Top 10 greatest boxing performances of all time

Boxing is a two man sport – but sometimes, the performance of one man is so spectacular, you forget the other even exists. 

Today, we’ll be looking at ten of the best individual performances in boxing history, including stars such as Manny Pacquiao, Oleksandr Usyk and Joe Calzaghe.

For reference, we will limit entries to one per fighter, just to give boxers who aren’t named Muhammad Ali a decent chance. 

10. OLEKSANDR USYK vs Murat Gassiev

In the final of the World Boxing Super Series for the undisputed cruiserweight titles, Oleksandr Usyk put on an absolute clinic to beat Murat Gassiev.

Gassiev had absolutely no answer for Usyk’s constant jab and clever movement. Even when he managed to find the target, Usyk absorbed the punishment and continued to pepper him with straight shots. 

The bookies had this one fairly even before the bell was rung – afterwards, it looked like a complete mismatch. 

9. NAOYA INOUE vs Stephen Fulton

Naoya Inoue and Stephen Fulton presented an interesting clash of styles – Inoue was seen as the bigger puncher, while Fulton was characterised as the superior technician. 

Instead, Inoue proved to be both the heavier puncher and the better boxer. He boxed circles around Fulton, making him miss and countering intelligently. 

Eventually, Inoue caught him with a right, followed by a left that sent a bewildered Fulton to the mat. He made it to his feet, but Inoue was on him like a rash to force the stoppage. 

8. TERENCE CRAWFORD vs Errol Spence Jr

Terence Crawford vs Errol Spence Jr was a fight that had been in the making for several years before the pair eventually squared off. Both of them were in the top 10 pound for pound rankings – as such, an even contest was expected. 

Despite this, Crawford made Spence look several levels below his calibre by showing superior speed and ring IQ to outfox and physically dismantle ‘The Truth’. 

Spence had no answer for Crawford, as he repeatedly tagged him from unorthodox angles and prevented him from establishing a rhythm. It was a total beatdown – after nine rounds, Crawford got the stoppage win. 

7. MANNY PACQUIAO vs Antonio Margarito

Manny Pacquiao started his professional career at flyweight – as such, many had reservations when he announced his decision to move up to super-welterweight. Brows were raised higher still when he signed a deal to fight the infamous Antonio Margarito – many saw this as a bridge too far for Pac-Man. 

Pacquiao gave Margarito one of boxing’s most memorable beatdowns as he pummelled his much larger opponent, making both of his eyes swell shut and fracturing his orbital bone. By the end of the fight, Margarito didn’t look much like his face on the poster any more. 

To Margarito’s credit, he never stopped coming forward and landed some telling shots on Pacquiao, but nothing could mask the horrific beating he had endured at hands of one of boxing’s greatest. 

6. FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR vs Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez

When Floyd Mayweather and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez fought each other, Mayweather was winding down, while Canelo was on the rise. As such, several observers saw this as a potential breakout party for the young Mexican. 

However, Floyd did not receive this memo. Instead, he took Canelo to school, college and university as he used his superior speed to land countless blows while taking nothing in return. 

Inexplicably, judge CJ Ross scored the bout a draw, causing a mixture of confusion and contempt to arise from the audience – as well as Mayweather himself. It would be difficult to pinpoint a single round that Canelo won in this fight, let alone six. 

5. MIKE TYSON vs Michael Spinks

This was a fight for the undisputed heavyweight crown – Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks were both defeated and the latter had just beaten long-reigning heavyweight king Larry Holmes twice in a row. 

Tyson was the favourite, but observers thought this would be a tough test for The Baddest Man on the Planet. Just 91 seconds into the bout, Tyson had already knocked Spinks clean out. 

The only factor holding this performance back is that Tyson was expected to beat Spinks – but not many expected him to do it so quickly. Notably, the only person to explicitly predict a first round KO for Tyson was Angelo Dundee – his legendary protege, Muhammad Ali, had picked Spinks to win on points. 

4. BERNARD HOPKINS vs Kelly Pavlik

Prior to this fight, Bernard Hopkins had been defeated by Jermaine Taylor – soon after, Kelly Pavlik stopped Taylor in a dramatic finish. As such, by the triangle theory, Pavlik should have defeated Hopkins soundly. 

Instead, ‘The Alien’ put on a trademark display to completely outfox Pavlik, making him look incredibly amateurish and foolish throughout. Pavlik’s frustration grew throughout the fight, with Hopkins taking advantage as he repeatedly countered ‘The Ghost’. 

Hopkins wholly outclassed Pavlik en route to a unanimous decision – a fight coated in racial tension, this was one of Hopkins’ crowning victories in an already glittering career. 

3. JOE FRAZIER vs Muhammad Ali (1)

The build up to the ‘Fight of the Century’ was like no other. Ali laid a blistering, slanderous campaign against Frazier to depict him as the ‘white man’s champion’ and even worse, as an ‘uncle tom’. Needless to say, Frazier went into the fight with a blinding anger. 

Frazier fought like a man possessed, giving Ali no breathing room or time to put his punches together. He gave Ali a beating that night, despite the best efforts of the Louisville native. 

Late on, Frazier floored Ali with a massive left hook – Ali rose to his feet, which was a minor miracle itself. He made it to the final bell, but he was well beaten by Frazier. 

2. JOE CALZAGHE vs Jeff Lacy

Before Joe Calzaghe fought Jeff Lacy, many feared for the Welshman’s career. The question was not whether Calzaghe would win – but whether he would survive. To make matters worse, he also went into the fight with a broken hand, but was convinced to get into the ring by his father. 

In spite of the odds, Calzaghe put on an absolute clinic – Lacy was completely dominated over 12 rounds, failing to win even a single second of any round. His fearsome reputation was thoroughly eroded as the Italian Dragon danced around him whilst giving him an hellacious beating. 

Lacy barely laid a glove on Calzaghe throughout the contest – he was never the same again after this schooling. 

1. MUHAMMAD ALI vs George Foreman

An obvious pick, perhaps, but Muhammad Ali’s display against George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle is likely the most intelligent display of boxing of all time. 

Before the fight, people questioned Ali’s safety, genuinely wondering if ‘The Greatest’ would make it out of the ring alive. However, Ali used Foreman’s aggression against him, as he allowed the champion to tire himself out while using excellent defensive tactics to avoid being badly hurt. 

Up against seemingly insurmountable odds, Ali not only defeated Foreman, but made him look decidedly amateurish in doing so.