Your top 10 Heavyweight title upsets.

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017.


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  1. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Hard to put some of in order of importance as well as shock value but here's mine:

    1. Buster Douglas KO10 Mike Tyson
    2. Hasim Rahman KO5 Lennox Lewis
    3. Michael Spinks W15 Larry Holmes
    4. Leon Spinks W15 Muhammad Ali
    5. James Braddock W15 Max Baer
    6. Muhammad Ali KO8 George Foreman
    7. Cassius Clay RTD6 Sonny Liston
    8. Lamont Brewster KO5 Wladimir Klitschko
    9. Oliver McCall KO5 Lennox Lewis
    10. Evander Holyfield KO11 Mike Tyson
     
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
    #1
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  2. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Perfect. Perfect order. Perfect fighters. Only thing you can add is if you expanded another #11-20.

    Next tier:
    Berbick W12 Thomas.
    Bonecrusher KO1 Witherspoon.
    Sanders KO2 Wladimir Klitschko.
    Tunney W10 Dempsey
    Corbett KO21 Sullivan
     
    Sangria, Apr 10, 2017
    Sangria, Apr 10, 2017
    #2
  3. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Be my guest,Sangria if you or anyone else wants to expand it to include more.

    Btw, why was Dempsey/Tunney scheduled for 10 rounds only rather than the usual 15?
     
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
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  4. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Certainly not a massive upset but berbick over pinklon Thomas.
     
    Fergy, Apr 10, 2017
    Fergy, Apr 10, 2017
    #4
  5. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Dempsey's camp proposed it, probably because he had a poor training camp.

    Tunney's camp reasoned that it was easier to stay away from Dempsey for ten rounds, so they raised no objection.
     
    janitor, Apr 10, 2017
    janitor, Apr 10, 2017
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  6. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Thanks Janitor. You can learn something new everyday here.:)
     
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
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  7. Pugilist_Spec

    Pugilist_Spec Hands Of Stone Full Member

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    The order seems a bit skewed here. So Spinks-Holmes or Rahman-Lewis was a bigger upset than Ali-Foreman/Liston?
     
    Pugilist_Spec, Apr 10, 2017
    Pugilist_Spec, Apr 10, 2017
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  8. Sangria

    Sangria You bleed like Mylee Full Member

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    Maybe it's the legacy and the reflection all 3 fights left?
     
    Sangria, Apr 10, 2017
    Sangria, Apr 10, 2017
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  9. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    There is some truth in that. Admittedly it is with the benefit of hindsight, but it is a lot harder to place the Ali/Liston and the Ali/Foreman upsets any higher IMO, because the guy providing the upsets in those fights is a fighter that was to go on to be generally regarded by most boxing people as being the top one or two greatest heavyweights ever.

    As for the other fights, Holmes though he was 35 at the time, he was still unbeaten and at 48-0 was one win away from equalling Marciano's record. It was supposed to be a sure thing picking Spinks especially as no reigning Light heavyweight champion in history had ever captured the heavyweight crown. For the Rahman/Lewis upset, the fact that Rahman was a 20-1 underdog shows how highly regarded Lewis was at the time and what a practically no-hoper Rahman was supposed to be.

    As a point of interest, the general odds for the other above fights. Liston was a 7-1 favourite against Ali, Foreman was a 4-1/3-1 odds on favourite against Ali and Holmes was a 6-1 odds on pick against Spinks.
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 10, 2017
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  10. Smokin Bert

    Smokin Bert Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I would have to add Toney-Holyfield to that list. Especially the way it played out. Evander may have slowed down quite a bit by then, but, who could have ever envisioned the much smaller Toney becoming the predator, beating up and stopping the amazingly durable Evander?
     
    Smokin Bert, Apr 11, 2017
    Smokin Bert, Apr 11, 2017
    #10
  11. Smokin Bert

    Smokin Bert Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Sorry, just realized it said "Title" upsets.
     
    Smokin Bert, Apr 11, 2017
    Smokin Bert, Apr 11, 2017
    #11
  12. NoNeck

    NoNeck Pugilist Specialist

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    Moorer-Foreman qualifies. George was not supposed to win that fight.
     
    NoNeck, Apr 11, 2017
    NoNeck, Apr 11, 2017
    #12
  13. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Would Vitali Klitschko quiting against Chris Byrd be considered a big upset?
     
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 11, 2017
    Ken Ashcroft, Apr 11, 2017
    #13
  14. red cobra

    red cobra Loyal Member Full Member

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    01 Douglas-Tyson
    02 Foreman-Frazier
    03 Ali-Foreman
    04 Clay-Liston
    05 Patterson-Johansson
    06 Braddock-Baer
    07 Rahman-Lewis
    08 Tunney-Dempsey
    09 Spinks-Ali
    10 Walcott-Charles
     
    red cobra, Apr 11, 2017
    red cobra, Apr 11, 2017
    #14
  15. red cobra

    red cobra Loyal Member Full Member

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    Turns out not the best option for the Tunney camp...I believe that Tunney would have tko'ed Dempsey had the bout been scheduled for 15 or more.
     
    red cobra, Apr 11, 2017
    red cobra, Apr 11, 2017
    #15
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