London, UK (May 17, 2024) - Heavyweight boxing history is rife with memorable moments. Especially when it’s the big guys going toe-to-toe. Most heavyweight boxing fans likely remember 45-year-old George Foreman beating Michael Moorer to recapture the championship in 1994. However, that wasn't even the most thrilling fight in the history of the sport. Yes, there are likely more iconic fights on the horizon that will showcase extraordinary technique, endurance, and excitement. Moreover, fights these days are scheduled between opponents of different nationalities, sizes, styles and even competing promoters.

Take, for instance, the upcoming bout between Chinese powerhouse Zhilei Zhang and former champion Deontay Wilder, scheduled for June 1, 2024. Online platforms from the UK betting sites list are already offering odds on the outcome of this power-punching clash. However, regardless of how many bets or viewers this high ranking fight attracts, it probably won’t go down in boxing history as one of the most iconic bouts. So, which ones have made it into the history books? The answer is quite simple.

Jack Dempsey vs. Luis Firpo – 1923

If you are reading this, then you weren’t alive when this heavyweight battle went down at the Polo Grounds in 1923. Jack Dempsey was the undisputed heavyweight champion, but Luis Firpo was getting a lot of attention and had earned a shot at the title.

It looked like Dempsey was going to win easily after sending the challenger to the mat seven times in the first round. However, Firpo stunned the crowd when he backed Dempsey against the ropes and then proceeded to land a blistering combination that knocked the champ out of the ring. Dempsey barely made it back into the ring in time before taking another 13 straight blows from Firpo to end the first round. Dempsey would deliver a thundering knock-out blow in the second round to win the match. What a comeback!

Mike Tyson vs. Lennox Lewis – 2002

We could have gone with a few other Mike Tyson bouts, but his fight against Lennox Lewis in 2002 stands out as it left an indelible image. At 35, Iron Mike’s boxing career was on a downward trajectory. After disposing of a few palookas, it was time to take on his long-time nemesis, Lewis who held the unified title.

What made this bout so memorable was the way Lewis methodically and patiently picked the former champion apart. He was like a cat cruelly toying with a mouse. It looked like Lennox preferred to batter his opponent instead of going for the knockout. He let Tyson hang in there until the eighth round when he finally delivered a bruising right cross that melted Iron Mike. If you saw the fight, then you remember a bloodied and utterly defeated Tyson being counted out. That was the fight that dashed all of Tyson’s remaining championship hopes. It was the end of an entertaining era.

Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier – 1975

It is remembered as the Thrilla in Manila, and many consider it to be the most brutal boxing match in modern history. Ali and Frazier had already fought twice. Frazier handed Ali his first loss in 1971, but Ali got the better of Frazier in 1974. Even though Ali was the champ, Frazier was the odds-on betting favourite. Rumours were circulating implying that Ali hadn’t trained as hard as he should have.

It’s difficult to put the viciousness and brutality into words. In short, Ali and Frazier took turns beating each other into a pulp. While Ali’s rope-a-dope was generally effective, the strategy came with a huge price in the form of Frazier’s thundering body attack. Meanwhile, Ali used his speed to land staggering combinations that gave Frazier fits. This exchange of brutal assaults went on for a full 14 rounds. It was then that Frazier’s corner threw in the towel.

Ali would tell his biographer that it came down to Frazier quitting before Ali did. Ali admitted that he didn’t think he could continue. In fact, Ali had told Angelo Dundee to remove his gloves and call it quits, but Dundee ignored the request. As an aside, it looks like the Philippines will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of this epic showdown.

Conclusion

Yes, there have been many memorable heavyweight tilts. Some of them may have been more memorable than the three mentioned above. Still, those three fights were certainly iconic and every heavyweight boxing fan should watch them.