Fighters that learned the best from his first loss

Kostya came back after the Phillips defeat and made some successful adjustments

 

Hmmm.

Joe Louis is probably a good example. Dropped the hand after the jab in the first Schmeling fight and paid the price all night long, before finally succumbing to so much accumulative damage from those counter rights. Destroyed Max in about a minute in the rematch. He was a master of the rematch - he only lost a few times, but even when he had a close win, he would come back and correct his errors and win easily.

 

Hopkins

 

Could also say Ray Leonard after his loss to Duran. Movement was the key and he managed to avoid brawling on the ropes like he did in the first, and embarrassed Roberto in the rematch - controversial excuses aside.

However I just realised you mean fighters who adjusted for their whole career, not just for a rematch... not sure if this is applicable.

 

That's a good example too.

He was extremely wreckless due to excessive aggression in his early years, and while it was effective, he was vulnerable to a decent pressure fighter who could take his shots. Even though he was terrible that night against Philips, Kostya came back a much more patient, balanced and intelligent fighter. His attacks were much more calculated.

 

Perhaps a more contemporary example: Manny Pacquiao.

Ignoring his two early defeats before he was an international star, I'll just look at the Morales loss. He'd beaten some very impressive opponents on the world stage, including one of the biggest scalps of the decade: Barrera. His overtly aggressive, come-forward style that primarily focused on throwing the 1-2 was highly predictable, but highly effective. Barrera couldn't combat the pressure, and 'fell' before the final bell. Marquez exploited the predictability with his superior boxing ability, however that devastating first round and the fact that the result was a draw probably ensured that Pacquiao maintained a degree of confidence in his style.

It was Morales that finally exploited it with a victory, copying Marquez's gameplan but executing it with more aggression, and better. Whilst the scores were relatively close, the outcome was very clear, Morales had taken Pacquiao apart and there was little Pac could do to adjust on the night. Nonetheless, between the first and second fights he did adjust. Issues of Morales' decline aside, Pacquiao came out in the second fight much more calculated, controlling his aggression in bursts and executing a gameplan that involved working Morales' body hard, all night - a very difficult task for a renowned head-hunter. Morales' chin was too strong, but the discipline of Pacquiao (together with a much more effective right hand, and cleaner punches due to him abandoning the wrecklessness) - allowed him to weaken the legs of Erik and knock him out.

He's been a much more complete fighter ever since.

 

Yup...

 

Hopkins obviously because he lost his first fight.....but one that sticks out in my head is Lennox Lewis.

 

Sugar Ray Leonard.

 

Ray Leonard 1st loss against Duran
and Durans 1st loss against Esteban De Jesus :good

 

what about Ali

 

Juan Manuel Marquez, but it's not just as simple as a first loss. Losing has made that guy better, and better.