What are the fights that lived up to the hype?
This is a worthy topic as we enter fight week for a junior lightweight unification bout between WBO titleholder Emanuel Navarrete, taking on the IBF belt holder Eduardo Nunez on Saturday night at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Given the stylistic matchup between the two power punchers, who are aggressive in the ring, the thought coming into the bout is that it may be a potential classic. Add to it the stakes of a unification bout and national pride in Mexico, and you have the recipe for a classic.
Navarrete, 39-2-1 (32 KOs), was in this spot in 2023 when he faced Oscar Valdez. Navarrete would win those two fights, but those fights lacked the drama some may have hoped for.
Nunez, 29-1 (27 KOs), a concussive puncher, has seen his knockout streak derailed, as his title win and first defense went to decision. Now, the hopes are the two can make a memorable modern fight.
Let’s look at some fights, billed as potential Fight of the Year bouts that lived up to the hype, that stood out to this reporter.
Fights are listed in chronological order from oldest to most recent:
Sergio Martinez MD12 Paul Williams
December 5, 2009
Perceived as a battle of two boogeymen. Martinez, a brilliant, untraditional boxer, was taking on tough opposition, and Williams, originally a welterweight, moved up to middleweight seeking the biggest fights possible. The first fight between the two was a classic, with Williams winning a heavily debated decision. The rematch left no doubt: Martinez would knock out Williams in two rounds.
Brandon Rios TKO7 Mike Alvarado
October 13, 2012
When you look at hyped-up hardcore fight fan fights, look no further than this one. It was a dream matchup as both Rios and Alvarado loved to exchange blows in close. The first fight became a classic, while the eventual trilogy slowly started to lose its luster. The violent battle between the two probably shortened both fighters’ careers but produced one of the most fan-friendly fights of the past 15 years.
Andre Ward UD12 Sergey Kovalev
November 19, 2016
Ward would move up to light heavyweight to challenge the perceived most accomplished fighter at the time, Kovalev. Ward would get off the canvas in the second round to outbox Kovalev. The bout didn’t just show Ward’s skill, but his heart and desire to win. For Kovalev, the “Krusher” persona never reemerged, as after the first Ward fight, he was never truly the same fighter again.
Anthony Joshua KO11 Wladimir Klitschko
April 29, 2017
Klitschko had lost his title to Tyson Fury two years earlier, but was now challenging Joshua, a beloved British boxing figure. Both would hit the canvas, with Joshua knocking out Klitschko late in the fight. It was Joshua’s defining moment; even though Klitschko was past his prime, he rallied back to defeat a legend. The fight was Klitschko’s last of his career.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez MD12 Gennady Golovkin
September 15, 2018
A high-drama rematch. The first bout ended in a draw, with many believing Golovkin won. The rematch was delayed. Questions surrounded Alvarez, only for him to bully the bully in a classic. Some think Alvarez won, others say Golovkin. Regardless of the outcome, it was a true modern classic between two of the best of their era. It goes down as the biggest win of Alvarez’s career.
Josh Taylor MD12 Regis Prograis
October 26, 2019
The final of a junior welterweight tournament that saw all of the titleholders minus Jose Ramirez. Taylor would defeat Prograis in a memorable bout. Though many eyes in the US were on Shakur Stevenson winning his first world title against Joet Gonzalez, Taylor would outlast Prograis in a back-and-forth classic.
Teofimo Lopez Jnr UD12 Vasiliy Lomachenko
October 17, 2020
Lopez called out Lomachenko from the start of his career. When the fight was made, it was thought to be a mismatch, until Lopez did the impossible; he not only hung with Lomachenko, but won more rounds. Lomachenko opted to start late, which proved costly, but Lopez was the first young fighter of his generation to take on a legend – and win – which was an important moment to start the decade.
Tyson Fury KO11 Deontay Wilder
October 9, 2021
You could make an argument that Fury-Wilder is the best heavyweight trilogy ever. The two fighters grew to disdain each other. The final meeting was high drama, with a lot of promotion. The first bout ended in a draw with Wilder getting up in the final round, creating an iconic moment. In the second fight, Fury bulldozed Wilder, but Wilder claimed that he was wronged. The final bout was for all the marbles. Fans of Wilder hoped he would win one of the bouts, but instead, Fury made an emphatic statement to put to rest the series of fights.
Oleksandr Usyk SD12 Tyson Fury
May 18, 2024
An undisputed heavyweight title fight worthy of the label. Usyk became arguably a top-five heavyweight of all-time with his win over Fury, having defeated all of the greats of his era (outside of Wilder) in their hometowns or on neutral soil. Usyk never sought A-side advantages on his way to becoming undisputed at cruiserweight, and the same happened at heavyweight. Usyk nearly stopped Fury in the fight, as he out-willed the bigger man, to become a true boxing legend.
Chris Eubank Jnr UD12 Conor Benn
April 26, 2025
A great second-generation bout that had no business being as good as it was. Eubank, a career middleweight and super middleweight, faced off with Benn, who had fought at welterweight and junior middleweight. What we got was less about skill, but more about pride, as the first meeting was a compelling high-stakes grudge match that was one of the best fights of the year. A lot of hype, but the end result merited it.
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
