Boxing is a sport you can win in the final minute, even after losing the first few rounds. Spectators never count a fighter out until the last minute of the match. There is always an underdog and a favorite in the boxing world.
This status is determined by odds or analysis. Fans expect the favorite to win in favor of the underdog. However, it gets interesting if things do not turn out how people want. The term upset in boxing refers to when an underdog become victorious.
Boxing has many stories that trace back to its beginning. There are many tales about underdogs who proved themselves against great fighters. Boxing is a sport where anything can happen out of the blues.
Everybody loves a courageous underdog who puts up a show to the public. Below we discuss some biggest letdowns in boxing history. Click here to learn about other upsets not included in this piece.
Rahman Hasim’s Knockout Against Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis is one of the greatest fighters to step in the ring. He went to a title defense match against Rahman Hasim in 2001 as the favorite. He was undisputed in many instances and remained a threat to his rivals.
He had even thrashed the great Evander Holyfield, one of the most dangerous boxers of all time. Lennox had made many defenses to his title after the Holyfield fight. Some top opponents included Michael Grant.
On the other hand, Hasim had come from a loss. Tua, a hard-punching beast, had thrashed him. Lewis was not in the proper shape during that fight because he also saw Rahman as an underdog.
Rahman sent Lewis to the ropes in the sixth round by landing a right jab. The fight ended even before the count began. This was one of the biggest upsets in boxing history to date.
Julio Chavez vs Frankie Randall
Julio Chavez commenced his career with ninety-two straight wins. He also had no losses during that period. However, he had a draw with the legendary Whitaker Pernell. The whole world expected him to beat Randall.
Randall had an outstanding record but was still an underdog in this fight. This fight lasted twelve rounds, with Randall knocking Julio down in the tenth round.
This led to Chavez’s low blows that led to a reduction of three points. Randall won this fight by unanimous decision.
Lamon Brewster Knockout Against Klitschko
Lamon Brewster was not known before this fight. Most people saw him as the underdog in his fight against Klitschko in Germany. Klitschko gave him a thorough beating in the first five rounds.
However, he outlived the assault till the fifth round. It was during this round that Klitschko ran out of gas. He began to retaliate with hard body shots that sent Klitschko to the ropes. The referee stopped the fight after Klitschko collapsed after the fifth round.
This loss was one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Foreman George Knockout Against Frazier Joe
Foreman George was one of the hardest-hitting punchers in boxing history. He had a vast size that would terrify his opponents on sight. However, he was a fast puncher. He was also raw in most of his boxing aspects. This led to the occurrence of his fight against Frazier Joe.
However, things did not turn out as people expected. Remember, Frazier would use his size to his advantage in fights. He knocked Frazier out thrice in the first three rounds before the fight stopped in the third round.
Mohammed Ali vs Foreman George
This fight happened immediately after the Frazier fight. The majority of people assumed Ali would struggle due to George’s immense size. People expected him to try and outbox the beast. Ali had the power and speed to stop George.
However, things turned different. Ali became explosive in the first round and blocked most punches from George. Foreman got exhausted in the first few rounds that his punches did Ali no harm.
Ali gave him a right hook in the ninth round that stopped the fight in the eighth round.
Sanders Corrie Knockout Against Klitschko
Klitschko is the last person you would expect to see twice in this list. Sanders had no known victories going to this fight compared to Klitschko’s success. He was just from winning the championship and was considered a brutal fighter.
Sanders was aggressive from the first round, and this shook many people. He knocked Klitschko down twice in the first round. This came as a surprise to many. He threw a strong left hook in the second round that ended the fight.
Final Thoughts
Boxing has a favorite and underdog in every match. Odds and the fighter’s success determine this status. It is not every day that underdogs win.
We have seen many upsets in boxing history over the past years, and some still shock boxing fans.