Between October 1942 and October 1945, legendary boxers Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake (Raging Bull) LaMotta waged war five times. Five times they stood face to face in the ring. Five times they exchanged furious blows. Only once did LaMotta pull off a win. It was enough to make him a sports immortal.
In the 1940’s, a shared history made boxing matches more interesting for the fans. There was a built in storyline. And if the initial fights between two boxers were fun and fast paced? Well, fans clamored for more.
That’s not the case with some MMA fans. Despite their amazing back and forth bout at UFC 144, there is an undercurrent of negativity greeting Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson’s rematch later this year.
But why?
If the first fight was any indication, this one will be super. And, without rematches, we might have missed out on these five sensational bouts.