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

Yeah, there was a lot of talk about lewis being unfocused (ocean 11, fat, not soon enough in SA etc). It wasnt that big of an upset imo

 

Also, Ruiz vs Joshua is easy to downplay after the turn Joshua's career has taken, but at the fight time it was monumental.

Joshua wasn't dominant nor proven by any means but had gathered a pretty nice list of victories. Furthermore, Ruiz was a late sub, wasn't a puncher and had lost to a guy Joshua had beaten.

In fact, unlike Buster Douglas, Rahman or Leon Spinks, Ruiz wasn't even a top-10 contender according to The Ring. So in a sense he was perhaps the biggest nobody to dethrone a heavyweight champion (if Joshua was one).

 

In retrospect, Fat Andys chin being exposed by Arreola-a totally shot Arreola- does make me wonder just how hard AJ hits......and does nothing to improve AJ standing. Even worse, Fat Andy didn't stop Arreola or that big Cuban.

 

In His Defense, AJ Dropped Ruiz and was the 1st Man to EVER Do So, if REED's Not Mistaken...


REED

 

It just didn't have all that much shock value compared to Tyson-Douglas and Lewis-Rachman. On paper, everything you said is correct, but at the end of the day, it just comes down to the fact that no one ever viewed AJ like Tyson and Lewis.

Tyson was considered several levels above the rest of the division when Douglas beat him.

Lewis was considered several levels above the division when he shut out Tua.

Joshua, as you said, was just never dominant. In his BEST victory, he had rise off the floor to beat an ancient Wald. We had seen him badly wobbled by Whyte. So when Ruiz got him, it was surprising, but not shocking.

 

Corrie Sanders knocking out Klitchko was quite an upset at the time. And then, one year later, Brewster did the same in another big upset. If you add the Purrity loss it becomes apparent Klitchko made a habit of losing shockingly against what seemed like no hopers. At least, he avenged the Brewster loss but not the two others.

 

I'll never forget, the Sanders-Klit upset broke ESB. I've never in my entire 24 year posting career seen such a meltdown of Nazis error umm I mean groupies.