The best boxing matches are not, as Michaelr would have us belive, pugilistic thuggery consisting of two guys beating each other to a bloody pulp with the minimum of skill. The best matches are the ones where skill and experience in the fistic arts are displayed, outpointing the opponent in the process. Beyond that, boxing is a pretty pure "contest" as it involves the imposition of will upon another like-minded individual...to the extent that one contestant is forced to accept that on that particular day, on that particular fight, he is not the "greatest", as so many boxers would model themselves. It is a sport (and note that I didn't say individual athletes) that values will, courage, and determination above all else.

Having said that, I think heavyweights are a joke these days...there was more holding in that match than at a slow-dance marathon, and neither fighter demonstrated any real skill in searching for or finding a point combination that worked. The real sport is dominated by the smaller weight classes, and that is where the future of boxing lies.