Ballot for Fifteen Best Fights in Boxing After Dark History To potential voters of the Boxing After Dark

Top Fights, Thank you for participating in this vote that will show up in the October and November issues of Undisputed Magazine. Of this list, if you could total your Top 10 in order for me and return the vote no later than Friday, August 9th, your name along with your affiliation will be featured alongside the results. Through your cumulative Top 10s I will total a Top 15 of all-time. October will feature the first ten fights with November featuring the Top 5 and a more fleshed out write up. I hope that I haven't missed any of the more dramatic fights to happen in BAD history. They are listed in chronological order. Thank you! Mark Ortega Undisputed Magazine / Leave It In The Ring Marco Antonio Barrera TKO12 Kennedy McKinney 2/3/96 The very first Boxing After Dark main event, Barrera-McKinney featured a slew of knockdowns and started the series off with a bang. There was bad blood between the two heading in and it boiled over into the in-ring action and it turned out to be a momentous start to the now 15-year program. Arturo Gatti KO6 Wilson Rodriguez 3/23/96 The coming out party, so to speak, for Arturo Gatti, though his title win against Tracy Patterson was a bit overlooked. Gatti was making the first defense of his 130-pound title against a tough customer in Rodriguez. Rodriguez got off to a great start, flooring Arturo and nearly shutting his eye. The ring doctor famously said You gotta cover that eye or it's over! and Gatti went out and scored a one punch knockout of Rodriguez in the sixth. This would be the first of many great BAD fights from Gatti. Junior Jones SD12 Orlando Canizales 3/23/96 A contender for Fight of the Year after it was over, Jones-Canizales didn't even end up being the Fight of the Night as it was overshadowed by Gatti-Rodriguez in the main event. Still, Jones-Canizales was fought at a torrid pace and was a big fight at 122 pounds. Jones was moving up in weight for the bout and Canizales was a bit on the decline but they made for a great back and forth war with odd scoring. One judge gave Canizales the first 11 rounds while the other two judges gave Jones a 117-111 verdict. Roy Jones referred to this card as the two best fights back to back he'd ever seen until PacquiaoMorales and Arce-Hussein in '05. Phillip Holiday UD12 Ivan Robinson 12/21/96 Holiday set a CompuBox record for punches landed in a championship fight at the time, landing 555 blows against the durable and tenacious Robinson. Robinson was undefeated at the time and Holiday was making the fifth defense of his 135-pound title. The bout saw lots of punches thrown but little drama as neither guy seemed to possess a big punch. Still, there was no lack of action. David Tua TKO12 David Izon 12/21/96 This would be HBO's introduction of Tua, a polarizing heavyweight with a big punch. Izon was expected to be an easy task for Tua, yet it would take Tua nearly the distance to finally stop Izon in a come from behind victory with plenty of dramatics. Izon was looking like the spoiler as he frustrated Tua and exposed his limitations but once Tua caught him on the ropes it was all over with about a

minute left. Daniel Zaragoza SD12 Wayne McCullough 1/11/97 McCullough was 20-0 heading in against the 40+ year old Zaragoza and many expected him to come away the victor. Zaragoza had other plans, implementing a great technical gameplan before the fight turned into a brawl about midway through. Zaragoza would come away with the close win and McCullough's team would protest. A member of Wayne's crew stormed the ring during Merchant's postfight interview and got thrown to the canvas by a pissed off Larry. Arturo Gatti UD12 Tracy Harris Patterson 2 2/22/97 Gatti turns in another memorable performance, besting Tracy Patterson a second time in another action packed affair. A bit of controversy in this one, Gatti was dropped in the opening round yet it wasn't ruled a knockdown. Patterson also slipped in the ninth and referee Rudy Battle did call it a knockdown. Patterson came out quickly as he ended the first bout mounting a rally, nearly closing one of Gatti's eyes around the fourth round. Gatti lost a point in round 8 for low blows but held onto his title after a 9month layoff. Vince Phillips TKO10 Kostya Tszyu 5/31/97 Perhaps the biggest upset in Boxing After Dark history, Phillips had always shown he had the ability to hang with the top guys at 140 but never the discipline. In this fight, Phillips came in prime condition and banged it out with Tszyu for nearly ten rounds before finishing him with a heavy barrage featuring his patented right hand. Roy Jones Jr. mentioned that Phillips was in love with his right hand, and although Tszyu took plenty of them just fine most of the bout, they caught up with the undefeated champ who was at the time on his way to securing big money fights should he defend successfully. Phillips would salt that idea and score the biggest win of his career. Ike Ibeabuchi UD12 David Tua 6/7/97 This fight set a CompuBox record for punches thrown in a heavyweight fight as Ibeabuchi and Tua exchanged power shots like they were trading cards. The only thing this fight lacked was drama as neither guy ever seemed in danger of being stopped and no knockdowns were scored. Shane Mosley UD12 Philip Holiday 8/2/97 Mosley is introduced to the HBO audience in his first title opportunity against the well decorated Holiday. Mosley started off fast and piled up the points, but Holiday's experience would get him back into the fight and close the gap a bit. Mosley would walk away the winner in the kind of tough fight Boxing After Dark became known for. Erik Morales KO11 Daniel Zaragoza 9/6/97 Morales would get his first HBO opportunity in a tough fight also, against the mid-40s Zaragoza who was coming off the McCullough win. Morales would struggle a bit with the veteran before taking over midway through the fight, wearing down the champion. Morales was narrowly ahead at the time he stopped Zaragoza on his stool in a fun action fight. Ivan Robinson SD10 Arturo Gatti 8/22/98 Looked at as a chance to get back in the win column for Gatti, Ivan Robinson did not accept his role as gatekeeper and came to fight. Both guys liked each other but you wouldn't have been able to tell by the way they tried taking each other's heads off. Lots of drama in this one as both guys were hurt throughout, Robinson was dropped in the fourth, and if Gatti had another thirty seconds in the final round he could have scored a last second knockout.

Kostya Tszyu TKO5 Diosbelys Hurtado 11/28/98 Hurtado was a late notice opponent who came to fight. Tszyu dropped him early with a barrage in the first but shook it off and caught a charging Tszyu with his own offense to drop Tszyu to his knees. Tszyu would get up and get dropped a second time, meaning three knockdowns in the first round. Both guys backed off a bit after that wild first and Tszyu changed his tactics to go to the body. This would ultimately win him the fight as it took the fight out of Hurtado before folding him up in the fifth. Ivan Robinson UD10 Arturo Gatti 2 12/12/98 Better than the first one, Gatti again got off to a slow start but showed better head movement and a good body attack. The third round saw Gatti eat insane punishment and in round seven Gatti ate 77 punches courtesy of Mighty Ivan. Gatti lost a point in the eighth for low blows and lost this fight much more clearly than the first, though he once again proved his ridiculous heart. Ike Ibeabuchi TKO5 Chris Byrd 3/20/99 Ibeabuchi's last fight before heading to jail, he would absolutely demolish Byrd in five rounds, flooring him and forcing Byrd to drool all over himself as he protested the stoppage. Byrd had no clue where he was a few days later, probably. Oleg Maskaev KO8 Hasim Rahman 11/6/99 One of the best knockouts of the modern era, Maskaev-Rahman was a fun heavyweight fight that ended with Maskaev folding Rahman in half with a 1-2 that sent him sprawling through the middle of the ropes and onto the floor in front of the announce team. It would have been the Knockout of the Year if it weren't for... Derrick Jefferson KO6 Maurice Harris 11/6/99 Jefferson-Harris was about as fun a lower tiered heavyweight fight as HBO had aired. Jefferson was a young undefeated heavyweight and Harris was, in Jim Lampley's own words, the best 9-loss fighter you'll find in the sport. It was a slugfest from the opening bell until Jefferson finally caught Harris with a shotgun blast of a left hand that shot the mouthpiece of Harris out the back of his head. Larry Merchant famously exclaimed following the shot, Derrick Jefferson, I LOVE YOU! Fernando Vargas MD12 Winky Wright 12/4/99 A close fight that could have gone either way, it was a fight that elevated both men as it showed multiple dimensions to each guy's game. This fight probably made both better fighters later on in their careers as well. It was a bout that was contested at a higher level than most BAD fights. Erik Morales MD12 Marco Antonio Barrera 2/19/00 The fifth anniversary of Boxing After Dark saw Morales and Barrera begin one of the most heated rivalries in boxing history. To say these two did not like each other would be an understatement. There was no lull in action as both threw each shot with the intent of rendering the other unconscious. Barrera was felt to be on the way out with Morales emerging as the next great Mexican star. This fight was not without controversy as Morales was ruled knocked down for the first time in his career late in the fight though it looked more of a slip. Many felt Barrera deserved the decision and his stock rose higher as a result of this fight and began the second great part of his career. Hasim Rahman TKO7 Corrie Sanders 5/20/00 Both Sanders and Rahman were classic underachievers at the time and both were looking to elevate themselves into potential title challengers. Both tried grinding their opponent down, but it was Hasim

who emerged victorious in this heavyweight slugfest as he trapped Sanders in the corner and unleashed a heavy barrage before the fight was stopped. Bernard Hopkins TKO10 Antwun Echols 2 12/1/00 Hopkins got thrown to the canvas in this rematch and hurt his shoulder. He had to operate with one arm for a few rounds before ultimately stopping Echols. Paulie Ayala SD12 Bones Adams 8/4/01 This controversial but action packed fight saw, surprise, Paulie Ayala emerge victorious in a close decision over Bones Adams. Many felt Ayala got two undeserved wins against Johnny Tapia not long before this one. Leonard Dorin SD12 Raul Balbi 1/5/02 This was a highly intense battle that saw both guys badly cut and in trouble. Dorin-Balbi is an oftforgotten fight that stole the show from the headlining bout between Jesse James Leija and Micky Ward. Both guys came forward and it was hard to see who was getting the better, though Dorin prevailed on the scorecards even despite being deducted a point. Juan Valenzuela UD10 Ricardo Williams Jr. 2/15/03 In a boxing Cinderalla story, 15-6 Juan El Pollo Valenzuela was a late substitute opponent for Olympic medalist Ricardo Williams Jr., who many tabbed as the best blue chip prospect in boxing. This is an underrated action fight as Valenzuela seemed unafraid of his opponent's reputation and earned a deserved win. Paulie Ayala UD12 Bones Adams 2 2/23/03 Not as good or controversial as the first, Ayala took the second fight against Adams with a stiff jab and measured attack as he frustrated Adams for twelve rounds. Micky Ward MD10 Arturo Gatti 5/18/02 Round 9. I think that is enough said. If you haven't seen this fight then don't turn in a ballot. James Toney UD12 Vassiliy Jirov 4/26/03 The best cruiserweight title fight since perhaps Qawi-Holyfield, Jirov's volume power punching and Toney's slick defense and counter punching made for a great fight. In most people's eyes it was a superbly close fight that Toney edged when he dropped Jirov in the final minute of the last round, though the official scores had Toney winning by much wider. Could have been Fight of the Year in '03 but was passed over for another Gatti-Ward bout. Paul Spadafora D12 Leonard Dorin 5/17/03 Leonard Dorin's right eye seemingly bled from the opening announcements, but it did not stop him from giving the Pittsburgh Kid his toughest fight to date. This was a bout that somebody's 0 was supposed to go. Many felt Dorin did enough to earn a close decision in this rare BAD unification match. Both kept their zeroes intact and raised their stock amongst boxing hardcores. That there was no rematch is a big letdown. Daniel Santos TD10 Antonio Margarito 2 9/11/04 In a rematch of a bout that ended in a no contest after a clash of heads, again the two heads would meet but this one saw some rounds collect before it was waved off. Santos got off to a great start as he timed Margarito's attack well enough to counter effectively. Just as Margarito was known for doing, he began

*turning the tide midway through the bout and hurt Santos several times prior to the fight being stopped in the tenth. Miguel Cotto KO7 Ricardo Torres 9/24/05 Despite being dropped in the second and hurt several more times, Cotto rallied back to knock down the hard-hitting Colombian Torres four times before ultimately finishing him in the seventh. It exposed Cotto as being human and there was never a moment that you felt either guy was safe from being knocked out. Torres was the first man down in the opening round but he did not let it faze him, nearly stopping Cotto in a brutal second round. Wladimir Klitschko UD12 Samuel Peter 9/24/05 Wladimir was coming off another embarrassing defeat to Lamon Brewster and had gotten a few quick wins prior to taken on the heir apparent to the throne Peter. Klitschko showed his chin was not restored, visiting the canvas three times but ultimately outboxing and outclassing Peter to a points win. It was a sloppy dirty fight that showed Wlad had heart. Kelly Pavlik KO8 Jose Luis Zertuche 1/27/07 A good action fight that was more even in the first three rounds than in the last five. The lasting memory from this is the brutal knockout Pavlik scored, putting Zertuche to sleep standing up with a ridiculous combination. Paul Williams UD12 Antonio Margarito 7/14/07 This would be Paul Williams' coming out party, as he outvolumed and even hurt Margarito in building up an early lead that was too insurmountable for Margarito to overcome, despite him narrowing things down the stretch and hurting Williams in the final few rounds. If title fights were still fifteen this could have been a different result. Daniel Ponce De Leon KO1 Rey Bautista 8/11/07 Rey Bautista was being built up as a new star having been featured on the DLH-Mayweather undercard, but Daniel Ponce De Leon erased all of those hopes in less than a round as he brutalized Bautista with a heavy handed combination to flatten him in one. This was the main event of a World Cup card that featured Mexico vs. the Philippines, and Ponce was Mexico's only win. Gerry Penalosa KO7 Jhonny Gonzalez 8/11/07 Penalosa looked destined to lose his second straight title try after dropping a wide decision to Ponce De Leon just five months prior. That all changed in a hurry with one well placed body shot in round seven, stopping the favored Gonzalez cold. Joel Casamayor TKO10 Michael Katsidis 3/22/08 In the case of the emerging young fighter and the fading old one, youth fell to experience as Casamayor dropped Katsidis twice in the opening round. Katsidis came on in the middle rounds, even knocking Casamayor through the ropes and out of the ring. Casamayor climbed back in and rallied back in the tenth as Katsidis got a little boisterous before running into a perfectly timed Casamayor counter for the knockout. Rocky Juarez TKO11 Jorge Barrios 9/6/08 If you were a fan of Rocky Juarez, you had plenty to be frustrated about. Time and time again, opportunity came knocking for Juarez and you would find yourself yelling at the TV, Just throw your hands! Juarez seemed destined to let another opportunity slip away as a newly refined Barrios

outfought Juarez most of the way before a nasty cut was opened up on his lip in the eleventh. This prompted Juarez to decide to unleash an offense, earning him a come from behind win he desperately needed. Chris Arreola TKO3 Travis Walker 11/29/08 Arreola was supposed to walk right through Walker but instead tasted the canvas in the second round and rallied back to score a knockout in the following round. A wild but short heavyweight fight. Andre Berto UD12 Luis Collazo 1/17/09 Berto was seen as a paper champion who was force fed a title and Collazo was seen as a guy good enough to give him problems. Collazo hurt Berto early on and the two exchanged often with Collazo looking the better most of the way. Berto gutted out the decision in the final few rounds, though many felt Collazo should have gotten the nod. Marcos Maidana TKO6 Victor Ortiz 6/27/09 Getting his first taste as a headliner on HBO in a packed Staples Center, Victor Ortiz looked like he was going to rise to the occasion has he dropped a hungry but mostly unknown to American fight fans Maidana in the first two minutes. Maidana roared back and scored a more hurtful knockdown of his own. Maidana would get sent down with seconds lift in a wild three knockdown opening stanza. Both men would see the canvas again with Maidana proving the tougher as he closed an eye of Ortiz's and forced him to quit midway through the sixth. Tomasz Adamek MD12 Chris Arreola 4/24/10 As far as today's heavyweight fights go, Adamek-Arreola was as good as it got as the two traded toe-totoe until Arreola gassed out late and allowed Adamek to open up a lead.