By JOHN C. COTEY, Times Staff Writer
Published October 1, 2005
The first fighter listed won two of the three bouts between them:
1. Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, 1971-75
Hands down the greatest sports rivalry ever (sorry, Yankees and Red Sox fans) and is the measuring stick to which all boxing trilogies are compared. The first meeting was Ring Magazine 's 1971 fight of the year, as Frazier dethroned Ali in the first meeting and even put the legend down in the 15th round. Ali, though, would dig deep to win the next two. The finale, dubbed the Thrilla in Manila, earned fight of the year honors for 1975 and ended with Ali stopping Frazier in the 14th round.
2. Rocky Graziano vs. Tony Zale, 1946-48
Their first two fights in 1946 and '47 were each fight of the year and two still-talked-about brawls. Zale knocked Graziano out in six brutal rounds. Though he won, the Associated Press reported that Zale "looked like a man who had been in hand-to-hand combat with a buzz saw." In the rematch, Graziano was knocked down in the third round but came back to halt Zale in the sixth after a barrage of 30 punches forced the ref to step in. Graziano knocked Zale out in the third round the last time around, but the first two fights carry this one.
3. Riddick Bowe vs. Evander Holyfield, 1992-95
How popular was the first fight between these two? Well, 300,000 people would have to buy the pay-per-view for Tarver-Jones III for the entire trilogy to equal the buys this fight generated. All three fights were excellent, with the added bonus of Fan Man getting a beatdown in the seventh round of the second match.
4. Marco Antonio Barrera vs. Erik Morales, 2000-04
There was no love lost between these two Mexican greats, who fought 36 of the closest scored rounds you'll ever see. Try finding anyone who agrees with all three decisions. Of the nine scorecards in the three fights, one was even, three had a one-point difference and three had a two-point difference.
5. Arturo Gatti vs. Mickey Ward, 2002-03
The only trilogy on the list without a fight in between. These warriors weren't great fighters on their own, but together they were pure excitement. Gatti lost the first and best fight, but won the last two. All three went the 10-round distance.
HONORABLE MENTION: Barney Ross-Jimmy McLarnin (1934), Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson (1959-61), Emile Griffith-Benny Paret (1961-62), Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran (1980-89), Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton (1973-76).
