5 Biggest Upsets in Boxing History

I still think it was over the top,some worried for Muhammad's life (apart from the usual risks of boxing) Frazier,Norton and Roman got bombed out but were still fine healthwise post fight. Foreman's power definitely WAS N'T overrated but he was a human being,for God's sake,not The Terminator.

 

Another thing to consider is that perhaps it isn’t just defiance of the specific odds against victory that fully qualifies an upset - it is also the degree of defiance and manner of victory - the full magnitude of the turn around, so to speak (eg, football - a team favoured to win by 20 points ultimately losing by 20 points - a 40 point turnaround on the pregame forecast)

 

I agree about the 'manner' of victory. The upset is magnified because it's Ali, that's how it works. It is an upset, no doubts, but not a massive one, as by fight time the international press corps had even swung to Ali by a small margin, due to impressing them in camp. With a celebrity like Ali was, there was always some bending of the truth to make each story more alive- just like the Cooper 'delay' is exaggerated, the broken jaw vs Norton is stated as round 2 (not likely), he was going to quit vs Frazier because Joe did (nope) etc.

 

Not to disagree so much because I do see your point but some other points to perhaps consider: -

Ali’s team themselves were quite worried if I recall my readings correctly.

Foreman’s destruction of Frazier was very brutal - and we know Joe keeps wading in if it hadn’t been waved off - and when it was waved off, Joe was in a very sorry and unprecedented state.

In some ways, the limitations of Norton’s whiskers at least saved him from potentially far worse punishment. Ken basically fell apart under George’s first, real bombardment.

I won’t distinguish between the hearts and will of Joe and Muhammad, but given Ali’s proven ability to take punishment and never say die will, I could see a potential perfect storm for elevated risk and danger.

That being Ali’s chin not allowing him to go down in good time while taking horrible punishment while still on his feet - which we did see play out to the extreme in later fights.

As it was, there’s no accounting for the substantial damage caused by the punishment Ali did absorb in Zaire.

Maybe because Ali was Ali, a man who’d literally die before yielding, the risk of real damage seemed higher.

Conversely or also, devout fans etc. might’ve been more sensitive to Ali’s well being as compared to most other fighters.

 

Not just Ali though, but any fighter who absolutely smacks the odds against them out of the ball park. Like Douglas, a 42-1 underdog. Massive enough odds to push back on and eke out a victory, say, even via a very close UD. But Buster did so much more than that again….

 

I respect your view and it's a very good post. But for many years I've never really thought that Muhammad took too much punishment from George in Zaire,comparatively speaking with the third Frazier fight and the one with Earnie Shavers when Ali was way past even how he was in '74. Most of George's headshots were slipped or blocked by Muhammad and bodyshots don't cause damage.

 

Stevie, I respect your opinion likewise - I def. agree that the punishment to the head in Zaire wasn’t as harsh as some might say.

Although, true or not, Ali did admit to having his bell rung and being half out on a few occasions and Foreman himself also said they were some of the hardest shots he ever laid on a man.

Lol, but that’s humble Old George though - he hit poor Frazier a lot cleaner and harder in spite of those quivering legs of his, haha).

Ali certainly didn’t take the head shots Frazier did, and also not the final shots that saw off an already discombobulated Norton off.

Ali took a lot to the body though but generally maintained his sensibilities. For what Foreman did land and it’s apparent effect, I think it well reflected the tight rope Ali was walking in there against George.

Per the viewing, it seemed Foreman did rock Ali on a few occasions but Ali did avoid a lot of even more potentially damage if head shots.

Overall and absolute, Ali took a far bit of punishment but relative to himself there were other fights in which he took far more head punishment, no argument at all there.

The punches that Shavers landed on Ali were shocking - many that were clean, flush and well loaded.

 

Yes those Shavers headshots were hoirrible! Ali would have avoided most of them even just three years previously.

 

Lots of talk about Ali and upsets, yet no one ever mentions his loss to Norton in 73, from memory this was a huge upset, Norton was not given a chance by almost all the press and pundits, yet pulled of a great win outpunching Ali 3/1 over the 12 rounds, yes/no ?