A few years ago, when the COVID-19 virus began wreaking havoc on our lives, many of us hunkered down in our abodes to ride out the dark days as the walls slowly closed in and “quarantine life” became the norm. To keep the boredom at bay, and help out our fellow fight freaks, we put together this catalogue of 1990’s action to reflect on some of the greatest battles to occur during one of the finest boxing eras of all-time.
In the 1990’s, the pay-per-view model took flight, money flooded into the game, and anything seemed possible. The nineties are an era fans vividly remember for both good and bad reasons. The Holyfield vs Tyson Bite Fight looms large in the collective consciousness, but though it cast a pall for a time, we shouldn’t forget that its predecessor attracted worldwide attention, while entering the pantheon of all-time great upsets.
Elsewhere, Roy Jones Jr cut a swathe through three weight divisions; Oscar De La Hoya launched a charm offensive bolstered by a weapons-grade left hook; theatrical featherweight Naseem Hamed redefined showmanship and stretched hubris to its limits; Pernell Whitaker established himself as an all-time great; a supposedly over-the-hill George Foreman blunt-forced his way to the title twenty years on from The Rumble in the Jungle; Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales and Johnny Tapia made their bones in the lower weights; and on and on. Just as the ‘Class of the 80s’ had responded to the gauntlet thrown down by their 1970s forebears, our 1990s starlets met the standards of proof required of a golden generation: terrific action fights, bitter rivalries, blockbuster unifications, crushing knockouts and magnetic personalities.
As with our popular Eighty Fights From The 80s posts, we present here a compendium of remarkable battles from The Nineties, complete with videos. As before, this is not a ranking; the contests are listed in random order, though corralled according to year. If you think we’ve omitted a deserving tilt, let us know. Note: the links take you either directly to a video of the bout, or to a post that has the video embedded. Enjoy!
1990Aaron Davis vs Mark Breland: This battle of New Yorkers – one a decorated amateur and two-time world champ, the other an unbeaten but raw contender – lit up Reno in the summer of 1990. Free-swinging Davis repeatedly buzzed Breland and dropped him in the third, but the Brooklynite’s pedigree shone through as the contest wore on and he even came close to halting Davis in the eighth. “Superman’s” counter-right knockout a round later is one of the best you will ever see.
Julio Cesar Chavez vs Meldrick Taylor I: You would need a heart of stone not to feel sorry for Meldrick Taylor, as he was stopped with just two seconds remaining at the end of a brutal and thrilling twelve rounder with Julio Cesar Chavez. Dubbed “Thunder and Lightning,” this absorbing contest between the planet’s premier super lightweights delivered nonstop excitement, with speedster Taylor working his butt off and outscoring a relentless opponent who did plenty of damage himself. The finale was both heroic and heartbreaking.
Chris Eubank vs Nigel Benn I: An explosion of violence and enmity was expected when bitter rivals Eubank and Benn squared off in the biggest British battle of the year (possibly of all time, for that matter). “The Dark Destroyer” had the pedigree but consummate showman Eubank oozed self-belief and rode out the storm on an emotional night, enduring some torrid moments to finally halt his harasser in the ninth.
Ray Mercer vs Bert Cooper: A talented but inconsistent former Joe Frazier protege, “Smokin” Bert Cooper was seen by most as a stepping stone in gold medalist Mercer’s march to heavyweight contention. But Cooper had other ideas, displaying spirit and energy many thought he lacked. Big Bert forced Mercer into a brawl that brought the best out of both men in a grueling distance bout.
1991Robert Quiroga vs Akeem Anifowoshe: These undefeated junior bantamweights set a tireless pace from the opening bell to the last. Although “Kid Akeem” surrendered his reach advantage, he gave just as good as he got in a close-quarters brawl. In the end, the Texan overcame a deep cut to defend his belt by decision. Sadly, Kid Akeem died just three years later in his native Nigeria, while Quiroga was stabbed to death in 2004.
Evander Holyfield vs Bert Cooper: Holyfield had already participated in one of the great heavyweight slugfests of the 80s against Michael Dokes and his title defence against late sub Bert Cooper was every bit as entertaining. A beautiful left hook to the body crumpled Cooper in the first, but the underdog roared back, crashing Holyfield into the ropes in the third and giving a great account of himself until his courageous stand was brutally terminated in the seventh.
Mike McCallum vs Sumbu Kalambay II: Slick boxer Kalambay had pocketed McCallum’s “0” in Italy three years earlier, but having been sensationally poleaxed by Michael Nunn in the interim, he was a slight underdog in this rematch. In front of a sparse Monaco crowd, the pair produced another fascinating chess match that went right to the wire, “The Bodysnatcher” exacting revenge by the slimmest of margins.
Ray Mercer vs Tommy Morrison: An all-action heavyweight showdown, plus a riveting come-from-behind win that will forever be remembered for its almost sickening conclusion. What shouldn’t be forgotten is that this was also a rare, high-risk clash between young, undefeated warriors who were both looking ahead to even bigger opportunities in the near future.
James Toney vs Mike McCallum I: The hotshot student versus the wise old sage: that was the narrative for the first meeting between “The Bodysnatcher” and “Lights Out.” Strangely, it was the veteran who was busier, endlessly popping his jab and working the body of the young champ, who impressed with his own crisp, powerful flurries. A rematch was inevitable after the judges scored it a draw, but in all honesty, there was very little to separate these two maestros on this night.
Mike Tyson vs Razor Ruddock I: Donovan “Razor” Ruddock was big enough, skilled enough and man enough to give a snarling Tyson all he could handle. Of course, this was a Tyson close enough to his prime to make the project a painful one. In an intensely physical brawl – perhaps the most exciting in the Tyson canon – Ruddock was staggered, down, hurt and eventually stopped in controversial fashion after seven gripping rounds. Predictably enough, the rematch was a slobberknocker too.
Evander Holyfield vs George Foreman: Big George was four years and 24 wins into an unlikely comeback when he received his shot at the heavyweight championship held by Evander Holyfield. The 42-year-old surprised most experts by fighting competitively and lasting the distance in an exciting, but clear decision loss, demonstrating that he remained a viable contender. As George noted after the bout, “He had the points, but I made the point.”
Chris Eubank vs Michael Watson II: Most observers felt that Watson had beaten Eubank three months earlier, but this quick-fire rematch promised to settle the score. As intense as their first battle had been, the return raised the level with both warriors bringing their A-game. Gradually, Watson imposed himself and began to beat his rival down – only for an under-siege Eubank to claim a late-round TKO. Tragically, Watson suffered a brain bleed and endured years of rehabilitation after this fateful contest.
Muangchai Kittikasem vs Jung Koo Chang: Although the opening rounds featured more clinching than punching, the action ratcheted up as the flyweights swapped countless power punches in this exhausting affair. Chang scored knockdowns in the
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