The best rematches in heavyweight history

A year into Holmes' seven-year title reign, the heavy-handed Shavers nearly pulled off a titanic upset. Holmes won every round of Holmes-Shavers I, a 1978 non-title bout. In the 1979 rematch, Holmes also controlled the action, his skill navigating the wild-swinging challenger. But in Round 7, a Shavers right floored Holmes. Shavers ended his career with 68 of his 74 wins coming by knockout, but a wobbly legged Holmes evaded the fearsome finisher's erratic charge to survive the round. Holmes regained control and stopped Shavers in Round 11. But the 35-year-old challenger nearly altered heavyweight history that night in Las Vegas.

While Ali's prime ended years earlier, his 1978 rematch with Spinks provided another legendary moment for the greatest heavyweight who ever lived. An ex-Olympic champion entering his ninth pro fight, Spinks beat Ali in February 1978 via split decision. But in their September rematch at the Superdome, Ali arrived in noticeably better shape and outboxed his much younger adversary to win a wide decision. This is not one of Ali's finest performances; holding was a key part of the 36-year-old challenger's game plan. But it was the final piece of in-ring brilliance from boxing's defining figure. 

Once consolidated by Muhammad Ali, the WBA and WBC belts went their separate ways until Mike Tyson's reign. A 1983 card featured both belts on the line, with a Larry Holmes title defense following Dokes-Weaver II. That made this 15-round undercard a late-afternoon bout in Las Vegas. The younger Dokes, who'd taken Weaver's WBA belt in a controversial first-round stoppage in 1982, came in heavier than usual on this 90-degree May night and paid for it, as Weaver kept stalking him. While the quicker Weaver did more to sustain action in this attrition-fest, Dokes kept his belt in a disputed draw. He lost the strap in his next fight.

The next in line after Joe Louis' unparalleled reign ended, Charles ascended from his perch as an all-time light heavyweight great to become champion. He beat Walcott in their first two fights, winning a wide decision over his fellow 30-something four months earlier. But when they met in Pittsburgh in July 1951, the 37-year-old challenger proved too much. This is a bit of an acquired-taste fight, featuring nonstop clinches. But a quick Walcott left hook in Round 7 dropped Charles, ending the bout in an action-packed sequence. Walcott won their fourth and final matchup a year later.

Following a tough mid-1990s stretch, Holyfield was scorching hot after ending Tyson's brief post-prison run. He sought to avenge a 1994 loss to Moorer, who had regained a heavyweight belt after his infamous loss to George Foreman. Moorer's jab disrupted Holyfield in an evenly matched first third of the fight. The southpaw was winning Round 5 before a tour de force Holyfield sequence. The 35-year-old future Hall of Famer halted Moorer's rally with the first of five knockdowns over the next four rounds. Moorer got up from each, but his corner stopped the bout between Rounds 8-9. He did not fight again for three years.

The middle Ali-Frazier fight goes overlooked because of the trilogy's glorious first and third chapters, but this still featured two all-timers in one of boxing's best rivalries. After Frazier lost the heavyweight crown to Foreman a year earlier, he and Ali's January 1974 rematch at Madison Square Garden determined who would secure the next shot at the menacing young champion. Unlike Ali-Frazier I, Ali's movement largely kept Frazier at bay. While "Smokin' Joe" pursued his nemesis throughout and landed quality left hooks, Ali won a close but clear decision. Ali's second act peaked later that year in "The Rumble in the Jungle."

Marciano tangled with Charles twice in a three-month span, the September rematch earning Fight of the Year acclaim from Ring Magazine. Charles was on the downside of his career but at 33 was just two years older than Marciano. The smaller challenger did enough to break Marciano's nose, nearly stop him and win some exchanges in this highly skilled matchup. But the hammer-fisted Marciano won nearly every round. The champion dropped Charles with a second-round uppercut and fought off the subsequent nose break to floor "The Cincinnati Cobra" twice in Round 8 to end the Yankee Stadium event. 

While not in the same class as most of Marciano's 1950s competition, LaStarza lost a split decision to Marciano in 1950 — before the 5-foot-11 slugger's title reign. LaStarza received a rematch in September 1953 and won most of the early rounds. Although the Bronx native countered well early in a de facto home bout at the Polo Grounds, "The Brockton Blockbuster" awoke in Round 7 and pummeled the challenger over the next four rounds. A savage combination produced a knockdown through the ropes and quick stoppage in Round 11. Marciano retired unbeaten (49-0) in 1955.

We go back to the 19th century for a fight that, by the accounts of media in attendance, delivered a consistent slugfest. With boxing still years away from the 15-round limit, this fight went the scheduled 25 rounds. A 26-year-old Irishman who lost to Jeffries in a 20-round non-title bout in 1898, Sharkey ceded more than 20 pounds in the rematch and came up short in a bloody duel at Coney Island (Brooklyn). The referee awarded the decision to the California-based champion, who controlled the latter portion of the fight. 

Known as the "Long Count Fight," Tunney's first title defense came after he'd beaten the era's biggest star in their first meeting. The defining moment in this two-part series came in Round 7 of the September 1927 rematch at Soldier Field. Dempsey dropped Tunney but hovered over him, delaying the referee's count because of a new rule mandating it not begin until Dempsey went to a neutral corner. Tunney was down for 14 seconds and got up at the official's "9" count. This overshadows the fight. Tunney, who knocked down the declining Dempsey in Round 8, lost only one round in this 10-round decision, limiting its place in rematch lore.

This rubber match was not for a major belt. George Foreman, at 46, held the lineal title, lowering Holyfield-Bowe III's prestige from their previous two title fights. Holyfield had been diagnosed with a heart problem after his 1994 loss to Michael Moorer, and the favored Bowe was beating a stationary Holyfield early. Shortly after HBO commentator Foreman called for the fight to be stopped, a suddenly reenergized Holyfield became the first man to knock Bowe down — in the sixth round. But the younger, bigger man unloaded on the two-time champ with two eighth-round knockdowns, becoming the first to stop Holyfield.

From 1959-61, the heavyweight title picture featured two fighters. Johansson, of Sweden, upset Patterson via third-round knockout to take his title in 1959. Their rematch came in June 1960 at the Polo Grounds and featured consistent action. In the first fight, Johansson knocked Patterson down six times. "Ingo" smashed Patterson with a right that nearly floored him in Round 2 of the rematch, but the ex-champ weathered said blow and turned the tide. In Round 5, the 25-year-old American dropped Johansson twice — the second on a brutal left hook — to reclaim his belt. Patterson was the first man to reclaim the heavyweight title.

Another non-title fight, this underrated duel occurred shortly after Norton broke Ali's jaw in their first fight — Ali's second loss. The muscular slugger was a tough matchup for Ali each time, and in this 12-round rematch at the Great Western Forum, Ali was fortunate to escape with a split-decision win. After initially executing the dance routine that made him a marvel during his early- and mid-career years, Ali could not escape Norton down the stretch. The younger man bludgeoned Ali's body repeatedly and took many rounds. But an Ali 12th-round awakening allowed him to steal the fight and stay on track toward another title shot.

Spinks ended Holmes' title reign in 1985 but faced a more active version of "The Easton Assassin" in their April 1986 Las Vegas rematch. A former light heavyweight champion, Spinks started slowly and could not fend off the bigger man's salvos for most of the fight. While the 29-year-old champion mounted a midfight rally, Holmes continued to land the more effective punches. His best sequence came in Round 14, but after having Spinks out on his feet, the 36-year-old legend oddly did not go for the knockout. Spinks responded with a strong 15th round to win a disputed split decision. The rivals ended with 296 (Spinks) and 293 (Holmes) punches landed. 

Near the end of his 11-year run as heavyweight champion, Louis received a controversial decision over Walcott in 1947. Walcott knocked down Louis twice in that fight and in Round 3 of their June 1948 rematch at Yankee Stadium, he dropped him again. While Louis got up immediately, he was in for a tough battle in this matchup of 34-year-olds. But "The Brown Bomber" summoned a final act as heavyweight champion, delivering a dominant 11th round that culminated in a furious barrage of right hands that vanquished Walcott. Louis' first retirement, post-fight, ended his title-defense streak at 25 fights. That remains an all-divisions record.

Although Jeffries-Fitzsimmons I went 11 rounds, the eight-round sequel in San Francisco was bloodier and featured the champion looking far worse for wear than a challenger 12 years older. Jeffries took Fitzsimmons' belt in their 1899 matchup and outweighed the Englishman by over 40 pounds in the rematch. The 39-year-old Fitzsimmons — only 172 pounds — battered the champion, breaking the Californian's nose and cutting him around both eyes. The beating that resulted in Fitzsimmons breaking both hands stopped in Round 8, when the elder fighter paused to taunt Jeffries, whose ensuing two-punch combination ended the fight.

Held in September 1976 at Yankee Stadium, during a New York City police strike, Ali-Norton III ended controversially — just as the second fight had. A declining Ali did not move as much as he had in the second Norton bout, allowing the always-game challenger to craft a body-shot opus. (Ali appears on this list five times, his body attack always nonexistent.) But Ali was able to deliver multiple throwback rounds late, standing toe-to-toe with Norton in action-filled, brutally even 13th and 14th stanzas. The champ's rally was enough for the judges to award him a unanimous decision, denying an inconsolable Norton again.

This trilogy featured 13 combined knockdowns; three came in the final fight's opening round. Outweighed by 12 pounds, the 194-pound Patterson fell after two Johansson right hands in Round 1. But the champ's left hook — which ended their second fight — resurfaced later in the stanza, dropping the Swede to create some unusual scorecards. The well-matched rivals brawled for the next four rounds, but the Cus D'Amato-trained Patterson ended this March 1961 rubber match with a right-hand combination that finished the series. He kept the title until two one-sided losses to Sonny Liston, the first in 1962.

Because of the "Fan Man" incident, Holyfield-Bowe II goes overlooked. It shouldn't. Although Bowe came in 11 pounds heavier (at 246) than he did when he beat Holyfield in 1992, the champion was closing Holyfield's lead before this happened. In the final five-and-a-half rounds, neither of 1993's top two heavyweights separated much in a consistently action-packed rematch in Las Vegas. The fight raged on well after the bell multiple times, including after Round 12 — when Holyfield trainer Emanuel Steward tackled his pupil to halt a melee. Despite Bowe outlanding Holyfield 353-253 (largely on the strength of jabs), the latter recaptured his title via majority decision.

Oct. 1, 1975's "The Thrilla in Manila" came well after Frazier's best years; the Ali camp did not anticipate what was coming. After Ali won most of the early rounds, the reinvigorated challenger operated at peak ferocity. Frazier's left hooks and relentlessness effectively ended Ali's prime that night; the champ spent much of the fight on the ropes. But Ali staved off his biggest adversary, somehow bouncing on his toes by Round 13 and unleashing a ruthless display of accuracy in Rounds 13-14. Frazier trainer Eddie Futch ended the fight before the final round. Neither fighter was the same after the unforgettable night in the Philippines.