Muhammad Ali WPTS Joe Frazier, 1974
Three years on from their epic “Fight of the Century,” Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier squared off again in a non-title rematch at Madison Square Garden. Although the bitter rivals were considered to be past their best, with George Foreman now seen as the division’s main man, there was enough history between the pair, combined with commercial appeal, to warrant another meeting.
Seeking revenge from their first fight, Ali started aggressively taking advantage of his opponents tendency to warm into fights. When Frazier did get going, Ali nullified his threat by clinching and holding. It was a tactic that made the pair’s second fight the least memorable of their trilogy but it was enough to see Ali take a close verdict on the scorecards.
Evander Holyfield WPTS Riddick Bowe, 1993
It was always going to be difficult for Evander Holyfield and Riddick Bowe to repeat the heroics of their first meeting when they clashed in an eagerly-anticipated rematch. Their inaugural fight was a gruelling encounter that swayed both ways but it was the Brooklyn man who had his hand raised at the end.
Bowe started the rematch well but the fight was soon the scene of one of boxing’s most shocking incidents as a hang-glider landed on the ring apron halfway through round seven. With security trying to straighten out the incident, a 21 minute delay ensued. The rest worked wonders for Holyfield who finished strong down the stretch gaining revenge on points against his great rival.
Evander Holyfield WDQ3 Mike Tyson, 1997
Of course, not every quest for revenge has a happy ending in the rematch.
It was a result that not many saw coming but Evander Holyfield’s late stoppage of Mike Tyson in 1996 was one of boxing’s feel good moments as the Georgia man ripped up the script. Many within the boxing community predicted an early night for Tyson, but Holyfield had an answer for every question the volatile New Yorker posed, and was a worthy winner following a stunning battle.
Clashing once more in the summer of 1997, the fight took on a similar theme to the first one as Holyfield countered every Tyson attack with one of his own. In the third session, Tyson saw red and when the pair were up close, Tyson showed no regard for the rules as he sunk his teeth into his opponent’s ear. He was later disqualified as Holyfield completed the double over Tyson sending his career into further chaos.
Lennox Lewis WKO Hasim Rahman, 2001
Hasim Rahman was not meant to cause many problems for Lennox Lewis when the pair met in South Africa in 2001. Lewis, a thorough professional on most occasions, arrived late to finish his training due to filming commitments with Ocean’s 11, which gave the impression that he considered Rahman an easy night’s work. Weeks later, Lewis was knocked out and he was no longer heavyweight champion.
Following a number of court cases to take advantage of his immediate rematch clause, Lewis and Rahman finally met again in Las Vegas in November 2001. Fully focused after his humbling loss, Lewis delivered one of his best performances as a fourth round one-two floored the Baltimore man for the full count. As revenge missions go, this was as emphatic as anything.
Anthony Joshua WPTS Andy Ruiz, 2019
Anthony Joshua had grand plans of making a huge impact on his American debut in the summer of 2019. After his fight with Jarrell Miller fell through, Joshua settled on Andy Ruiz as a late substitute. After being dropped four times and stopped in seven rounds, it wasn’t the wisest choice of the Englishman’s career.
Six months later in Saudi Arabia, the pair clashed again. Ruiz, disturbingly overweight, was a shadow of the man who had shocked the world half a year earlier. Learning his lessons from the first fight, “AJ” boxed a smart fight from distance and outclassed Ruiz with relative ease.