This Day in Boxing History: Legendary Fights Across Four Decades

From Pryor vs Argüello’s chaos to Pacquiao vs Márquez’s controversy and Jonas’ unification — November 12th is a dramatic date in boxing history.

Maybe it’s coincidence, or maybe it’s timing — that sweet spot between the year’s summer spectacles and the winter lull — but this date has repeatedly delivered fights that shaped legacies, stirred controversies, and shifted the sport’s trajectory.

From the chaos of Aaron Pryor’s war with Alexis Argüello to the razor-thin scoring of Pacquiao-Márquez III, and more recently Natasha Jonas’ unification triumph, November 12^th stands as a microcosm of boxing itself: thrilling, unpredictable, and unforgettable.

1982 – The Battle of Champions: Pryor vs. Argüello

The date’s most famous chapter unfolded at the Orange Bowl in Miami, 1982. Aaron Pryor and Alexis Argüello met in a bout billed as The Battle of Champions, and the hype undersold the spectacle.

Pryor, the undefeated junior-welterweight terror, faced the serene Nicaraguan legend who was daring to make history as boxing’s first four-division world champion. What followed was fourteen rounds of barely controlled mayhem — a masterclass of willpower and risk. Pryor’s relentless pressure finally broke through late, stopping Argüello in the 14th and cementing his place among the era’s greats.

For Argüello, it was heartbreak; for Pryor, validation. The fight remains one of the sport’s defining displays of endurance and pride — and it all happened on a November night that is still replayed in highlight reels four decades later.

2011 – Pacquiao vs. Márquez III: Controversy in Vegas

Fast-forward to 2011, and the MGM Grand in Las Vegas hosted a showdown — this one between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Márquez. Their rivalry had already spanned seven years, two divisions, and two results that pleased no one completely — a draw in 2004 and a narrow Pacquiao win in 2008. The third fight, at welterweight, was supposed to deliver closure. Instead, it deepened the debate.

Pacquiao, at the peak of his global fame, left with a majority-decision victory (114-114, 115-113, 116-112), but many observers — and much of the crowd — believed Márquez had done enough to win. Punch stats told one story; the eye test told another. The controversy only heightened anticipation for their eventual fourth meeting, where Márquez would famously earn his redemption with a sixth-round knockout in 2012. But on November 12, 2011, boxing reminded everyone that the line between triumph and outrage can be as thin as a single scorecard.

2022 – Natasha Jonas Unifies in Manchester

If Pryor-Argüello and Pacquiao-Márquez represented boxing’s past and middle eras, then November 12, 2022, brought the sport into its modern, more inclusive present. In Manchester, England, Natasha Jonas faced Canada’s Marie-Eve Dicaire in a unification bout for the WBC, WBO, and IBF light-middleweight titles.

Jonas, a former Olympian and late-career breakout star, delivered a clinical performance — composed and dominant — enroute to a unanimous decision (97-93, 98-92, 100-90). The win wasn’t just about belts; it was a statement. Women’s boxing had finally moved from novelty to headlining status, and Jonas’ triumph stood as proof that the sport’s evolution wasn’t just promised, but realized.

The Significance of November 12th

November 12 has quietly become the date for turning points. Champions have gambled on legacy here, rivalries have boiled over, and new eras have been born.

A common thread is ambition — fighters daring to do something meaningful, even when the odds or timing say otherwise. Looking back, November 12 isn’t just another square on the calendar — it’s a recurring chapter in boxing’s grand narrative. From Pryor’s ferocity to Pacquiao’s controversy and Jonas’ composure, each fight tells a story about the sport’s constant evolution: risk, rivalry, and reinvention.

Fun Facts

Aaron Pryor vs. Alexis Argüello: This fight remains one of boxing’s greatest bouts—and one of its most controversial. Pryor’s victory was clouded by suspicion stemming from his cornerman, Panama Lewis. Between the 13th and 14th rounds, ringside microphones caught Lewis saying, “Give me the other bottle—the one I mixed!” At the time, only plain water was permitted between rounds, and the cryptic request sparked immediate speculation about what was in the bottle. The contents were never tested, and no official investigation followed, but the story of what the bottle contained has changed over the years. Some claimed it held an ammonia-like substance to help Pryor breathe, others suspected a stimulant such as caffeine or ephedrine, and Pryor himself later dismissed the rumors, saying it was merely a mix of Perrier and tap water.

The controversy permanently stained Panama Lewis’s reputation, though his official downfall came later. In 1983, not long after the Pryor–Argüello fight, Lewis was banned for life by boxing authorities for his role in another notorious incident: the Luis Resto vs. Billy Collins Jr. fight, in which Lewis was convicted of removing padding from Resto’s gloves. That act led to a six-year prison sentence and cemented his infamy in boxing history. To this day, the “mixed bottle” remains an unsolved mystery, a cloud that lingers over an otherwise legendary fight. Despite the controversy, both Aaron Pryor and Alexis Argüello are remembered as all-time greats, and their first encounter is still regarded as one of the most thrilling and dramatic fights ever staged

Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Márquez III: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will be linked in boxing history much like Ali-Frazier.  Their sagas are a rare balance of rivalry and respect. Each highly competitive fight was a study in adaptation, pride, and willpower, where greatness was forged not just in victory but in endurance. Ali and Frazier engaged in three high profile fights and PacMan and JMM engaged in four.  Only one round separated Ali-Frazier; and while the final score reads 2-1-1 for Pacquaio, one could argue that Marquez won the first, third, and fourth fight.  They were all that close.  Neither rivalry had a true loser; both men in each pairing elevated the other to legendary status. Their names are now spoken together, inseparable in the history of boxing, forever symbols of courage, rivalry, and mutual respect.