Best Phoenix From The Flames?

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Remember that scene from Terminator where Arnie gets blasted through the window of a club and but after a only a brief few seconds of lying prone slowly rises to his feet to resume his pursuit of SARAH CONNOR?!!

What is the best resurrection moment in boxing history? Archie Moore being repeatedly knocked out by Yvonne Durrelle, only to keep coming back like the bogeyman? Larry Holmes after being blasted by Ernie Shavers? Juan Manuel Marquez against Katsidis? Bruce Seldon against Jose Ribalta?

How about an example of a fighter being completely levelled and then somehow dragging themselves back up to win?

Hard to look past Larry Big Pants against Shavers if that's what you're after, Haz. Now that was a miraculous recovery. Shavers might not have ever landed a better right than that (and let's remember, the man for all his limitations was a murderous puncher) and when you see how completely lights-out Holmes looked when it landed, and how badly he crashed to the canvas, it still seems impossible even now that he might get up - and yet he did!

Old man Lar turns a lot of people off with his smack talking, but you've got to hand it to him, he earned some serious bragging rights with that one. Amazing display of a champion's heart and courage.

88Chris05 wrote:Hard to look past Larry Big Pants against Shavers if that's what you're after, Haz. Now that was a miraculous recovery. Shavers might not have ever landed a better right than that (and let's remember, the man for all his limitations was a murderous puncher) and when you see how completely lights-out Holmes looked when it landed, and how badly he crashed to the canvas, it still seems impossible even now that he might get up - and yet he did!

Old man Lar turns a lot of people off with his smack talking, but you've got to hand it to him, he earned some serious bragging rights with that one. Amazing display of a champion's heart and courage.

Not sure miraculous does it justice Chris. Obviously knew the outcome before watching it for the first time, but wow - what a right hand. And I mean WOW. Seem to remember Shavers looking on in disbelief as the ref waved them back together to keep fighting, not only that but Holmes (on wobbly legs mind) was still able to duck/sway away from punches.

Other obvious call is Castillo vs Corrales I. The left hook that sent Corrales down for the first time is about as sweeter timed punch (there wasn't exactly a huge wind up from Castillo) as you'll ever see. The big shadow, that people tend to forget, which overhangs that comeback is that he twice took the mouthpiece out which cost him a point but allowed him vital recovery time.

Yeah, takes just a little bit of the shine away from Corrales' comeback, that whole mouth piece business. It was still a phenomenal turn around, but without those additional 10-20 seconds after each knockdown it might have been beyond him. Although I guess you could argue that him showing clear enough thinking to be able to make an advantage for himself after getting banjoed so badly in that round was impressive in its own right.

Goossen also bought him precious seconds washing the mouthpiece in slow motion.

Nigel Benn looked all done against McClellan when he slumped, limply out of the ring.

I was at a club show a few years back and Sunderland's Kirk Goodings was laid out by some Scouser - literally flat on his back with his arms outstretched - only to jump up theatrically at 9.9 and go on to win.

Benn V Logan....

Morrison v Mercer......Was a slap that turned..

There was a televised fight in Britain I remember going back to the 1990's were there were about 5 or 6 knockdowns with both sides going down like sacks of spuds only to come back and knock the other man down. I cannot remember the name of the fighters and it's starting to annoy me. They were big guys probably cruisers.

Strongback wrote:There was a televised fight in Britain I remember going back to the 1990's were there were about 5 or 6 knockdowns with both sides going down like sacks of spuds only to come back and knock the other man down.  I cannot remember the name of the fighters and it's starting to annoy me. They were big guys probably cruisers.

Sounds like a Carl Thompson fight....

hazharrison wrote:Goossen also bought him precious seconds washing the mouthpiece in slow motion.

Nigel Benn looked all done against McClellan when he slumped, limply out of the ring.

I was at a club show a few years back and Sunderland's Kirk Goodings was laid out by some Scouser - literally flat on his back with his arms outstretched - only to jump up theatrically at 9.9 and go on to win.

I recall watching that moment, amazed at how quickly and easily I thought I had witnessed McClellan dispatch Benn. I recall one commentator signalling the end of the fight by saying "Well, we feared this might happen..." in a dejected tone, almost in a "that's that" kind of way.  The fact Benn came back and won was one of the most impressive performances I have watched without knowing the outcome.  Shame other events transpired as they did.

Strongback wrote:There was a televised fight in Britain I remember going back to the 1990's were there were about 5 or 6 knockdowns with both sides going down like sacks of spuds only to come back and knock the other man down.  I cannot remember the name of the fighters and it's starting to annoy me. They were big guys probably cruisers.

Kevin Lueshing vs somebody

hazharrison wrote:

Strongback wrote:There was a televised fight in Britain I remember going back to the 1990's were there were about 5 or 6 knockdowns with both sides going down like sacks of spuds only to come back and knock the other man down.  I cannot remember the name of the fighters and it's starting to annoy me. They were big guys probably cruisers.

Sounds like a Carl Thompson fight....

Yeah that's the one, hadn't seen it since it happened. Sellers was all over the place a couple of times.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:Benn V Logan....

Morrison v Mercer......Was a slap that turned..

Benn vs Logan - what a scrap.

I had a great comebacks VHS when I was a kid. Trying to remember some of them. I'm sure Frankie Randall featured (possibly against Primo Ramos)?

Different kind of comeback, I guess, and it only resulted in a draw rather than a win, but the first Marquez-Pacquiao fight is worth considering. To be five rounds down after only two rounds have been completed and to then box your way to a draw (which could easily have been a win, and to many people should have been) without having any 10-8 rounds in your favour takes some doing.

Come to think of it, Hopkins was five rounds down after three rather than two against Pascal in that first bout and ended up dominating thereafter to get a draw, which just about everyone thought should have been a win - I think it ended up being a clearer call than Marquez-Pacquiao I. I don't think even Bernard's biggest critics could fail to have enjoyed (or at least appreciated!) the way he reverted back to his old habits and just took Pascal apart after that nightmare nine-minute period at the start. Great stuff.

Back to the Brits - I didn't give Eubank a round in the second Watson fight before he landed THAT uppercut. Watson absolutely dominated him up until that point. Absolute granite, Chris Sr.

Calzaghe against Mitchell was pretty impressive too, wasn't as hard a knockdown as others but it seemed to urine him off more than it hurt him.

Froch v Groves 1 surely has to be worthy of consideration. Froch took an absolute shellacking for 6 rounds before turning the tide and getting a stunning and perfectly legitimate TKO....

Riddick Bowe crashed like a chimney stack against Holyfield in their rubber match. Still can't believe he won that fight.

Also: Victor Ortiz vs Berto.

Ohhhh maaaa gaaawwwwddd !!!

hazharrison wrote:Riddick Bowe crashed like a chimney stack against Holyfield in their rubber match. Still can't believe he won that fight.

In fairness he was giving Holy a schooling before he was flattened...

But I think Holy's left hook took Bowe's legs from him....He never had the same chin after that !!

I also think Fan Man (RIP) cost Bowe the second fight.......Gave the older Holy 20 minutes to get his breath back......That was very close.

Froch was taking a good beating off Taylor and was on the deck but I suppose that one was more about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

hazharrison wrote:Riddick Bowe crashed like a chimney stack against Holyfield in their rubber match. Still can't believe he won that fight.

In fairness he was giving Holy a schooling before he was flattened...

But I think Holy's left hook took Bowe's legs from him....He never had the same chin after that !!

I also think Fan Man (RIP) cost Bowe the second fight.......Gave the older Holy 20 minutes to get his breath back......That was very close.

Holy was the blown up, ineffective fighter we saw malfunction against Moorer - his traps started just below his earlobes!

The fan man fight was maybe the last time the heavyweight championship still felt like it truly mattered.

Douglas let me down against Holy.........A 230 pound Buster could have boxed like Bowe did when he won the title in a landslide against Holy...

Buster had one of the greatest jabs in heavy history and a three inch height advantage.....

Not saying I'd have picked him to win but it could/should have been a classic..

If Buster could have retained the drive he showed against Tyson we could have had a wonderful round robin between Buster, Holy and Tyson.

He was only special for one night, though.

Saw him outbox Oliver mccall he looked special then.....

just didn't have the drive like you say.....

Eubank Watson II. Beaten up down left right and inside out before being dropped. Eubank pulls it out the fire with THAT punch

Ramirez was down twice when he stopped Rosario in 4..

Juan Meza was down twice against Garza in the first and stopped in the same round on he same bill in Puerto Rico..

Both home fighters lost their world titles..

How about Foreman vs Lyle? George was face first on the canvas at one point.

Not quite the same but Gatti vs Ward 1 had a real Phoenix moment in round 9. Gatti down in the first 20 seconds from a body shot and just barely beats the count. Staggers to his feet and gets hammered for most of the next minute. Turns it around and has Ward in trouble before gassing in the last 30 seconds and almost getting stopped on his feet. Looks done on his stool and the trainer thinks about stopping the fight only to let it go on and Gatti comes out and boxes possibly his best round of the fight and easily wins the final round, not quite enough to get the decision though.

I bet you could make a good drinking game of Gatti vs Ward 1 where you do a shot every time a British ref would have stopped the fight.