Fighters that improved AFTER a ko loss?

Larry Holmes after the Tyson fight... But there are more factors to it, he just came off a 2 year lay off at 38 years old with no tune up fights. So he's got his reasons, but he did improve after and fought for a long time and had a successful career at an advanced age. I would have like him and old Foreman to have had a fight.

Holyfield after getting stopped by Bowe improved, everyone thought he was shot and finished. But he turned out to have a successful career for a few more years. Although he shouldn't have gone on for as long as he did.

 

Hearns after a TKO. Learnt how to clinch and survive when hurt. The difference can clearly be seen in various fights thereafter.

 

Klitschko, I forgot about him. He learned how to clinch and survive; he changed from a knockout artist to just hugging and winning points.

 

Louis and Lewis are good picks. I'd also add Wlad here

Also while Ruddock wasn't KO'd by Jaco, he was stopped and came back much better.

John Ruiz after getting blown out by Tua in 1 came back stronger and won WBA HW title.

Oleg Maskaev springs to mind, too. He suffered some really devastating KO losses but then years later won WBC HW title.

 

David Haye was stopped by Carl Thompson, then he became unified cruiserweight champion and WBA heavyweight champion. He learned to pace himself and not to go for the kill with every opponent.

 

He did the hard yards prior to the Hagler fight but hadn't needed to put it into practise much at all. Neither he nor Hagler were ever going to clinch in that one, they just went to war.

 

Wlad won most of his fights by knockout after his losses.

 

Disagree about Holmes. I think he he just had Tyson in front of him.

Holyfield is tricky. He was at a low for the third Bowe fight, but had beaten Mercer prior to that and had only had two fights since beating Bowe. Then he had three good fights against Tyson and Moorer, and then started slipping again. He improved on his form from the third Bowe fight but it's tough to say he was better against Tyson than he was for Douglas.

 

I'll throw in Rahman. His best performances were against Lewis and Meehan, which came after being knocked out of the ring by Maskaev.