Sonny Liston was a 7-1 favorite to retain his title against the 22 year old cassius clay. Liston seem untouchable after his one round demolition of patterson seven months before the fight... Liston was outboxed in the fight and clay broke his spirit in between 7th & 8th round as liston quit and clay goes wild in celebration. He is even beside sugar ray robinson during the post fight press conference
I dont think it was. It depends on your definition of all time greats, but i think that Braddock Baer was a bigger upset. Maybe Johansen Patterson, also. Was Ali Holmes an upset? Also, Holyfield Tyson was a massive upset as well. Perhaps even Spinks Holmes. Frazier Foreman must have been a massive upset and of course Foreman Ali.. Or maybe Corbett Sullivan or Fitzimmons Corbett, there have been quite a few over the years, even though with hindsight they some probably were not upset. One thing i wa wondering, if anyone knows, was Johnson the favourite against Burns?
No, Burns was a 3-2 favorite Baer was a 10-1 favorite over Braddock Sonny Liston was a 7-1 favorite over Clay/Ali Charles was a 6-1 favorite over Walcott in their 3rd bout
Douglas would be in my list of top 100 HWs but an ATG would have to be in the top twenty at least. This would rule out Douglas Braddock Schmeliing and maybe Tunney. So I think you would have to say the Ali/Liston fights, who could forsee Liston quiting on his stool and being KOD in the first round in the second fights, nothing compares to them.
