Which one of these 1960s/70s Heavyweight title upsets was the biggest?

Ali over Foreman in my opinion all though I wasn’t alive for any of these so I don’t know how people reacted to these upsets.

 

Spinks over Ali. I think the odds on Leon uspetting Muhammad were even wider than Muhammad over Liston.

Ali beating Foreman - This actually was n't a very big upset,believe it or not. It was a great victory. Arguably Muhammad's greatest but not a great upset. Ali was very much a LIVE underdog. Similar to Foreman over Frazier.

 

I wasn't alive for any of these. But Ali stopping Foreman is the stuff legends are made of.

 

As I said - a great victory but not necessarily a great upset of the Douglas-Tyson or Honeyghan-Curry mould. But Ali-Foreman has to be my most joyous moment following boxing. I was on Cloud Nine all day after 'The Rumble'

 

I think Buster Douglas is the rightful owner of the greatest upset in boxing history.

 

I reckon you could be right,Tockah. Certainly in modern times.

 

I totally think thats a good call for the thread. its the obligatory pick for most.

 

Leon Spinks won the LIGHT heavyweight gold medal in the Olympics, he'd been a pro for exactly 13 MONTHS (January 15, 1977 to February 15, 1978), he'd had seven pro fights (one of them ending in a draw) ... when he stepped into the ring with the World Heavyweight Champion, went 15 hard rounds and WON the split decision.

It would be like if Arlen Lopez, who won the light heavyweight gold medal in the Olympics last year, and just fought his pro debut in May this year, had six more fights (one of them a draw) and then fought Tyson Fury next June (in a tuneup for Fury) and WON the World Heavyweight Title by OUTPOINTING Fury.

They may have been upsets, but Ali was the top contender when he beat Liston and Foreman. And Foreman was the top contender when he stopped Frazier.

Leon Spinks WAS NOT the top contender when he upset Ali.

Alfio Righetti was rated #9 or #10 by the WBC or the WBA. Ali wanted to fight him when CBS offered Ali a TV date for easy money. The Rocky movie had come out and was very popular. Ali thought they could play off the Rocky momentum, because Righetti was a no-name Italian heavyweight. But Top Rank got Leon a fight with Righetti first, and Leon outpointed him. So Ali agreed to fight Leon.

It was a ridiculously huge upset at the time. And it was over 15 rounds. And Leon never stopped punching. And he had zero experience going 15 rounds. None.

It was wild. Regardless of the actual odds, it was literally a one-in-a-million shot and a one-in-a-million win, considering how Ali was famous for getting decisions.

On the film, you can see Butch Lewis, in his white disco suit, walking around the ring when the decision is being read just in pain because he knows they are going to give it to Ali. He looked like Walcott's cornermen when Louis was named the winner after their first fight. Then Chuck Hall says, "The winner and NEW..." and Butch Lewis goes crazy and starts dancing all over the ring.

I watched it live and I couldn't believe it. But it happened.

 

You are wrong people thought Foreman would kill Ali it was a massive upset

 

Odds were 3 - 1. Hardly massive.

 

Denial is an Egyptian river,is n't it?