What's the greatest upset of all time?

It received relatively little coverage in the press. Middleweight division was a muddle for years after Ketchel's death.

 

was watching holmes mercer again a few weeks ago, always a risk facing a faded former great, theres always a sting in the tail left in a great fighter, and this was a great win for holmes.

 

Schmeling, Joe Louis works.for me...

 

Surely it must have been commented upon at the time!

This content is protected

 

Douglas over Tyson is it for me.
I actually skipped the fight, and went on a date instead.
Couldn't believe it when I heard.
Rahman over Lewis was a shocker for many, as was Barkley over Hearns.

 

Douglas vs Tyson
Leonard vs Hagler
Clay vs Liston
Ali vs Foreman
Rahman vs Lewis
Braddock vs Baer
Schmeling vs Louis
De Jesus vs Duran
Randall vs Chavez
Tunney vs Dempsey

 

It kept the newspapers' interest for a day or two, at most. Mostly in the "who the hell is McCoy?' style write-ups. You would think everyone is going to be interested in the result of McCoy's next bout and plan special reports to be sent out? Lots of newspapers didn't even report the result of McCoy's next bout, and those that did usually were satisfied with short AP wire. Ok, maybe Norwalk, CT, is too far to be interested, but his next bout in New York would get lots of attention? Robert Edgren covered his next bout in a single column half-page tall. NY Sun covered it in a 1/3-page tall single column. NY Tribune - 1/2-page tall single column, same as NY Times. Brooklyn Daily Eagle was more generous with almost full-page single column. Out of town newspapers were satisfied with a single paragraph several lines tall.

 

Tyson-Douglas was something like 42-1.

Ali-Foreman wasn't that big an upset. Foreman went in a 4-1 favorite.

 

I remember my friends and I were driving back to the university dorm when we heard on the radio what we thought was news that Tyson had been knocked out. Even after hearing it, we didn't believe it...thought it was a joke that the DJ was trying to play on the listening audience. Not until I got back to campus and turned on the TV did I believe that Tyson was KO'd. Absolutely thought that it was impossible...to this day, watching the replays brings me back to that time and how unbelievable that was...wow.

 

That is a fair point, and I as well agree Douglas' upset over Tyson was huge and almost definitely bigger. But, I feel the Ali is greater and a more significant upset. Foreman was a world beater, and his absolute destruction of Frazier was shocking itself. Foreman was a tall beast of a man, pure destruction. It was clear Ali's best days were behind him, and despite avenging his losses to Norton and Frazier this was the end of the line.

Again don't get me wrong the shock of Douglas beating Tyson was greater. But all the excuses for Tyson continue to this day. But, for Ali it arguably defined his career and the content of Ali's character and tenacity. That is why I believe it to be a greater upset.

 

Great point. The significance of Ali's victory in a historical context was definitely greater. The shock of Tyson's defeat however...man!