Mike Tyson bites off part of Evander Holyfield's ear (1997)
Circa June 28, 1997. Tyson received a cut from a headbutt. He then bit Holyfield on his right ear, ripping a bit of cartilage off and spitting it out. The referee deducted two points from him, and the bout continued, with Tyson biting the other ear, and then coming over to Holyfield's corner after the round to argue and fight. Tyson was disqualified, fined $3 million and temporarily banned from the sport.
Antonio Margarito is caught with plaster in his gloves (2008)
Shane Mosley's trainer noticed a powdery substance in Margarito's gloves. Consequently, Margarito was made to re-wrap his gloves three times. The substance turned out to be plaster of Paris. The sweat would make the powder harden into the equivalent of a cast. Mosley would go on to knock Margarito out in brutal fashion, and Margarito would be banned for a year.
Sugar Ray Leonard defeats Marvelous Marvin Hagler (1987)
The southpaw lost the early rounds. But he fought back and punished Leonard at times. Leonard used the large ring to circle Hagler and threw punches at the end of rounds to sway judges. Leonard won a split-decision: 113-115, 115-113 and 118-110. Hagler never fought again. Never has a fight been so richly disputed.
Lennox Lewis draws with Evander Holyfield (1999)
In the lead-up to the bout, Holyfield had famously predicted a third-round knockout. But on that fateful night, it was Lewis who called the shots. Holyfield, was, quite clearly, beaten. The Madison Square Garden crowd witnessed a one-sided bout but the contest was declared a draw. Lewis won the rematch seven months later.
Sugar Ray Leonard draws with Tommy Hearns (1989)
Leonard went down twice, but fought back valiantly in the fifth. He then won a wild 12th round to go for the knockout. The contest ended in a draw. One of the judges gave Leonard a two-point advantage in Round 12 even though he didn't score a knockdown. Later, Leonard publicly stated that Hearns won.
Oscar De La Hoya defeats Pernell Whitaker (1997)
Whitaker employed the jab to keep Oscar at bay. 'The Golden Boy' looked rattled and got knocked down for the first time in his career. Despite that, he was awarded a unanimous decision by large margins: 115-111, 116-110 and 116-110. Fight fans still talk about the one that somehow got away from Whitaker.
Park Si-Hun defeats Roy Jones Jr (1988)
Only 19, Jones lit up the Seoul Olympics. In the final, he landed 86 punches to Park's 32. But it was Park who was adjudged the winner. Later, Park apologised to Jones. The International Olympic Council suspended the judges who scored against Jones. A new scoring system was put in place.
Floyd Mayweather defeats Jose Luis Castillo (2002)
Castillo was better known as Julio Cesar Chavez's sparring partner than a lightweight champion. His blitzkrieg prompted the referee to dock a point off Mayweather, who used his left elbow rather often. But after all this, a battered and bruised Mayweather got a unanimous decision: 116-111, 115-111 and 115-111.
Tito Trinidad defeats Oscar De La Hoya (1999)
De La Hoya was in control after nine rounds. Then, he refused to box for the last three rounds and tried to 'steal' a win. Trinidad kept at it and won a controversial majority decision: 114-114, 115-113 and 115-114. De La Hoya was of the impression that he gave his opponent a lesson in boxing!
Pernell Whitaker draws with Julio Cesar Chavez (1993)
Whitaker kept the Mexican great off-balance with smart movement. Chavez was the favourite, but resembled a "wild-swinging grizzly bear chasing a quick-striking cheetah". The fight was scored a majority draw: 115-113, 115-115 and 115-115. Alas, Whitaker deserved to win. The media blasted the decision, and Chavez kept his undefeated record intact.
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