The 25 best boxing rematches from the modern era

Some of the fights on this list involve sluggers, but Toney and McCallum were two quality boxers when they faced off on the first two legs of their trilogy. Before moving up in weight, Toney defended his middleweight belt seven times. McCallum was his toughest obstacle. After a 1991 draw, the 35-year-old Jamaican sought to become the oldest fighter at that time to hold a major belt. Toney, however, stopped him in their 1992 rematch. It took a taxing 12 rounds (filled with trademark McCallum body shots) to do so, though two judges oddly had the champ winning widely. Toney beat McCallum in 1997 when they were cruiserweights, too.

The Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Andre Berto fight proved a predictable dud, but its top undercard bout delivered the expected action. Salido lost a decision to Martinez in April 2015 and outlanded his junior lightweight foe 285-189 in the September rematch. However, judges viewed this as a draw, adding yet another non-win to Salido's unique ledger (44-14-4). But Salido remained a coveted commodity due to his style. The Mexican brawler managed to throw 1,037 punches that night. Martinez soon lost his 130-pound belt to Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Part of a groundbreaking trilogy for the flyweight division, Carbajal-Gonzalez II made the former the first man under 128 pounds to make $1 million for a fight. He'd knocked out Gonzalez in Ring Magazine's 1993 Fight of the Year, and the Feb. 1994 rematch was a rare light flyweight pay-per-view main event. A 4-to-1 favorite and rare American flyweight success story, Carbajal cut Gonzalez midway through the second fight but could not hold off the 5-foot-1 Mexican. Gonzalez took a split decision and prevailed later that year via majority decision. Both are in the Hall of Fame.

Robinson and Gatti fought twice in 1998, their explosive first matchup winning Fight of the Year acclaim and the third round of their December '98 rematch achieving Round of the Year status. Both fights featured the frenetic action associated with the late Gatti, but Robinson won each -- via unanimous decision in the rematch. The taller lightweight landed a preposterous 77 of 117 punches in Round 7, but as a light puncher, could not knock Gatti down. Losses aside, Gatti remained an HBO staple well into the 2000s.

One of his era's finest fighters, Lopez dominated boxing's smallest weight divisions throughout the 1990s. However, Alvarez is responsible for the lone partial blemish on his record -- a split draw in March 1998. Alvarez was the only man to knock Lopez down, and going into their November '98 rematch, he held a considerable weight advantage after failing to make the 103-pound limit. The larger man cut the division kingpin to shreds throughout the fight, but Lopez outworked his adversary in the final rounds en route to a split-decision win. "Finito" finished his career in 2001 at 51-0-1.

Eight years after their thriller as welterweights, both all-time greats were on the downsides of their careers. But their 1989 rematch at super middleweight turned into a nice fight, one most -- including Leonard -- believe Hearns won. "The Hitman" knocked down his top adversary twice, but the judges produced a split-draw result to the dismay of many. This was probably the highest-profile super middleweight fight ever and helped Hearns, who lost to Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler in his prime, to some key legacy points in the era of the Four Kings.

The three Fury-Wilder bouts revealed a wide talent gap; Nos. 1 and 3 also showed Wilder's unparalleled eraser. Fury opted to pack on pounds for the second fight, coming in at 277, and stayed on that path for the third. With Fury outclassing Wilder in the first fight -- a disputed draw -- and bullying him in the 2020 rematch, a third bout seemed unnecessary. But Wilder showed how far his right hand can carry him in the October 2021 fight. Fury turned parts of the fight into target practice, outlanding Wilder 2-1, but the 6-foot-7 underdog floored the lineal champ twice in Round 4. Fury proved too much in a stunningly captivating finale -- named Fight of the Year -- that featured five knockdowns, 

Gatti-Ward I is this trilogy's masterpiece, but the second and third matchups were not too far off that epic standard. Bringing two defensively deficient junior welterweights together later in 2002 in the rematch and in 2003's final chapter produced two Gatti wins. But after Gatti won going away in the second fight, Ward's mid-rounds charge nearly turned the tide in the third. But the revered Gatti, despite breaking his hand, claimed a unanimous decision in 2003's Fight of the Year. Ward retired after while Gatti soldiered on, but they are remembered for these rights. It remains inexcusable this trilogy was merely credits fodder in "The Fighter."

The longtime rivals' rematch ended in a similar fashion in the ring but produced craziness after the scores were announced. Then a two-division champion, Tapia lost via unanimous decision to Ayala at a 124-pound catchweight in 2000 (the two met at 118 pounds in 1999's Fight of the Year). Incensed after seeing the judges deem his effort insufficient again, Tapia shoved Top Rank exec Todd duBoef, Bob Arum's stepson. (Arum was Ayala's promoter.) Tapia's brother-in-law then punched duBoef in the face and was arrested. 

Arturo Gatti before Arturo Gatti, Chacon participated in back-to-back Fights of the Year -- the second coming against Boza-Edwards. Four knockdowns occurred in Chacon's May 1983 fight with Boza-Edwards, a Ugandan who'd KO'd the American to retain a junior lightweight title in 1981. Chacon sent his opponent to the canvas three times, and Boza-Edwards reciprocated with one knockdown. Chacon sustained two bad cuts, but this fight still made it to the cards. Stripped of his 130-pound title prior to the fight, Chacon won another slugfest, this one via unanimous decision. 

While Golovkin kept his middleweight crown after a 2017 draw with his top rival, the judging that produced that result brought widespread criticism. The September 2018 rematch offered a similar outcome, though Alvarez accounted himself better. Canelo started stronger, standing toe-to-toe with the much older champion, but GGG broke through with a feverish finish. Due to his elite jab, the Kazakh power puncher outlanded Canelo 234-202 but lost a narrow majority decision to the popular Mexican. Most in boxing view this series as either 2-1 for Golovkin or 1-1-1. Instead, Canelo -- known to receive a friendly scorecard or two -- finished it 2-0-1 after a third fight that occurred far too late.

Pacquiao's prime-years losses came to a potentially performance-enhanced Juan Manuel Marquez and by dubious decision against Tim Bradley, but before his unparalleled ascent, he lost cleanly to Morales in 2005. However, the Filipino developed a better right-hand weapon by the time they reconvened in 2006. He came on late to stop Morales with a two-knockdown 10th round, but the Mexican warrior was close on the cards at stoppage time. In their third fight, however, Pacquiao iced his junior lightweight rival in Round 3 before embarking on his journey up the weight-class ladder. 

Bowe rose to stardom by taking Holyfield's heavyweight title in a thrilling 1992 scrap. Their 1993 rematch is overshadowed by "Fan Man" inserting himself into the proceedings. (A rogue fan parachuted into Caesars Palace and delayed the fight by 20 minutes in Round 7.) Holyfield won by majority decision, recapturing his crown. By the time they met in 1995's rubber match, neither held the lineal title -- it being passed from Holyfield to Michael Moorer to George Foreman -- but Bowe stopped his rival in Round 8, the first time anyone halted Holyfield. Bowe flamed out soon after, and Holyfield became champion two more times.

Fury-Wilder III attracted more viewers and brought more drama, but skill-wise, March 2021's Gonzalez-Estrada II lapped that heavyweight battle and deserved Fight of the Year honors. Rematching nine years after Gonzalez defeated Estrada to keep his light flyweight title, the two met at junior bantamweight (115). The result: a nonstop war. Although no knockdowns occurred, Gonzalez -- thought to be finished after a 2017 knockout loss to Srisaket Sor Rungvisai -- showed why he is one of this era's greatest. While it seemed "Chocolatito" did enough to outpoint his younger rival, outlanding him 391-314, the 33-year-old Nicaraguan lost a decision to the 30-year-old Mexican, who won a slightly less frenzied rubber match in 2022. 

Amid a three-plus-year light heavyweight reign, the former Matthew Franklin ran into a determined challenger in 1980. In his fourth bid to win a 175-pound title, Lopez pushed the champion to the brink with a strong first half. Saad Muhammad reversed the fight's course by withstanding a fusillade of Lopez shots while on the ropes in the eighth round, and the Philadelphia native finished off the Mexican with four knockdowns in the 14th. Saad Muhammad was involved in some classics; 1980's Fight of the Year was one of his best.

Although he had yet to change his name to Matthew Saad Muhammad, the light heavyweight's penchant for action was there. Johnson lost the first fight against Franklin, a non-major-title opportunity in 1977, but entered the 1979 rematch with a 175-pound title belt. He showed it early by controlling the Indianapolis-stationed fight. But as he was wont to do, Franklin re-emerged midway through and decked Johnson in the final seconds of Round 7. The southpaw champion tried to respond in the eighth, but Franklin got the better of a feverish exchange and subdued Johnson via KO to begin his title reign.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins chased the legacy of Monzon, regarded by many as the sport's No. 1 middleweight. A Colombian contender, Valdes twice pushed the Argentinian legend to the brink but could not take the WBA and WBC belts Monzon had held throughout the 1970s. Valdes knocked Monzon down in the second round and amassed an early lead in their 1977 rematch, but the champion rallied back and created significant swelling around his opponent's eyes. He prevailed via unanimous decision and retired soon after, having gone unbeaten over his career's final 13 years. 

Midway through a Hall of Fame career as one of the sport's greatest small-division fighters, Arguello had to navigate Escalera twice. The first time -- 1978's “The Bloody Battle of Bayamon" -- resulted in the Nicaraguan taking Escalera's junior lightweight title. Escalera was better prepared for the rematch in '79, and the sequel surpassed the original. Escalera captivated the Italian crowd (and Howard Cosell) by surmounting two early-round knockdowns and a severe cut to relentlessly attack Arguello. But the champion finally dispatched a dialed-in challenger with a 13th-round knockdown. 

The fourth battle between these two -- an afternoon fight in Sacramento -- became the most memorable. The junior lightweights entered this 1982 double rubber match at 1-1-1 in the series, and Limon's fourth- and 10th-round knockdowns looked to have him in a position to win this pivotal matchup. But Chacon came through with an all-time clutch moment, flooring Limon with 13 seconds left in the fight. That was enough to flip the cards in his favor for a razor-thin unanimous decision; this was Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year over Aaron Pryor-Alexis Arguello I, an incredible achievement. 

Joe Frazier handed Muhammad Ali his most famous defeat, but Norton may have posed as the toughest matchup for "The Greatest." He broke Ali's jaw in their 1973 first fight -- a split-decision Norton win -- and fought Ali close in their second non-title bout later that year. The third meeting brought higher stakes, with Ali's title on the line. Staged at Yankee Stadium in September 1976, Ali-Norton III provided similar intrigue. The unorthodox challenger pushed the declining champ to the brink, but Ali battled back to win a disputed unanimous decision, adding yet another big win to his staggering resume.

A four-part series peaked in episode three. After Marquez defeated his top rival in their 2007 opener, Vazquez responded with a knockout win five months later. Their 2008 rubber match, for the WBC 122-pound title, featured both men being sent to the canvas. An action-packed fourth round saw Marquez, Juan Manuel's little brother, knock Vazquez down. But in the 12th, Vazquez knocked Marquez into the ropes -- which referee Pat Russell ruled a knockdown. That mattered, with Vazquez eking out a narrow split decision. The second and third bouts won Fight of the Year acclaim. Marquez evened the rivalry with a 2010 knockout. 

Two of Julio Cesar Chavez's 1980s victims fought twice in the middle part of the decade, the 1984 rematch being a lightweight prelude to 1985's legendary Marvin Hagler-Thomas Hearns middleweight scrap. Rosario beat Ramirez for a 135-pound title in 1983 in his native Puerto Rico. Ramirez, a Mexican, joined Marv Albert in trekking to Puerto Rico in '84. Despite having a 60-plus-fight experience disadvantage, Rosario bombarded Ramirez in the first two rounds, knocking him down twice and applying constant pressure. But the veteran recovered in Round 3 and unloaded a vicious, fight-ending combination to recapture his title in the fourth.

Meeting in three weight divisions (featherweight, junior lightweight, welterweight), Pacquiao and Marquez fought four times. The Filipino sensation won two of the rematches, in 2008 and 2011, by disputed split and majority decisions, amid a historic rise to superstar status. Sporting an interesting new physique for their fourth fight, the Mexican struck the most memorable blow in this rivalry by knocking out Pacquiao in the sixth round. Both men recorded prior knockdowns in an epic 2012 firefight, but Marquez's perfectly placed punch allowed him to finally pick up a win against his defining opponent.

If the Pacquiao-Marquez fights featured slightly superior skill, Barrera-Morales brought more consistent action. Contested from 2000-04 at junior featherweight, featherweight and junior lightweight, the Barrera-Morales trilogy was one of boxing's best. Barrera won the final two fights but benefited from a Morales knockdown not being counted in the 2002 rematch that ended in a unanimous decision and Morales' first loss. In '04, Barrera bettered his Mexican nemesis as well. It is difficult to discuss 21st-century boxing for too long without bringing up these fights. 

The greatest fight in boxing history came when both icons had diminished from this trilogy's first two fights (a 1971 Frazier masterpiece, a 1974 Ali non-title win). Regardless, "The Thrilla in Manila" defined the nemeses' legacies. Proving he was far from washed up, Frazier rallied after a slow start and outlanded Ali after nine rounds. But boxing's premier heavyweight fired his signature salvos in the championship rounds -- to the point Frazier trainer Eddie Futch wouldn't let his fighter come out for the 15th. Ali landed 264 punches to Frazier's 250, and both men were never quite the same afterward. But that October 1975 night will live on forever.