Pacquiao-Mayweather and the 10 Best Fights Never Made

This is the second installment of a two-part feature detailing the top 10 best fights that we as boxing fans missed out on. The bouts from the first part included: Jack Dempsey-Harry Wills, Riddick Bowe-Lennox Lewis, Riddick Bowe-Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard-Aaron Pryor and Sugar Ray Robinson-Charley Burley. 

Floyd Mayweather-Kostya Tzyu

Why it should have happened: Mayweather has often been criticized for a careful approach in matchmaking. Tszyu was the best junior welterweight for a long time. Although the time frame for this fight to be made was very narrow, it would have enhanced Mayweather's legacy a lot if he had taken this type of risky matchup for true 140-pound supremacy.

Why it didn't happen: As stated above, there were only about six months when this fight had a reasonable chance of getting made. After Mayweather's 140-pound debut in May of '04 and Tszyu's second win against Sharmba Mitchell in November of 2004, there was about a six-month opportunity for these two to meet in the ring.

Unfortunately, Mayweather chose lower-risk opponents like Henry Bruseles and Arturo Gatti (against whom he won a spurious title), while Tszyu lost his belt to Ricky Hatton in June of '05.

What would have happened: Tszyu looked magnificent brutalizing Sharmba Mitchell. Mayweather hadn't taken a serious risk since '02. Both fighters would have had something to prove, for Tszyu that he could match his performance against Mitchell, and for Mayweather that he was avoiding no one.

Unfortunately for Tszyu, Mayweather is several levels beyond Mitchell, and combined with Tszyu's age and stylistic incompatibility, he would have been overmatched. A wide points win for Mayweather. 

Salvador Sanchez-Alexis Arguello

Why it should have happened: Alexis Arguello and Salvador Sanchez are two Hall of Famers who fought within a division of each other. Sanchez was a prodigy, winning a featherweight title just a few days after he turned 21. Arguello was a hard-nosed puncher who won belts in three divisions against some of the best fighters of his era. Both were textbook boxers and could crack with any punch. 

Why it didn't happen: While there were a couple of reasons this fight didn't take place, it was Sanchez's tragic death at the age of 23 that really kept it from being made. Following Sanchez's win over Azumah Nelson, he signed to fight a rematch against Juan Laporte. If he had won that bout, there was chatter that Sanchez would either take on Wilfredo Gomez in a rematch or move up and meet Alexis Arguello, who would have had to move down from lightweight.

Sadly, a car crash in the middle of the Laporte training camp robbed us of either matchup. 

What would have happened: Arguello was slow of foot, but was a more-than-capable boxer. His right hand was absolutely magnificent, and he would have had a big size advantage over Sanchez. However, Sanchez's gift for boxing and advantage in mobility would have enabled him to outbox Arguello over the distance for a close win on points.

Roy Jones, Jr.-Dariusz Michalewski

Why it should have happened: It's almost hard to remember now, but it wasn't that long ago that Roy Jones was one of the most dominant fighters in the world and was considered a possible all-time great. Well, he's still a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but how the mighty have fallen.

Michalczewski, meanwhile, was considered the only contender in his weight division who could challenge Jones. Additionally, there was some bad blood involving a lineal title claim by the Michalczewski and public discontent over Jones' choice of opponents. 

Why it never happened: It didn't make financial sense for either party. Jones didn't consider the "Tiger" a big enough star. Michalczewski, on the other hand, didn't feel any pressure to leave the friendly confines of Germany, and Jones didn't want to travel to put his title on the line. Furthermore, during the period when it was probably most likely to happen, Jones posted a career defining win over John Ruiz, while Michalczewski suffered a bad loss to Julio Gonzalez.

What would have happened: This fight is probably more intriguing now than it was in the early 2000s given what we now know about Jones, Jr.'s chin. Also, Michalczewski's suffocating-pressure style is the classic way to beat a safety first boxer.

All that said, the disparity in hand speed and athleticism probably means that this fight is more Mayweather-Ricky Hatton than Sugar Ray Robinson-Jake Lamotta I. Michalczewski would have pushed Jones, but ultimately been knocked out. 

James Toney-Nigel Benn

Why it should have happened: Toney was a pound-for-pound talent with old-school skills and a tough-guy personality. Nigel Benn was a reckless brawler with lead in his gloves and an assassin's makeup. They both resided in the same weight class and held title belts at the same time. The bout would have been fought in a phone booth. 

Why it never happened: The perfect time for this fight to take place would have been around 1993. Unfortunately, from a business standpoint, it didn't make a lot of sense, particularly for Benn. He was making good money fighting elite domestic opponents.

Toney was still making a name for himself to some degree, though he was very highly regarded by the boxing media and hardcore fans. Then, between Toney's bad loss against Roy Jones, Jr. and Benn's tragic win over Gerald McClellan, the fight simply lost its luster.

What would have happened: Benn was an animal in the ring, throwing every punch with bad intentions. Toney was a master. He loved to stand in against opponents and give them a boxing lesson within inches of disaster. If Toney showed up in shape (a huge question), think of something along the lines of Toney-Vassily Jirov. If he showed up flabby, think of a cow being ravaged by a lion. 

Juan Manuel Marquez-Naseem Hamed

Why it should have happened: Naseem Hamed was the best featherweight in the late 1990s. He changed the sport and the way the lighter weight classes are viewed. He was as unorthodox as fighters come and had the physical tools to get away with it.

Juan Manuel Marquez, on the other hand, was his unheralded, textbook top contender. 

Why it never happened: Naz didn't want anything to do with Marquez. He was too good and too unknown, and there was too much money to be made against other (lesser) opponents. Marquez languished for what seemed like ages in the No. 1 contender position for the World Boxing Organization, a belt that Hamed gave up rather than face the Mexican. 

What would have happened: There's a reason Hamed wanted to avoid Marquez. He could be undressed by a cool headed, well-schooled boxer (See: Hamed-Marco Antonio Barerra), and Marquez was certainly that. Remember, this is before Marquez reinvented himself as something of a puncher, and leaping uppercuts wouldn't have gotten him out of the zone. Maybe Hamed would have been a little better prepared than he was against Barerra, but he still would have lost on points.