Toughest Sequence of fights a fighter has had??

Carl Froch got a load of credit for his tough sequence of fights during the peak of his career, where he fought a lot of good fighters back to back. More recently Floyd Mayweather is getting a lot of flak for ‘hand-picking’ his opponents.

My question is simple really – which fighters have put together the most impressive/ toughest (and I mean against hall of fame worthy opponents) sequence of fights back to back? I’m guessing we might have a couple of fighters having 2, 3 or 4 max ‘super-fights’ in a row but then have a gimme thrown in.
What are the best run of (preferably winning) fights that any fighter has had that you guys can think of??

Leonard had two gimmes... green and bond... as fillers in a benitez, duran, duran kalule hearns sandwich.

Won all but the first duran fight.

Jimmy Mclarnin finished his career on an absolute tear. His record over the last 9 fights reads as follows:

Benny Leonard W TKO 6
Sammy Fuller W KO 8
Young Corbett W KO 1
Barney Ross L15
Barney Ross W15
Barney Ross L15
Tony Canzoneri L10
Tony Canzoneri W10
Lou Ambers W10

Of those guys there is only really Fuller who you could say is not out of the absolute top drawer. Leonard was on the comeback and it would be mischievous to pretend he was at his peerless best, but the rest were genuine quality in or around their peak. All his series with Ross were wafer thin and sparking Corbett in one is absolutely extraordinary. Great fighter, great run.

In line with the times (given how frequently both men fought) both Greb and Armstrong had phenomenal calendar years in 1922 and 1938 respectively. Completely different era, so not 'Superfights' in the modern sense, but both of them beat multiple all-time greats and plenty of other well-ranked fighters in a short space of time.

In 1922 Greb gave away weight to just about everyone he faced but absolutely trounced an unbeaten Tunney as well as beating Tommy Gibbons and Tommy Loughran, two of the better Light-Heavies of all time. He also beat a couple of decent Heavyweights that year as well.

In 1938 Armstrong went 14-0 (could be wrong there, but he was undefeated) and beat one of the great Welter champs Barney Ross while giving away officially 9 lb as per the scales (but perhaps even more of that in the ring because of the fight delay) as well as Lou Ambers for the Lightweight belt. There was some padding on Hank's resume that year, but you can forgive that, when in the space of twelve months, he beats the above names as well as guys like Ceferino Garcia and Baby Arizmendi, both world champions, as well as Al Manfredo.

As I said, not superfights in the proper term (althogh Armstrong's fights drew very big crowds) but an amazing amount of quality crammed in to a short time frame.

Can't think of too many other examples. My guy Toney fought an unbeaten Sosa, unbeaten Michael Nunn, Reggie Johnson and Mike McCallum twice all within the space of nineteen months back in 1991-92. That said, the run was also sprinkled with a few non-title bouts and defences against a lower rank of opposition, worst of all Dave Tiberi who clearly beat him but got jobbed by a terrible decision. But still, plenty of very tough fight against quality opposition (Sosa, Nunn and McCallum in the first fight were all favoured with the bookies to beat him) in a short span again.

Thanks for the reply guys and opening up the debate - but what I was really looking for and to see if we could get a consensus answer is a winning streak of tough fights in a row..... so as a hypothetical example Ali had fought and beat a back quartet of Frazier/ Norton/ Foreman/ Liston in consecutive fights.....then that would probably be the winner.

* that should read a back-to-back quartet!!

How about Chis as a modern heavy?

Helenius, Klitschko and Haye.

Just for some context - a couple of British fighters and there toughest sequences:

Amir Khan - Mallinagi/ Maidana/ McCloskey and Judah before he fought Peterson and lost.

Joe Calazaghe - ended his career with (Manfredo Jr) Kessler/ Hopkins and Roy Jones. The last 2 were probably well past their best though.

What about all those former world champions Calzaghe beat during his reign as WBO middleweight champion eh eh? Outta ruffle some feathers, that one.

In all seriousness there seemed to be a time recently when all the top WWs were bouncing between Floyd and Pac. I'm sure those 2 fighters themselves or Margarito, Cotto, Mosely et al had some pretty tough sequences up until around 2012.

Of recent times I can only really remember Pacquaio having easy opponents in Clottey and Rios (I think the upcoming one with Algieri is a bit of a stinker though). Been blessed with some big names and big fights around welterweight in recent times even if we never got the big one.

If we're just looking at the names of the opposition irrespective of where they were in their careers (which we are not, but hey) then winky right has a good run..

Shane Mosely
Shane Mosely
Felix Trinidad
Sam Soliman
Jermain Taylor
Ike Quarty
Bernard Hopkins
Paul Williams
Peter Quillan

Hopkins must have a couple of good runs too.

Yup, De la Hoya, Jermain Taylor twice, Antonio Tarver, Joe Calzaghe and Kelly Pavlik (probably missed someone in between).

Duran fought cuevas, Moore, hagler hearns but lost the last two... And was rolled like a drunk in the last one, obviously.

3Fingers - What are w/l on them Winky fights? He definitely didn't win them all did he?

He won the first 4, but soliman hardly counts. They were all technical masterclasses, otherwise known as stinkers, too.

Holyfield had a tough stretch between Douglas and Bowe (rubber match) although it wasn't seen as such at the time.

Recently, Abner Mares and Andre Ward had sterling runs (as did Chad Dawson).

Dawson fought: Johnson, Tarver, Tarver, Johnson, Pascal , Diaconu, Hopkins, Hopkins, Ward, Stevenson.

Fritzie Zivic (by he's popular this week) also had some crazy runs.

I didnt realise you were after a winning streak. He lost a few.

Canzoneri comes very close to having comparable sequences to Armstrong and Greb but he lost a fair few in that time but when you're facing hall of famer after hall of famer it's to be expected. Could and should have been the first four weight world champion too but in doing so would have made a bigger mockery of weight divisions than he already had.

Vic Darchinyan anyone? He might top all the modern guys.

Bernard Hopkins.

Taylor
Tarver
Winky
Calzaghe
Pavlik

5 divisional champs (Ring mag) on the spin. Won't see anything like that again.

Marquez pretty hot, too:

Barrera
Juarez
Pacquiao
Casamayor
Diaz
Mayweather
Diaz
Katsidis

Mayweathers cellmate wrote:Bernard Hopkins.

Taylor
Tarver
Winky
Calzaghe
Pavlik

5 divisional champs (Ring mag) on the spin. Won't see anything like that again.

Not by accident either. Hopkins looks for legitimate championships (as legit as they get these days anyway).

I'd hazard a guess that Hopkins has faced more lineal champions than any other active fighter?

Dawson
Pascal
Pavlik
Calzaghe
Wright
Tarver
Taylor
Johnson
Jones
De La Hoya
Trinidad
Brown

He did however lose to four of them and of those he beat six of them were lineal champions in either higher or lower divisions.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I'd hazard a guess that Hopkins has faced more lineal champions than any other active fighter?

Hopkins: Jones, Brown, Trinidad, Taylor, Tarver, Wright, Pavlik, Calzaghe, Pascal, Dawson, Oscar, Johnson. He went 9-5-1-1 against that lot (I think).

Marquez: Pacquiao, Barrera, Casamayor, Mayweather, 3-3-1.

Cotto: Judah, Mosley, Mayweather, Mayorga, Pacquiao, Martinez. 4-2.

Cotto has been matched tough for years. His only easy fights were his comeback fights after a defeat.

Lineal champs at the weight they were champ:

Hopkins: 2-4-1-1

Cotto: 2-2.

Can't figure Marquez out.

Cotto also oddly has Mayorga.

Mayorga? Jesus - I have no memory of that fight (must have been in a coma).

Marquez I believe is 2-2-1, you discount every Pacquiao fight bar the first one?

Can't say I ever bothered watching Cotto fight a has been barely ever was Mayorga who himself fought 6 lineal champions only beating Forrest. I never rated him but like Vargas his L column reads like a who's who between 147-154lbs.

He was hot for a while (against "Six heads " Lewis and Forrest) but dropped the ball against Spinks and was never the same.

For the last time...lineal dont mean poop!

Mayweather believe it or not did at one point face 6 lineal champions in a row four of which were at the weight they were champion, on top of that he has Cotto to make it 7 and Pacquiao I think is on eight, fairly sure Sasakul was the flyweight champion.

Genaro Hernandez i'm not so sure about, as despite regularly alternating between ranked number one and two, none of Hernandez, Nelson, Leija and Ruelas fought when they were the top two.

He did but only Baldomir was champ at the time. Hatton and Marquez were above their best weight, Oscar and Mosley were past it.

Pac's record better: dethroned Sasakul, Barrera and Hatton. Some feat that.

Roy Jones quite unbelievably has 10 or 11 but much of that is dependent on what 175lb lineage you take but if you take the official route the current champion would in fact be Edwin Rodriguez.

What do you mean official?

The proper route.

Hill and Maske fought for the 'vacant' lineal title when they were widely regarded as the divisions top two men, Dariusz beats Hill then loses to Gonzalez who loses to Erdei. Now Erdei retains his claim until he loses to Grachez only last year having never officially retired or lost or been inactive enough to lose his claim.

It's taken for granted that Jones was the lineal champion but who exactly did he beat to be recognised as such? It is the exact reason why the lineal title has lost all of its meaning.

Point proven.....lineal dont mean poop

Wow! Maske was one of the greatest Jabbers ever. It's sad that during discussions about the topic he's often overlooked in favour of the usual suspects (Holmes, Liston etc).

For anyone, like me, who hadn't witnessed it simply watch the first round of Maske vs Hill rematch n youtube. Maske is a lighter southpaw prototype of Wlad.

Does anyone know where I can watch Hopkins v Mercado I ?

I respect Hopkins loads. Not always the most entertaining and a bit of a spoiler especially as he got older.

However look at his longevity and the list of fighters he has beaten. Only a peak Jones beat him without any real controversy. His other losses have been really tight. He has also been the man at 2 separate divisions. The man is near 50 and still seeks out the best challenges.

Definite atg for me.

The thread has gone slightly off topic haha - maybe I haven't explained it well enough.
I wasn't looking for toughest opponents on a persons record - just the person who had 'WON' the best sequence of fights in a row!!

Only two fights but I always felt a bit sorry for Bruce Finch.....Got banged out by the no 1 p4per Ray Leonard and in his next fight fought for the NABF title against soon to be P4p no 1 Don Curry.....

Some people have all the luck..

AdamT wrote:I respect Hopkins loads. Not always the most entertaining and a bit of a spoiler especially as he got older.

However look at his longevity and the list of fighters he has beaten. Only a peak Jones beat him without any real controversy. His other losses have been really tight. He has also been the man at 2 separate divisions. The man is near 50 and still seeks out the best challenges.

Definite atg for me.

Dawson wasn't close.

First fight he clearly wasn't in it so he 'did a Hoppo', which disgracefully got the 'L' extinguished from his record and second time round with wrong was righted simple enough.

Hopkins' greatness lies in his stats and longevity.

Was he a truly great performer, though, against top fighters at their best weight (who had a bit of vibrancy)? Jones, Taylor, Calzaghe, Dawson etc. all caused him grief.

While his record is amazing -- unlike some others, he's truly tested himself -- I wouldn't fancy him in a head-to-head against any of the greats (Hagler, Monzon, etc.).

Well Calzaghe never lost a professional fight and a young Jones was just about the closest thing to 'unstoppable' we've seen in the last thirty-odd years, so I think we can forgive Hopkins being caused a bit of grief by those guys, Haz! He gave Jones a decent fight to be honest - probably only Griffin in that DQ fight did better against a prime Roy - and there are still pleny about who feel he shouldn't have lost to Calzaghe, so not bad when you consider he was already an old fart by that stage....And that was six years back!

The losses to Taylor and Dawson leave a bit more of a mark on his record. He was an old man against Dawson as well of course, but that didn't play a major part in that fight given the turgid pace and lack of action in it. For some reason Hopkins just seemed a bit spooked and intimidated by Chad (no idea why) and just seemed happy to clown around pulling faces and circling as Dawson just did enough to win rounds. Strange (and rubbish!) fight.

Really great speed has always troubled Bernard a little so Jones would likely have always had the upper hand for me. More of a chance against Monzon and against Hagler I think their respective styles make it pretty interesting. Could see Hopkins nicking a decision off Marvin (a reverse is just as likely, but out of the three mentioned here I reckon Marvin represents Hopkins' bes chance of success).

Marvin would run him out of the ring. A level above for me.

Jermain Taylor man. Twice. Howard Eastman gave him a fight!

He may have been able to fiddle and fart his way past straight ahead, usually one dimensional bangers but the great middleweights wouldn't have fallen for his right hand-head down-clinch routine.

Great record, all- time stats but not a great performer.

I make Hopkins a slight favourite because he doesn't have the mental fragility of Marvin 'please everybody love me' Hagler nor did he ever try being something he's not. Hagler as was his way against boxers without a punch would try and be too clever but would realise too late he was in against somebody smarter.

Taylor gets used against Hopkins but who exactly was Hagler fighting at 38? Nobody that's right because he retired bleating on about an injustice that wasn't there, you got outsmarted by a better boxer Marvin deal with it.

Hammersmith harrier wrote:I make Hopkins a slight favourite because he doesn't have the mental fragility of Marvin 'please everybody love me' Hagler nor did he ever try being something he's not. Hagler as was his way against boxers without a punch would try and be too clever but would realise too late he was in against somebody smarter.

Taylor gets used against Hopkins but who exactly was Hagler fighting at 38? Nobody that's right because he retired bleating on about an injustice that wasn't there, you got outsmarted by a better boxer Marvin deal with it.

Was this meant to be an email to Hagler?

Hagler fought 67 times in 14 years - many of those over 15 rounds. Hopkins has spread 55 over 26. Slight difference OT.

Hagler would be too dynamic, too urgent, just as Taylor, Jones and Calzaghe were (Jones didn't break a sweat).