Exact moments you thought a fighter went from good to great?

[Boxed Ears]

Can you recall exact moments where you thought a fighter went from good to a proven great?

Share them with us.

[GPater11093]

I wouldnt say there is a moment when a fighter goes from good to great but rather moments when they highlight why they are great.

Like Ali getting up against Frazier; Robinsons left hook on Fullmer etc..

[techks]

Holmes getting up from Shavers, Hopkins beating Trinidad, RJJ beating Toney, Pryor withstanding Arguello's assault, Frazier dropping Ali the way he did and just the whole first Ali fight in general, Shane against Oscar in their first fight, Leonard beating Hearns, Duran...well he's Duran nuff said.

[teeto]

Darren Barker

good-when i heard about him

great- when i saw him fight

Paul Smith- never on both counts

Hard to say seriously, i like how Greg put it though. Moments like Benitez just settling into a rythm against Cervantes early on and proceeding to have every viewer spellbound. Oh how that must have been to see live.

[red cobra]

In the title defense against Bennie Briscoe, Carlos Monzon bridged that gap between very good and great by surviving that momentous moment when Briscoe nearly had him with that big right hand, surviving that crisis, and then not only going on to win, but trading with Briscoe down the stretch. I'm also amazed at how, throughout the fight, Monzon scored so easily with a wide variety of weaponry, jabs, hooks, etc., and scoring more fluidly than how he's usually remembered (unfairly) by some.

[teeto]

In the title defense against Bennie Briscoe, Carlos Monzon bridged that gap between very good and great by surviving that momentous moment when Briscoe nearly had him with that left hook, surviving that crisis, and then not only going on to win, but trading with Briscoe down the stretch. I'm also amazed at how, throughout the fight, Monzon scored so easily with a wide variety of weaponry, jabs, hooks, etc., and scoring more fluidly than how he's usually remembered (unfairly) by some.
Yeah that vid that got made shows the piston like punching fluidity when he was in battering range. He usually did this when a guy got a toe inside his jabbing range, he'd just unload on their torso sometimes until they backed off. No wonder they stayed outside and just ate the jab. But like you say, at times there was very nice-to-watch fluidity in them battering shots, especially the ones to the head which would loop over and under.

[mcvey]

Can you recall exact moments where you thought a fighter went from good to a proven great?

Share them with us.

Joe Frazier's performance against Ali in FOTC ensured him a place in the pantheon of greats, irrespective of any thing else he subsequently did, or did not do.

I am a huge Ali fan ,but that night in MSG,Frazier, by his sheer will,determination, and heart acheived greatness.

[MAG1965]

Hearns beat Cuevas and Benitez and I thought that almost got him there, but it was sealed when he destroyed Duran easily when no one else did or could have. Hopkins was Tito. Tyson was a different case. He was almost great just by winning his title. For Leonard it was beating Hearns and showing he was a complete fighter mentally and physically. For Hagler it was Hearns. Hearns might be the only fighter who made two guys great. I would say Frazier might be another guy who made two guys great Ali and Foreman, although I am not sure Foreman was great when he beat Frazier.

[EleventhHour]

I hate to say it (and I don't know if he counts as "great") but Pavlik getting up to beat Jermain Taylor showed me a lot more of Kelly than I believed he had.

[Popkins]

What a great idea for a thread.

It wasn't exactly the moment where he went from "good to great" in my mind, but I remember thinking "this guy is even more special than I thought" when Pacquiao purposefully lay on the ropes and waved Cotto in during the 4th round of their fight, then sprang into action and dropped Miguel on the deck. The commentators were saying it was a bad idea, they were saying that Freddie Roach had warned Pacquiao not to do it, and yet you could see that Pacquiao was so in control of everything that he knew he could do it. Thrilling moments, and a truly beautiful punch for the KD.

[Bioyhh]

When Pipino Cuevas knocked out Angel Espada in 76.
When Salvador Sanchez beat Wilfredo Gomez in 81.

I'd go with Sal beating down Danny Lopez in their first fight. As he broke Red down it became obvious that a great fighter had emerged.

[RagamuffinMan]

Interesting thread.

A few spring to mind....

Pac demolishing Hatton in the way he did.

Lewis coming back from the Rahman KO in such epic fashion.

Ali - not sure, but I do recall wondering how much greater a great could get (and then begging that he'd retire before it all went horribly wrong)

Haglers utter demolition of Minter gave me nightmares, but made me realise the man was a great (I should have known before that of course)

[teeto]

What a great idea for a thread.

It wasn't exactly the moment where he went from "good to great" in my mind, but I remember thinking "this guy is even more special than I thought" when Pacquiao purposefully lay on the ropes and waved Cotto in during the 4th round of their fight, then sprang into action and dropped Miguel on the deck. The commentators were saying it was a bad idea, they were saying that Freddie Roach had warned Pacquiao not to do it, and yet you could see that Pacquiao was so in control of everything that he knew he could do it. Thrilling moments, and a truly beautiful punch for the KD.
If there was a moment for Pacquiao i would have to say when he moved up and dominated Barrera. At the time only the hardcore boxing fans knew he was very good at 122 and tearing up that division, and was one of the best. Barrera was number three p4p in the Ring i think, then it happened.

[Bioyhh]

If there was a moment for Pacquiao i would have to say when he moved up and dominated Barrera. At the time only the hardcore boxing fans knew he was very good at 122 and tearing up that division, and was one of the best. Barrera was number three p4p in the Ring i think, then it happened.

Yes, that has to be the Paq moment. He was something of an unknown quantity at that time, but dominating Barrera put everyone on notice.

[Bummy Davis]

Salvatore Sanchez vs Gomez.....

Duran = Dejesus 2-3

Hagler= Hearns

Monzon=Benvenuti+Napales

Leonard=Hearns

[thejokerswild]

the moment when a fighter went from great to a fkn oracle.

Ali - Foreman.

[CF Gauss]

Evander Holyfield during the 10th round of his first fight with Riddick Bowe

[Addie]

Perhaps when Marco Antonio Barrera was able to handily defeat Undefeated, P4P rated Prince Naseem at his optimal weight class over the full duration. He stepped it up in the last two rounds to seal the deal like true champions does, and from that moment onwards Marco stopped being the once rising star who failed to live up to his potential... he had now risen. In the event he was given the verdict in the first fight with Erik Morales, I'd have suggested that might have been the time. As good a performance as was ever produced by the Mexican. Great fighter.

[Mendoza]

Can you recall exact moments where you thought a fighter went from good to a proven great?

Share them with us.

Holmes first fight with Ernie Shavers. A relatively un-tested Larry Holmes gets caught with a wrecking ball of a right hand, get ups, passes his durability test, then does prime Ali imitation by moving, jabbing, and not letting Shavers land much afterwords.

[enquirer]

Duran v leonard. Leonard v hearns. Hearns v duran. Hagler v hearns.
All these fights transported the winners from greats to bona fide atg legends.

[red cobra]

Perhaps when Marco Antonio Barrera was able to handily defeat Undefeated, P4P rated Prince Naseem at his optimal weight class over the full duration. He stepped it up in the last two rounds to seal the deal like true champions does, and from that moment onwards Marco stopped being the once rising star who failed to live up to his potential... he had now risen. In the event he was given the verdict in the first fight with Erik Morales, I'd have suggested that might have been the time. As good a performance as was ever produced by the Mexican. Great fighter.
Yes..it was a career defining, great performance by MAB,..it was and still is IMO, an alltime display of classic boxing and dominance. One of my personal favorite performances of ANY fighter, ever.

[Drew101]

Hearns coming back from getting rocked badly in rounds six and seven against Leonard to win the next few rounds and pull ahead on the cards. Conversely, SRL coming back to stop Hearns with a dramatic late round rally after Hearns had closed his eye shut.

[janitor]

Holmes first fight with Ernie Shavers. A relatively un-tested Larry Holmes gets caught with a wrecking ball of a right hand, get ups, passes his durability test, then does prime Ali imitation by moving, jabbing, and not letting Shavers land much afterwords.

Don't expect to see that at heavyweight again any time soon.

[Zopilote]

Julio Cesar Chavez moving up to Lightweight to dominate and destroy a feared and scary puncher like Edwin Rosario, literally rearraging his face througout 11 rounds was something amazing and pretty scary to see.

[MAG1965]

Hearns vs. Duran.. Hagler with Hearns, Leonard with Hearns. Spinks with Holmes.

[Raggamuffin]

I think Holyfield in his fight with Quawi showed his transformation. From a very good prospect(at that stage of his career) to a great fighter with heart, determination, will and technique. A champion to be born

[jaffay]

Carlos Monzon beating Nino in Italy

Lennox Lewis in the first Holyfield fight

Rocky Marciano 13rd KO over Jersey Joe Walcott

[Unforgiven]

Holmes first fight with Ernie Shavers. A relatively un-tested Larry Holmes gets caught with a wrecking ball of a right hand, get ups, passes his durability test, then does prime Ali imitation by moving, jabbing, and not letting Shavers land much afterwords.

That was the SECOND Holmes-Shavers fight.

[Stevie G]

Joe Frazier's performance against Ali in FOTC ensured him a place in the pantheon of greats, irrespective of any thing else he subsequently did, or did not do.

I am a huge Ali fan ,but that night in MSG,Frazier, by his sheer will,determination, and heart acheived greatness.
Agreed. Both Ali and Frazier,in different ways,dispalayed greatness that night.

[SuzieQ49]

The night Bernard Hopkins dismantled Tito Trinidad

[doug.ie]

hopkins one above i like...
but, for me, it was watching lennox lewis beating razor ruddock.....i was talking about it to anyone and everyone for weeks....ruddock was no joke...

[kickbxn5]

Rd 7 Wilfred Benitez vs Maurice Hope. Hope has Benitez against the ropes, threw 13 punches and Benitez ducked and dodged them ALL!

Roberto Duran's methodical destruction of Carlos Palomino.

Round 9 - Shane Mosley vs Oscar DeLaHoya

[RockysSplitNose]

Literally the moment Marciano's right hand landed - a true clutch moment - and a punch the would maybe have knocked out any heavyweight in history - just choose a chin and theres only one outcome

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[lefthook31]

When Lennox Lewis beat Ray Mercer. I think he became the finished product that night.

[rekcutnevets]

When Bernard Hopkins had his rematch with Sergundo Mercado. Hopkins was still a little green when he first faced Roy Jones. Hopkins and Jones had a similar of professional bouts, but Jones' amateur career made him a little more advanced. I believe that 2nd bout with Mercado is when he hit championship form.

Oh, I didn't have any future visions of greatness for him that night. That is a hindsight revelation. I began to think I was watching something special in his 2nd bout with Echols. Hopkins became a little theatrical in refusing to throw his right hand for a while after being thrown on it. While doing this he impressed be with his jab and movement. Hopkins showed very good countering skills throughout that. I told all my friends that night that Felix Trinidad wasn't going to do well against this man.

[john garfield]

How 'bout when a GREAT fighter goes to good, or worse. Can you think of a watermark bout, or even a round that signified the changing of the guard?

[Robot16]

When Lennox Lewis beat Ray Mercer. I think he became the finished product that night.


could have went either way imo, even mercante is like woah becoz it was close, if i remember as the right fight

[Gesta]

could have went either way imo, even mercante is like woah becoz it was close, if i remember as the right fight

I thought Lewis ko'd Ray, via a stoppage when Ray was taking a beating.

[Robot16]

I thought Lewis ko'd Ray, via a stoppage when Ray was taking a beating.

nah a majority decision
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