Ten Greatest Title Challenges That Came Up Short !!!!!

Perhaps there are better examples and please chuck them and I'll amend but here goes..

1. CONN v Louis  ....Where big heavies quaked... A 12 stone guy with huge balls gave the second greatest heavy in history the fight of his life !!........."Don't back up in a straight line.....Make him follow you... No roundhouses...Go straight and you'll get there first"...Louis like most great champions found a way !!..........But even he acknowledged his luck..

2. DURELLE v Moore........Fisherman decks perhaps the greatest 175 star of alltime four times in a great war and then falters..

3. DAUTHVILLE v Lamotta...........Frenchman is 15 seconds away from the title after outboxing the champion and throws it away....

4. ROBINSON  v  Maxim............Won every minute of every round in 130 degree heat.....Till the 13th when the heat won..

5. OWEN v Pintor..........Complete no hoper...Surprises everyone but himself against the dominant Bantam.....Guts, bollox, heart and no mean talent....What a guy..

6. FITZ  v Jeffries 2.....Big underdog with bad memories of the first fight against a much bigger Man....Batters his foe and is on the verge of victory when OUCH......Top 10 in my list..........Top 10 in the lot If he hadn't of got caught.

7. WITHERSPOON v Holmes......12 fight novice "Upsets" a great Heavy still in or near his prime........

8. DAVIS JR  v  Rosario..........Old Man river taking on the new DURAN in his own backyard......Gives a career best performance but gets knocked down in the last 10 seconds to snatch a draw out of the jaws of victory !!........Stay away from the lottery Howard..

9. FRAZIER v Ali..............

10. CONTEH v Saad Muhammad

Well it's a cracking list, Truss, and definitely a few choices in there which are musts. But I'd always make room for Smokin' Joe's effort in Manila - truly magnificent.

Others to consider might be Winstone's second tilt at Saldivar's Featherweight title (just one of the best fights you could ever see in every aspect, for me), a one-handed Conteh leading Saad for thirteen rounds before falling apart in the last two and also the often forgotten De Jesus-Cervantes fight at 140 - De Jesus was down early and just take a look at the punishment he had to suck up in the fourteenth and fifteenth rounds to finish on his feet.

Yep.................Excellent choices.......

List amended mate.............Frazier v Ali...Should be higher but more convenient to take the last two out...

I guess TAYLOR v Froch is one of the recent ones. Jermaine only had to hold on another 14 seconds for the WBC super middleweight title

Not a bad shout Mate............

Not sure Froch belongs with the Champions on the list though......Though Rosario and Saad were short in terms of greatness...

Smokin' Bert Cooper v Holyfield...Champ literally hanging on for dear life but allows Evander back in the fight.

Morales v Maidana...Past it legend expected to be blown away, suffers horrendous eye injury in round two and still pushes Marcos to the final bell but just misses out.

Morales was a great effort..............Was Maidana a champ ??

Cooper got battered for most of the fight..........Bit like Bruno v Tyson 1..

Taylor Chavez probably. A truly valiant effort from the younger man 2 seconds short. Debate the stoppage if you will but that has to be the hairs breadth difference between losing and winning

You know Shah that would be a great shout If Taylor wasn't defending his IBF....

But great effort for sure...and would definitely be on the list without alphabet pie !!

Ah yeah forgot about that, fair cop.

In fairness Mate he was challenging for the WBC..........

So It's not really a cop....more of a robber !!

Since you mentioned Owen vs Pintor, Kim Duk-koo vs Mancini is one of the most brave and tragic things I've ever seen.

Honorable mention for Kim..........Think Pintor was a better fighter than mancini....

But it's a good shout.

Was Barrera challenging Morales in their first encounter? Although that's more "loss" than loss.

Chi v Brodie

Duran vs Hagler maybe? Duran was ahead after 12 and it took a late surge from Marv to put off what would have been an enormous upset.

That's an interesting call Sitting..............

Even though Hagler did a Vito....Duran was probably one round from a top 3 place...

Maybe It belongs on the list..I don't know........Good one !!

Nelson vs Sanchez.
Klitschko vs Lewis.
Vargas vs Trinidad.
Eubank vs Thompson.

Nelson vs Sanchez is a cracker..............

Klit vs a tired old Lewis mate........Not for me...

Eubank - Thompson like that............and vargas - Trini.............Good calls......

Holmes v Snipes???

My recollection of Holmes - Snipes...Was a one sided slapping until Holmes got nailed in the 7th (I think ??).....

Not for me....Mate.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:My recollection of Holmes - Snipes...Was a one sided slapping until Holmes got nailed in the 7th (I think ??).....

Not for me....Mate.

It was the 7th but a one sided slapping it was not.

Holmes was badly hurt by the end of the 7th and reclaimed the fight late on.

Jackson v Graham
De La Hoya v Strum
Holyfield v Cooper?