Lessor Challengers who upset the Champ, but got drummed in rematch?

Lessor Challengers who upset the Champ, but got drummed in rematch?

Billy Backus beating prime Jose Napoles comes to mind?

 

Of course, the easy calls here are Rahman and McCall.

 

Simon Brown-Terry Norris @154

Montell Griffin-RJJ

Rahman-Lewis

 

Mike Rossman vs Galindez #2 might be a candidate.

 

Ali vs Spinks

Patterson vs Ingo
Leonard vs Duran
Zale vs Graziano
Robinson vs Fullmer/Turpin/Basilio
Kovalev vs Alvarez
Cotto vs Margarito
Ketchel vs Papke
Wajima vs Albarado/Yuh
Basilio vs Saxton
Judah vs Spinks

 

Longhorn, I think all that are mentioned here - although underdogs - were actually all ranked and actually deserving of a title shot regardless of results. If I was to look at this as undeserving challengers, I would say

Sammy Serrano v Yasu Uehara - in the first match Serrano was cleaning house, but got caught in the 6th and was taken out. In the rematch Serrano wins his title back on a unanimous decision. Ring Mag didn't rank Uehara, but perhaps the Japanese-friendly WBA did. But if you look at his record he was only beating domestic competion, so I think this deserves to be here.

Lloyd Honeyghan v Jorge Vaca - Vaca was unranked by Ring in '86 but I don't know if he had a rating by the time he fought Honeyghan in Oct. of '87. he was probably ranked by the Mexican-friendly WBC, but there wasn't much on his resume other than a well-chewed Pipino Cuevas fighting on his last legs and a 40 year old Saoul Mamby. Vaca wins the title on a tech. decision due to a butt and gets pummeled in 3 rounds in the rematch.

Terry Norris v Luis Santana - how the WBC allowed the initial match in the first place is a mystery. He had lost 4 out of his last 6 and had not fought in a year. Even creative writing wouldn't have gotten him in the ratings let alone a title shot. But that didn't stop the WBC. And with back-to-back actings jobs he wins and retains his title against Norris on DQ's before getting his arse handed to him in 2 rounds in their 3rd encounter.

 

Great points....sometimes yesterday's overlooked fights are interesting to re-evaluate.

 

S.T. Gordon TKOs
Carlos De Leon in two rounds for the cruiserweight title then fights one of the worst title defenses of all time in the rematch a year later. Gordon's career is just fascinating to me.

 

You should start a thread about him. Intriguing guy.

Built like a Monster Truck. Punched like a mule kicks. More crude than a caveman.

De Leon made a baffling mistake of deciding to engage Gordon in a slugfest from the opening bell and paid the price.

 

I'm not sure this one fits, Papke was a great fighter, with wins over other top MWs of the period, he was only ever KOed by Ketchell, and I think naturally bigger than Ketchell.

 

Tom the bomb Bethea vs Bevanuti

 

Jose Luis Ramirez vs Edwin Rosario.
Rosario won the first fight pts and in the rematch he had Ramirez twice on
the canvas before he tired and Ramirez rallied and tko him in 4 rds.
At the time Rosario was hyped by KO Magazine as the next Duran.

 

You're right. Ketchel was only a 2-1 favourite. And he had already beaten Papke in a 10 rounder. That might have something to do with the odds. But yeah, good call.

 

Another Rosario time. Demolishing Loreto Garza and then losing to Harinaka his next fight.

 

Quintana vs Williams