Calzaghe/Lacy Hopkins/Pavlik VK/Peter These all spring to mind straight away and there are plenty of others. Its always a shame to see it happen but at the same time boxing poetry by the other guy.
Most boxing experts were picking Lacy to win. Calzaghe hadn't looked particularly good in his last few outings. The very average Kabary Salem floored him and despite totally outclassing Mario Veit for a second time, Calzaghe looked as though he could be taken by a legit fighter. At least that's what they were saying pointing out holes in an otherwise dominating performance over the German fighter.
You should have read this ****ing board before that fight. I wish I had a snapshot of before and after (and if the board history could go back that far. It was fun reading).
Good choice. How were we to know that Vitali would come back as dominant as he had left? Peter was completely outclassed that night and I never thought I'd see him capitulate like that.
I'm a relatively obscure poster but I was around. I thought Lacy would win but I wasn't as convinced as many others were. I gave the veteran Calzaghe the benefit of the doubt but I ultimately picked Lacy to win. It's easy to fall prey to the media machine.
You're not alone. I was telling everyone who would listen calzaghe faked a hand injury to duck him and was a *****. still not joe's biggest fan but he had NOTHING to be worried about
There are too many to name. I can't remember specific convos, but the majority of the threads were about how Lacy was going to destroy Calzaghe. I'd say about 75 to 80% of the board was CERTAIN Calzaghe was going to catch an ass whooping. I didn't even see the fight live. I fell asleep that night, woke up at like 5am, logged onto the front page, expecting to see the "Calzaghe destroyed by Lacy," (I actually picked Lacy to beat Calzaghe myself). Then I read the board. Total role reversal.....and quite funny to read. :yep There were a lot of shocked mofos who quickly changed their tune to "Lacy the bum" immediately after the fight.
Same here. I wanted Calzaghe to win (fan), but I wasn't sure of it. I was suckered by the hype like a lot of others.
I see... something like the people who thought DLH would decapitate Pacquiao before the fight, I assume. Only from what you're saying, the ones that picked Lacy must have been many more than the ones that picked DLH over Pac.
Anthony Mundine 's ko loss to Ottke was very humiliating for him here in Australia . It was actually a great effort for a guy just coming from rugby league and only having the 9 fights v a long established belt holder . However becuase of Mundine's insanely big mouth getting ko 'd by a guy who couldnt break the skin off a rice custard it was embarrassing . Also most of Australia celebrated ! He was my fav fighter but the way Kostya Tszyu went out was kinda humiliating , to a far inferior competitor in Hatton and also quitting on his stool in a competetive fight in which he really didnt seem that hurt . I know it was reported after the fight he suffered bruising on the brain but at the time he didnt seem to be that beat up . All in all though De La Hoya v Pacman has to be THE most humiliating defeat of all time !
Looking back, had we been a little more objective about things we probably could have seen the Calzaghe win coming though not quite in that fashion. Lacy struggled with Sheika and really hadn't beaten anyone of note other than Vanderpool. The Pemberton KO was for show in the sense that it kept the highlight reel going. Calzaghe looked to be on the slide but he maintained that he was disinterested against the opponents he was facing. There was no real evidence of his skills eroding but there were things happening (like the Salem KD that I mentioned) that made it look like his best days may have been behind him. Calzaghe was adamant in a Boxing Monthly interview right before the Lacy fight that his best was yet to come. We should have taken him at his word.
As humiliating a defeat as that was, you gotta figure that a guy with the amateur and pro credentials that Sven Ottke had would be able to find an opening against a guy with 11 pro fights and no amateur career even in spite of Ottke's lack of power.
Hatton get laid out in 2 rounds has to be right up there. That was a brutal KO and he was absolutely dominated from the first bell.