When Champions Upset Their Challengers

Dempsey in the rematch vs Tunney??


Of couse Reno July 4th 1910.

 

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119298/2/index.htm

The books in Las Vegas opened with Hagler a 7-to-5 choice, but large sums of money the other way quickly made Hearns 6 to 5. The bookmakers expect a countermove by backers of Hagler but predict the fight will be even money by the opening bell.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124721/index.htm

Sanchez was one of the few who felt so confident about his chances. The odds-makers had it 2-1 Gomez, mainly because the challenger from Santurce had won 32 consecutive fights after opening his pro career with a draw almost seven years ago.

 

Murphy was an electrifying puncher, had a sparkling record with a recent win over LaMotta, and was generally taken to be the genuine article, so to speak, while Maxim was seen as a pretty ordinary champion, unspectacular stylistically and fresh off yet another sound defeat at the hands of Charles.

As a matter of fact, Maxim was also the underdog in his successful title defense against Robinson. I believe he may be one of the only champions, if not the only world champion, ever to win two "upset" title defenses in a row.

 

Battling Battalino was the underdog in at least two straight title defenses, vs. Kid Chocolate and Fidel LaBarba. May have been the underdog against Freddie Miller as well, not sure.


Anyone mention Jim Watt against Howard Davis? Was Watt the underdog against O'Grady as well?

 

Lets hope tonights fight qualifies for this thread and Froch delivers.
Calzaghe Lacy was another where in the UK at least the challenger was the bookies pick.

 

Damn, forgot about that one. atsch

 

Partly because of a foolish tendency to downgrade Maxim for not being a big puncher and for being percieved as a "negative" type of defensive fighter..you know, "dull", and of course Maxim was painfully underrated, and had more to do with the tko of Robinson than just the heat that night.

 

Yeah, in the modern revisionist effort to downgrade Calzaghe, and the guys that he beat, like Lacy, remember that EVERYBODY and his brother was picking Lacy to not just beat Joe, but to DESTROY him...

 

I believe Joey Giardello-Rubin Hurricane Carter qualifies here.

 

Weaver over Coetzee

Ali over Liston 2

Walcott over Charles 4

Johnson over Jeffries

 

Joey Giardello I belive was favor over Carter.

 

That is insane.

 

Are you talking about Carter or Williams? The vid posted above was of Jimmy Carter vs George Araujo. Ike Williams was never even mentioned, though I'm beginning to think you're confusing him with Carter.

 

What's your source for this one. I really don't think Pryor started 2-1. It was 8-5 the last time i looked, and i think the late smart money went on Pryor.

 

im sure hagler Hearns was where Hearns was favourite

hagler was favourite until the last few dyas where the motown money came and then Hearns stayed fave