Fighters who looked out of their depth first time stepping up but raised their games

Glen Johnson. He stepped up after beating journeymen at 32-0 and loses handily to Hopkins, then somehow after a string of losses comes back better than ever with that experience and is a top guy for a long time after.

 

He changed his style too

 

This is an interesting question. Imagine how many fighters there are that qualify for your question and how many of those might’ve just been managed differently afterwards.

 

In Sam Soliman’s first 11 fights he had 6 12 rounders for some reason and fought Glen Kelly 21-0-1 in that space of time a big Light Heavyweight to “King” was giving up 4lbs in weight officially. Sam lost that and a few others early on but after that initial hard start I think he made himself a career to be very proud of.

 

I don't think many expected Saman Sorjaturong to do much in the sport after Ricardo Lopez blew him away in 2 rounds - but He came back to beat Chiquita Gonzalez in 2 years and held on to a title for nearly 5 years.

 

Mike Weaver. but meeting Ken Norton probably did him some good

 

I think Ryan Garcia beating Devin Haney after getting knocked out by Gervonta Davis a year prior should count.

 

That fight between Sorjaturong and Chiquita, was an absolute war. Almost makes you forget how easily Finito dispatched Sorjaturong.

 

Bloody hell I didn't know that!

 

Brown was a great fighter but he was past his prime when he met Ortiz. Carlos is considered an all-time great? Maybe so, but I'm not sure he was better than prime Joe Brown.

 

Joe Brown was a bit of a late bloomer though, and Carlos Ortiz is an excellent all-rounder type fighter and the best ever Puerto Rican boxer. Ortiz beat Duilio Loi, Elorde, Kenny Lane, Sugar Ramos, Laguna, and probably should have gotten the nod over a prime Locche. He might not be the prettiest to watch, but he was one helluva fighter. Brown's quite underrated imo, and has a considerable case for being a top 10 LW, but I don't know how differently it plays out if it were prime for prime.

 

Oleg Maskaev lost via first round, one-punch TKO vs. Oliver McCall in his 7th fight. He was also stopped by Tua, Johnson, Whitaker, and T-Rex Sanders before beating Rahman for the WBC belt.

 

As much as I admire (and love his slick style) Joe Brown, I definately have Ortiz as a much better fighter. I agree that he seems to be underrated now. He´d give any fighter, including Duran a tough 15 rounds and I also think he should be in the all time top 10 at lightweight and possibly at light-welter though his tenure was so short but he was robbed vs Locche and Loi.