Can you think of some shocking upsets that happened not because the winner was a far superior fighter, but because their style or fight strategy was just the perfect counter to their opponent? How about Iran Barkley UD 12 Thomas Hearns? You might give Iran a chance to stop Tommy, who was not know for having a strong chin, but surely no one gave him a cat in hell's chance of winning a 12 round decision over such a fantastic technical boxer as Hearns. Yet Barkley used his natural brawling pressure style to get on the inside and basically turn it into a street fight, and won the decision. Another was Frazier Foreman I (and II lol). Everyone thought Frazier's intense pressure and inside fighting skills were his strength, and against most boxers they were - but against a huge banger like George, it was suicide, it just ended up with Joe repeatedly walking right into those giant hooks and uppercuts, like a WWI column charging repeatedly into a machine gun nest and getting mowed down. Few thought Frazier would even get blown apart in 2 rounds like that.
I think Norton/Ali I was a good example of that. How Norton, very good fighter but inferior to Ali, had the right style to give Ali huge problems.
McCall-Lewis I is another example. McCall wasn't in Lewis' class but Manny Steward identified a flaw in Lennox's style (dropping his left and telegraphing his right) and trained McCall to exploit this basic flaw which he ultimately did. It says volumes though that Manny chose to work with Lewis and iron out his weaknesses rather than keep training McCall despite him holding the heavyweight title.
Schmeling beating Louis is the prime example here. One flaw and the result was a methodical beatdown of a superior fighter.
McGuigan/Cruz is a sort of example. Style wise, McGuigan should not of and did not have much trouble with Cruz. But his strategy for the fight hurt McGuigan, he underestimated the environment he was fighting in (the heat), and he run out of gas against the more canny American, who did not panic when he fell behind.
Yeah, it says a lot about there being no loyalty in boxing business, and that fighters, trainers, managers, promoters will dump one another any time a bigger offer comes along.
Yep, although Ali was past prime in the Norton fights. Ken gives him trouble because Ali couldn't back him up and Norton did something that very few could and that was to jab with Ali from that crouch position.
First fight I thought of was Mike Rossman-Victor Galindez I. Rossman targeted the scar tissue above Galindez's eyes and busted him up to beat a far superior fighter.
Using the power of hindsight and in no particular order: Holyfield v tyson, taking mike into deep water was a fantastic game plan against a man who hadn't been past round 4 in years. Combining this with enough chin and movement to survive the early onslaught means comeback mike would never really have a chance. Hatton v tzsyu the perfect blend of heart of pressure to take the great right out of his comfort zone. Combine this with his age and it seems obvious now that something had to give. Hopkins v pavlik, the ability to step to the side and counter seems to be enough to defeat kelly these days. Baldomir v judah. Pressure v heart always ends in one way and with hindsight I wonder how zab ever beat ward. Tarver v jones. Counter punching a man who is about to be diagnosed as chinless was always going to brutally end his career at the top.
