Five Dream Matchups Boxing Fans Would Love to See

May 10

One of the most highly discussed topics among boxing fanatics are which fights they would make regardless of the era each fighter participated in. Here are five dream matchups that would be appealing to every boxing fan, and would likely break the internet if they were made.

Manny paquiao vs. Roberto duran (lightweight bout)

If you ask any boxing fan out there, they would be hard pressed to come up with a better matchup at 135 lbs. These two fighters are largely considered the very best lightweights to ever compete in boxing. there is nothing more that can be said about the legacy of Paquiao. He captured titles in eight different weight classes which will likely never be replicated. Duran on the other hand is widely considered to be the very best lightweight to ever compete, achieving a level of dominance that struck fear in to every opponent he faced. This fight would be an absolute war, with each man looking to land the finishing blow with every punch thrown. To attempt to predict this fight would likely be a question if Paquiao could hurt Duran, which is more likely than most think. In the End, it is likely that Duran would still have the advantage in this fight due to his chin and knockout power

Mike Tyson vs. Rocky Marciano (Heavyweight Bout)

This is a perfect example of an unstoppable force in Tyson could break the immoveable object in Marciano. Mike Tyson’s legacy is reaffirmed in the fact that people are still terrified by the 57-year-old. His peek-a-boo style is something that led him to success against fighters that were far taller than he is. This actually played directly into his strategy when taking on fighters with large statures. However, Marciano is the same height as Tyson, and has arguably the best chin in boxing history. His resilience is what propelled him to an undefeated 49-0 record. Marciano also had knockout power in both hands, but was notably slower than Tyson. This would be a huge fight against two small heavyweights that would sent the boxing world into a frenzy like few other bouts could.

floyd mayweather jr. vs. sugar ray Robinson (welterweight bout)

This is a matchup between the best welterweight of all time in Robinson, and the best defensive fighter boxing has ever seen. Robinson amassed an insane record of 128-1-2, which will never even be touched ever again. Robinson had fight ending power, and coupled this with an elusiveness that earned him victory after victory. Mayweather, on the other hand, lost only a hand full of rounds during his undefeated 50-0 career. His head movement and defense is a thing of incomparable beauty, and influenced an entire generation of boxers who are very defensively minded in comparison to their predecessors. At the end of the day, this is by far the hardest fight to pick of the bunch, and it would be a matchup that would have boxing fans all over the world salivating in anticipation.

canelo alvarez vs. marvelous marvin hagler (middleweight bout)

These two would be a perfect matchup stylistically. With both men’s propensity to go forward, this would likely be a classic forehead to forehead slugfest. What makes this matchup so interesting is the stance switches of Hagler. That in and of itself would leave him openings against the heavy pressure Alvarez is known for. However, if Alvarez is able to cut off the ring effectively, he would have a great chance to find success in this fight. It would also be interesting to see how Alvarez would deal with Hagler’s jab and stance switches. Oddly enough, it would be a very similar matchup for Alvarez’s rumored bout against Terence Crawford, just with a slightly bigger opponent.

muhammad ali vs. mike tyson (Heavyweight Bout)

This is the fight that would likely make the entire world come to a halt for the weeks leading up to the fight. This is a stylistic matchup made in heaven. Ali’s movement is something that the heavyweight division rarely sees. Couple this with great stamina and knockout power, it is a puzzle that few were able to solve in his hay day. Tyson, on the other hand, did so well against fighters that fit this mold, it would provide for a fight against two trying to impose their style on the other. One could not even begin to think of a definitive way that this fight would go or end. One thing is for certain, this fight would break the internet and be the most viewed boxing match in history.

bonus matchup: Tommy Hearns vs. Jermall Charlo (Light Middleweight Bout)

These two are incredibly similar, and with the undisputable fact that styles make fights, this would be a very intriguing matchup. Hearns typically fought in the middleweight division, so going down six pounds to fight Charlo would already be an interesting proposition. Charlo, on the other hand, is the current undisputed light middleweight champion, and possesses a very similar frame with Hearns. This would likely be a technical showcase on the outside by both fighters. It will likely be a question if Hearns’ power would be able to effect Charlo.