Because the hype dials up for tonight’s mouth-watering Crawford vs Spence conflict for undisputed welterweight supremacy, it’s unimaginable not to attract comparisons with basic welterweight showdowns of years previous. The 147 pound division has all the time been a hotbed of elite expertise, with old-time legends like Ted “Child” Lewis and Jack Britton, golden age greats like Sugar Ray Robinson and Kid Gavilan, and trendy period kings Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Thomas Hearns all leaving their mark on the division. Tracing the story of the division over the past thirty years, listed here are a few of the largest superfights that paved the best way to Crawford vs Spence. Hit the hyperlinks for movies and in-depth articles.
Pernell Whitaker D12 Julio Cesar Chavez, 10th September 1993: Billed merely as “The Battle”, the mega-bout between Mexican icon “JC Celebrity” and WBC champ “Candy Pea” Whitaker was set to crown the consensus primary fighter within the sport. Contested at a catchweight of 145 kilos to accommodate Chavez who was shifting up from 140, the match-up nonetheless compares favourably with any in historical past by way of pure pugilistic pedigree. Each had been three-weight champions, with Chavez getting into on an unimaginable 87-bout undefeated streak and Whitaker, the 1984 Olympic gold medallist, carrying a single, undeserved factors loss in 33 fights. Sadly, after Whitaker utterly outboxed Chavez in a masterful show, the American’s pound-for-pound coronation was denied by scandalous scorecards that returned a majority draw verdict.
Oscar De La Hoya UD12 Pernell Whitaker, 12th April 1997: Robbed of victory towards Chavez, Whitaker nonetheless had the satisfaction of gaining vast recognition as the game’s true pound-for-pound king. “Candy Pea” made an additional six defences over the following 4 years, even squeezing in a foray north to grow to be a four-weight champion. However within the meantime, a brand new famous person, “The Golden Boy”, emerged. Like Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya was an Olympic gold medallist and multi-weight champion, capturing titles from tremendous featherweight by to 147, en path to 23 straight victories. Over twelve tightly contested rounds, De La Hoya fought aggressively towards Whitaker’s slippery however chic defensive expertise and regardless of failing to place a severe dent within the defending champion, the judges had been impressed sufficient to award the glamorous younger star a unanimous resolution.
Oscar De Le Hoya SD12 Ike Quartey, 13th February 1999: Following his crowning if considerably controversial win over Whitaker, De La Hoya was not solely the most important attraction exterior of heavyweight, he was additionally a number one contender – alongside Roy Jones – for the title of boxing’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter. After 5 profitable defences, together with a repeat win over an ageing Chavez, “The Golden Boy” took on his most daunting problem but. Ike “Bazooka” Quartey, undefeated in 35 fights with seven defences of the WBA title, introduced a formidable skillset, together with boxing’s most potent jab and thudding energy behind it. The Ghanaian proved his value, exchanging knockdowns in spherical six and pushing the American famous person all the best way, till a remaining spherical blitz from De La Hoya sealed a hard-fought cut up resolution victory.
Felix Trinidad MD12 Oscar De La Hoya, 18th September 1999: De La Hoya’s win over Quartey left just one significant battle within the division: a mega-showdown with rival, undefeated IBF champ Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Over a six-year title reign the fearsome Puerto Rican puncher had swept apart fifteen challengers, 13 by knockout. Billed as “The Battle of the Millennium”, De La Hoya vs Trinidad matched two superstars on the peak of their powers, in probably the most eagerly anticipated battle in a era. Sadly, it didn’t ship the anticipated drama between the ropes, as De La Hoya boxed his solution to an early lead earlier than easing off and permitting Trinidad to grab a controversial, razor-thin majority resolution.
Shane Mosley MD12 Oscar De La Hoya, 17th June 2000: The very fact De La Hoya seems for a fourth time on this listing of welterweight superfights is a testomony each to “The Golden Boy’s” promoting energy and his willingness to check himself towards the perfect of his period. Following the frustration of the Trinidad defeat, De La Hoya chased a rematch, however when a deal couldn’t be reached and Trinidad elected to maneuver up in weight, Oscar was awarded the WBC title once more by default. In search of redemption towards a significant opponent, he took on the extremely touted “Sugar” Shane Mosley as a substitute. The undefeated former light-weight champion was considered one of the crucial gifted fighters in boxing, and he delivered a career-best efficiency to outshine his Los Angeles rival in an excellent back-and-forth contest.
Undisputed Chaos: Together with his signature win over De La Hoya, Mosley was briefly acknowledged as boxing’s No. 1, pound-for-pound. However what regarded like the start of a dominant reign the truth is sparked a tumultuous interval within the division’s lineage, as Mosley was overthrown by rival Vernon Forrest, who in flip was promptly knocked out by WBA belt holder Ricardo Mayorga, who was then outpointed by IBF champion Cory Spinks, thus crowning the primary undisputed welterweight champion since Lloyd Honeyghan, in 1986. The titles wouldn’t stay unified for lengthy although, as Spinks was himself knocked out in his third defence by Zab Judah, and the belts fragmented once more.
Floyd Mayweather TKO10 Ricky Hatton, 8th December 2007: Transferring as much as welterweight in 2005, pound-for-pound star Floyd Mayweather first took care of enterprise with bitter rival Zab Judah, earlier than scoring a simple victory over Carlos Baldomir to gather the WBC strap. A blockbuster bout towards De La Hoya at 154 kilos adopted, after which “Cash” returned to welterweight to tackle Britain’s Ricky Hatton, in one other large PPV occasion. “Hit Man Hatton,” an undefeated champ at 140 kilos and extremely rated on most pound-for-pound lists, fought valiantly, regardless of the perfect efforts of referee Joe Cortez to stifle the motion. Mayweather remained cool and composed amid the electrical environment, took the steam out of Hatton’s assault, and placed on a punching clinic to attain a tenth-round stoppage.
Antonio Margarito TKO11 Miguel Cotto, 26th July 2008: When Mayweather introduced his retirement after the Hatton win, nobody believed he could be gone for lengthy, nevertheless it nonetheless left a emptiness atop the welterweight division. Miguel Cotto, the undefeated WBA champion and Puerto Rican star, and Antonio Margarito, a rock-hard Mexican long-touted as “probably the most averted man within the division”, stepped in to fill the void. Cotto bought off to a terrific begin, taking the lead along with his smoother and craftier boxing. However Margarito chugged forwards relentlessly, ominously, and because the injury accrued on Cotto’s face, it was clear he merely couldn’t maintain off the marauding Mexican. Lastly, after twice taking a knee in a bruising eleventh spherical, Cotto was rescued from additional punishment and Margarito was the brand new welterweight ruler.
Shane Mosley TKO9 Antonio Margarito, 24th January 2009: Within the wake of Margarito’s efficiency towards Miguel Cotto, the Mexican was hailed as an irrepressible power, a “terminator” that couldn’t be stopped. In distinction, Mosley’s kind had been up and down within the years since his breakout win towards De La Hoya, and to most, the consequence appeared a foregone conclusion. However within the hoopla surrounding Margarito’s beatdown of Cotto, it appeared the world had forgotten that Mosley may really battle. Removed from wilting below the Mexican’s strain, the previous Sugarman stood his floor and blasted away with brutal proper fingers and rapid-fire combos spherical after one-sided spherical, in a punch-perfect efficiency that made a mockery of so many pre-fight predictions.
Manny Pacquiao TKO12 Miguel Cotto, 14th November 2009: With Floyd Mayweather “retired”, it left Manny Pacquiao briefly unopposed atop boxing’s pound-for-pound tree. The Filipino regarded phenomenal in a run of back-to-back wins that included blasting out Ricky Hatton in two rounds and laying a beatdown on the ghost of Oscar De La Hoya. However in taking up prime welterweight Miguel Cotto at a catchweight of 145 kilos, it remained to be seen whether or not the previous flyweight was biting off greater than he may chew. The truth is, it proved to be one of many Pacman’s greatest ever performances, because the Puerto Rican was floored twice and floor down and stopped in spherical twelve by the Filipino fireball. “We thought Manny Pacquiao was nice,” opined Larry Service provider, “[but] he’s higher than we thought.”
Floyd Mayweather UD12 Shane Mosley, 1st May 2010: Mayweather’s self-imposed hiatus from the ring had been predictably temporary, and in late 2009 he returned with a lopsided win over light-weight ruler, Juan Manuel Marquez. A brilliant-showdown with Manny Pacquiao ought to have adopted, however when negotiations fell aside because of a disagreement over drug testing, Mayweather opted as a substitute to face Shane Mosley. The match had been mooted for over a decade, and although previous prime, “Sugar” Shane was nonetheless coming off his nice win over Margarito. Within the second spherical an enormous upset regarded on the playing cards, as Mosley twice rocked Mayweather to the soles of his boots with flush proper fingers. Floyd clung on for pricey life, earlier than taking management in spherical three after which dominating the rest of the battle.
Juan Manuel Marquez KO6 Manny Pacquiao, 8th December 2012: Over three fights starting with their outstanding attract 2004 at featherweight, it was nearly unimaginable to separate the Mexican and Filipino rivals. A second and third assembly, at 130 in 2008 and 147 in 2011, noticed Pacquiao emerge victorious by shut, contentious selections. Each males promised to finish the rivalry in definitive vogue, and they didn’t disappoint. Pacquiao’s bitterly disputed loss to Tim Bradley in his earlier battle meant no title was on the road, nevertheless it didn’t matter as they produced arguably the battle of the last decade. Floored closely within the third, a surging Pacquiao roared again to knock Marquez down within the fifth and regarded on the verge of scoring a stoppage within the sixth, earlier than strolling on to a monster overhand proper that left him out chilly, face first on the canvas.
Floyd Mayweather UD12 Manny Pacquiao, 2nd May 2015: It took 5 years of bickering and public posturing, however ultimately the 2 largest stars in boxing hammered out a deal. Pacquiao’s loss to Marquez three years prior and the rivals’ advancing ages had taken some shine off the match-up, nevertheless it nonetheless pitted the 2 greatest pound-for-pound fighters of a era towards one another, and was by far the most important field workplace occasion in historical past. The battle itself was absorbing, although failed to provide the sort of motion it promised at their athletic peaks. Apart from a fourth-round flurry, Pacquiao was largely nullified by Mayweather’s superior boxing, and the American took a cushty resolution, together with bragging rights as the perfect boxer of his period.
The Subsequent Chapter: With Floyd Mayweather’s retirement in 2015, the 147 pound throne was as soon as once more left vacant. The years since have seen the likes of Kell Brook, Shawn Porter, Keith Thurman, Danny Garcia, and a late-career encore from Manny Pacquiao all play their half in a superb collection of match-ups. However now the actual battle that followers have craved, ever since Spence and Crawford turned rival belt holders in 2018, is lastly right here: a superfight that may crown the primary lineal welterweight king since Floyd Mayweather, and the primary undisputed champion since Zab Judah, seventeen years in the past. –Matt O’Brien
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