There is a term in sports called "career-defining." It often refers to moments. A game-winning shot, home run, or a touch down .
It is of the kind that when somebody looks back at one's career, it is usually that "career-defining" thing that comes to mind. Some don't have it, some unfortunate ones are remembered for something they would rather forget, and some have a career-defining moment or two.
But moments somehow connote that there is luck involved. One doesn't create moments-- it just happens. It's a little harder to forge than, say, a "performance." Moments can sometimes be equated to accidents. Perceived wrongly, a blunder of few seconds can be associated to a career that spanned for years, to a point that one's name is remembered for that particular "moment" and little else. Moments can also be unfair.
But performances, especially great ones, are results of hardwork, skill, and talent, with limited luck involved. Other factors play in, but your performance is in your hands.
It never gets more literal than in boxing. Except that, those hands are closed to make fists, then to punch.
The greatest performances occur against the best opponents, in the biggest opportunities. Here are the ten greatest boxing performances of the decade that was.
10. Shane Mosley vs. Antonio Margarito (TKO9 - January 2009)
Poetic justice for boxing. Margarito was at the top of the welterweight division after being the first to defeat Miguel Cotto, who also defeated Mosley. Margarito punches hard and takes punches hard. Mosley, on the other hand, is old and may have had his best days behind him. Then, before the fight, the immovable object was found to have some object in his hands. With few thinking that he could win, Mosley proceeded to give Margarito a drubbing in that fight, closed out by an unconscionable beating that cracked through Margarito's supposedly indestructible chin, which was starting to gain legendary status. He returns to prime form and at 38, he had a career-defining performance by exposing the cheating Margarito to force himself back as one of the sport's elite.
9. Manny Pacquiao vs. Miguel Cotto (TKO12 - November 2009)
There were questions surrounding both fighters for this bout, which was the biggest fight of 2009. It was time for both elite pound-for-pound boxers to shine. Cotto, the natural welterweight fighting machine, only had a questionable loss against the abovementioned Margarito. He has bounced back since then but some still felt that he was damaged goods. On the other corner, Pacquiao is in the process of riding into unbelievable dominance in the higher weights, but many dismiss his recent achievements as inauthentic given their views on last three fighters that he beat (shot, dehydrated, etc.) Early on, Cotto came out strong and determined, looking to return to his old invicible form. But until that eventful knockdown, and another one, Pacquiao turned the fight to deliver a dominant performance against the continually retreating Cotto. That especially proved his ability to take a punch from a prime bigger man. His skills, speed, and power were already there, too.
8. Bernard Hopkins vs. Kelly Pavlik (UD12 - October 2008)
With some boxing fans ready to write him off and his career epitaph, Hopkins proved why he's not just any other old fighter out there. At 44-years-old, he pulled out many tricks from the book where legendary aged fighters Archie Moore, George Foreman, and the like pulled out of, at the expense of the young, unsupecting middleweight champion. At that age, one would have thought that Hopkins' knowledge could best be taught to others outside the ring, but he demonstrated it inside of it still. Hopkins' cunning and veteranship were in full display as he prevented Pavlik from unloading any meaningful charge. Again, he's 44, but with his career proceeding, there is still time to not doubt him again.
7. Manny Pacquiao vs. Oscar De la Hoya (TKO8 - December 2008)
Forget that De la Hoya was "shot," dehydrated, or if he had diarrhea in this fight. Because even if he were not, Pacquiao would have defeated him given his performance in this fight. Besides, all prefight views give Pacquiao virtually zero chance. It's unexpected that Pacquiao won, but the way he did it is even more so. Pacquiao showcased that he's finally a complete fighter in this fight, befuddling De la Hoya all throughout the fight while launching a periodic left straight that always found De la Hoya's face. That face never returned to the ring again. Pacquiao made De la Hoya shot and retired him with the worst beating of his career, by forcing him to quit on his stool after the eighth.
Continue reading: "Best Boxing Performances of the 2000s: The Decade's Greatest Performances"
"Best of the Decade" series: Upsets of the Decade, Fights of the Decade, Fighters of the Decade.
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