BEST OF THE REST

CARMEN BASILIO [left] outpointed Sugar Ray Robinson in a brutal 1957 15-rounder, but couldn’t beat him twice, losing the return via split decision.

Paul Pender did beat Robinson twice, but by the time they fought in 1960, Robinson was 38.

Don Fullmer and Dick Tiger fought each other three times in the 1960s. Tiger took the title from Fullmer, the rematch ended in a blood-splattered draw and Tiger ended the rivalry with a seventh-round retirement win in front of 35,000 fans in Nigeria.

In 1967, Bennie Briscoe held Carlos Monzon to a draw in Argentina, a result the Philadelphian considered as good as a victory. The result bothered Monzon and five years later, he overcame a ninthround wobble to beat Briscoe on points in front of 17,000 fans in Buenos Aires.

Eddie Futch regarded Charley Burley and Holman Williams as the best middleweights of their generation and the ‘Murderer’s Row’ fighters fought each other seven times between 1939 and 1945. Both won three each and there was a no contest, but neither ever fought for the world championship.

On the greatest night of his great career, Harry Greb retained his middleweight title with a 15-round points win over welterweight champion Mickey Walker in July, 1925 in front of 60,000 fans at New York’s Polo Grounds.

Legend has it, they fought again only hours later after bumping into each other in a lobster shop, but the result of the unofficial rematch is unrecorded.