Although boxing experienced a dip in interest in the mid-2000s through to the early-2010s, it is still one of the most popular sports and has found a new audience, in the UK and across the globe.
At Grosvenor Casino, we always offer the best boxing betting when it comes to the fight night. Boxing continues to thrill, arouse passion, and be action-packed!
The sport is being purchased and sold by more broadcasters than ever, with the introduction of media outlets such as DAZN, ESPN +, and PBC, but the high point of the sport’s entertainment value came long before the turn of the century.
Read on below for our breakdown of the fights of all time.
Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier – The Thrilla in Manila, (1975)
The final chapter of this epic trilogy is one of the reasons we love heavyweight boxing and why we love Muhammad Ali. It is regarded as one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.
Ali was aggressive, moving well and trading heavy blows with Frazier but soon began to tire towards the latter part of the fight. This gave birth to Ali’s famous “Rope-a-Dope” strategy, where he made constant use of the clinch and let Frazier tire himself out before putting in the finishing touches.
An incredible ending to the fight saw Frazier unable to answer the referee’s call and the referee stopping the fight at the end of the 14th, just as Ali was about to call time on the fight himself (something he has since admitted).
‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard v Thomas Hearns, (1981)
It was speed against power, Leonard vs Hearns, with the world welterweight title credentials on the line.
Hearns’ sizeable reach advantage helped him to build up a lead on points, with Leonard’s eye beginning to swell moving into the 12th.
Coming out of his corner with nothing to lose, Leonard unleashed blow after blow to knock the wind from Hearns’ sails, winning by a technical KO in the 14th.
Leonard suffered a detached retina in the months following the fight, and he announced his first retirement soon after.
Micky Ward v Arturo Gatti, (2002)
A fight so important in boxing history that it sparked the creation of a feature film biopic, The Fighter (2010), Micky Ward and Arturo Gatti’s 2002 meeting, the first of their trilogy, goes down as one of the greatest showings of heart from two boxers in a ring since the sport was first televised.
‘Irish’ Micky Ward, a relatively unknown journeyman from Lowell, Massachusetts, beat world lightweight contender Arturo Gatti in what turned out to be nothing short of a war.
Ward subsequently lost the two remaining fights of their trilogy, as Gatti went on to win the WBC World Lightweight title in his next bout, but the Canadian maintains that those three fights were the most grueling of his career.
Diego Corrales v José Luis Castillo, (2005)
It might just be a coincidence that some of the greatest boxing matches happened to be contested at lightweight, but it’d be a farce to dismiss Diego Corrales’ victory over José Luis Castillo for the WBC lightweight belt in May 2005.
It had everything: battering blows, lightning combinations, and underhand tactics. Corrales had been put on the canvas on two occasions, before delivering a thunderous right hand to retain his title.
He lost his belt in the rematch by a fourth-round KO.
Floyd Mayweather v Manny Pacquiao, (2015)
The fight is remembered for its hype, rather than the performance itself.
Generating $400million and 4.6 million pay-per-view buys (the most in boxing history), the bout itself was one of the most anticipated events in sporting history and billed as one of the biggest fights ever.
Unfortunately, Mayweather did what he does best, ducked and slipped, and Pacquiao, who never looked his unpredictable, explosive self, failed to put up enough of a fight to make the contest interesting.
Mayweather won by unanimous decision, and the two of them returned home nine figures richer.
Upcoming Boxing Fights 2021
It’s been a great year for boxing with some epic battles, upcoming superstars shining and a rise in popularity. So let’s look ahead to some of the biggest bouts in 2021 and beyond.
Women’s Boxing has never been bigger and we’re delighted that Chantelle Cameron has joined the Grosvenor Sport family. The WBC World Champion is ready to compete in the inaugural Road to Undisputed, a four-way tournament pitting some of the very best in female boxing against each other.
Cameron takes on Mary McGee on October 30 and should she win, she’ll fight the winner of Kali Reis v Jessica Camara for the Road to Undisputed title and SIX belts in this unprecedented event. Bring it on!
That October fight sits on the undercard of the heavyweight bout between Dillian Whyte and Otto Wallin, a fight that has taken on extra importance in the past few weeks. If Whyte defeats the Swedish strongman, a mammoth British battle against Tyson Fury could be on the horizon.
Las Vegas is the destination for Super-Middleweight star Canelo Alvarez versus Caleb Plant, with no fewer than four belts on the line. The two didn’t see eye-to-eye in their first press conference, but they will settle matters in the ring on November 6.
Two weeks later and staying in Sin City, Terence Crawford defends his WBO Welterweight title against Shawn Porter.
On December 18, Derek Chisora faces Joseph Parker for the second time. The two heavyweights clashed back in May with the Brit feeling aggrieved to have been declared the loser. Will Chisora put things right at the Manchester Arena?
2022 promises to be even more exciting – keep it here for all the info!
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