Upsets in the Boxing Ring: When the Underdog Steals the Spotlight!

In the world of boxing, there's nothing quite as thrilling as witnessing an underdog rise to the occasion and triumph against all odds. Showcasing fights, where an established boxing star faces off against a seemingly inferior and unknown opponent, are often anticipated to be one-sided affairs. However, the beauty of the sport lies in its unpredictability.

Throughout history, we've witnessed numerous instances where the underdog emerged victorious, leaving the boxing world in awe. Let's explore some remarkable examples of show case fights that turned into stunning upsets!

1)Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas (1990): Considered one of the greatest upsets in boxing history, this fight took place in Tokyo, Japan. Tyson, the undefeated and ferocious heavyweight champion, was expected to steamroll through Douglas, who was given little chance. However, Douglas fought with relentless determination, weathered Tyson's blows, and delivered a powerful uppercut in the tenth round that knocked Tyson down for the count, shocking the world.

2)Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (2012): Having already faced each other three times before, this fourth encounter was assumed to be a showcase fight for Pacquiao, a boxing legend. However, Marquez, the resilient Mexican fighter, had different plans. In a stunning display of skill and precision, Marquez landed a perfectly timed right hand counterpunch in the sixth round, sending Pacquiao crashing to the canvas and securing an unexpected knockout victory.

3) Anthony Joshua vs. Andy Ruiz Jr. (2019): This heavyweight bout was initially intended as a showcase for Joshua, the Olympic gold medalist and reigning champion. Ruiz, a late replacement opponent with a less-than-imposing physique, was heavily underestimated. In a sensational turn of events, Ruiz dropped Joshua four times during the fight, eventually securing a seventh-round TKO victory and becoming the first Mexican heavyweight champion in history.

4)Lennox Lewis vs. Hasim Rahman (2001): Lewis, the dominant heavyweight champion, was expected to cruise through this fight against Rahman, an unheralded opponent. However, Rahman had other plans. In the fifth round, Rahman unleashed a devastating right hand that sent Lewis crashing to the canvas, resulting in a stunning knockout victory. This shocking upset proved that even the most accomplished fighters should never underestimate their opponents.

5)George Foreman vs. Muhammad Ali (1974): Dubbed "The Rumble in the Jungle," this legendary bout showcased the overwhelming power of Foreman, who was considered unbeatable at the time. Ali, known for his agility and boxing prowess, executed a brilliant strategy by employing the "rope-a-dope" technique, allowing Foreman to tire himself out while Ali conserved energy. In the eighth round, Ali capitalized on Foreman's exhaustion, landing a powerful combination that resulted in a knockout victory, solidifying his status as one of the greatest boxers of all time.

These examples of show case fights that turned into unexpected upsets remind us of the sheer excitement and unpredictability of the sport of boxing. They serve as a powerful testament to the fact that, in the ring, anything can happen, regardless of the perceived superiority of a fighter. So, can you think of other examples?

 

Tyson-Holyfield I - It's Impossible to Appreciate Just How HEAVILY Favored Tyson Was, In Hindsight...25-1 Fave, In Fact...Holyfield Had Recently Struggled w/Bobby Czyz of All People and Every Mainstream Boxing Writer EXCEPT Ron Borges Picked Tyson By KO...Some Even BOLDLY Predicted Tyson KO 1...



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I'm assuming you were just listing a few examples, and not putting them in order of magnitude. Because Lewis-Rachman I, for example, was a much much bigger upset than Joshua-Ruiz I.

Lewis was thought of as unbeatable going into Rachman 1. None ever considered AJ invincible.

 

Not the biggest upset ever but Forrest-Mosley was very surprising. Mosley was on top of the world at that point, he was in the discussion for pfp best and Forrest was seen as a good fighter that might give him some problems, not a beatdown.

 

Jones vs Tarver 2 is among the biggest shockers ever.

Even after the close first fight nobody expected that, especially after Roy had looked like his former self in the first round

 

Asshole...



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Yeah, that was a shocking outcome, no doubt about that!

 

Douglas-Tyson might be the biggest upset in my lifetime in any sport. At least among sports I follow.

Ali took Foreman to school all fight long. Even before Foreman got tired, Ali was landing most of the clean shots, at least upstairs.

 

While it's true that Mosley was considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters during his prime, it's worth noting that there were already signs of trouble for him before his fight against Forrest. Some boxing fans and experts had identified certain vulnerabilities in Mosley's style that could be exploited by skilled opponents.

Forrest possessed a height and reach advantage over Mosley, allowing him to effectively keep Mosley at a distance and control the range of the fight. Additionally, Forrest's sharp jab and strong defensive skills made it difficult for Mosley to find his rhythm and land clean shots. These factors, combined with Forrest's relentless pressure and ability to nullify Mosley's offensive firepower, raised concerns among boxing fans who recognized Forrest's potential to cause trouble for Mosley. I don't put much weight into the amateurs but Forrest also beat Mosley in the amateurs. So the writing was on the wall.

 

That's right in no particular order.

 

Borges been dining out ever since....

 

Forrest Vs Mosley shocked me. Forrest didn't just win, he beat the shit out of him....that first knockdown was scary. Forrest was this overlooked guy who had been around for ages. Mosley was the smaller version of Roy Jones, he'd beaten Oscar, etc.

Rahman beating Lewis, Hopkins beating Forrest and Zoo beating Judah were all fights I called correctly. No surprises there at all for me.

 

GTFO nobody predicted Rahman beating Lewis jajaja

 

Yep. He was basically the Roy of the lower weights. Hand and footspeed. In retrospect, Oscar was overhyped and a lot of that rubbed off on Shane. Forrest had been in-waiting and went for it. Should never have been a shock but that's the power of mainstream appeal and the Oscar effect.

When I watched Shane Vs Diaz he just looked otherworldly. The truth is that Shane was fighting a lot of guys who suited him at 147.

None of Oscar, Rivera, Diaz, Stone etc had anything in common with Forrest. Total chalk-and-cheese.

Stone was a British tough guy. Ditto Rivera, a real gatekeeper guy at 147. Diaz was best known as a 10 stone guy who beat Micky Ward. Oscar had already been a bit exposed by Pea Whittaker and Tito and maybe even Ike.

A lot of shine rubbed off on Shane and he beat up some limited dudes .

 

I did I even had £100 on it.

 

I remember people on secondsout predicting it, although not because they thought so much of Rahman. I forgot who started the thread (maybe Dubblechin?)

Some posters thought he was ready to be beaten just because he looked underprepared and overconfident in the days leading up, in addition to him getting up there in age.

 

I do remember being happy as shit to see Rahman starch Lewis. Mainly because of his cocky attitude and ring walk to some Jamaican song. He looked lackadaisical going in to the ring .

 

He had arrived in South Africa late and was not acclimatizing to the altitude. Rahman had gotten there sooner and Lewis seemed distracted and was very awkward in his dealings with local press. He came across as very not-with-it..

 

This pretty much sums it up. People who were paying attention saw the signs. Nobody "knew" anything but people could make up their own mind .

 

Opinions were pretty split on Tszyu-Judah going in, but I vividly remember that more media members and more posters on Second's Out and Boxing Fantatics were favoring Zab. Zab was also a slight Vegas betting favorite, I think...

It's not that Tszyu won that was surprising. It's the fact that he iced Zab in 2.

 

Judah was a strong favourite. Zoo was nearly 3/1 under dog. I heard his son was under a dog too recently.

If you watched the first round there's no way you'd have backed Zoo to get him out of there less than 3 minutes later.

 

That Prediction MADE Ron Borges a NAME in Boxing and It Went to His Head Bigtime....

It's NOT Like Borges Used Sound Boxing Logic in his Prediction Either (Tyson's Used to BULLYING Opponents, He Won't Bully Holyfield, Blah, Blah, Blah), He Merely Went Against the Grain Because He WASN'T Fond of Don King or Team Tyson and Literally Had NATHAN to Lose By Siding w/Holyfield...




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One of the things being pointed out on SecondsOut was that Judah's last few opponents had a combined 123-65-12 or something but Zoos were like 56-4-0 . Zoo had fought Oktay Urkal who was a top European 140lb guy and gone the distance..Judah's last fight was Vs Allen Vester and Zab took him out in 4 easy rounds. People bought into it.... they didn't look at fundamentals..

 

Sports Illustrated Did a MAJOR Pre-Fight Puff Piece on Zab as Well, Leading Into the Tszyu Fight...It was Like 6-7 Pages Looooooooong or So...

Zab was Definitely Being Groomed for Mainstream Stardom @ the Time...

Zab Judah at the heart of boxing's strangest family saga - Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com





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Pac khtfko Barrera, where only Bama picked him to win

 

Tszyu was still favored after his first fight with Mitchell.

What changed perception is when he and Zab were placed on the same bill, and Zab blew out Alan Vester while Tszyu struggled with and went the distance with Urkal. It was only after that Zab became the betting favorite.

 

Fundamentals? Like Judah's total lack of durability?

 

No like the fact that Tszyu had fought better comp , consistently..

 

I remember thinking Pac would be too small

 

Plenty of people in the UK had expressed concerns about Lewis not acclimatising correctly for the Rahman fight. In fact Eubank outright said the upset was on as he was doing the National Lottery draw that night (it was the first heavyweight world title fight the BBC had broadcast live in years). Obviously the result was still a shock as there was such a disparity in the talents of both fighters, but it wasn't as out of the blue as a Tyson-Douglas was for a lot of people.