Favorite examples of old shopworn fighters reversing the script and beating/exposing prospects?

Mike Weaver had some good wins in 1986 and 1987 when he was considered just a stepping stone for the young heavyweights.
He KO'd the well-regarded 25 year old Carl Williams in 2 rounds in 1986, then after a couple of losses (to Bonecrusher Smith and a young Razor Ruddock) and a couple of routine wins, he was matched with prospects James Pritchard and Johnny DuPlooy in 1987 and knocked them both out.

At age 39/40 Carl Thompson had back-to-back KO wins over Sebastien Rothman and David Haye in 2004, each time he soaked up the best those young men threw at him and paid it back with interest.

 

He was making his opponents wear the pillow like Winning glove brand. Only reason Maidana didn't KO him.

 

Have you ever boxed at all? You would know that there is little difference.
And both men hurt each other. By your reasoning, Morales could have KOd Maidana as well. Beat the crap out of Maidana.

 

I always free-associate him (along with Steve Forbes, Sergio Mora, Troy Ross etc - basically anybody that was ever on it) with The Contender. It had its flaws but I really miss that show. Nothing on TV like it before or since, at least in the USA. Gave us a nice behind-the-curtain look at some mid-card talent (guys whose probable ceiling in their career was headlining on FNF here and there; better than regional club fighters but not destined to be world champs for the most part, although several Contender alumni did go on eventually to fulfill their dreams as belt holders) and some of the fights, despite the annoying excess of editing and overly dramatic musical scoring, were actually really good.

 

Ouali was twice a victim, too. Ancient, uh, spoiler, Manning "The Spoiler" Galloway outboxed Ouali when the latter was 14-1. This was coming off a recent win that Galloway had enjoyed over former silver medalist Ricardo Williams jr. (who was 9-1 at the time).

 

Foreman Vs Moorer.

 

not to old but coming off 2 ko loses to colin jones for british welterweight title a year later faced roberto duran in america and frustrated the hell out of duran and won .

weird hybrid style but a good fighter

a few years later after more defeats took on 36-0 george collins for british title and ended collins career with a ko win.

 

That would be - literally, by the actual empirical facts of the published odds - the biggest upset of the first half of the year (assuming Spence isn't shocked by Peterson):

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/biggest-upsets-in-2017-boxing.599452/#post-18947091

 

Carl Thompson who I think was 40 when he beat Haye 1.0 (a young fit Haye who didn't get injured by standing up)

 

I enjoyed czyz v maynard

Calzaghe v lacey

 

Joe wasn't even remotely old then...but point taken, Lacy was in the very thick of his prime and perceived as the more strapping (not to mention just better, cringy as that may be in hindsight) man.

 

Joes struggles with bika...his pulling out of a johnson fight....the chronic hand troubles....the fact (and this is sonething people forget ...up to 2005...there was a feelibg cakzaghes career had been a inring anti climax.....he'd not fought hopkins ...jones ...hadnt had aa big defining fight despite being champ 8 years......do there was a slight young destroyer ageing matador type thing...but youre right joe was hardly old....i do think the lacey and kessler wins were good legacy fights...but i hate the way he is overrated on beating a shot jones jnr and imho getting a gift v hopkins...i had Hopkins by two rounds