Who's Number 1: "Greatest Fights"

[butterfly1964]

WHO'S NUMBER 1?! WHO'S NUMBER 1?! WHO'S NUMBER 1?! WHO'S NUMBER 1?!
FROM THE CINDERELLA STORIES THAT GAVE US REASONS TO CELEBRATE,
TO THE WORST COACHES WHO JUST COULDN'T MOTIVATE,
TO THE BEST MASTERS AND BEING GREAT
DEPENDED ON HOW WELL YOU CAN CONCENTRATE.
FROM THE WORST TRADES BY GM'S WHO JUST COULDN'T EVALUATE,
TO THE BEST GAME 7'S THAT MADE THE HAIR ON YOUR ARMS PERCOLATE,
TO THE NFL DRAFT BUSTS WHO JUST COULDN'T GET OUT THE GATE,
TO THE MOST OUTRAGEOUS CHARACTERS THAT YOU JUST LOVE TO HATE.
FROM THE BUZZER BEATERS THAT MADE YOU HAPPY THAT YOU STAYED UP LATE,
TO THE MOST OVERPLAYED MOMENTS THAT WEREN'T THAT GREAT!
IF "WHO'S NUMBER 1?" IS THE TOPIC THAT YOU LOVE TO DEBATE,
THEN SMILE, 'CAUSE YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO WAIT!
YOU SEE THIS IS NOT A COMMERCIAL, THE SHOW HAS ALREADY BEGUN.
SO WHO'S NUMBER 1?! WHO'S NUMBER 1?! WHO'S NUMBER 1?

Who's Number 1?


"Greatest Fights"

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to "Who's Number 1". I'm your host, butterfly1964. We have seen many fights that were exciting to watch but once in a while one comes along that is to remembered forever. I have compiled only the best 20 of those historical and memorable bouts. Here is the countdown of the 20 Greatest fights of all time!










20

20

20

20. Johnson-Willard: On April 5, 1915, heavyweight champion Jack Johnson climbed into the ring against heavy underdog 6'-6" Jess Willard. Many thought that this was just another great white hype and that this fight would resemble the last few johnson had... one sided. However, Willard had other ideas.

Johnson did not train at all for this fight. He was old, overweight, and even disinterested. Willard though came to fight. Johnson decided to attack, attack, attack. He seemed like he was having a field day, however Willard took every punch. In the tenth round, Johnson started to tire, and by the twentieth round, he was exhausted in the 105 degree heat.

Johnson probably won 17 of the first 20 rounds of that fight, but Johnson couldn't put him away.

Willard then goes into attack mode and Johnson was just helpless.

In between the 25th and 26th round, Johnson told one of his cornermen to tell his wife to leave the stadium, because he didn't want her to see him like this.

The end came in the 26th round, and Jess Willard became the new heavyweight champion of the world!










19

19

19

19. LaMotta-Robinson VI: On February 14, 1951, Middleweight Champion Jake LaMotta Took on Sugar Ray Robinson for the sixth and final time, in what was known as the St. Valentine's Day Massacre.

Ray knew that LaMotta was having trouble making weight, so during the fight, he made jake chase after him to wear him down. After Sugar Ray threw a punch, he moved back about 2 yards to make Jake work harder.

In round 9, Robinson lets LaMotta throw everything he had at him. And then in the later rounds, Robinson wailed. Every shot was followed by screams from the audience, in awe of Robinson, and in awe of LaMotta's ability to take a punch. Amazingly, Robinson could not get LaMotta down, however the fight ended in a tko in the thirteenth round, with LaMotta finishing on his knees.










18

18

18

18. Saddler-Pep II: On February 11, 1949, Featherweight Champion Sandy Saddler met Former champion Willie Pep for the second time. Pep could dance on the ceiling, while Saddler punched like thunder.

All through the fight both men committed foul after foul after foul, just to gain an advantage.

Saddler was a monster. He was a 5'-9" featherweight, featherweight! That's like a 6'-7" or 6'-8" heavyweight. He was knocking people dead, too, I mean he had middleweight power.

Willie Pep was a pure, beautiful boxer. He could win a fight with his movement alone.

Pep did everything he did to keep Sandy away, but none of it worked. Then he just resorted to, may I say dirty tactics.

In a fight that was non-stop action, pep managed to squeeze out the Unanimous decision.










17

17

17

17. Hearns-Leonard I:

Many of his closest friends feared for Leonard that night.

On September 16, 1981, Undefeated WBA Welterweight Champion Thomas Hearns took on for the first time, WBC Welterweight Champion Sugar Ray Leonard in what was billed as "Superfight". It was!

I didn't think my brother could beat no Tommy Hearns! 6'-1", long reach!

For the first five rounds, Hearns kept Leonard at bay with his jab. Then Leonard fought back, and won some rouns. In the eleventh, Hearns was rocked by a vicious right hand. Somehow, Hearns, who was the aggresor became the boxer, and Leonard who was the boxer became the aggresor.

And Hearns is staggering!

Leonard finished him off in a fourteenth round stoppage, and became undisputed champion.










16

16

16

16. Foreman-Ali:

I guess he did it again!

On September 30, 1974, in Kinchasa, Zaire, Undefeated 40-0 Heavyweight Champion George Foreman took on fading former champion Muhammad Ali, or seemingly so in what was billed as "The Rumble in the Jungle".

Foreman was a human wrecking ball, seemingly invincible. Nobody could beat him.

A cut eye in sparing sent Foreman back to the States to heal, which gave Ali many advatages.

Ali got accustomed to the heat, which Foreman did not. Also Ali got all of Africa on his side.

The dogs, the German Shepards that Foreman brought with him on the plane sealed his fate in terms of support in the fight.

In the start, Ali was up on his toes, and scoring. However, Foreman was getting to him too often, which prompted Ali to change his strategy. Ali layed on the ropes and Foreman used him as a punching bag. However, Ali was taking everything, and near the end of the fifth round, Ali attacked, throwing good combinations that stunned Foreman. By the eighth round, Foreman was well spent, and Ali put him out of his misery.

There's the combinations...That's it! The fight is stopped! Muhammad Ali wins a dramatic eighth round knockout!

Dont flinch, don't move an inch, don't even make a sound!
We'll be back like center field, at the Polo Grounds.

[butterfly1964]

Winners taking it all.
Legends taking the fall.
Quarterbacks taking the ball.
And history, recording it all.
Welcome back, to Who's Number 1.










15

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15

15. Holyfield-Bowe I: On November 13, 1992, Undefeated Heavyweight Champion Evander Holyfield took on undefeated leading contender Rid**** Bowe for the first time in what was billed as "Battle of the Unbeatens".

Holyfield was what everyone called him, "the real deal". He had the biggest heart of any boxer I've ever seen, great chin, too. And Bowe was this big, strong, skilled boxer, and they just went at it, and it was such a great fight.

There were a lot of questions to be answered about Rid****. Did he have heart, was Holyfield gonna just break him down or was he gonna become all those things that everyone thought he could be?

No matter what Evander did, he still couldn't keep Bowe away from him. Bowe, fighting the fight of his life dropped Holy in the ninth round, and in one of the greatest fights ever, Bowe came together and pulled off a 12 round unanimous decision.










14

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14

14. Patterson-Johannson III:

In the first fight Patterson got destroyed, and in the second fight Johannson got destroyed, so this was a very anticipated fight.

On March 13, 1961, two time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson took on for the third and last time former champ Ingammar Johannson.

In the first round, Patterson was decked twice. In retaliation, Patterson dropped Ingo, at the end of the first round.

It was just back and forth, and everyone was on their feet.

They had conflicting styles. Ingo the boxer with the good jab and movement, and Patterson who rolled with punches and ducked and crowded you. And his handspeed was welterweight level, he had handspeed on the level of Ali or Tyson.

Patterson, with both eyes puffed up, dropped Johannson again in the fourth, and then finished him off in the sixth.

This fight, along with the second match proved Patterson's greatness as a true champion.

13

13

13

13. Louis-Walcott II: On June 25, 1948, Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis resumed hostilities against Jersey Joe Walcott, after a controversial split decision was awarded to Louis a year earlier.

Louis was at the twilight of his career, and he just wanted to go out on top, and this was the fight to do it.

Louis was not the man he was ten years earlier, and he got a boxing lesson.

Walcott was what you call a late bloomer, and he was determined to win that title, and he was doing a good job.

Louis was dropped in the fourth, and was behind on all scorecards, just like in the first match. However, there would be no gift decisions, had the fight went the distance. Walcott for sure seemed to be the new champion, but then Louis turned up the heat in round eleven.

In the eleventh, Louis went after him, and went straight for the ko.

In one of the greatest comebacks, Louis nailed Walcott with a counter right hook when Jersey Joe was against the ropes, and then nailed him with a vicious vintage flurry of left and right hooks and Walcott was through.

Walcott would win the championship, but eh, just not yet. Hahahahaha!

12

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12

12. Norton-Holmes: On June 9, 1978, veteran WBC champion Ken Norton took on unbeaten Larry Holmes for the heavyweight title vacated by 3-time king, Muhammad Ali. Norton was a good boxer, so was Holmes, and this would turn into a slugfest.

Everyone felt that this was Norton's big chance to finally win the undisputed championship. And here comes this unknown fighter Holmes and gives him more than what he bargained for.

This was like battle of the sparring partners, because Holmes was Ali's former sparring partner, and Norton was Frazier's former sparring partner. And we all know the rivalry that Ali and Frazier had, so this was destined to be a great fight.

This fight showed for the first time Larry Holmes toughness and resilliancy. Both men gave it all they got for the first 14 rounds, and the fifteenth was no different. Norton was winning it, and then near the end, Holmes came back and poured it on. That was enough for the judges, who gave him the majority vote, and the championship.










11

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11. Walcott-Marciano I: On September 23, 1952, Heavyweight Champion Jersey Joe Walcott took on unbeaten rising star, Rocky Marciano. Many people though that Marciano would have an easy path to the title. They were wrong!

The challenger was dropped in the first round.

That was the first time Marciano had ever been hurt. But that only made him work harder to beat him.

Fighting basically blind between rounds 4 through 8, Marciano still hung in there, as Walcott peppered Marciano with punches. Then came the unlucky thirteenth round.

Marciano is a beaten fighter. Walcott has fought the fight of his life, there's no way Joe's gonna lose. Right?

As Marciano crowded Walcott into the ropes, he faked a left and scored with a right aka Suzie Q, and Walcott went down. He looked up and made attempt to get up, and then collapsed from the delayed effects of the punch, and Rocky Marciano became Heavyweight Champion of the world.

All he needed was that one big punch to end the fight, no matter who it was.

This was not the only time that unlucky thirteen was a factor in a fight, for example our next choice...










When it comes to who's number one, everyone has an opinion.
Some say it's the cat with the best stats,
other's say it's the one who did the most winning.
So we're here to bring all debates to an ending!
So stay tuned. I promise, we'll be back pretty soon.

[butterfly1964]

Who's Number One

Welcome back to the inaurgural edition of "Who's Number 1". We're counting down the best Fights of all time. Here's a recap.

20





Johnson-Willard (1915)





19





LaMotta-Robinson VI (1951)





18





Saddler-Pep II (1949)





17





Hearns-Leonard I (1981)





16





Foreman-Ali (1974)





15





Holyfield-Bowe I (1992)





14





Patterson-Johannson III (1961)





13





Louis-Walcott II (1948)





12





Norton-Holmes (1978)





11





Walcott-Marciano I (1952)

Let's continue.










10

10

10

10. Louis-Conn I: Unlucky thirteen touched down on June 18, 1941 when seemingly indestructible Heavyweight Champion Joe Louis took on Lightheavyweight king Billy Conn. Louis was just through an era known as the "Bum of the Month" club, but Billy here was no bum.

Louis was at the height of his powers. He had just taken care of Max Schmeling in devastating fashion, and then cleaned out the rest of the division. Conn was good, but this was Joe Louis. The old saying goes, "You didn't bet against U.S. Steel or Joe Louis!"

Conn had built up a incredible fan base. He represented the hard-working, middleclass, he had a beautiful wife, goodlooking, and he was Irish. Many people wanted Conn to win.

Well, Billy how will you bring back the title to the Irish?

Well, I'll do it with this right hand Jim,

pointing to this head

and this!

After giving away the first couple of rounds, Conn outboxed the champion. Then he attacked in the twelvth round, rocking the champion.

Louis was really rubbery-legged and he was ready to go in that twelvth round. I though Conn was gonna win!

But again in the unlucky thirteenth round, Joe more so found his target. Conn tried to go for the knockout, and that was his downfall. Louis staggered Conn with a right uppercut and then a right to the body and a left and right hook ripped to shreds, Conn's chances to gain the Heavyweight Championship!










9

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9. Zale-Graziano I: On September 27, 1946, Middleweight Champion Tony Zale took on Rocky Graziano. It was a fight to remember.

Both men came to fight. There was never a dull moment as both men slugged it out round, after round after round.

Rocky came on in the fifth and Zale was against the ropes, and Rocky just let loose on that guy. I'm suprised he wan't knocked out then and there!

In the sixth round, Zale came out of nowhere and waled on Graziano, and ended the fight retaining his title.










8

8

8

8. DeMarco-Basilio I: On June 10, 1955, Middleweight king Tony DeMarco took on Carmen Basilio for the first time. Tony was "The Man of Steel". Carmen was "The Immovable Object".

Basilio was one of the great chins, of all-time.

DeMarco was wailing at Basilio and carmen was just taking a lot of punishment. But he couldn't finish him off. In the ninth round, Basilio was rocked by a left hook that made carmen almost go down.

Basilio's legs bent, and his behind was about 4 inches from the canvas, but he didn't go down.

Carmen came back and floored Tony twice in the twelvth, and the referee stoped the fight shortly after.

Carmen deserves a lot of credit, because there are lot of fighters that would have lost had they been in the situation Basilio was in.

It's sit back and have a beer time!
Relax in your chair time.
We'll be right back, like your hairline.

[Kball15]

what r the rest?

[GunStar]

Damn you could've made this shorter, what the hell with the numbers??

[butterfly1964]

You don't have to fight about this anymore!
You don't have to write about this anymore!
We've come to settle the score and end all wars,
in living room and barbershop floors
about, "Who the number one this?", and "Who's the number one that?"!
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back!










7

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7

7. Zale-Graziano II: On July 16, 1947, Tony and Rocky resumed hostilities.

The second Zale-Graziano fight was just like the first, only reversed. This time it's Rocky who's in trouble in the fifth round and then comes back in the sixth.

Rock took a terrible beating throughout the fight, and by the end of the fifth, he looked finished. But he was not.

Rocky came out and hurt him with a right hand and then the whole thing turned around and Zale looked terrible. There was no other choice but for the fight to be stopped.

The end came in the sixth as in the first fight, but it was Graziano who had his hand raised. Rocky Graziano, finally became Middleweight Champion of the world!









6

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6

6. Hearns-Hagler: On April 15, 1985, Welterweight champion Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns took on "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler in one of the most memorable slugfests of all-time.

Both men gave it there all from the opening bell. It seemed that they threw aside all boxing fundamentals, and stuck to just guts, and toughness.

nobody threw a jab, nobody parried or blocked or slipped punches. They just didn't care. That was the greatest fight I've ever seen.

A counter right jab by Hagler hurt Hearns, and he never recovered from that. Hagler finished his foe off via third round tko and won the title, and the respect that he truly deserved as a great fighter.









5

5

5

5. Foreman-Lyle: On January 24, 1976, Former Heavyweight Champion George Foreman, who lost the crown two years earlier to Muhammad Ali took on Ron Lyle, who had also previously lost in a title fight against Ali.

In round one, Lyle moved and tried to stay away from Foreman. But he abandoned that strategy and slugged with Big George. After being hurt in the third, he came back in the end of the round and dropped Foreman.

Now Foreman is staggered! Foreman is staggered by a Lyle left!... Foreman goes down! Foreman goes down! Lyle fights back!

Foreman hit in canvas again in the fourth, and then Foreman struck back with vicious punches that leveled Lyle.

Now, now George struck back! Now, Now George fought back!

both men hit the canvas and watching it you would think that that was the end, there's no way they're getting up, but that wasn't the case.

The end for Lyle was near and it came in the fifth as foreman pummelled him with left and right hooks, and won the fight.










If being "Number One" is your life's dream occupation,
then hopefully you've got a couple of more doses of dedication.
Because the greats will tell you with no hesitation,
that you don't win it in the game, you win in the preparation. Who's Number 1?

[Toddy]

Damn you could've made this shorter, what the hell with the numbers??

i think thats a pretty good touch

[butterfly1964]

Who's Number 1? "Greatest Fights"








4

4

4

4. Moore-Durelle I: On December 10, 1958, Lightheavyweight Champion Archie Moore took on the rising star Yvonne Durelle.

When that guy thought of the saying, "It ain't over till it's over", he must have been talking about that fight.

The 45 year old Moore went down three times in what was though to be a sure upset. But Moore just kept getting up, and lasted the round. Moore went down again in the third. But Moore hung in there and started to get hot, hurting the fisherman in the ninth, and then dropping him. Moore, in complete command in the eleventh round, finished him off and retained his title.

You can never count him out of a fight, and I think that proved it.

3

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3

3. Dempsey-Firpo: On September 14, 1923, Heavyweight Champion Jack Dempsey took on Luis Angel Firpo of Argentina aka "The Wild Bull of the Pampas".

It was a huge event, pulling in a gate of over a million dollars; at that time a million dollars was, well, a million dollars! Dempsey was at the prime of his career and four yeaqrs earlier ushered in what was known as "The Golden Age of Boxing".

If you look up "action-packed" in the dictionary, you would see the Dempsey-Firpo fight. It wa the epitome of "action-packed".

Dempsey was a monster about 190-195, 6'-1", fast, powerful, great chin, determined, and frightning. I mean once the bell started, you could see the crazed look on his face, and you could tell that he couldn't wait to get at his opponent to tear them apart. Firpo was about 220, at that time it was huge. He was powerful, strong, wild at times, clumsy.

Right away from the opening bell Dempsey is floored. Dempsey then retaliated by knocking down the Argentinian seven times! After each knockdown Dempsey calmly stood over Firpo's shoulder and then pounced on his as soon as Luis knees had left the canvas. Late in the first round, Firpo than comes back and knocks dempsey out of the ring with a barrage of punches.

Seeing Dempsey's legs go up like that in that picture when you see Firpo looking down at him, I mean that was a classic. Nobody though Dempsey could win it.

Jack landed on the sportswriter's table and they had to push him back into the ring, and Dempsey always gave credit to the writers, cause without them according to him, he would not have made it.

The crowd though that Dempsey would go down again, but he didn't. Mind you, this was all in the first round! In the second round, Dempsey knocked Firpo down twice, the second time was for good. Dempsey kept his title, and gained much respect from sports fans for his performance. The fight lasted only 3 minutes and forty-six seconds.









2

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2

2. Ali-Frazier III: On October 1, 1975, two time Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali took on former champion Joe Frazier for the third and last time in a town in the Phillipines called Manila. It was known as The Thrilla in Manila.

It'll be a killa, and a chilla, and a thrilla, when I go get the gorilla in Manila!

Frazier won the first time, Ali the second time. They had to fight a last time

Both fighters showed their age, but that didn't stop it from making the fight a classic. In the first round, Ali got on top of Frazier and dished out tremendous punishment. For the Fist five rounds, it looked like it would be a shutout. However, Frazier started to smoke and Ali was a sitting duck to Frazier's constant left hooks. Both men fought in stiffling heat, and none of them let up. Frazier's biggest round was the tenth, and Ali was up against the ropes, frail and helpless. Ali had sustained so much punishment that at the end of the 10th round, he wanted to quit, claiming that it was the closest to death that he has ever experienced. However, Ali dug deep inside, and came back, scoring multiple punches to Frazier, who by now had both eyes shut and was virtually blind. Ali's biggest round was the fourteenth. Frazier, who by now was vbirtually defenseless, was no match for Ali's constant strem of punches. Frazier's trainer Eddie Futch stopped the fight in between the fourteenth and fifteenth rounds, and Ali, who had now retained his title, collapsed.

Both men gave it there all, and both men after that was never the same again boxing wise, if you look at both of their careers after this fight

I think it's going to be over. It's All over!

In sports, the most difficult task that you could ask someone to do,
is to come up with the answer to "Who's Number 2"!
You can ask the kid from Jeopardy and he wouldn't have a clue!
Because most don't care they don't care to know,
which is exactly the reason they came up with the show!
So Who's Number 1?

[Southpaw Stinger]

Will it be Ali Frazier 1 at the top?

[The Raging Bull]

Will it be Ali Frazier 1 at the top?

Probably, yes