Looking Back at Some of the Best Rounds in Boxing History
Great fighters are involved in great fights and produce the most memorable rounds of boxing. Sounds like a reasonable statement, but is it really always true?
When we think of great rounds of boxing, the first thought that usually comes to mind is Hagler vs Hearns, Round 1. It had everything. Two great fighters, a title at stake, and the larger than life personalities of two exceptional champions.
While nothing can take away from the pure fury of that memorable round, there are hundreds of other rounds of boxing which should also be discussed, analyzed, and admired. Some are still remembered, but others are largely forgotten. And they don’t always have two great fighters on display. Perhaps they lack the same compelling staging as “The War”, but they are a pure joy to watch.
I think every boxing fan has some of those rounds etched in their memory. Thanks to YouTube, we can go back into boxing’s glorious past and review two of my favorite rounds. They are presented in chronological order. I have purposely not included some of the most obvious choices such at the brilliant 9th round fought between Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti or the unforgettable Round 10 between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo. I wanted to dig a little deeper.
Do these 2 rounds stand the test of time? Can they even be mentioned in the same breath at Hagler vs. Hearns? I thought so when I first saw them. Let the debate begin.
George Foreman vs. Ron Lyle- January 1, 1976- Round 4
This was George Foreman’s first fight back after his disastrous loss to Muhammad Ali in the famous “Rumble in the Jungle” in Zaire, Africa. Fighting for the NABF Heavyweight Championship belt vacated by Ken Norton, Foreman was an overwhelming favorite over Ron Lyle.
While greatness eluded him, Lyle was a devastating puncher. He was forgotten by some because he never won a championship. In his prior two fights, he lost by a disputed TKO to Muhammed Ali and then TKO’d legendary puncher Earnie Shavers. While Lyle’s career took a decidedly downhill trajectory after this fight, he gave Foreman all he could handle in one of the great Heavyweight slugfests of all time.
Foreman and Lyle traded bombs throughout the fight. Foreman was rocked early in the 1st round by a tremendous right hand and he came back to rock Lyle in the 2nd round. The 2nd round was infamous because legendary commentator Howard Cosell correctly pointed out that it only lasted two minutes.
After a blistering 3rd round, Lyle pounds Foreman to begin the 4th round with a solid left, right, and left hook and Foreman is down. Foreman rises as the two fighters punish each other in the center of the ring. At the midway point of the round, Foreman comes storming back. He connects with 2 clubbing rights, a big left hook, and a right behind the ear to drop Lyle. Both men are still clearly hurt.
Foreman corners Lyle on the ropes and peppers him with two straight rights and three solid left hooks. Staggering, and seemingly out on his feet, Lyle connects with a tremendous left hook followed by an uppercut and a solid right to the jaw at the bell. Foreman drops face first and kneeling to the canvas. He rises to his feet on rubbery legs and the round is over.
The fight mercifully ended in the next round when a weary and hurt Foreman trapped Lyle on the ropes and with a barrage of punches dropped him for the count. While Foreman went on to reclaim glory in fights which may be better remembered, this 4th round was ranked as the 6th most exciting round of all time by Ring Magazine in its March 2001 issue.
Nigel Benn vs. Iran Barkley, August 18th 1990. Round 1
This fight was for Benn’s WBO Middleweight title which he won the fight before against Doug DeWitt. A tremendous puncher, Benn had a string of 22 straight KO’s stopped in a loss to Michael Watson in 1989. Barkley, a superb brawler, had won the WBC Middleweight title the year before with a TKO of legendary Tommy Hearns.
Coming off two close decision losses to Roberto Duran and Michael Nunn, Barkley had lost his title and needed to get his career back on track. So we have two great fighters with very aggressive ring personalities and a Championship Belt at stake. The “Dark Destroyer” vs. “The Blade”. The first round of the fight was an explosion. Sound familiar? Except this time, the fight went no further.
Benn lands a tremendous right to start the round. Barkley pivots Benn against the ropes and lands a solid left to the body. Benn followed with a great right to the chin and Barkley is down. Benn is warned for hitting Barkley when he was down. The two fighter’s trade blows in the center of the ring and Barkley clips Benn with a powerful left hook. Benn is hurt and retreats to the ropes.
Now at the two minute mark of the round, both fighter’s trade solid punches and each appears to be hurt. A superb right by Benn followed by an uppercut staggers Barkley and a right left combo from Benn puts him down. Again Benn hits Barkley with another right when he is down. The ref should have stopped the fight and DQ’d Benn but the fight continues. With 10 seconds left on the clock, 2 solid rights from Benn send Barkley down for the 3rd time in the round and the fight is stopped on the three knockdown rule.
This battle was one of the greatest one round fights in boxing history.
So here are two of my favorite great rounds. What are your favorites? Please weigh in with your own thoughts and choices in the comments so we can continue to discuss these unforgettable, but oft forgotten, glorious rounds of boxing.
