, I thought your all time favorite fighter was(is) Julian Jackson.

Bet you can't tell who my favorite is...

Greg Haugen?

I put up Julian's pic because he's one of those guys who was not properly promoted and should have been far better known. Plus, I do believe he's the hardest puncher, lb4lb, in history.

[New England]

New England....

SBleeder claimed he wishes fights would not end in KOs, and wishes that all go to the judges. He also said he can't stand it when a superior guy is winning a fight but then gets taken out with a single shot. I was challenging his beliefs (though he's entitled). If you think Herol Graham shouldn't have lost to Jackson, then Hearns shouldn't have lost to Leonard. After all, he was outboxing him before Ray got lucky enough to land a turnaround shot on Hearns.

Panama...

Hagler is my all-time favorite fighter. He was a great technician who was a lefty, but he hurt and finished guys. His right jab was a jackhammer, not some distance-creating flick.

i guess if you think the guy who get's stopped is somehow superior then you can think that the winner is somehow "lucky"

hell, why even fight? it's all luck



fighters who start knocking people the hell out in competitive fights would be a welcome change of pace. i'm sick of 12 round fights or total mismatches.

virtually every evenly matched contemporary boxing match today goes the distance.

[New England]

Greg Haugen?

I put up Julian's pic because he's one of those guys who was not properly promoted and should have been far better known. Plus, I do believe he's the hardest puncher, lb4lb, in history.

not to mention he wears a high top fade with the best of them

[jabsRstiff]

not to mention he wears a high top fade with the best of them

Where do think the power came from? Every bit of that 'do was behind each punch!

[jabsRstiff]

i guess if you think the guy who get's stopped is somehow superior then you can think that the winner is somehow "lucky"

hell, why even fight? it's all luck



fighters who start knocking people the hell out in competitive fights would be a welcome change of pace. i'm sick of 12 round fights or total mismatches.

virtually every evenly matched contemporary boxing match today goes the distance.

Inconclusive and unspectacular non-finishes are damaging the sport...I totally agree. I am definitely sick of watching two dudes looking like they can't get out of sparring mode....and are in there just "working".