What’s the Greatest Win in Boxing History?

[TitoFan]

Great thread, and lots of excellent choices.

I would add the first Leonard-Hearns fight. A classic, back-and-forth war between two all-time greats at their absolute peak. The slick boxer, against the dangerous, lanky puncher. Both had their moments in that classic, back when championship fights were still 15 rounds. Leonard prevailed in that fight by TKO, I believe in the 14th round.

[Master]

If people say Buster then Ruiz beating AJ needs to be in the conversation. He went the same way as Douglas.

To a lesser degree you could add Riddick Bowe beating an undefeated Evander Holyfield in a classic contest. Big Daddy was phenomenal that night.

[TIC]

some oldies to consider

harry greb defeating gene tunney

henry armstrong winning the welterweight belt against barney ross

bob fitzsimmons stopping james j corbett maybe?

[Beanz]

Jem Mace beating Tom Allen ? Arguably the first heavyweight champion of the world, Mace last of the great bare knuckle fighters then goes on to promote the use of gloves and helps draft the Queensbury rules. Without that boxing and boxing history is very different.

Frazier beating Ali for so many reasons.

Hagler beating Hearns?

[The Six Four]

Alpha, Duran over Barkley was a magnificent performance. A natural lightweight, Duran had no business competing with guys that size at 37—let alone beating them. Even more impressive, Barkley was coming off a KO win over Tommy Hearns. As incredible as it was, I still rate the Leonard win higher.

Foreman knocking out Moorer is the stuff of folklore. As I recall, George had to sue the WBA just to get the title shot. And wasn’t he wearing the same trunks from the Rumble in the Jungle?

I consider Randolph Turpin’s unforgettable win over Sugar Ray Robinson the biggest upset ever scored by a British fighter. Robinson may have been partying hard during his European tour, but Turpin built a lead Sugar just couldn’t close. Robinson himself admitted, “I was beaten by the better man.”


Master, I should have been clearer in my opening post—that’s on me. When I asked about the greatest win in boxing history, I meant a victory over an opponent at their absolute peak. I agree Schmeling hadn’t lost in years, but reports suggested he was past his prime. Same with Jeffries, who was coming off a six-year retirement.

The Ali that fought Frazier in 1971 wasn’t the same fighter he was in '66. He still recorded great wins afterward, but I think it’s fair to say he wasn’t quite the prime Clay we remembered.

And yes, I think Tyson’s lavish lifestyle had caught up to him by the time he fought Douglas. Losing Cus, Jacobs, and Cayton only accelerated the spiral.


TitoFan, Leonard over Hearns is a fantastic pick. At the time, in the U.S., those two were the boxers who mattered. The Showdown delivered everything fans could hope for. What made it so special was the role reversal—Leonard’s power became a factor, and Hearns’ boxing ability shined in ways few expected.


Master, Ruiz over Joshua and Bowe over Holyfield are interesting choices. I’ll have to think on them more, but both victories have strong arguments. Could we also add Usyk vs. Fury to that conversation?


TIC, Greb over Tunney doesn’t get the recognition it deserves these days—it was a phenomenal performance.

Armstrong over Barney Ross has to be up there, though some question if Ross was past his best. He only had one disputed loss in seven years, so that’s debatable.

Fitzsimmons stopping Corbett with the famous solar plexus punch is another classic. Reports suggest Corbett was in near-total control before that sudden ending. Corbett was the man who beat John L. Sullivan, and I think both were close to their primes.


Beanz, Wow, Beanz—Jem Mace vs. Tom Allen, now that’s a deep cut. That’s where the real lineage started. I only know the fight through accounts and round-by-round descriptions from those who were there.

Master mentioned Frazier over Ali, and I played devil’s advocate questioning if Ali was past his prime.

Hagler vs. Hearns is a brawl we all know well. It’s hard to find an equal to that first round—it made so many people fall in love with boxing. Imagine if Hearns hadn’t broken his hand in the first.

[Master]

Great boxing knowledge The Six Four.

The greatest win in English boxing history is not Turpin beating Sugar Ray Robinson but Lloyd Honeyghan destroying the undefeated undisputed welterweight champion Don Curry in the USA. The Cobra was considered the best p4p fighter at the time and huge favourite. The Ragamuffin Man was unknown and had some big wins including ripping the European title away in Italy against Gianfranco Rosi. Honeyghan was a beast that night.

[Primo Carnera]

Great boxing knowledge The Six Four.

The greatest win in English boxing history is not Turpin beating Sugar Ray Robinson but Lloyd Honeyghan destroying the undefeated undisputed welterweight champion Don Curry in the USA. The Cobra was considered the best p4p fighter at the time and huge favourite. The Ragamuffin Man was unknown and had some big wins including ripping the European title away in Italy against Gianfranco Rosi. Honeyghan was a beast that night.

I was literally just about to throw Honeyghan v Curry into the mix . Curry was also p4p #1 at the time and very slick. Honeyghan showed he had immense talent but clearly not professional enough to be an ATG.

[Denilson3.0]

How do you judge it ? Is it judged by what the fight means on world terms ? Or is it judged by how the fight win was achieved ?

If you judge it on world terms it's difficult to look past Duran-Leonard I. Two all-time greats at their respective best weights, but one guy was naturally bigger, faster and younger - yet it was the smaller, slower and older guy who won it.

People have said Douglas - Tyson, Honeyghan Vs Curry and Turpin Vs Robinson. But my question is were they at their best ? Robinson lost to Turpin in his last fight of his European tour were he had 7 fights in 3 months in 6 different European countries. Tyson was banging Asian hookers the night before Douglas and didn't train 100%. Don Curry kinda fell away after the Honeyghan loss. You could say Ali - Foreman and it's close but again Foreman kinda fell away after the fight only to come bk and infamously win the title in his forties.

The reason why I rate the Duran's win over Leonard so high is because you have to factor in that Leonard was unbeaten beforehand and the fight was sandwiched between Leonard stopping two unbeaten greats in Benitez and Hearns, and Leonard went on to beat another HOF (Hall of Famer) in Hagler and win the world title in 3 different weights (Welter, Middle, LHW) so to me ? There really isn't any angle from which Duran's win in Montreal looks anything less than stunning.

But if you judge it on how it was achieved.

Then Danny Williams vs Mark potter in a British and commonwealth title fight

Danny Williams in round 3 completely dislocated his right shoulder. The dislocation was as bad as you will see his right shoulder 3 inches below his left shoulder with Williams in visible pain. Anyone who has ever dislocated there shoulder will know its worse than virtually any break you can have and I have broken /toes/ankle/ribs/nose/arm/wrist/fingers

But biggest pain I ever had was a dislocated shoulder/ it brings tears to your eyes. It's a combination of this sensation of ripping and shock and horror at you being, well, assembled wrong and unable to do fuckall about it. Thank God for the Dilaudid drip they gave me before they reset it. You have 32 muscles attached to your shoulder and yet Williams fought totally one handed taken blow after blow refusing to quit desperate to win the title and in the 6th he lured potter in close and let rip with a huge left uppercut and kod potter and won the fight

[The Six Four]

Denilson3.0, I did mention to Master earlier that I was referring to wins over opponents at their absolute peak—at the top of their division or among the sport’s best. That’s why Ali over Foreman stands out for me, given how Foreman was viewed after dismantling Frazier and Norton. Duran over Leonard and Leonard over Hearns are right up there too. What Danny Williams did against Mark Potter was incredible, but it wasn’t at the elite level. Still, it absolutely belongs on a list of amazing performances.