The best versus the best. Unbeaten versus unbeaten. Champion versus champion. Legacy is all on the line. This is what we are just days away from, as rival light-heavyweight rulers Artur Beterbiev, 20-0(20) and Dmitry Bivol, 23-0(12) will collide in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday night. And this fight, one that has a throwback, return to the glory days type of feel to it, has fight fans fully expecting to see a great fight, a classic fight. Perhaps even the start of the next great trilogy.
But how might Bivol Vs. Beterbiev ranks alongside the greatest fights in 175 pound history. One of the original, traditional weight classes – heavyweight, light-heavyweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and flyweight – the 175 pound division has seen some truly epic action over the years, over the decades.
Here’s a look back at a few of them, and here’s hoping we get action, drama, skill, and yet more action that is comparable on Saturday.
Archie Moore Vs. Yvon Durelle, 1958.
A knockdown-filled, raging battle that saw the truly awesome Moore snatch victory from hellish jaws of defeat when he really had no human right to do so, so “gone” as he seemed to be as he was floored no less than four times. This was Archie’s personal favorite from his career, and no wonder. Moore, well past the age of 40 at the time, scored a thrilling comeback KO win, one that cemented his greatness.
Matthew Saad Muhammad Vs. Yaqui Lopez, 1980.
Saad, perhaps the greatest action fighter who ever lived, a man who was able to ship almost unimaginable punishment only to come roaring back to snatch the victory, could actually feature on a list such as this multiple times. But Matthew’s incredible win over Lopez still send chills down the spines of those fans who saw it live. Round eight ranks, for many, as the greatest round in boxing history.
Dennis Andries Vs. Jeff Harding, 1989 to 1991.
Which fight do you want? Each of the three slugging, dig-deep wars that these two engaged in remain so, so special to those of us who saw them go down at the time, while new fans continue to marvel over the savage, I’ll-hit-you, you-hit-me brutality Harding and Andries went through in the name of not only greatness but also pride and satisfaction. In short, all three fights were deep-trench affairs and not for the faint-hearted.
Michael Spinks Vs. Dwight Muhammad Qawi, 1983.
If you want to see tremendous skill overcome sheer aggression and physical strength, with ring smarts thrown in in superbly good measure, the 15-round decision Spinks and his “Jinx” owned over “Camden Buzzsaw” Qawi ranks highly. Spinks was masterful on this night, while Qawi, carrying a nose injury, was there all night, pushing on. “The Brawl For It All” delivered in spades, while Spinks may well have given us his finest performance.
Now, can we please see something as special as the above on Saturday, October 12th?
