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When Joe ‘The Brown Bomber’ won the world heavyweight title, stopping champion James Braddock in June 1937, he said, “Until Max Schmeling wins, I’m not the champion!” He was talking about his KO loss in 1936. He avenged it in 1939 at Madison Square Garden, knocking out Schmeling in the first round.
When ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, 27-0, lost to Roberto ‘Hands of Stone’ Duran, 71-1, in June 1980 fighting the Durans, he got a rematch. He shut down Duran so badly that Duran left the stool in November.
In April 1987, Leonard defeated Marvin Hagler for his middleweight title. Hagler retired and moved to Italy, not wanting a rematch.
In April 2002, lightweight champion Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather was awarded a gift decision over Jose Luis Castillo. Eight months later, he gave him a rematch, easily defeating him.
In June 2012, Tim Bradley, Jr. he robbed Manny ‘Pac Man’ Pacquiao, but in April 2014 he defeated Bradley in a rematch.
In November 2016, Andre “SOG” Ward was awarded a decision over Sergey Kovalev in a lightweight title fight and gave him an immediate rematch, stopping Kovalev and then retiring from boxing.
Heavyweight champion Rock Marciano had a close, if uncontested, decision over Roland LaStarza in March 1950 before winning the title. After stopping ‘Jersey’ Joe Walcott for the title and again in his next fight, he stopped LaStarza.
In November 1986, super featherweight champion Alfredo Escalera won a worst split decision over Philadelphia’s Tyrone Everett in Philadelphia. It never got a rematch, and the Pennsylvania judge who voted for Escalara never worked another show.
Historian Jim Jacobs told me that the worst decision he ever saw was in June 1963, when light heavyweight champion Harold Johnson was robbed by Willie Pastrano by split decision and never got a rematch.
Heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali lost to Ken Norton and Smokin’ Joe Frazier in their first bouts, but defeated them twice in rematches.
In June 1983, heavyweight champion Larry ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, 42-0, was awarded a free decision in defense against ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, 15-0, and was never given a rematch.
What fight did you want to see in a rematch that never happened?
