Dream Match in Boxing

By Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer Updated: 28 February 2024

Amelia Walker Senior Content Writer

Amelia Walker is a Senior Content Writer at Betting.US. She has a law degree and deep knowledge of the gambling laws in the United States. Her mission is to keep players informed about responsible gambling, while her passion for sports helps her create useful guides. Amelia has over a decade of experience in betting, which has positioned her as a trusted voice among our readers.

See Full Bio

Twitter X

Dream Match in Boxing

• Dream Match Boxing
• Dream Boxing Matches: Ali vs. Tyson
• Sugar Ray vs. Aaron Pryor
• Hagler vs. Monzon
• Tyson vs. Foreman
• Hearns vs. Pacquiao
• Frequently Asked Questions

Today’s blog looks at dream match boxing events that could and, for many people, should have taken place. From the golden age greats to modern-day champions, we delve into what-if battles that have fans debating and dreaming.

What if Ali danced around Tyson’s powerful punches? Could Sugar Ray’s abilities overcome Pryor’s power? Join us on a journey through time and witness the dream fights that, while never happening in the ring, come to life in the hearts of boxing enthusiasts!

Dream Fights We’d Love to See

Today’s blog looks at our dream boxing matches that never happened, but fans dream of. We will cover some of the sport’s biggest legends, looking at how they’d do against other legendary fighters. It’s not just about who would win, but how they would win. Would it be a knockout or a full 12 rounds? We do our best to find out!

Plus, if you’re looking to bet live on boxing, we have you covered too; don’t forget to check out our site for the top sportsbook recommendations, with all sites covering boxing in detail.

Dream Boxing Matches: Ali vs. Tyson

Our number one boxing dream match is Muhammad Ali vs Mike Tyson – a fight between perhaps the two most iconic heavyweights of all time.

Ali, known as ‘The Greatest’, wasn’t just a boxer; he was an icon, becoming one of the most well-known and popular figures in American culture. His incredible boxing style, a combo of speed, power, and agility, made him one of the best boxers in history.

Ali’s footwork was his signature, allowing him to dance around his opponents at all stages of the fight. This allowed him to reach pretty much all areas of the ring and strike his opponents effortlessly! Ali was always two steps ahead, owning the ring whenever he entered.

In stark contrast stood Mike Tyson, ‘The Baddest Man on the Planet’, a force of nature with the power to knock opponents out with a single punch. Tyson’s style was primitive-like; he used a non-stop onslaught of raw power and aggression that left opponents gasping for a break! His solid defense, the peek-a-boo style, and his footwork made his attacks almost impossible to block, too! He also possessed an insanely powerful uppercut that could knock out any opponent in a heartbeat.

The hypothetical match between Ali and Tyson would have been a clash of two of the world’s greatest boxers. Ali’s strategy would likely revolve around his superior speed and agility, dancing around Tyson’s power, striking with precision and moving away before the counter.

Tyson, on the other hand, would seek to close the distance, cutting off the ring and unleashing his anger in a flurry of power punches. The fight would be a tense balance of Ali’s footwork and Tyson’s devastating power, and the jury’s out on who’d win this fight! What would be the most violent boxing dream match? This would definitely be one of them!

Sugar Ray vs. Aaron Pryor

Sugar Ray Leonard was a formidable opponent in the ring, his boxing style an interesting blend of speed, precision, and agility. Known for his showmanship and strategy-based boxing, Leonard’s fights were as much a performance as they were an actual fight! He was incredibly talented at adapting to his opponents, and, in doing so, could easily control the ring. His jab was incredibly powerful, too, able to daze his opponents, and even knock them out!

Aaron Pryor, like Tyson, was all about power and spirit. Pryor’s style was aggressive, doing pretty much all he could to win his fights. He was an intimidating opponent to face, and his punches were incredibly powerful, letting him pressure opponents, cut off their escape, and force them into a toe-to-toe battle.

Interestingly, the two boxers did have an agreement in place to fight. However, due to Ray’s detached retina in his eye, they were unable to – and it remains to be seen which boxer would have been able to come out on top!

Hagler vs. Monzon

The dream middleweight match-up between champions Carlos Monzon and Marvin Hagler would have been one of the most iconic fights in history. Monzon, the slick boxer who dominated the division in the 1970s, versus Hagler, the brawler who dominated the 1980s. Though they never met in the ring, comparing their styles and hypothesizing over who would have won is interesting – and this would definitely have been one of those ‘dream fights’ fans yearn for!

Monzon would hold significant size and reach advantages over Hagler. His piston-like jab and accurate right hands could present major issues for the normally aggressive Hagler. But if anyone could figure out Monzon’s style, it would be the adaptable Hagler. He may have chosen to switch to an orthodox stance and use his underrated boxing skills to overcome Monzon’s physical edges.

Even if Hagler managed to get inside Monzon’s defense, landing his powerful left hook and right hook combination, he would still have had the obstacle of actually hurting the Argentinean. Monzon had a proven world-class chin that never failed during his championship days. Hagler showed a rare ability to break down the greatest fighters of his era, but Monzon was, quite frankly, in a league of his own!

While the match could go either way, it would likely have ended in a razor-thin decision for Monzon. His size and skill would likely have allowed him to overcome Hagler’s relentless pressure and cement his reputation as the greatest 160-pound fighter ever. However, no matter who won, fans would be treated to an epic back-and-forth fight where both boxers gave everything in the ring.

Tyson vs. Foreman

After Tyson’s shocking loss to Buster Douglas, his early 1990s time in the ring – before prison – proved a crucial time in his career. Rather than face the larger Foreman, Tyson focused on rebuilding against Tillman, Stewart, and Ruddock. Considering how Tyson preferred to avoid George’s style, a post-prison fight against Foreman – then the heavyweight champion in his second career peak – would have been fascinating!

While trying to regain his intimidating persona after prison, Tyson’s offense-first would likely have clashed a lot with Foreman’s power. Foreman had a heavy jab and an insanely strong right hand, requiring perfect defense and counterpunching from Tyson. Although Mike, in his prime, was one of the best boxers in the world, his time in prison may have given Foreman the upper hand if the two were to fight one another.

On the other hand, even the older Foreman had stamina issues, providing Tyson with an opportunity if he survived early rounds. If he’d managed to avoid Foreman’s punches, he may have been able to land critical hits. Foreman had shown vulnerability to attacks to the body when he was fighting Holyfield, for example. Plus, with his speed advantage, Tyson could well go on to defeat Foreman if the latter punched himself out!

We’d lean towards a late-round Tyson stoppage win in this dream match during Tyson’s 1990s comeback. Foreman’s power and size made him dangerous, but Tyson’s hand speed and body punching seem the perfect combo for the big man if properly utilized.

Hearns vs. Pacquiao

A dream match between iconic welterweights Thomas Hearns and Manny Pacquiao would put two of the greatest offensive fighters in boxing history against one another. Hearns, with his legendary power punching, versus Pacquiao, who overwhelms opponents with insane hand speed and punishing combos. This clash of styles would make for a highly intriguing fight, and we’d argue it would be one of the best dream boxing matches you could think of!

While Pacquiao boasts more versatility as a switch-hitter, Hearns’ enormous height and reach advantages could pose problems for the Filipino superstar. Using his telephone pole jab and packing power in both hands, Hearns would look to control distance and pick Pacquiao apart from the outside. If Hearns connects clean just once with his dynamite right hand, it could mean disaster for Manny.

However, the PacMan has shown uncanny ability to overcome size differences before, using fantastic footwork and head movement to maneuver inside taller opponents’ defenses. Once past Hearns’ range, Pacquiao could look to land on Hearns’ body and take advantage of his average infighting game.

This match could go either way; Hearns would likely be the winner of early rounds, but, provided no knockout occurred, Pacquiao’s non-stop pressure would suit him well in the latter rounds. In the end, we think PacMan has a slight edge. And, if you’re interested, here’s a table with key information about both boxers: