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Top 5 boxing super fights that never happened including Mike Tyson’s near clash with George Foreman

Whilst we’re certainly not lacking when it comes to dream matchups in the sport of boxing, throughout the years some eye-catching super fights have narrowly escaped us.

Whether it’s been Floyd Mayweather’s eventual showdown with fellow icon Manny Pacquiao, or the notable matchups of Four Kings — including Sugar Ray Leonard’s late career fight with middleweight megastar, Marvelous Marvin Hagler — we’ve been spoilt for choice.

But for every super fight we’ve seen throughout the years, there are some notable clashes we’ve missed out on.

Below, let’s rank the top 5 super fights we’ve never seen.

5. Miguel Cotto vs. Ricky Hatton

Two iconic strikers of their era in the sport, Miguel Cotto and veteran British star Ricky Hatton, somehow never managed to cross paths in the ring.

Eventually sharing the ring with the above-mentioned Pacquiao in 2009, Hatton suffered a hellacious knockout loss to the Filipino megastar, with a pairing against Cotto waiting in the wings beforehand, however.

Miguel Cotto celebrates during his fight with Zab Judah at Madison Square Garden in 2007
Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images

And with both fighting Pacquiao that same year in stoppage losses, a showdown of Cotto and Hatton would have come as one of the most intriguing pairings of that decade in the squared circle — especially at 140lbs.

4. George Foreman vs. Mike Tyson

Despite reaching the swan song of his devastating career back in the late 90s, Foreman still lodged a savage KO win over Michael Moorer midway through the decade.

And following his WBA and IBF title successes, Foreman expressed his interest in fighting Mike Tyson — who had just returned to the ring with a victory over Peter McNeeley.

Mike Tyson pretends to punch George Foreman at a press event in 1990
(Original Caption) 4/30/1990-New York, New York- Former world heavyweight champions Mike Tyson, (L), and George Foreman will appear on the same card in a boxing double-header extravanganza, June 16th, at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. They are pictured at a press conference.

Eventually penning a deal to link up with Don King, Tyson never shared the ring with Foreman — despite significant rumors of a showdown. The one that really got away.

3. Floyd Mayweather vs. Antonio Margarito

Another eye-catching fight that fell by the wayside was a 2006 pairing between Floyd Mayweather and controversial Californian puncher, Antonio Margarito, however, it was not for the want of trying.

At the time, Mayweather had just turned in his 36th career win over veteran star Zab Judah — and was offered a stunning $8 million to fight Margarito; an offer he quickly rejected, however.

Floyd Mayweather during his fight with Zab Judah in 2006
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images

Margarito, on the other hand, had just turned in notable wins over the likes of Kermit Cintron and Joshua Clottey, before suffering a loss to Paul Williams — another dream opponent of Mayweather who never shared the ring with ‘Money’.

2. Lennox Lewis vs. Riddick Bowe

This fight did happen before — albeit in the amateurs. Matching up in the final of the Olympic Games in 1988, Lennox Lewis would stop Riddick Bowe with a second round knockout win in Seoul, South Korea.

But when it came to professional boxing — particularly in the 1990s, you would search far and wide to find more captivating heavyweight rivals than Lewis and Bowe.

On a collision course in 1992, Bowe vacated his WBC championship ahead of a fight with Lewis — who had just beaten Razor Ruddock.

As a result, Lewis was declared the WBC heavyweight titleholder, with Bowe reigniting their rivalry in the time since their respective retirements.

1. George Foreman vs. Earnie Shavers

Talk about worlds colliding… George Foreman admitted that once his career came to a close, he was glad to have never shared the ring with devastating power puncher, Earnie Shavers.

Two of the most savagely powerful punchers in the history of combat sports — regardless of divisions– Foreman racked up a jaw-dropping 68 separate career knockout wins.

Earnie Shavers in the ring during his heavyweight title fight with Muhammad Ali in 1977
Photo by James Drake/Getty Images

As for Shavers, the former two-time title challenger would go two better — lodging an emphatic 70 separate career knockout wins.

One thing is for certain, however, if Foreman ever met with Shavers; heads were going to roll, to say the very, very least.