Overrated Fights

[Thread Stealer]

Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson I: Great event, pretty good fight with some quality exchanges and a lot of clinching. The Ring called this the 1996 fight of the year. It wasn't even a top 5 fight of 1996 nor was it the best heavyweight fight in the last two months of 1996.

Oscar De La Hoya-Ike Quartey: I've heard people (like Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant) describe this as a great, tremendous fight. Apparently people only remember 2 rounds and the remaining 10 when both guys spent mostly staring at each other. Posefests are not great. It was suspenseful enough to get you into it when you saw it live, but the action level for most of it sucked.

Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward II and III: The first fight was great (although Gatti-Robinson I was better). The 2nd fight was alright, but a shutout. The 3rd fight was good, but not FOTY material, and still too one-sided. Ward won two rounds against Gatti, who had a broken hand. One when Gatti broke his hand and the other Ward took in the last 5 seconds of the round. HBO overhyped this trilogy. Gatti-Ward 3 was the 2nd best fight of the trilogy, and wouldn't make my top 5 Gatti fights or top 5 Ward fights.

Roberto Duran-Ray Lampkin: Actually I don't know if anyone says it's good, I just decided to throw it on there. The first 12 rounds were putrid. Up until the knockout, this was Holyfield-Ruiz 3 type material. Duran was so good that guys would hold him incessantly and the fights would be ugly.

[Titan1]

There was a lot about the first Leonard-Hearns fight that was definitely overrated.

[Thread Stealer]

There was a lot about the first Leonard-Hearns fight that was definitely overrated.

In terms of pure action, yeah, it wasn't too special. Quite a number of tactical rounds without much action.

On the other hand, the skill level was terrific as were the shifts in momentum and strategy.

[bladerunner]

Marciano-Wallcot.
Ali-Foreman.
Dempsey-Firpo.
Leonard-Hearns.

[Boom_Boom]

Toney-Jirov

[mightyd40]

Marciano-Wallcot.
Ali-Foreman.
Dempsey-Firpo.
Leonard-Hearns.
dempsey-firpo should not be on there

[Vantage_West]

Toney-Jirov:think i dont know it was amazing to watch it live but some roudns were all fluff....8 out of 10 methinks

[DanePugilist]

Sultan Ibragimov-Shannon Briggs; People thought it was boring - actually it was a lot worse.

[Thread Stealer]

Sultan Ibragimov-Shannon Briggs; People thought it was boring - actually it was a lot worse.

It's hard to imagine that at one point, Shannon Briggs was actually involved in a pretty exciting heavyweight title fight and that people would be applauding his effort.

[Scorpion]

Leonard v.s. Hearns was very exciting to me cus of all the skill,speed and power of the two fighters.

[Jose FM]

Oscar De La Hoya-Ike Quartey: I've heard people (like Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant) describe this as a great, tremendous fight. Apparently people only remember 2 rounds and the remaining 10 when both guys spent mostly staring at each other. Posefests are not great. It was suspenseful enough to get you into it when you saw it live, but the action level for most of it sucked.This was a great welterweight fight dawg, lots of suspense, and both fighters were undefeated, and people were on the edge of their seat for the 12th 'cause Oscar had a reputation of closing the show!:deal

[CASH_718]

It's hard to imagine that at one point, Shannon Briggs was actually involved in a pretty exciting heavyweight title fight and that people would be applauding his effort.Yea I remember if nothing your get an exciting fight out of Briggs.....now you just pray you get a half decent round out of him.

[DanePugilist]

It's hard to imagine that at one point, Shannon Briggs was actually involved in a pretty exciting heavyweight title fight and that people would be applauding his effort.Yes - but seemingly down the line he forgot how to fight - his effort in the last bout was a disgrace(without trying to take anything away from Sultan).

[Thread Stealer]

This was a great welterweight fight dawg, lots of suspense, and both fighters were undefeated, and people were on the edge of their seat for the 12th 'cause Oscar had a reputation of closing the show!:deal

A great fight should have action. 10 rounds of it, in terms of action, STUNK.

Most big fights to me, while they happen live, don't bore me, because of the suspense value. The suspense value of DLH-Quartey kept me very intrigued when I saw it live, but even then, I could see there wasn't much action.

Now watching it again, knowing the outcome, is different. You really realize how crappy 10 of the 12 rounds were in terms of action.

[surreal deal]

In terms of pure action, yeah, it wasn't too special. Quite a number of tactical rounds without much action.

On the other hand, the skill level was terrific as were the shifts in momentum and strategy.
i think it was superb.not in a gatti- ward way ,but Ray and Tommy were SKILFUL.

[surreal deal]

hagler-hearns.great 1st round but not that great a fight.dramatic though.

[jimmie]

Foreman-Lyle

[quintonjacksonfan]

I thought both Leonard-Hearns fights were great
The first one for the Skill,versatility, momentum shifts
and the dramatic finish
The second one had great action with both guys hurt on multiple occasions

[Sweet Jones]

hagler-hearns.great 1st round but not that great a fight.dramatic though.

Wow. Tough crowd.

Just curious, but can you give me an example of something you would call a 'great fight'?

[brooklyn1550]

Ibeabuchi-Tua: Excellent fight, but it lacks something to make it worthy of being called one of the best in HW history.

[El Cepillo]

Toney-Jirov

Round 12 of that fight was immense. I have to disagree.

[DINAMITA]

Hamed v Kelley. It WAS a great fight, but not really the barn-burner it was made out to be IMO. Even though Naz was going down and so upping the drama, he never looked hurt to me and I never had any doubt at any point that he wouldn't stop Kelley sooner or later. Compare that fight to say, Castillo v Corrales when you genuinely had no idea who would win, there is a great difference in my opinion.