The 10 Best Heavyweight Title Fights: 20002009

by Geoffrey Ciani - When IBF/WBO heavyweight champion of the world Wladimir Klitschko
(55-3, 49 KOs) recently defeated Samuel Peter (34-3, 27 KOs) by tenth round knockout, it was
typical of his recent efforts. Since winning the IBF version of the belt against Chris Byrd in April
2006, Klitschko has now successfully defended the title nine times. He also defended the WBO
version of the title on five occasions since winning the strap from Sultan Ibragimov during a
2008 unification bout.
What is most impressive about Klitschkos reign is not that he continues winning, but the manner
by which he wins. Klitschko has dominated all who have been put in front of him. Eight of his
nine title defenses have ended inside the distance, and he has rarely lost a round during that
stretch. In fact not only does Klitschko hardly ever lose rounds, but he has become so effective
with his fighting style that he seldom gets hit. The last time Wladimir was truly tested inside the
ring was back in September 2005, when he fought Sam Peter the first time in a fight which saw
Wladimir dropped three times in a winning effort.
This got me thinking about the best heavyweight title fights over the last ten years or so.
Interestingly enough, despite becoming a dominant force in the heavyweight division over the
better part of the last five years, Wladimir Klitschko has never really been involved in any of the
better title fights from that period. Aside from losses suffered against the likes of Corrie Sanders
and Lamon Brewster, Wladimir has dominated virtually every title fight he has been involved in.
So what were the ten best heavyweight title fights between 2000 and 2009?
Here is my take:

10. Lamon Brewster TKO9 Luan Krasniqi

DATE: September 28, 2005
LOCATION: Hamburg, Germany
RECAP: This was Brewsters third defense of the WBO title. He was coming off of an
impressive first round knockout victory against Andrew Golota, and he picked things up right
where he left off. Brewster came out swinging and looked to make quick work of Krasniqi, but
the German fighter began finding the mark with his jab. Krasniqi began growing more confident
and started throwing more combinations in the subsequent rounds. The decision to begin
standing toe-to-toe with Brewster ultimately backfired. Krasniqi was tagged with a nice left hook
near the end of the eighth that forced the him to the canvas. After a controversial long count,
Krasniqi survived until the end of the round. Still behind on all the cards entering the ninth,
Brewster looked to finish Krasniqi with a vicious assault. It appeared Krasniqi would survive yet
another round until he was nailed with a good right hand with only seconds remaining. Krasniqi
was again sent to the canvas which prompted the referee to call a halt to the contest.

9. Vitali Klitschko TKO8 Corrie Sanders

DATE: April 24, 2004

LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
RECAP: This fight was for the vacant WBC title following the somewhat surprising retirement
of Lennox Lewis. Klitschko had lost to Lewis ten months earlier in a fight he was winning before
it was stopped due to a grotesque cut on the eyelid. Making matters more interesting, Sanders
had scored a shocking knockout victory against Vitalis younger brother a year earlier. In the
opening round, Sanders almost became the first person to officially drop Vitali when a solid left
hand had him on uneasy legs. Vitali persevered. With each passing round, Klitschko became
more accustomed to Sanders speed and took control, but Sanders never stopped trying. The fight
was eventually stopped near the end of the eighth round after an accumulation of punches
rendered Sanders helpless.

8. Chris Byrd SD Jameel McCline

DATE: November 13, 2004
LOCATION: New York, New York
RECAP: This was Chris Byrds third defense of the IBF title. He was coming off of a somewhat
controversial draw against Andrew Golota and McCline was on a three fight winning streak since
losing to Wladimir Klitschko nearly two years earlier. Fights between former sparring partners
often turn into lackluster affairs, but that was not the case in this one. The bigger McCline sought
to impose his physical size and strength on Byrd early, and it paid off. McCline dropped Byrd
with a big punch in the second and it almost appeared as if there was an upset in the making. It
was an uphill battle for Byrd, but he showed tremendous heart and battled his way back into the
contest. The slicker, quicker Byrd began really finding his rhythm as McCline grew sluggish in
the later rounds. Byrd was ultimately awarded a hard-earned split decision victory with the final
scorecards reading 115-112, 114-113, and 112-114.

7. Lennox Lewis KO8 Mike Tyson

DATE: June 8, 2002
LOCATION: Memphis, Tennessee
RECAP: This was one heavyweight fight fans had been talking about for years. When it finally
happened, both fighters had already seen their best days pass by but Tyson was much further
removed from his prime and it showed. Lewis had gone 10-1-1 in title fights since 1997, whereas
Tyson was just 0-1 during that same period, with that one loss being in the now infamous earbiting incident with Evander Holyfield. True to form, Tyson stormed out looking for a knockout
while Lewis, who was usually known as a safety first fighter, uncharacteristically stood toe-totoe looking to earn Mikes respect. Tyson won the first round on pure aggression, but Lewis
landed a nice uppercut which may well have changed the course of the fight. It was all downhill
for Tyson from there. Lewis was peppering Tyson with stiff jabs and big right hands all
throughout the fight until he was ultimately worn down both mentally and physically. Lewis
finally sent Tyson to the canvas with a big right hand (and a little push for good measure) in the
eighth round, and that was it. Tyson remained on his back and was counted out without making
much of an effort to rise to his feet.

6. Lennox Lewis KO4 Hasim Rahman (rematch)

DATE: November 17, 2001
LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada

RECAP: Rahman was attempting to make his first defense of the WBC/IBF titles he had won
from Lewis seven months earlier in the shocking upset in South Africa. This fight was also
preceded by a battle in the court room, where Lewis ensured that he would get his immediate
rematch. Many questioned how Lewis would respond in the return bout. After all, when he
avenged his only other career loss against Oliver McCall, it was under strange circumstances
which saw an emotionally disturbed McCall break down crying in the ring. This time, however,
Lewis left no doubts that he was the better fighter. After dominating the action with his jab and
superior skills, Lewis closed the show with one of the best right hands in recent memory which
sent Rahman crashing to the center of the canvas in round four.

5. Oleg Maskaev TKO12 Hasim Rahman (rematch)

DATE: August 12, 2006
LOCATION: Las Vegas, Nevada
RECAP: Rahman was attempting to defend his WBC title for the second time. These two had
already met almost seven years earlier when Maskaev scored a dramatic eighth round knockout
which literally sent Rahman out of the ring. Despite the result of their first encounter, Maskaev
was an underdog going into this one. Experts viewed him as slower and more battle-worn, and
few were expecting Maskaev to be competitive let alone win. As the old saying goes, styles make
fights. For whatever reason, Maskaev just matched up well with Rahman. The fight was
competitive through the midway point and Maskaev began taking control in the later parts of the
fight, culminating in a dramatic twelfth round stoppage that was eerily reminiscent of their first
fight. Following the widespread popularity of the 2005 motion picture Cinderella Man,
inevitable comparisons between Maskaev and James Braddock ensued.

4. Hasim Rahman KO5 Lennox Lewis

DATE: April 22, 2001
LOCATION: Gauteng, South Africa
RECAP: Lewis was looking to defend his WBC/IBF titles for the fourth time since beating
Evander Holyfield in their November 1999 rematch. Rahman was expected to be nothing more
than another Lewis victim in the lead-up to an inevitable mega showdown between Lewis and
Tyson. Unfortunately for Lewis, Rahman had other plans in mind. Lewis showed up in South
Africa just a few weeks before the fight. He had been on the film set for the movie Ocean Eleven
while training for this fight, and according to rumors, Lewis was overconfident and taking
Rahman lightly. The fight was competitive, although both fighters appeared tired as early as the
third round. In round five, Lewis appeared to be gaining momentum when he was suddenly
backed across the ring by a series of Rahman jabs. Lewis seemed amused by Rahmans attack,
and he smiled. An instant later, he was on the canvas being counted out compliments of a
Rahman right hand. Rahmans upset victory naturally brought back memories of Buster Douglas.

3. Chris Byrd D Andrew Golota

DATE: Aril 17, 2004
LOCATION: New York, New York
RECAP: This was Byrds second defense of his IBF title and it was a fight that came up
unexpectedly. Byrd was originally slated to defend his title against DaVarryl Williamson, but an
injury forced him to pull out. When Andrew Golota (who had recently just signed with Don
King) got the call as a late replacement, uproar ensued throughout the boxing community. Golota

only had two fights since his meltdown against Mike Tyson nearly four years earlier and many
viewed him as an undeserving challenger. The fight itself, however, exceeded all expectations. It
was a brilliant clash of styles that saw a slick counter puncher and a boxer/puncher engage in a
dramatic twelve rounds of action. It was a back and forth encounter where both fighters had their
moments and many rounds were extremely difficult to score. In the end, Byrd retained his title
with a somewhat controversial draw in a bout many observers felt Golota did enough to win.
Unfortunately they never had a rematch, despite having such an entertaining affair.

2. Lennox Lewis TKO6 Vitali Klitschko

DATE: June 21, 2003
LOCATION: Los Angeles, California
RECAP: Lennox Lewis had waited almost a full year for a Tyson rematch, but Iron Mike
wanted no part of it. Instead, Lewis was slated to fight Kirk Johnson and Klitschko was supposed
to appear on the undercard against Cedric Boswell. When Johnson suffered an injury to his
pectoral muscle just over two weeks before the fight, Lewis and Klitschko both admirably agreed
to face each other and save the card on short notice. Klitschko surprisingly jumped out to an
early lead and appeared to have Lewis hurt in the second. Lewis began finding his rhythm in the
third and the two were engaged in an exciting scrap with lots of big punches being landed by
both fighters. During the third, fourth, and fifth rounds a grotesque cut began growing above
Klitschkos left eye, thanks to a Lewis right hand. The cut got progressively worse, and a second
cut soon emerged underneath that same eye. Lewis smelled blood and the momentum appeared
to be shifting in his favor. At the end of the sixth round, Lewis landed a lethal uppercut, but
somehow or another Vitali remained on his feet. Lewis collapsed onto his stool and appeared
totally exhausted and Vitali seemed to be slowing down himself. By this time, the cut above
Vitalis eye had gotten so bad that the ring doctor had the fight stopped in between rounds.
Unfortunately, a rematch never happened. Fans will always be left to wonder what could have
happened had the fight been allowed to continue for just one more round.

1. Sergei Liakhovich UD Lamon Brewster

DATE: April 1, 2006
LOCATION: Cleveland, Ohio
RECAP: Brewster made three successful defenses of his WBO title before being pitted against
Sergei Liekhovich. This was not a fight surrounded with a lot of buzz or huge expectations. As
such, this action-packed slugfest exceeded any and all expectations, much to the delight of
boxing fans. This crowd-pleasing encounter was a great display of heart and guts from both
fighters. Liakhovich demonstrated the superior skills, but what Brewster lacked in skills he made
up for through sheer determination. The two warriors bludgeoned each other in a give and take
battle. Liakhovich was forced to take a knee in round seven after Brewster unleashed a vicious
barrage. Despite being down, Liakhovich battled back and appeared to have better stamina down
the stretch. His superior skills and conditioning were enough to win in the eyes of the judges as
Liakhovich was awarded a twelve round unanimous decision with the final cards reading 115113, 115-112, and 117-110.

Golden Boy Inks Paulie

"Magic Man"
Malignaggi
Brooklyn, NY (September 28, 2010) - Golden
Boy Promotions just added a little more magic to
its already stellar lineup of fighters as the
company announced today that an agreement has
been reached to promote former World Champion
Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi. Malignaggi, who will begin his assault on the welterweight
division under the Golden Boy banner, will also serve as one of the company's "ambassadors" to
New York, assisting in the promotion of events in his hometown in conjunction with Golden
Boy's recently announced deal with The Barclays Center in Brooklyn..
"We are very excited to add Paulie to our roster of fighters," said Golden Boy Promotions
President Oscar de la Hoya . "We have worked with him on numerous fights and his flashy style
is exciting to watch both in and out of the ring. We have big plans in store for him and are
thrilled that he is in our corner."
"This is the best career move I've made and I'm thankful to Golden Boy Promotions for giving
me this opportunity," said Malignaggi. "I know they can give me the biggest and best fights out
there and that's what I want at this point in my career. I also want to thank my attorney Steve
Bash and my manager Anthony Catanzaro for working so hard to make deal happen."
While Brooklyn native Malignaggi (27-4, 5 KO's) has become well known for his ability to outtalk his opponents outside the ring, he has also proven that he can back up his talk inside the ring
with his stiff jab, lightning-quick speed and stellar defense. He has challenged and gone toe-totoe with some of the best in the business, earning him respect around the boxing world.
Malignaggi first won a world title in 2007 when he defeated Lovemore N'dou for the IBF Junior
Welterweight crown and followed that up by facing some of the biggest names in boxing
including former World Champions Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz (twice) and Ricky "The Hitman"
Hatton as well as current WBA Super Lightweight World Champion Amir Khan. As he begins a
new quest for a world championship, Malignaggi will campaign at a new weight class, 147
pounds, where he feels he will be more comfortable and effective.
"This is the start of a new stage of my career," Malignaggi continued. "A new promoter, a new
weight class and a new opportunity to face the best, beat the best and win a world
championship."
A date, site and opponent for Malignaggi's first fight with Golden Boy Promotions will be
announced soon.
Article posted on 29.09.2010

Margarito Moves Training Camp to Oxnard, California

OXNARD, CALIF. (September 28, 2010) -- Eight weeks away from hitting North Texas, the
Tijuana Tornado ANTONIO MARGARITO is picking up steam as he heads to the coastal
town of Oxnard, Calif. to continue his preparation for his rumble with the best pound for pound
fighter in the world, The Honorable Manny Pacman Pacquiao, Congressman from the province
of Sarangani in the Philippines. Pacquiao vs. Margarito is scheduled to take place Saturday,
November 13 from Cowboys Stadium and will be produced and distributed live on HBO PayPer-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT..
After two weeks in the City of South El Monte, Calif., where the emphasis was on mountain road
work and preliminary gym work, Margarito and his team, lead by head trainer and former IBF
junior lightweight champion Robert Garcia, have relocated to Oxnard for the remainder of their
training camp .
We got a lot done in the first two-weeks and Tony looks great. I love his focus and intensity and
our first phase of training camp was an eye opener for him and me. The first two weeks have
been really terrific and productive, said Garcia.
In Oxnard, Margarito will continue with his early morning run, this time alternating with runs at
the beach, mountains and track. He will begin sparring this week too.
I know how important this fight is to my career and to all of Mxico. That is why I will prepare
like never before and will defeat Manny Pacquiao, proving to everyone that I am one of the best
fighters in the world, said Margarito.
The three-time welterweight champion will be battling the Filipino icon for the vacant WBC
super welterweight world championship.
The belt is very important to me, but the most important thing is to give the fans a great fight
and one that they will remember for a long time. I love to fight and Manny has proven that he is
a warrior. This fight is going to be a war, Margarito continued.
MANNY PACQUIAO vs. ANTONIO MARGARITO, World Super Welterweight Championship,
is promoted by Top Rank, in association with Cowboys Stadium, MP Promotions and Tecate.
Remaining Tickets to Pacquiao vs. Margarito are priced at $700, $500, $300, $200, $100, and
$50, and can be purchased in-person at the Cowboys Stadium ticket office in Arlington, or by

calling Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000. Tickets can also be purchased online at

www.ticketmaster.com.
The Pacquiao vs. Margarito pay-per-view telecast, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be
produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million
pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive
HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event
programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Pacquiao vs. Margarito fight week updates, log
on to www.hbo.com.
HBOs Emmy-Award-winning all-access series 24/7 premieres an all new edition when 24/7
Pacquiao/Margarito debuts Saturday, Oct. 23 at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. The four-part series will air
for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs the night before the super
welterweight championship showdown in Texas.