50. SHANNON BRIGGS KO12 SIARHEI LIAKHOVICH
November 4, 2006
THIS wasn’t even a good fight for 11 two-minute innings, not even close. But it removes the list due to the astonishingly late drama. Briggs led by three points on two cards and one point on the other when the Americans wobbled the Russians and then knocked him down. Liakhovich dragged himself up, but Briggs looked too tired to finish him off. Time was running out when Briggs pushed Liakhovich out of the ring and the match was over – only a second left!
49. DAVID PEARCE KO 5 GORDON FERRIS
June 1, 1982
HARRY CARPENTER says this is “unlike anything boxing… it’s the familiar”. A fair assessment of a scuffle won by Pearce, who outlasted Ferris, brought him to his knees to finish in the fifth inning.
48. JOE LOUIS KO 4 TONY GALENTO
June 26, 1939
GALENTO is a fat New Jersey bar owner who drinks beer, smokes cigars — and literally terrifies one of history’s biggest heavyweights. The human keg of beer called “Two Tons of Tony” rocked Louis on opening before dropping himself on the second.
Galento did the unthinkable in the third round and knocked the champion down with a left hook, but it wasn’t a heavy knock and trying hard, Galento couldn’t find another punch. Just like that. Tony was brutally punished by Louis before being scored in the fourth round.
47. TYSON FURY KO 7 STEVE CUNNINGHAM
April 20, 2013
ABSOLUTELY chaos when the “King of Gypsy” arrives at Madison Square Garden. Defeated in the second round by a hopeful right-hand swing he didn’t anticipate, Fury was shaken again in the fourth round and the audience rose to their feet in the next round as the opponents threw punches. into each other as a pair of saturday night revelers settle a score. Fury’s size, chin, and fighting heart pulled him through as he took down the former cruiser-class boss in the seventh round.
46. ANTHONY JOSHUA RSF 7 DILLIAN WHY
December 12, 2015
WHYTE won when they were rookie amateurs and, after knocking down the opening round, Joshua took the lead in the second round in their title match. But Whyte was too wild and quickly too tired to finish Joshua and was knocked out with a spectacular headbutt in the seventh round.
Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte exchange during their British and Commonwealth heavyweight title match at The O2 Arena on December 12, 2015 (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
45. LARRY HOLMES KO 11 EARNIE Shaver
September 29, 1978
HOLMES unleashed a lick in six innings before disaster seemed to strike in the seventh in the form of all-round Shavers’ right hand. How Holmes managed to beat the number remains a mystery; when Shavers makes a sweet landing like he did here, the people at the receiving end rarely get up. Not necessarily a great fight, but Larry finding his feet and winning, is one of the special moments in heavyweight history.
44. EVANDER HOLYFIELD W RSF 10 MICHAEL DOKES
March 11, 1989
THIS fierce war swings in one direction, then another – and then back. Even though both were getting more and more tired, Dokes still threw punches until the middle of the 10th roundorder when Holyfield hit him dizzy with left hooks and the referee stepped in to intervene.
43. DEREK CHISORA KO 8 CARLOS TAKAM
July 28, 2018
CHISORA had lost three of the previous six and spent most of this fight under fire, a lot of people wanted it stopped – until the eighth. Out of nowhere, Chisora found a right hand – arguably the best hand he’d thrown in his entire career – that toppled Takam and then another to complete. an amazing turn.
42. GEORGE FOREMAN KO 10 MICHAEL MOORER
November 5, 1994
It was NOT exactly high drama through nine rounds as Moorer picked and teased the 45-year-old on his way to victory by a certain number of points.
But this contest turned into one of the ages in round 10 as Foreman connected with his right hand, Moorer bent over the floor and Big George became the oldest man to the throne.
41. LENNOX LEWIS PTS 10 RAY MERCER
May 10, 1996
BOTH Olympic champions suffered concussions and damage as thunderous combinations ran through, but Lewis overcame a lack of points early to win a majority on the scoreboard. It remains one of Lewis’ most enthralling and underrated performances.
40. DANNY WILLIAMS KO 6 MARK POTTER
October 21, 2000
Defeating Mike Tyson was not the bright spot of Williams’ career. It is this. He dislocated his right shoulder in the third round but bravely chased the impossible with his left. That beautiful moment happens in season six. “If it happened in ‘Rocky,’ you would say the story is ridiculous,” Williams said.
October 22, 2000: Danny Williams knocks out Mark Potter in a British and Commonwealth heavyweight title match at Wembey, London (John Gichigi/ALLSPORT
39. JOE FRAZIER W KO 2 MANUEL RAMOS
June 24, 1968
NORMally a slow starter, Joe “Smokin” briefly lost control of his feet after the Mexican snapped him off with a right headbutt on the first turn, but once Frazier did got his head moved and his left hook worked, the fight turned in his direction.
He got Ramos in trouble at the end of the first inning and knocked him out with left hooks twice in the second.
38. JOE JEANETTE RTD 49 SAM McVEY
April 17, 1909
AFTER a dreary 20 innings matchup that had been dull a few months earlier, Jeanette and McVey were informed that they would be expected more in the rematch. An estimated 38 kills in almost four hours of fighting! McVey suffered a swollen right eye, a broken nose, and after 49 rounds, he couldn’t take it anymore.
37. CODE JERRY JOE FRAZIER RTD 7
June 23, 1969
QUARRY won the opening round and had to show extreme morale to make it through to the next six rounds. Though he continued to shoot back, Quarry was hooked on Frazier’s signature left eye that closed his right eye and the doctor pulled him out before the eighth round.
36. DILLIAN WHY PTS 12 DERECK CHISORA
December 10, 2016
CHISORA threw a table at Whyte during a heated press conference that nearly brought the Board of Directors to a fight. They continued to throw sinks at each other for 30 minutes on the night of the fight to overcome the Anthony Joshua-Eric Molina world title clash.
Whyte won the last round with all three cards to win, but there were people in the ring who did it differently.
35. MARTIN ROGAN RSF 11 MATT SKELTON
February 28, 2009
THIS will always be a fun fight between the veteran fans and they seem to enjoy knocking seven bells together just as the crowd loves to watch them do it. Rogan and Skelton exchanged smiles and nods of appreciation throughout 10 grueling rounds before Rogan repeatedly found Skelton’s chin with short punches in round 11order and he fell dramatically.
34. JOE FRAZIER PTS 10 OSCAR BONAVENA
September 21, 1966
“The South American Beatle” night gave Frazier a tough day, leaving him twice eliminated in the second round. Frazier continued to issue a lot of punishment, but the crowd supporting Bonavena at Madison Square Garden booed the decision.
33. FLOYD PATTERSON W PTS 12 GEORGE CHUVALO
February 1, 1965
CHUVALO has fought Muhammad Ali (twice), Joe Frazier and George Foreman – but the Canadian tennis player said Patterson gave him the hardest night. Boxing News reported that “both fighters were hit very hard” and Patterson finished in the sixth, seventh and eighth rounds before he boxed each other in the final rounds.
32. RAY MERCER PTS 12 BERT COOPER
August 5, 1990
A HOT love affair saw the two exchange horrifying blows in every 12 innings they shared. Although Mercer knocked Cooper down in the first round and ended up as a rather disparate winner, the two-way violence shown throughout was enthralling.
ATLANTIC CITY – August 5, 1990: Bert Cooper and Ray Mercer in a fight at the Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey (The Ring Magazine via Getty Images)
31. MIKE WEAVER KO 15 JOHN TATE
March 31, 1980
UP all the cards to get to the final round of five, three, and three rounds, Tate only had to stand firm to retain his WBA belt. There was little sign of any drama until mid-15th when Tate suddenly appeared fatigued, due to Weaver rushing into his body. Weaver buried his head in Tate’s chest and slammed a left short hook into his jaw to knock him down. The match is over – only 45 seconds left until the final ring.
30. HASIM RAHMAN RSF 7 CORRIE SANDERS
May 20, 2000
CANNOT miss with their backhand and both were on the floor in the third round. When they dropped bombs simultaneously in the fourth part, Sanders went down and Rahman just stood up. Rahman was forced to finish in the seventh round with a series of about 20 unanswered punches.
29. LARRY HOLMES RSF 13 GERRY COONEY
June 11, 1982
ONE of the most anticipated fights in history went to Holmes in round 13. The champion dominated much of the competition but the over-hyped Cooney played his part throughout the engaging and grueling battle. tired. If you haven’t seen the series in a while, it’s well worth checking out – you might be surprised by how well Cooney fights.
28. DERRICK JEFFERSON KO 6 MAURICE HARRIS
November 6, 1999
“DERRICK JEFFERSON, I love you!” Larry Merchant gasped, forgetting himself as he watched his convicted rival turned caretaker knock Harris out with an explosive left hook. Before that, Harris had been knocked down twice, and it was Jefferson who had taken down the second time. In the sixth round, Harris was knocked down again just as Jefferson was about to be stopped before both hit left hooks at the same time.
27. ALEX STEWART NO 3 EZRA SELLERS
October 8, 1998
SEVEN kills in 8 minutes and 43 seconds – and plenty of wobbles to come – as these sideline opponents clash. Southpaw Sellers was first on deck in the second round, but by the end of the round he had beaten Stewart twice. The London-born New Yorker fell short again early in the third round, getting up to aim for Sellers’ left hook on the chin just as Sellers hit a straight left. Both punches land simultaneously – and Seller goes down. Stewart dropped him twice more.
26. EVANDER HOLYFIELD RSF 7 BERT COOPER
November 23, 1991
The DAY before Holyfield returned home, he was looking for an opponent after Francesco Damiani withdrew due to injury. Bert Cooper, who learned the cross-weapon and sloped defensive style from his ‘Smokin’ mentor Joe Frazier, got the job and 90 seconds into the game, he didn’t seem in-depth. First, he turned 360 degrees after missing a left hook and then Holyfield knocked him out with a body shot. Cooper returned with a spin and in the third round he countered Holyfield’s left hook with a short right hook to the chin and the champion staggered. Cooper unloaded to push Holyfield onto the rope and referee Mills Lane gave him the number ‘eight’. By the last minute of the round, Cooper was firmly on his rubber feet, but he continued to make Holyfield’s best shots and return fire – until the seventh.
