Ranking the 10 Best Slugfests in Boxing from the Past 10 Years

There's nothing more exciting in sports than two evenly matched prizefighters slugging it out. Even fans who understand the sport well enough to appreciate brilliant defensive technique can't deny the visceral thrill of two warriors throwing caution aside and going at it.

Pierce Egan's famous line is usually shortened in modern usage to "The Sweet Science," but the full phrase he employed in his classic Boxiana serial was "The Sweet Science of Bruising." For all the artistry inherent in pugilism, hurting the other guy has always been the main objective. 

While I don't see much room to argue with my top selection here or most of the top half of the list, grading a slugfest is a bit like grading a piece of music. Personal preference is going to be largely impacted by how somebody responded emotionally at the time and the place it retains in one's memory.

10. John Duddy UD Yori Boy Campas, September 29, 2006

John Duddy's popularity as a fighter probably surpassed his true talent. The Derry native's Irish heritage made him a St. Patrick's Day fixture at Madison Square Garden.

But he wouldn't have been so easy to market if not for his action-packed style. Duddy was a gutsy, scrappy fighter, and this was never clearer than when he faced Yori Boy Campas in September 2006.

Campas was a veteran of more than 90 professional fights when he faced the rising Duddy. On paper, it looked a lot like Campas was a faded name who was there to help build Duddy's resume.

Instead, Campas pushed Duddy to his limit, providing him an education. Duddy was rocked hard by a hook in Round 2 and finished the fight with cuts over both eyes. But the Irishman stayed calm in the pocket, working crisp combinations behind a consistent jab.  

9. Francisco Rodriguez Jr. UD Katsunari Takayama, August 9, 2014

On a night when the attention of most boxing fans in the United States was focused on 2014's most laughable mismatch, Danny Garcia vs. Rod Salka, Francisco Rodriguez Jr. and Katsunari Takayama turned in a classic in a strawweight unification bout. 

WBO champion Rodriguez used tricky angles and heavy, volume punching to consistently force The Lightning Kid into desperate exchanges. IBF champion Takayama was the better technical boxer, but he was unable to avoid getting drawn into a shootout. 

Takayama went down in Round 3 and was stunned repeatedly later in the fight. Rodriguez maintained relentless pressure and a punishing body attack, while Takayama gamely absorbed his opponent's harder punches in a valiant attempt to match his output. 

8. Orlando Salido KO 11 Terdsak Kokietgym, September 9, 2014

This fight was for the WBO interim title at super featherweight. I'm not sure why the WBO thought Orlando Salido and Terdsak Kokietgym were qualified to fight for a belt at super featherweight, since Salido had never fought at 130 pounds and Kokietgym has spent the past half decade padding his record against obscure journeymen and sub-.500 club fighters. 

Regardless, when they faced off in the ring last September, they turned in one of the most exciting fights of recent years. There were seven total knockdowns in the fight, with Salido tasting the canvas in Rounds 1, 2 and 5. Kokietgym was dropped in Rounds 1, 4 and 7 and went down for good in Round 11.

Salido is a classic fighter from the school of hard knocks. He turned professional as a teenager and was never matched easily on his way up through the ranks. Eventually, he turned himself into a world champion.

His best days are no doubt behind him now, but he proved once again last year that he still has the heart of a warrior.  

7. Victor Ortiz UD Andre Berto, April 16, 2011

Andre Berto was the undefeated WBC welterweight champion and one of the sport's hottest young fighters coming into this fight. In his previous defense, he'd knocked out Freddy Hernandez in Round 1.

Victor Ortiz was moving up from light welterweight. Yet, he looked like the bigger man in this fight, imposing bullying pressure throughout.

Ortiz dropped Berto in Round 1, and Berto returned the favor in the next round. Both men went down in Round 6.

The big story of this fight was Ortiz forcing a brutal pace and Berto struggling to keep up. Ortiz earned a shot at Floyd Mayweather based on this performance, and both Ortiz and Berto figured to be major attractions for years to come.

Instead, they have both sunk into relative obscurity, even as Ortiz remains well shy of 30.  

6. Rafael Marquez TKO 7 Israel Vazquez, March 3, 2007

This was the first bout in the four-fight series between Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez, one of the greatest boxing rivalries of this century. It deserves a place alongside Erik Morales vs. Marco Antonio Barrera for pure entertainment and skillful brawling. 

In the first fight, Marquez was moving up from bantamweight to challenge for Vazquez's title at 122 pounds. It was expected to be a thriller and lived up to expectations, from the first round on. 

In the first, Marquez broke Vazquez's nose with an uppercut. Vazquez dropped Marquez in Round 3 and looked to have him nearly finished. 

The middle rounds of the fight were a war, but Vazquez's busted nose made it tougher and tougher for him to defend his title. He was forced to retire on his stool at the end of Round 7. 

5. Timothy Bradley UD Ruslan Provodnikov, March 16, 2013

When Timothy Bradley faced Ruslan Provodnikov in his first fight after his controversial win over Manny Pacquiao, fans saw his choice of opponent as a letdown. Provodnikov had a reputation as a rugged slugger but wasn't seen as being on the same level as Bradley. 

Instead, Bradley was lucky to survive the first two rounds, nearly getting finished in both of them. The incredibly durable Bradley was able to recover and use crisp combination punching and smart movement to build a lead going into the late rounds of the fight. 

Then, needing a knockout to win, Provodnikov nearly got it in Round 12. It took Bradley months to recover from the damage he took in this fight. Provodnikov's eyes were busted so badly during the fight that at one point his trainer, Freddie Roach, threatened to toss in the towel. 

4. Manny Pacquiao SD Juan Manuel Marquez, March 15, 2008

Four years after Juan Manuel Marquez overcame three first-round knockdowns to force a draw against Manny Pacquiao, the two met again in a long-awaited comeback. Once more, they produced an all-time classic.

Marquez wobbled Pacquiao in Round 2, but Pacquiao came back to drop Marquez with a straight left in Round 3 and then hurt him again at the end of the round. The fight settled into a pattern of relentless action, employed with elite skill.

Pacquiao had a huge Round 10, but Marquez dominated Round 12. The verdict was a split decision for Pacquiao. I feel Marquez won this 115-112, but so many of the rounds were very close that it is unfair to call it a robbery.  

3. Israel Vazquez TKO 6 Rafael Marquez, August 4, 2007

Just five months after their brutal first fight, Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez faced off in a rematch. The result was another all-time classic, which edged out the first fight for 2007's Fight of the Year honors.

The action peaked in Round 3, a round for the ages. Standing toe-to-toe and throwing heavy punches, both men opened cuts on each other's eyes.  

Vazquez dropped Marquez in Round 6 and then pounded him with another combination after he had gotten back to his feet, forcing a stoppage. Marquez protested the stoppage as too quick, and the stage was set for a third bout. 

2. Israel Vasquez SD Rafael Marquez, March 1, 2008

After trading stoppages in their first two fights, the third fight between Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez went the distance, with Vazquez winning by split decision. The action was every bit as intense.

This fight was once again The Ring's Fight of the Year. Marquez dropped Vazquez in Round 4, but Vazquez came back strong in the round to score heavily. 

Vazquez once more fought much of the bout with a bad cut above his eye. A somewhat controversial knockdown in the final round, when the referee ruled that only the ropes were holding Marquez up, helped Vazquez to edge out the win.  

1. Diego Corrales TKO 10 Jose Luis Castillo, May 7, 2005

When Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo faced off to unify the WBO and WBC lightweight titles, it didn't take a call to the Psychic Friend's Hotline to know it was going to be a terrific scrap. But it ended up being even better than expected. 

The first nine rounds were nonstop, toe-to-toe action. But it was the 10th and final round that made this one so unforgettable. 

With both of his eyes already nearly closed, Corrales got dropped early into the round. Castillo floored him again, seconds later. Corrales lost a third point in the round for spitting out his mouthpiece. 

Then, with the situation looking desperate, Corrales landed a brilliant right hand that drove Castillo to the corner. With Castillo trapped in his corner and unable to defend himself, referee Tony Weeks stopped the fight.