The 50 Closest and Sometimes Controversial Decisions in Boxing: Volume 2

It's one of the more controversial aspects of boxing, but it is also one of the most intriguing. Everyone loves a close and competitive fight, but when the winner is finally announced, it can be the cause of much debate that can continue days, months and sometimes years later.

This is the second volume of 50 close and competitive decisions. In no particular order, it will list 50 of the most disputed and debatable decisions in boxing.

All of them are worth taking a second look at. I will post a short overview of the bout, but all the in-depth discussion will be done below.

Feel free to discuss any of the matches presented in the comments section. If you want to know how I scored each fight round-by-round, comment below, and I will post it. Also, if you have a match you'd like featured in a future slideshow, let me know.

Don't forget to check out Volume 1 as well:

Volume 1: 50 of The Closest and Sometimes Controversial Decisions in Boxing

No. 50 Bobby Chacon SD12 Boza Edwards 2 (May 15, 1983)

Legendary action fighters Bobby Chacon and Cornelius Boza Edwards met for the second time after Chacon lost the first fight by TKO in the 14th round. It didn't matter who was better this night because they both proved worthy enough of a victory in this action-thriller.

Chacon recovered from a third-round knockdown to put on a spectacular performance in what was Ring Magazine's 1983 "Fight of the Year." The 12-round brawl was filled with nonstop brutality, including a dramatic 12th-round knockdown suffered by Edwards.

The two action heroes defined boxing of the '80s, and the close but wide decision win for Chacon was nothing surprising. It was a war that could have gone either way.

Official Decision: 115-113, 115-112 and 117-111 for Chacon.

My scorecard: 114-113 Chacon

No. 49 Jermain Taylor UD12 Bernard Hopkins 2 (Dec. 3, 2005)

The first fight was ruled a split-decision win for the undefeated and young boxer Jermain Taylor, but the second fight was the closest of the two even if the scorecards didn't show it.

In the end, all three judges scored it for Taylor, giving Hopkins his second loss in a row after a record-setting 20 title defenses of the middleweight championship. 

The rematch was a much harder fight to score as Hopkins made adjustments to start faster and not give away the early rounds like in the first meeting.

Punch stats: Taylor 124/391 for 32 percent; Hopkins 130/371 for 35 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 (x3) for Taylor.

My scorecard: 115-113 Hopkins

No. 48 David Tua D12 Monte Barrett (July 17, 2010)

For the first time in his career, David Tua was dropped in the 12th round of his heavyweight bout versus experienced veteran Monte Barrett.

Tua made a career out of fighting the best but not being able to beat the best of the best. Losses to Chris Byrd, Lennox Lewis and Ike Ibeabuchi highlighted a career of the tough Samoan, who was always looking to get a major world title.

It was a very close fight as the two boxers slugged it out in the closing rounds in hope of closing the show for good.

Barret made history by knocking the "Tuaman" down but could only manage to get a draw.

Official Decision: 115-111 Tua, 113-113 and 113-113.

My scorecard: 114-112 Barrett

No. 47 Lucian Bute UD12 Librado Andrade 1 (Oct. 24, 2008)

Undefeated and fast-rising Canadian prospect Lucian Bute took on the biggest test of his career when he decided to face iron-chinned opponent Librado Andrade.

Andrade, a pressure fighter who is no stranger to getting hit, takes three, four and sometimes five shots to get just one in, and it is all it takes sometimes.

Bute had appeared to be on his way to winning a unanimous decision when he gassed late in the fight to the relentless pressure and will of Andrade.

He got dropped with five seconds to go in the final round and got to be included in the modern day form of the Dempsey “long count.” Taking a break in the count to send Andrade to the neutral corner, the referee took the better end of 15 seconds before letting Bute recover enough to get up.

Punch stats: Bute 200/617 for 32 percent; Andrade 175 of 673 for 26 percent.

Official Decision: 117-109, 115-111 and 115-110 for Bute.

My scorecard: 115-110 Bute

No. 46 Abner Mares SD12 Vic Darchinyan (Dec. 11, 2010)

*Watch entire fight in video.*

The opening night of the Showtime bantamweight tournament featured four of the very best boxers in the division.

With Joseph Agbeko and Yohnny Perez on deck for the main event, Abner Mares and Vic Darcinyan slugged it out in a back-and-forth fight for the vacant IBO bantamweight title.

Two knockdowns were scored for each boxer during the course of 12 rounds, but Mares had done enough to win a decision in two of the three judges’ eyes.

Official Decision: 115-111 Mares, 113-112 Darchinyan and 115-111 Mares.

My scorecard: 114-111 Mares

No. 45 Antonio Tarver MD12 Elvis Muriqi (June 9, 2007)

Former pound-for-pound star Antonio “Magicman” Tarver has had his fair share of close decisions throughout his career.

In bouts with Roy Jones Jr., Glen Johnson, Bernard Hopkins and Clinton Woods, Tarver had won some and lost some in the process of achieving top 10 pound-for-pound status.

In a warm up bout after an extensive layoff since losing a shutout decision to Hopkins, Tarver returned with a solid but lethargic performance to win a majority decision over Elvis Muriqi on Showtime.

Official Decision: 116-112 Tarver, 115-113 Tarver and 114-114.

My scorecard: 115-113 Tarver

No. 44 Marvin Hagler UD15 Roberto Duran (Nov. 10, 1983)

"Marvelous" Marvin Hagler had not gone the distance in three years, earning eight knockout wins in a row.

All-time great Roberto Duran had just beaten young prospect Davey Moore and was set for middleweight title shot. He got his chance at three when he signed to fight Hagler. The WBA, IBF and WBC titles were on the line.

For 15 rounds, Duran gave as good as he took in a very close fight. Both boxers exchanged power combinations on each other for the majority of the bout, and there were some very close rounds that could have gone to either guy.

The judges believed in Hagler's power and gave him the unanimous decision.

Official Decision: 144-142, 146-145 and 144-143 for Hagler.

My scorecard: 144-141 Hagler.

No. 43 Roberto Duran UD15 Sugar Ray Leonard 1 (June 20, 1980)

Olympic Gold Medalist Sugar Ray Leonard had obtained an impressive record of 27-0 while Duran was 71-1 when they met in the last major fight to be held in Canada.

It was the first of their famous trilogy and was also their best.

Duran's pressure got to Leonard early and often in the bout. The come-forward pressure style of Duran had won him many of his fights in the past, and he would use it again to win here in a close fight; one that I had scored for Leonard.

Official Decision: 148-147, 146-144 and 145-144 for Duran.

My scorecard: 144-143 Leonard.

No. 42 Monte Barrett SD10 Dominick Guinn (March 27, 2004)

Hot prospect Dominick Guinn was a featured boxer on the cover of Ring Magazine for a reason.

He had just beaten former No. 1 heavyweight contender Michael Grant and was unbeaten at 24-0 with 17 knockouts.

His opponent was Monte Barrett, who only had three losses to his credit, including one to Wladimir Klitschko and one to Joe Mesi.

It was a competitive fight throughout with Barrett hurting Guinn late in the fight to show he was the superior of the two. The late rounds were the determining factor in Barrett winning a split-decision.

Official Decision: 97-93 Barrett, 96-94 Guinn and 97-93 Barrett.

My scorecard: 95-95

No. 41 Winky Wright SD12 Bronco McKart 1 (May 17. 1996)

From third meeting.

In this forgotten series of bouts, Ronald “Winky” Wright took on Bronco McKart three times over six years.

The first was the most competitive of the two middleweights and resulted in a split-decision win for Wright. McKart was 27-1 and fighting in his hometown, so many believe the decision would sway more in favor of the hometown fighter.

The second and third meetings were both won by Wright.

Official Decision: 115-113 Wright, 116-113 McKart and 115-113 Wright.

My scorecard: 116-113 Wright.

No. 40 Toney Lopez SD12 John Molina 3 (May 20, 1990)

In the third and final meeting between Tony "The Tiger" Lopez and John John Molina, Lopez out-worked and knocked down Molina to win the IBF super-featherweight title. in 1990.

The first battle had been won by Lopez, but the second was won by Molina after he bruised and busted up the boxer from Sacramento, Calif., in route to a 10th-round TKO.

The single point difference on the scorecards was from a knockdown Lopez scored in the 11th round after connecting on Molina's chin.

Official Decision: 114-113 Lopez, 115-112 Lopez and 114-113 Molina.

My scorecard: 114-113 Lopez

No. 39 Calvin Brock UD10 Jameel McCline (April 23, 2005)

At 24-0, Calvin Brock was one of the best up-and-coming heavyweights making his mark in the somewhat shallow division.

For the better part of six rounds, Brock had out-boxed the 265 pound McCline. In the seventh round, McCline dropped Brock with a left-right combination. Brock made it up in time, but would the change in momentum be enough to steal a decision? It wasn't.

Official Decision: 97-93, 96-94 and 96-94 for Brock

Punch stats: Brock 180/488 for 37 percent; McCline 143/455 for 31 percent.

My scorecard: 96-93 Brock

No. 38 Shane Mosley SD12 Oscar De La Hoya 1 (June 17, 2000)

The first of two high-profile matches between the two greats of their era was also one of the finest fights of each boxers' career.

Oscar De La Hoya had just rebounded from his loss to Felix Trinidad. Mosley was 34-0 and destroying everyone in the welterweight division. How would the two superstars match up?

It was a very intense bout with both boxers looking to establish a pace that many can not keep. Fast combinations by both and power shots were the story of the fight, and the judges favored Mosley.

Official Decision: 115-113 De La Hoya, 116-112 Mosley and 115-113 Mosley.

My scorecard: 116-112 Mosley

No. 37 Joan Guzman D12 Ali Funeka 1 (Nov. 28, 2009)

The biggest robbery of 2009 came in the first fight between Dominican-boxer Joan Guzman and Ali Funeka.

Guzman got off to a good start but was bloodied in the opening rounds. Funeka took over from there and continued to outjab and outland Guzman for the majority of the bout. In the end, he had landed 142 jabs to Guzman's 32.

It was ruled a majority draw, leaving Funeka without a well-deserved victory and Guzman with his undefeated record, now 29-0-1.

Punch stats: Guzman 16/493 for 33 percent; Funeka 248/903 for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 114-114, 116-112 Funeka and 114-114.

My scorecard: 116-112 Funeka

No. 36 Devon Alexander UD12 Andriy Kotelnik (Aug. 7, 2010)

Devon Alexander wanted his shot at Timothy Bradley, but he would have to beat the tough Andriy Kotelnik first. It would be anything but easy, and Alexander learned this fast.

Kotelnik, who had only lost once in his career, kept a steady pace throughout while Alexander threw, threw and threw some more.

Alexander threw over a 1,000 punches, but Kotelnik had outlanded him by 23 punches in the end. The judges saw it for Alexander and gave him the close decision by four points.

Punch stats: Alexander 202/1113 for 18 percent; Kotelnik 225/763 for 29 percent.

Official Decision: 116-112 (x3) for Alexander

My scorecard: 115-113 Kotelnik

No. 35 Joe Frazier MD10 Oscar Bonavena 1 (Sept. 21, 1966)

In Joe Frazier's 12th professional bout, he was put up against the tough boxer Oscar Bonavena who was 20-2-1 at the time.

After being dropped twice in the second round, it appeared to be close to over as Bonavena unloaded on the powerful heavyweight. 

It was an exciting 10 rounds of back-and-forth action as Frazier tried to rally from the two knockdowns he suffered earlier in the fight. He won a majority decision. 

Official Decision: 5-5, 6-4 Frazier and 5-4 Frazier.

My scorecard: 6-4 Frazier (94-94 on 10-point system)

No. 34 Manny Pacquiao TD7 Agapito Sanchez (Nov. 10, 2001)

In one of the dirtiest fights ever, Dominican boxer Agapito Sanchez was looking to unify his title with Filipino star Manny Pacquiao.

Sanchez was deducted one point for low blows over six rounds, but it wasn't the only thing he had done. He had also headbutted Pacquiao and opened two cuts over his eyes and fell on his leg when the two tripped over each other.

When the cut was determined to bad to continue, the fight was in the hands of the judges. It was ruled a technical draw.

Official Decision: 57-55 Sanchez, 58-54 Pacquiao and 55-55.

My scorecard: 59-54 Pacquiao.

No. 33 Francisco Bojado SD10 Jesse James Leija (July 24, 2004)

On the undercard of Arturo Gatti vs. Leonard Dorin, welterweights Francisco Bojado and Jesse James Leija battled it out for 10 close rounds before Leija was awarded the split-decision victory.

Leija came back from a second-round knockdown to take the fight to Leija in the second half of the fight. It was a fight to determine the next best challenger for Gatti, and Leija got the fight and a fifth-round KO loss.

Official Decision: 95-94 Bojado, 95-94 Leija and 96-93 Bojado.

My scorecard: 95-94 Bojado

No. 32 Zab Judah SD12 Lucas Matthyse (Nov. 6, 2010)

Zab "Super" Judah's career is filled with highs and lows. His fight with undefeated up-and-comer Lucas Matthysse was a bit of both.

Judah and Matthysse fought competitively for the first half of the fight and picked up the pace in the second half. Matthysse, who was 27-0, earned a 10th-round knockdown that seemed to have sealed the deal for a decision win when the final bell rang.

Judah escaped once again with a split-decision, putting himself back into the top contenders of the welterweight division.

Punch stats: Judah 150/634; Matthyse 165/665.

Official Decision: 114-113 Judah, 114-113 Matthyse and 114-113 Judah.

My scorecard: 115-112 Matthysse

No. 31 Lennox Lewis UD12 Evander Holyfield 2 (Nov. 13, 1999)

The first meeting between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield is one of the most infamous decisions in boxing history. Lewis had dominated the former cruiserweight and current heavyweight champion for 12 rounds before being awarded a split-draw.

It was one of the most controversial and debated decisions of all time, but there was only one thing left to do and that was have a rematch.

They met again at the end of the year to prove who the real winner should have been, and it was no question this time. In a much closer but still one-sided fight, Lewis won a unanimous decision, but if you compare it to the first, many people would have given it to Holyfield.

Official Decision: 115-113, 117-111 and 116-112 all for Lewis.

My scorecard: 116-112 Lewis.

No. 30 Jesus Chavez SD12 Carlos Hernandez (May 28, 2005)

Mexican boxer Jesus Chavez was coming off a decision loss to his country's legendary fighter Erik Morales when he took on Carlos Hernandez, who was 41-4-1 at the time.

The two battled back-and-forth for 12 rounds before Chavez was awarded the split-decision win.

His next fight would be the very upsetting victory over Leavander Johnson. After beating him en route to a 11th-round TKO, Johnson died from post-fight injuries on his way to the hospital. Chavez would never be the same and would go on to lose five of his next seven bouts before retiring.

Official Decision: 117-111 Chavez, 115-113 Hernandez and 115-113 for Chavez. 

My scorecard: 115-113 Chavez

No. 29 Jeff Lacy MD10 Vitali Tsypko 2 (Dec. 2, 2006)

Nine months earlier, Jeff Lacy had taken the beating of his life in the first loss of his career against Joe Calzaghe.

Wanting to quickly get back into action, Lacy took on Vitali Tsypko in a rematch of their 2004 bout.

It was a much closer fight than many expected, but after such a disastrous loss to Calzaghe, Lacy would never be the same fighter people had known him for before. He would win a majority-decision, which would be the second of six fights to go the distance in his career.

Punch stats: Lacy 130/482; Tsypko 148/376.

Official Decision: 95-95, 96-94 and 96-94 for Lacy.

My scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 28 Samuel Peter UD12 Jameel McCline (October 6, 2007)

It was a rocky start for Samuel Peter as he got dropped three times in the first three rounds by 266-pound heavyweight Jameel McCline.

McCline’s skills and size had carried him into the upper echelon in the division years earlier when he defeated Michael Grant and Shannon Briggs.

Being well past his prime, McCline surprised the fans after knocking down the "Nigerian Nightmare" but could not get the finish.

It was all about rallying as Peter tried to reclaim the three points he had lost in the first couple rounds. In the judges' eyes, he did and won a unanimous decision.

Punch stats: Peter 247/463; McCline 168/365.

Official Decision: 115-110. 115-111 and 113-112 all for Peter.

My scorecard: 113-112 McCline

No. 27 Paulie Ayala UD12 Johnny Tapia 2 (Oct. 7, 2000)

The rematch between these two standout lightweights wasn't as close as the first, but the commentators certainly thought so.

Throughout the 12-round bout, Paulie Ayala had out-boxed and out-worked Johnny Tapia for the majority of the fight and took home a unanimous decision win for his efforts.

Many argued Tapia had done enough to get a close decision, but he really hadn't. The judges finally got it right for once.

Official Decision: 115-113, 116-112 and 115-113 for Paulie Ayala.

My scorecard: 116-112 Ayala

No. 26 Iran Barkley SD12 Thomas Hearns 2 (March 20, 1992)

The first fight between Iran Barkley and Thomas Hearns was a brutal display of punching power by both boxers. Barkley rallied in the third round from a near knockdown to knockout Hearns.

When the rematch was set, both prepared to take the fight the distance, and they did but not without some drama.

Barkley floored Hearns in the fourth round. It was the only knockdown of the fight and would be the deciding factor in Barkley winning a split-decision.

Punch stats: Barkley 224/904 for 25 percent; Hearns 217/578 for 38 percent.

Official Decision: 114-113 Barkley, 115-113 Barkley and 114-113 Hearns.

My scorecard: 116-111 Barkley

No. 25 Tomasz Adamek MD12 Chris Arreola (April 24, 2010)

Former cruiserweight Tomasz Adamek took his first big step in the heavyweight division when he took on slugger Chris Arreola. Adamek had beaten Andrew Golota to earn a big name bout, and Arreola was coming off of a win after rebounding from his loss to Vitali Klitschko.

Arreola, who possess big power, hurt the boxer several times but could not capitalize. Adamek was the quicker and more technical boxer and landed many of his shots at will.

The win for Adamek seemed clear, but one judge did have it even.

Punch stats: Adamek 197/631; Arreola 127/532.

Official Decision: 117-111 Adamek, 114-114 and 115-113 Adamek.

My scorecard: 115-113 Adamek

No. 24 Jorge Arce MD12 Devid Lookmahanak (May 17, 2008)

In an entertaining action-fight, Mexican star Jorge Arce battled it out with Devi Lookmahanak of Thailand for 12 rounds in a WBC super-flyweight title eliminator bout.

Lookmahanak had Arce on the ropes for the majority of bout and scored many clean, effective blows to the battle-tested chin of Arce.

Arce fought back valiantly but was always being counter-punched and pressured by Lookmahanak. In the end, Arce was given the decision, which probably should be considered a "gift" based on the little bit of dominance Lookmahanak shown.

Official Decision: 114-114, 115-113 Arce and 115-114 Arce.

Commentators had it 117-111 for Lookmahanak

My scorecard: 116-112 Lookmahanak

No. 23 Tomasz Adamek SD12 Steve Cunningham (Dec. 11, 2008)

In Tomasz Adamek's second to last fight at cruiserweight, he took on Steve Cunningham for the IBF cruiserweight title.

The fight, which was broadcast on Versus, was an action-packed fight with three knockdowns all suffered by Cunningham.

In the end, Cunningham had outlanded Adamek in jabs 60-30, but the power was where the story was told. Adamek landed 156-144, and the three knockdowns, which were scored in Round 2, 4 and 8 were as a result of the power he possessed at 198 pounds.

Punch stats: Cunningham 205/690 for 30 percent; Adamek 186/480 for 39 percent.

Official Decision: 115-112 Adamek, 114-112 Cunningham and 116-110 Adamek.

My scorecard: 114-113 Adamek

No. 22 Leonard Dorin D12 Paul Spadafora (May 17, 2003)

This war was a battle of wills as it usually is when Leonard Dorin enters the ring. His opponent Paul Spadafora deserves just as much credit for standing toe-to-toe for 12 rounds.

Dorin's aggression was met in the middle of the ring by Spadafora's quick combinations to the head and body. Both boxers' defenses were uniquely different with Spadafora slipping many punches while Dorin kept his gloves up to block.

Punch stats: Dorin 344/951 for 36 percent; Spadafora 259/934 for 28 percent.

Official Decision: 114-114, 115-114 Spadafora and 115-113 Dorin.

My scorecard: 114-114  

No. 21 Juan Manuel Marquez UD12 Marco Antonio Barrera (March 17, 2007)

In a lightweight matchup that featured Mexican standouts Juan Manuel Marquez and Marco Antonio Barrera, both were hoping to make a statement to determine their country’s biggest star after Erik Morales.

It was a war, but it did not go without controversy. Barrera dropped Marquez in the seventh round, but referee Jay Nady ruled it a slip. To make things worse, he deducted a point from Barrera for punching Marquez after he was dropped. To make things even worse, it was a round Barrera was losing so how do you score it, 10-8 Barrera? 10-8 Marquez? 9-9?

When the scorecards were announced, many were amazed to see Marquez leading so far ahead on the scorecards of a very close fight.

Punch stats: Barrera 262/737 for 36 percent; Marquez 255/663 for 38 percent.

Official Decision: 116-111, 116-111 and 118-109 for Marquez.

Harold Lederman scored it 114-113 for Barrera.

My scorecard: 115-112 Marquez

No. 20 David Diaz UD12 Erik Morales (Aug. 4, 2007)

In what would be Erik Morales' last fight before his first retirement in 2008, he took on tough up-and-comer David Diaz who was 32-1-1.

It was a brawl from the get-go with Diaz being dropped in the first round by a right hand. He returned stronger and more determined than ever and took it to Morales for the majority of the bout.

It was an exciting, close and very competitive fight. Had Diaz passed the test? He did and won a unanimous decision.

Official Decision: 114-113, 115-113 and 115-112 for Diaz.

My scorecard: 114-113 Diaz

No. 19 Jermain Taylor SD12 Corey Spinks (May 19, 2007)

After a series of uninspired victories, middleweight champion Jermain Taylor took on the quick and skilled boxer Corey Spinks.

Disappointing is not good enough of an adjective to describe this uneventful bout. Spinks ran for the majority of the 12 rounds and did not landed double-digit numbers in any of the them.

After a very odd result was announced, Taylor took a split-decision that should have been a pretty clear unanimous decision.

Punch stats: Taylor 101/319 for 32 percent; Spinks 85/542 for 16 percent.

Official Decision: 117-111 Spinks, 117-111 Taylor and 115-113 Taylor.

My scorecard: 115-113 Taylor

No. 18 Hasim Rahman D12 James Toney 1 (March 18, 2006

The heavyweight matchup between James Toney and Hasim Rahman was supposed to determine the best of the best in the heavyweight division, which had four different champions at the time. This would be for the WBC heavyweight title, which was currently held by Rahman.

It wasn't a bad fight and had its moments of good and sometimes great action. The draw that resulted between them made no such distinction to who was the best.

Official Decision: 114-114, 117-111 Rahman and 114-114.

My scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 17 Tommy Hearns UD12 Virgil Hill (June 3, 1991)

If you want to see a technical boxing match, it doesn’t get much better than the one Tommy Hearns put on against Virgil Hill. Calling this a jab-oriented fight is a major understatement as it was the only punch being utilized throughout the first half of the 12-round distance.

The nature of a battle of jabs can lead to a lot of close rounds, and it did that here. Hearns started to open up on Hill halfway through the bout with right hands and appeared to take them.

In the end, Hearns was awarded a unanimous decision and deserved it, but don’t let the scorecards fool you. It was a very competitive fight.

Official Decision: 116-112, 115-113 and 115-113 for Hearns.

My scorecard: 116-112 Hearns

No. 16 Jose Luis Castillo SD12 Herman Ngoudjo (April, 20, 2002)

Just two fights after his history-making bout with Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo took on undefeated boxer Herman Ngoudjo for the NABF light-welterweight title. It was the first fight for Castillo at light-welterweight.

It was supposed to be precursor for a major welterweight matchup between Castillo and England's own Ricky Hatton.

That bout was in jeopardy of being lost as Ngoudjo met Castillo punch-for-punch and stole many rounds with a surprisingly toe-to-toe attack.

Luckily for Castillo, he escaped with a split-decision win and his fight with Hatton. He lost to Hatton by fourth-round KO.

Punch stats: Castillo 245/682 for 36 percent; Ngoudjo 208/783 for 27 percent.

Official Decision: 115-113 Ngoudjo, 115-113 Castillo and 115-113 Castillo.

My scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 15 Marvin Hagler D15 Vito Antuofermo 1 (Nov. 30, 1979)

Marvin Hagler was on a 20-fight win streak going into his WBC middleweight title fight with Vito Antuofermo in 1979.

Hagler controlled much of the fight until the 11th round when he began to back away and let the tough Antuofermo beging to fire shots on him. He bullied the great middleweight for the better part of five rounds and was given the benefit of the doubt on one of the scorecards.

The fight resulted in a draw and left a very disgruntled Hagler looking for a rematch. He eventually got one and finished the Brooklyn boxer under five rounds.

Official Decision: 145-141 Hagler, 144-142 Antuofermo and 143-143.

AP scorecard: 143-142 Antuofermo

My scorecard: 144-141 Hagler

No. 14 Kelly Pavlik UD12 Jermain Taylor 2 (Feb. 16, 2008)

Their first meeting was a memorable one, which saw two of the best American boxers put their undefeated records on the line. Kelly Pavlik came back from a second-round knockdown to knock out Jermain Taylor in the seventh round.

The rematch was scheduled for a weight class above the previous one, but it was still as anticipated because of the drama that ensued in the first fight.

It was not as exciting, but it did have its moments from both ends. After 12 rounds, it was clear Pavlik was going to win the decision, but there were some ringside scorers who had Taylor ahead after the final bell.

Punch stats: Pavlik 267/845 for 32 percent; Taylor 178/456 for 39 percent.

Official Decision: 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113 for Pavlik.

ESPN had it 114-114.

My scorecard: 115-113 Pavlik

No. 13 Erik Morales SD12 Marco Antonio Barrera 1 (Feb. 19, 2000)

The first of the three wars between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera is one of the greatest fights in the history of boxing.

It started a trilogy between the two Mexican legends; one that is regarded as one of the very best in boxing.

The result was controversial after Barrera appeared to have got the better of Morales throughout the majority of the bout, but the unanimous decision for Morales shows how two-sided it really was.

They left everything in the ring that night and put on a show that defines what makes the sport so great.

Official Decision: 114-113 Morales, 114-113 Barrera and 115-112 Morales.

No. 12 Andrew Golota UD10 Orlin Norris (June 16, 2000)

In an exciting heavyweight battle between Andrew Golota and Orlin Norris, the scorecards don't represent the very competitive nature of the fight.

There probably wasn't a good chance to convince anyone Norris had won, but he did do well enough to earn a draw on my scorecard. Compare that to the nine rounds to one victory for Golota on the one official scorecard, and we have ourselves a debate.

Official Decision: 98-92, 99-91 and 97-93 for Golota.

My scorecard: 95-95 Draw

No. 11 John Ruiz D12 Evander Holyfield 3 (Dec. 15, 2001)

In the third and final bout between “The Quiet Man” and “The Real Deal,” nobody knew what to expect from the two heavyweight champions.

The first two meetings were one-sided for Ruiz, but the results of them showed otherwise; at least for the first bout, which was scored for Holyfield. The second was won by Ruiz after he put Holyfield on the canvas in the 11th round to win him a unanimous decision.

The third bout was the closest and hardest one to score of the three. Over 12 rounds, there were relatively few exchanges to determine who was in control. It could have gone either way, but the draw left it and their trilogy at a stalemate of 1-1-1.

Punch Stats: Ruiz 141/411, Holyfield 152/470

Official Decision: 116-112 Holyfield, 115-113 Ruiz and 114-114

My scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 10 Vernon Forrest UD10 Ike Quartey (Aug. 5, 2006)

This matchup brings two of the very best together even if they were past their primes.

It didn't come without controversy in the end after it seemed to have easily been won by Ike Quartey but went to the late Vernon Forrest.

Even with a point deducted for low blows, Forrest still managed to earn a unanimous decision over his opponent.

Official Decision: 96-93 Forrest, 95-94 and 95-94 for Forrest.

My scorecard: 97-93 Quartey

No. 9 Leonard Dorin SD12 Raul Balbi 1 (Jan. 5, 2002)

Raul Balbi from Argentina put his WBA World lightweight title on the line against action-fighter Leonard Dorin of Romania.

It was an intense 12 rounds of brawling as the two boxers wanted to prove who the tougher of the two was.

This leads to close fights when one doesn't take a step back, and this is exactly what happened here. Still, it seemed Dorin had landed many more punches, and he did.

Dorin was also deducted a point, but it didn't hurt his position on the scorecards. He won a split-decision.

Official Decision: 115-112 Dorin, 114-113 Dorin and 115-112 Balbi.

My scorecard: 116-112 Balbi

No. 8 Clinton Woods SD12 Glen Johnson 3 (Sept. 2, 2006)

The third fight between light-heavyweight standouts Glen Johnson and Clinton Woods was the best, and it was also a 2006 "Fight of the Year" candidate. Johnson was 1-0-1 going into the fight with Woods.

Johnson, who is better known as "The Road Warrior," went to Woods' home country of the United Kingdom to challenge him for the IBF light-heavyweight title.

The end result was in favor of Woods, but it was a close action-packed fight that had a lot of close rounds. The two never met again, leaving their record at 1-1-1.

Official Decision: 114-112 Johnson, 116-112 Woods and 115-113 Woods.

My scorecard: 114-114 Draw

No. 7 Johnny Tapia MD12 Manuel Medina (April 27, 2002)

In a fight where Manuel Medina set a Compubox record for most punches thrown in a 12-round featherweight at 1,466, many thought he had done enough to win a decision. Throwing 1,466 punches should be more than enough to earn a decision, right?

Medina had outlanded fan-favorite fighter Johnny Tapia 273-193 and thrown over 700 more punches over the course of 12 rounds.

Still, it was not enough in the judges eyes who saw it for Tapia. They gave it to him by a majority decision.

Official Decision: 115-113 Tapia, 115-113 Tapia and 114-114.

My scorecard: 116-112 Medina

No. 6 Chris Byrd UD12 Fres Oquendo (Sept. 20, 2003)

In a rather uneventful heavyweight bout between slick counter-punchers Chris Byrd and Fres Oquendo, both cautiously fought 12 tense rounds before Byrd was awarded the unanimous decision.

One judge had Byrd ahead by six points, and that's got to be one of the worst scores ever. In a fight that Oquendo should have won, it probably doesn't matter because it wasn't that memorable anyways.

Official Decision: 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111 for Byrd.

My scorecard: 115-113 Oquendo

No. 5 Floyd Mayweather Jr. UD12 Jose Luis Castillo I (April 20, 2002)

If it weren’t for the generous judges, Floyd Mayweather Jr. would have a one on the other side of 39 victories.

Mexican warrior Jose Luis Castillo out-landed the defensive-minded Mayweather and put on the most impressive performance of his career over 12 rounds of lightweight action. He put Mayweather on the ropes but took a fair amount of counter-punches from "Money" as well.

Points were deducted by both boxers during the course of the fight.

In what was Mayweather’s most exciting fight, it was also his closest. He won a unanimous decision by surprisingly large margins.

Punch stats: Castillo 203/506 for 40 percent; Mayweather Jr. 157/448 for 35 percent.

Official Decision: 116-111, 115-111 and 115-111 for Mayweather Jr.

I had it scored seven rounds to five for Castillo.

No. 4 Fernando Vargas MD12 Ronald Wright (Dec. 4, 1999)

It was a battle of attrition as Fernando Vargas and Ronald “Winky” Wright fought 12 fast-paced rounds for the IBF junior-middleweight title.

Wright was the superior technician when it came to defense and counter-punching, but Vargas was undefeated and a rising star in the division. He also applied the type of pressure that favors fighters in close fights.

After 11 intense rounds of boxing, cardio was not an issue for Vargas, who came out in the last round to make a strong statement by throwing over many more punches than Wright, but was it enough? It was to the three ringside judges, who scored it unanimously for the Mexican champion.

Punch stats: Wright 218/626 for 35 percent; Vargas 205/615 for 33 percent.

Official Decision: 116-112 Vargas, 115-113 Vargas and 114-114.

My scorecard: 116-112 Wright

No. 3 Michael Spinks UD15 Larry Holmes 1 (Sept. 21, 1985)

Larry Holmes was undefeated at 48-0 when he took on Michael Spinks, who was also undefeated at 28-0. Holmes was one win away from tying all-time great Rocky Marciano at 49-0.

In what would turn out to be Ring Magazine's 1985 "Upset of the Year," Spinks took home a controversial unanimous decision over 15 rounds of tactical boxing. He also won the IBF heavyweight title; a title Holmes had defended twice previously.

Many of the rounds were close so there was no clear winner, but the two also had a rematch that was just as close and controversial.

The decision continues to be debated over 25 years later.

Official Scorecard: 145-142, 143-142 and 145-142 for Spinks.

Unofficial AP scorecard - 144-141 Holmes

Unofficial UPI scorecard - 146-141 Holmes

My scorecard: 143-142 Holmes

No. 2 Michael Spinks SD15 Larry Holmes 2 (April 19, 1986)

Larry Holmes was one of the all-time best heavyweights and arguably had the best jab in the history of the sport. Many have him ranked in the top 10 heavyweights of all time.

In his second fight with Michael Spinks, he had no intentions of letting the 29-year-old steal another decision.

It almost came to a a definitive close in the 14th and 15th rounds after Holmes rocked Spinks several times with right hands. He couldn't drop him, and Spinks managed to unload powerful combinations on Holmes in the final round as well.

In the end, Spinks was awarded a split-decision.

Official Decision: 144-141 Holmes, 144-141 Spinks and 144-142 Holmes.

Unofficial UPI scorecard - 143-142 Spinks

Unofficial AP scorecard - 143-142 Holmes

My scorecard: 143-142 Holmes

No. 1 Evander Holyfield UD12 John Ruiz 1 (Aug. 12, 2000)

Behind the infamous draw between Evander Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, this is just as bad of a robbery and maybe even worse. It was clear that Ruiz had out-boxed the champion for the better of nine or 10 rounds of their fight but was not given the decision when the scorecards were finally read.

It’s one of those decisions that is so bad it’s hard to believe it no matter how many times you hear it.

It sparked a series of fights between the two heavyweights with multiple results. Ruiz would win the second fight after knocking Holyfield down in the 11th round to earn a unanimous decision. The third was a draw.

Official Decision: 114-113, 114-113 and 116-112 for Holyfield.

My scorecard: 117-111 Ruiz