It’s always interesting hearing a great fighter talk about the great fights that inspired him as he was a young wannabe. Ray Mercer – who gave us a few fights that rank as special (see his war with Bert Cooper, his slugfest with Lennox Lewis, and his chilling KO of Tommy Morrison) – was recently kind enough to list his top 5 favourite fights.
“Merciless” knows his boxing history and it has to be agreed that the five classic fights he gave me are indeed special. Most of Mercer’s picks are heavyweight fights, to no real surprise seeing how the 60 year old is a heavyweight himself, but each of the following five battles no doubt feature on many a fight fan’s list.
1: Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier III
2: Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward First Fight
3: Mike Tyson- James “Buster” Douglas
4: Jack Johnson-Stanley Ketchell
5: Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson.
“Ali-Frazier III, ‘The Thrilla in Manila,’ has to be my pick for my favourite fight ever. That fight was brutal and that’s what I really like about it. I watch it every single time it’s on ESPN Classic. Both guys were real warriors, who absolutely wanted to win. Ali had talked so much trash before that fight, he had to back it all up! Which he did. You needed to be in great, great shape to beat Joe Frazier, and Ali dug real deep in that one.
“You know, I’m not sure what would’ve happened had [Eddie] Futch not stopped it by pulling Joe out at the end of the 14th round. Joe wanted to go on, as he had that warrior’s heart, but he couldn’t see and it was a good call. It could’ve been even worse and even more brutal had they come out for that 15th. I think Ali was ready to fight and I don’t think he would’ve ever quit (Ray is referring to the now somewhat infamous, “cut ‘em off” story, that says Ali wanted to quit at the end of that 14th-round). Ali never quit in his life!
“That fight was special. I hope we will see action like that again – in any weight class, not just at heavyweight – but I don’t think we will. Fighters have changed today. Trainers have changed as well. Ali was definitely my childhood hero.
“I really love the Johnson knockout over Ketchel. He (Ketchel) had some balls fighting the heavyweight champ; and not just any champ – a great fighter in Jack Johnson. That KO was just nasty, he knocked his teeth out! Johnson was a bad dude, man!”
This clown should be stripped of the WBC belt fined and imprisoned
Yea fury’s a cheater
The phoney baloney fancy pants fraudulent interloping intruding foreigner WBC belt holder
These fury team members openly overtly cheat, they are subsidized and enabled and encouraged to do so by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, approving the worn out gloves for the trilogy. The first, second and third fight were fixed by criminals conspiring to commit defrauding through burying evidence of gambling profits.
Canelo has contracts where his opponent has to pay one million dollars for every pound he gains after the weigh-in and fury has contracts where he fights bare knuckle and his opponents have padded gloves. And they are both proven drug cheats and they both avoid the best.
Why does fury avoid fighting the best? Cause he’s a baldheaded s.o.b. without hair.
The gloves fury wore in the pictures of fingers clearly visible through the leather gloves in the second fight were the same exact gloves he wore in the trilogy.
Remember the famous image of the gloves flopping around all over the place? While on film? No investigation? Crushed cranial bones? This clown should be stripped of the WBC belt, fined and imprisoned for attempted murder, assault with intent to cause bodily harm.
I suspect something fishy was in the fix. Thanks for telling me, I just wanted to know for sure.
Thanks for telling me I suspected something fishy was going on with a fixed fight, I just wanted to know for sure.
Thanks for telling me I suspected something fishy was going on with a fixed fight I just wanted to know for sure.
The best should fight the best
We agree on that
My Favorite Fights:
1) Ali-Frazier III
2) Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns I
3) Marvin Hagler-Tommy Hearns
4) Mike Tyson-Michael Spinks
5) Larry Holmes-Ken Norton
6) J.C. Chavez-Meldrick Taylor
7) George Foreman-Michael Moorer
8) Marvin Hagler-John Mugabi
9) Ray Leonard-Marvin Hagler
10) Ray Leonard-Donny LaLonde
Great fights for absolute wars, for overcoming the odds, and for finishing a fight in devastating fashion.
Ray, please tell us the story about how fury beat Deontay Wilder fair and square in a fairytale.setting , which it is. Start it like this
” Once upon a time in a forest far far away,”
Sounds like he don’t like Mike Tyson
Yes
I was thinking the same thing, two of his favourite fights ate Tyson at his worst taking a beating…….hmmmmm
UK boxers can’t fight , so we. Cheat, and the king of cheating is fury. I want my son to cheat just like the master cheater fury. We were so proud of him when he cheats.
And bragging about it
So. None of those guys could cheat as well as fury. This guy took Ricky Hattan into the ring and beat the bejesus out of Deontay Wilder with gloves loaded with metal eggweights in front of the whole world and not only got away with it, but was awarded fighter of the year. See can those other guys do better than that.