The loser becomes the winner

Inspired (if that is a word associated with myself) by Chris' post, have there been any fights where the loser has left the ring with as much credit as the winner? I can think of Thrilla fight, Sanchez/Nelson and (cheers Chris) Hearns/SRL.

Leonard Duran 1

Gatti Ward I,II,III
Barrera v Morales I,II,II
Ortiz v Berto
Morales v Maidana

Leonard Duran is a great shout in that the loser improved as a result and became a greater champion.

https://www.606v2.com/t7296-and-the-winner-isthe-loser-do-moral-victories-really-exist

Wrote something similar once, have a look..back when my articles got more than 4 replies.Sob.

Holyfield-Bowe I. Just about the most gallant surrender of the Heavyweight crown you could ever see from Evander.

Conn-Louis I. As odd as it sounds, it's Conn's magnificent losing effort here, rather than his title-winning, Light-Heavyweight exploits, which has been his ticket to boxing immortality.

Duran-Hagler. How many other Lightweights in history would have even got in the ring with a peak, top three Middleweight of all time like Marvelous Marvin? Moreover, how many could have gone the full fifteen round course with him and extend him further than anyone else had so far in his title reign?

MUGABI vs Hagler ......Mugabi became a name after the great slugfest and Hagler was considered past it!!!!

FARR v Louis..........Farr's performance has become mythical this side of the Atlantic....

RIVADENYA v Spinks.......Gave Spinks trouble and was considered a good prospect after coming from nowhere..........

Marquez from the Pacquiao trilogy I believe is held to be the moral winner of the series by most.

Vitali against Lewis.

MANCINI v Arguello

Chris Eubank when he fought Carl Thompson for the guts he displayed.

Lennox Lewis because he had the character to avenge his losses.

Joe Frazier and Ali in their trilogy. Both were legends and that trilogy was more than just winning and losing.

Marvin Hagler against Sugar Ray Leonard because Hagler clearly won that fight.

Lennox Lewis against Holyfield the first time. Ok, it was a draw but everyone knows Lennox won that fight.

Wayne McCullough against Hamed for showing alot of heart.

Michael Watson and Chris Eubank because they were two great warriors.

No mention of Lennox Lewis or Chris Eubank, Gordy?

Hagler v Leonard WTF!!!!!!!!

Guy was fighting a blown up welter who hadn't fought for three years and lost a contentious verdict..

Sorry mate but no way!!

Marquez in both Pac defeats

3 pac defeats.......The draw was a robbery...

Im not sure how Lewis managed to leave the ring with as much credit as his opponent in his two defeat? Knock out losses to average fighters that were big underdogs?

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:3 pac defeats.......The draw was a robbery...

Ha, it's like the anti-trilogy

vitali - lewis surely.

chisora helenius.

id disagree with lewis vitali. lewis was at the end of career, out of shaped and unmotivated. vitali was prime and still struggled to match lewis. thats not to mention a cuts stoppage is on a par with a KO.

Holy was a 3-1 big favorite against Bowe....So I disagree how losing to an outsider however you do it makes you become the winner!!!!!!!!!!

As for Chisora becoming a winner after losing a contentious decision to a European wally in Helenius........well best not go there!!!

he got a shot at vitali from it did he not?

So?????

A fat useless old cruiserweight called Mormeck fought Wlad last didn't he?

Sure there is a shot for Helenius should he ask!!!!!!!

eddyfightfan wrote:chisora helenius.

id disagree with lewis vitali. lewis was at the end of career, out of shaped and unmotivated. vitali was prime and still struggled to match lewis. thats not to mention a cuts stoppage is on a par with a KO.

true, but as it was lewis being booed and vitali cheered it felt like vitli didnt lose that fight.

i think if a rematch happened and an in shape lewis turned up he would have stopped vitali.

I don't think the fact that he was favourite with the bookies should detract from what an excellent and gallant effort Holyfield put in when losing to Bowe first time out. In fairness, I don't think many (and certainly not the bookies) knew quite how good Bowe was going to be in that fight, or what he was capable of when his mind and body were in the right place.

Round ten was worth the admission money alone, surely, and I'm not convinced that any other Heavyweight on the planet in 1992 could have withstood the Bowe onslaught there.

To be honest, Holyfield deserves great credit just for making the first installment of that series a full twelve rounder, because to be frank, Bowe just had his number. I revisited their second fight a while back; I'd almost forgotten how easily Bowe dominated and controlled the fight in the opening stages. Evander had no answer - fortunately for him, Bowe gassed badly in the late rounds, but even then I'm not really convinced that Holyfield did quite enough to earn the nod.

Tony Bellew after the Cleverley fight.

Maidana v Khan, Maidana gets elevated for getting outboxed for losing close to 9 rounds, Clearly shows his limitations, but it's HBO, its fight of the year, and as he's done Ortiz, is a value for money fighter guarentees himself big paydays around the 140 division until he decides to hang them up.

OasisBFC wrote:

eddyfightfan wrote:chisora helenius.

id disagree with lewis vitali. lewis was at the end of career, out of shaped and unmotivated. vitali was prime and still struggled to match lewis. thats not to mention a cuts stoppage is on a par with a KO.

true, but as it was lewis being booed and vitali cheered it felt like vitli didnt lose that fight.

i think if a rematch happened and an in shape lewis turned up he would have stopped vitali.

true, on the night it certainly was that way, and the HBO interview after with lewis was a disgrace, it was as if he'd taken a beating all night and then got a home town decision.

Agree with all of your picks Gordy except for Hagler v Leonard. There wasn't a bigger Haggler fan than me but I don't think he did enough to deserve the win.I've said it before and I'll say it again Lewis was a clear winner of the first fight with Holyfield and Hearns deserved more than a draw in his second fight with Leonard,he had him down twice for a start.

Every Madaina or Katstidas defeat.

Every guy involved in a slugfest pre-1950.

Tyson Vs Lewis

Chisora Vs Vitali

The loser of great trilogies like Morales Barrera and Ward Gatti

Everytime a guy come to fight and gives a good account of himself