Ranking the Top 20 Fights of the 2010s
Breaking down a decade of violence
Memorability, aesthetically pleasing (and easy to follow) action, seesawing momentum, high stakes, and knockout tension are the keys to a great fight. Here are 20 that did something special with that recipe.
20. Andre Berto vs Jesus Soto Karass
Andre Berto had been a mainstay in and around the title picture, knowing that he only had to string together a win or two to find his way back to a shot at gold. However on this particular midsummer’s evening, Jesus Soto Karass had other ideas.
19. Brandon Rios vs Mike Alvarado 2
Boxer vs. Brawler heaven. Brandon Rios scored a dramatic come from behind stoppage in late 2012; however, Alvarado would equal the score in an even better rematch.
18. Tommy Coyle vs Daniel Brizuela
Tommy Coyle thought he was set for a routine stay busy fight against a nondescript South American fighter on the road to bigger and better things domestically. What he got instead was the fight of his life and what British boxing fans got was an unexpected blockbuster in a normally quiet period for the sport.
17. Marco Huck vs. Krzysztof Glowacki
Long-reigning de-facto cruiserweight king came in a hefty favorite to break the cruiserweight title defense record. A Polish domestic in the face of an established world champion, this was supposed to be Huck’s arrival to the American market. Primed and undefeated, the rugged Polish southpaw Krzysztof Glowacki had other ideas and served to wrestle the belt away from a proud champion.
16. Lucas Matthysse vs Ruslan Provodnikov
A fight which looked great on paper and was even better in reality. Two known power-punchers swinging for a last chance at world level recognition. Ultimately, Lucas Matthysse’s more refined craft separated him from the primitive Ruslan Provodnikov, but both men emerged from this brutal battle worse off.
15. Roman Gonzalez vs. Srisaket Sor Rungvisai
The 20–1 favorite, Pound For Pound king future hall of famer Roman Gonzalez had HBO in his corner hoping to push him towards some sort of mainstream success. The unknown Srisaket Sor Rungvisai was used to having a deck stacked against him. Eating trash to survive, walking miles upon miles to search for work, and being fed to established contenders in his debut bouts.
A first round knock-down let Roman know that he wasn’t in for the showcase he may have expected. Bloody action from all ranges, 2000 punches, head-butts, and a controversial decision all ensued with the aftermath paving the way for even further showcases of boxing’s smaller guys on the main stages of American broadcast television.
14. Marcos Maidana vs Erik Morales
Irrespective of victory or defeat, the infrequent but treasured stories of a great fighter’s “last stand” remain cherished by boxing’s most avid enthusiasts. In similar vein to Nonito Donaire’s valiant effort in defeat vs Naoya Inoue, modern Mexico legend Erik Morales turned a moment of adversity into advantage vs the fearsome Marcos Maidana. Morales pushed Maidana to the brink despite being outgunned early, winning the spectacle even if the fight was out of his grasp.
13. Amir Khan vs Marcos Maidana
In taking on a guy with a high knockout ratio in his third title defence at super lightweight, some thought that Amir Khan was writing cheques that his chin couldn’t cash. However, over the course of twelve rollercoaster rounds in Las Vegas, Khan tiptoed, walked through and ploughed face first into the fire that Marcos Maidana unleashed at him (in near equal measure). A picture perfect first round body shot knockdown from Khan and a 10th round career shortening assault by Maidana were the standout moments from this 2010 epic.
12. Alex Saucedo vs Lenny Zappavigna
Alex Saucedo was one of many in a long list of young prospects to undergo a grooming process en route to hopefully having gold around their waists in years to come. But during that ultimately unsuccessful process, he came across a wily veteran who came to throw down like no other, resulting in an underrated gem to close out the decade. Bloody, vicious violence abounded.
11. Lucas Matthysse vs John Molina Jr
Not long removed from an unsuccessful attempt at dislodging Danny Garcia from his place atop the super lightweight division, Lucas Matthysse met the nomadic lighter weight veteran John Molina for a war at the hardcore battlegrounds of Carson, California. Surviving two knockdowns and several more bombs, Matthysse ground out an epic comeback victory.
10. Saul Alvarez vs. Gennadiy Golovkin 2
In the wake of a dropped belt, a 118–110 score-card, and a failed drug test, Canelo Alvarez felt the scorn of the boxing community. He fed off that hatred and knew he had to get better. To abandon the conventional wisdom that he’d lose out in a fire-fight. To show otherwise to the Kazakh claiming to be the one to fighting true Mexican style.
Beyond the emotion, there was intelligence. Bringing the fight to Golovkin exploited Canelo’s youth, Golovkin’s back-foot game, and the disparity between their respective inside games. But Golovkin didn’t fold easy like Sergey Kovalev did to his own rival. He brought back skills we hadn’t seen since his early professional bouts way before entering the United States. He showed exceptional skill, conditioning, and discipline against an emboldened rival 8 years younger.
12 contentious rounds between two elite operators bringing out a lifetime of work against each other. And the narrowest of majority-decisions to send the usually stone-cold Canelo Alvarez to tears. He won the fight he wanted to fight and did so by fair margins.
A bittersweet send-off to the fans that felt the Kazakh had been spurned by the boxing world. That were proud of his role in such an iconic fight and felt his stock rise in defeat, but disappointed that a 20-fight title defense run had slipped away like that.
9. Anthony Joshua vs Wladimir Klitschko
Often a fight need not be judged on its totality but instead by the several dramatic occurrences which punctuated it. The setting, the stakes and the scenery were all perfect for a heavyweight classic between an old legend and the would be future king. And all it took was three dramatic rounds (an exchange of knockdowns in the fifth and sixth and two more administered to Klitschko in the eleventh) to write the events of April 29th 2017 into the annals of both British and heavyweight boxing history.
8. Victor Ortiz vs Andre Berto
Discarded and written off as a young hopeful who lacked the character or the will to become a champion, Victor Ortiz stepped into a WBC welterweight title showdown versus Andre Berto in 2011 with a great deal to prove. Berto, undefeated and within touching distance of super fights, threatened to reopen old immaterial wounds which existed within Ortiz’s psyche. This was only for the challenger to respond with vengeance and secure a life changing victory in an absolute epic which swept the house in 2011’s numerous award offerings.
7. Pornsawan Porpramook vs Akira Yaegashi
This is the fight to show people who think boxing below 126 is boring. To understand the odd fascination many have with Akira Yaegashi. It is genuinely an unbelievable showing. Both guys set out to test their chins and gas tanks against the best each other could offer. There was never any intention for this to go 12. A fight between two men more than a boxing match. Finally in the 10th, one man found himself at his limit.
6. Francisco Vargas vs Orlando Salido
Not to be deterred by trace amounts of clenbuterol or growing scar tissue on the face of a champion, two Mexicans went Mano a Mano to the delight of an expectant California crowd in the summer of 2016. When Orlando Salido appeared to break away and seize the upper hand, Francisco Vargas would retaliate viciously, stunning Salido several times and eventually holding onto his super featherweight belt via a contentious draw. This was a rare shining light in a year filled with controversy, disappointment and discontent.
5. Delvin Rodriguez vs Pawel Wolak
If there was ever the advert for the term “you don’t play boxing” it came in the form of a 10 round light middleweight slug fest held within the intimacy of a small casino on the east coast.
Delvin Rodriguez, despite being undersized, refused to cave to the relenting pressure of Polish southpaw Pavel Wolak. Instead, he stood his ground, gave as good as he was given and saw his foe’s eye swell to the size of a baseball for his efforts. After the final bell, judges were able to split between the pressure of Wolak and the precision of Rodriguez, however, for the viewing public, boxing was the ultimate winner in this equation.
4. Ivan Calderon vs. Giovani Segura
Mexico vs. Puerto Rico. Boxer vs. slugger. A title unification forcing two worlds to clash.
The raw Segura only began boxing at 20, while Calderon was a 34–0–1 two-division champion looking for his 7th title defense. The renowned skill and technique of Calderon controlled the early rounds, but Segura’s youth, size, and power gradually broke him down. A brutal series of body blows brought Ivan down to a knee as he painfully watched his title slip away from him. Comparisons to Pep-Saddler, Cotto-Margarito were invoked.
3. Takashi Miura vs. Francisco Vargas
A nightmare of a performance by Guillermo Rigondeaux left it up to the co-main event of a stacked card to wake up the crowd before Cotto-Canelo. Instead, they stole the show.
Vargas opened with a 10–8 round and came within a hair of a 1st round knockout. Miura began rallying, dropped Vargas, and cut up his eye. Things felt Hagler-Hearns-esque after the 8th round. A wobbled and badly cut Vargas was examined by the ringside physician who narrowly decided against stopping the fight. Sensing the urgency, Vargas dropped Miura in the openings seconds of the 9th before closing the show.
2. Timothy Bradley vs. Ruslan Provodnikov
On June 9th, 2012, Tim Bradley got what he wanted, but it was nothing like he thought it would be. A highly contentious split-decision had him ending a legendary 7 year unbeaten run by all-time great Manny Pacquiao. But instead of adulation, it came with critique, death threats, suicidal contemplations.
His team brought in the rugged but fairly basic slugger, Ruslan Provodnikov. The two-weight world champion opened a -750 favorite expected to box his way to a decision, but fought like a hungry challenger to atone for the controversy and the sins that had been ascribed to him. A hungry “Russian Rocky” against a boxer with a chip on his shoulder seeking validation. A debatable knock-down non-call. A survival knee by Bradley with 11 seconds to go.
Both guys left a piece of themselves in the ring. Tim Bradley admitted to being concussed from the 2nd round and experiencing memory loss, Ruslan’s black urine sample went viral.
- Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez IV
When two of the best in history met a fourth time after three highly contentious decisions, it was billed as more than just settling a rivalry. One man wanted vindication, the other wanted closure. And in the space of six rounds in December 2012, boxing crowned a fighter of the year, a round of the year, a fight of the decade, and maybe even a knockout of the century.
The cards are virtually tied, but it doesn’t matter because neither guy had any intention of leaving it up to the judges this time. Both bloodied and touching canvas. A cut on Marquez puts him on a time limit. Manny Pacquaio’s offense surges as the end is in sight. But Marquez’s right hand went on to send Pacquiao face-planting onto the Las Vegas canvas and make history. The only questions remaining after it lands were about Manny’s life and career onward. Marquez rejoiced with a near unattainable goal achieved whilst the world wondered where Manny Pacquiao’s soul may have disappeared to.
Honorable mentions: Marquez-Katsidis, Marquez-Concepcion, Maidana-Lopez, Rios against Acosta/Antillon, Pacquiao-Marquez 3, Kamegai against Guerrero and Karass, Mares-Darchinyan, JuanMa-Marquez, Rigondeaux-Francisco, Froch-Groves 1 and 2, Martinez-Salido, Cleverly-Fonfara, Ward-Kovalev 2, Hurd against Lara and Williams, Wilder-Ortiz, Spence-Porter, Inoue-Donaire, Barrios-Akhmedov
Thanks to Gregory Kudryavtsev