Has There Ever Been A HW That’s Been Written Off And Then Risen Back Up To The Degree Wlad Did?

There have been many Heavyweight champs who lost, got written off, then came back to win the title or at least a strap. But I can’t think of one who was COMPLETELY written off and rose back up to the degree Wladimir did. Lennox lost. Twice by one shot KO’s at that! But he was never bashed and written off like Wlad. George Foreman was t either after his losses.

After Sanders, Wladimir definitely had way more detractors. But majority of boxing fans were of the opinion he still had the talent and power to come back. But after the Brewster disaster… Wladimir was being bashed mercilessly. Many actually were saying he “Should just focus on training his brother who’s a REAL FIGHTER” and even well known announcers and boxers like Roid Jones were just saying he “Should just call it quits and hang it up. He’s gone as far as he will go”

Then to come back, Win the majority of the belts, and actually have 18 title defenses and become arguably the most dominant HW Champ in history?!! Nobody else bounced back to the degree Wladimir did imo.

Agree or disagree?

 

Obviously, George Foreman would be the answer. Not just written off, but utterly forgotten about.

 

Louis after losing to Schmeling - I remember coming across a Ring magazine article after that loss saying to the effect, "Louis bubble has burst." Then he beat Schmeling to a title shot, destroyed him in a rematch, & went on to set a still-standing record for title defenses.

 

I'd say so. I mean, there are a lot of guys that were written off and came back, but no others that I can think of that dominated a decade afterwards. Wlad had extraordinary discipline in addition to his skill and size to make that happen.

 

Jersey Joe Walcott?

 

Jack Sharkey comes to mind. After the loss to Dempsey, draw with Heeney, and loss to Risko, it seemed to be that his career was heading in the wrong direction. And yet he came back to win several important bouts and the championship. His career was up and down like that.

 

A record that’ll never be broken!

 

Jack Sharkey is so underrated and a remarkable heavyweight at a technical level, hearing about the “unskilled and primitive” era and having Tunney, Sharkey, Schemling, Louis and Dempsey as champions so close together?…. contrast to guys like Frazier, Foreman and Ali the “Golden” era being all famously technically scant or unconventional.

 

Wonder if Dubois will be the next one.

 

Modern day I have to give kudos to Daniel Dubois. At first, I thought he was another Sonny Liston with a big punch and heavy jab. Then I saw him get broken and exposed by Joe Joyce, and after Usyk I wrote him off. Surprisingly, he has come back with some very significant victories.

 

He didn't take two bad Ls in a short period like Wlad though.

 

Holyfield after gettin' cooked by Moore and Bowe for the 2nd time then havin' his best years in 96-97?

 

Jack Johnson was a rebuild project by Joe Chonyski, who had knocked him out.

I guess Mike Weaver.

 

JJW's rise from being written off was arguably just as meteoric, albeit from an even lower depth to scale a smaller summit.

 

Yes, but there were also those saying that he was young enough to come again etc.