Thursday 26 January 2017 16:38, UK
Ahead of Carl Frampton-Leo Santa Cruz II, our panel of experts have picked out their favourite rematches.
The Belfast man claimed an exciting split decision win over Santa Cruz last July and the featherweight rivals will fight again in the early hours of Sunday morning in Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports.
Past rematches have supplied plenty of drama and The Panel have selected some memorable second fights...
I wish I could be talking about Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, but the weight issue ruined the immediate rematch for us all, so I am going to say my rematch with Mikkel Kessler. Not just because I was in it, but because it was so similar to the first one.
Kessler won the first fight on a close points decision, but in hindsight it was all in his favour. The first one was good, but the second one was even better from my perspective and this time I was on home soil, and I knew I could beat him.
I'll be honest and say we didn't need a third fight to settle it, those two fights were great to be involved in. I have a feeling Frampton-Santa Cruz II will be similar in terms of excitement and it will be tight again, but I don't think this will need a third one either.
A rematch that sticks out in the mind for all the wrong reasons, is the Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield rematch. I wouldn't say it's one of my favourites, because of the controversial ending and the brutal nature of the fight. But just the fact that it was such an anticipated rematch.
I had just come back from holiday and I sat up to watch it with my mates in the early hours. I can remember the chaos in the ring afterwards - it was definitely one that sticks in the mind.
One that lived up to the first one was Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward II. No-one thought that second one would come close to the first one, but how wrong were we? I just thought it was amazing to see Gatti take the punishment in the first yet come back for the rematch. He used his brain and boxed, not just brawled.
There was some great work from Buddy McGirt in the rematch and after watching that rematch, I read up on it and it was amazing. When they were getting ready for it, whenever Gatti got involved in a fight in sparring, McGirt would stop it. It sent Gatti mad, but after a few weeks the penny dropped, which is just as well because the trainer said if you want to have a war, I am throwing the towel in. It worked on the night and it was brilliant to watch. Gatti was masterful.
One that stands out for me was the Nigel Benn-Chris Eubank rematch at Old Trafford. I remember watching it, I was at home with my brothers and my Dad. I thought that Benn won the fight and deserved it.
I was a Benn fan and was screaming at the telly for Benn, but obviously Eubank got the draw. That's probably why it stood out, why it has stayed in my memory for so long. I obviously love the Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns fight and everything else, but Benn-Eubank was one of my favourites, even though the result wasn't what I wanted.
My favourite rematch is of course Carl Froch against George Groves. After what happened in the first fight, Carl was heartbroken by the response from the general public, so he was still in a dilemma if he was going to fight again, because of that reaction. He thought he won fair and square.
The second fight wasn't as exciting, because both fighters had a bit more respect for each other. But I can remember being at Wembley on a summer night and the atmosphere was second to none. It broke records and Carl Froch dines out on it still. It also had that conclusive ending, so that was the favourite rematch that I can remember.
In my time, it's the Arturo Gatti-Micky Ward rematch for me. I've mentioned Sugar Ray Leonard for his pure boxing skills in that second fight against Roberto Duran II, which was something to marvel at. But sometimes you like a dirty pizza and that's Gatti-Ward.
Talk about sheer will to win, men who are willing to put everything on the line. To come through the first fight and put it all on the line again, shows you what they're all about. The punishment they took and inflicted, and then to hug at the end, shows what boxing is all about.
Watch Carl Frampton's rematch against Leo Santa Cruz and Lee Selby's IBF title defence against Jonathan Victor Barros in Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports 1, from 1am on Sunday January 29.
